text:
- About Us
- Issues
- Scorecards
Get Informed
- Join
- Connect
- Take Action
- Store
Get Involved
- Contact
- Foundation
- Privacy Policy
Contact FreedomWorks
400 Capitol Street, NW
Suite 765
Washington, DC 20001
- Toll Free 1.888.564.6273
- Local 202.783.3870
400 Capitol Street, NW
Suite 765
Washington, DC 20001
Government goes to those who show up. FreedomWorks makes it easy to hold your elected officials accountable in our fully interactive Action Center.
Find activists, groups, and events right in your own neighborhood. Join FreedomConnector to get involved and learn more about key issues threatening our economic freedom. Whether you're looking for like-minded people, trying to boost your existing group's impact, or simply trying to stay up on current events, FreedomConnector is the place to start. See what's happening in your state today!
Get Connected400 Capitol Street, NW
Suite 765
Washington, DC 20001
Rick Perry made headlines for calling Social Security a "Ponzi scheme" in last night's presidential debate. Mitt Romney and statist media sources predictably attacked this position claiming that the insolvent program is A-Okay. To be fair, Rick Perry isn't the only Republican candidate with the courage to speak truth to fiction about Social Security. Ron Paul has likely been calling the entitlement program a Ponzi scheme long before I was even born. It's suddenly become popular to call Social Security out for what it really is: a compulsory Ponzi scheme.
Social Security is the definition of a Ponzi scheme with a few notable differences. Charles Ponzi started a money making scam that would later be known as a Ponzi scheme back in 1916. He persuaded people to allow him to invest their money but he never made one investment. He simply transferred money from his later investors to his earlier investors. The unsustainable system inevitably collapsed. Charles Ponzi was then convicted of fraud and spent years behind bars.
Social Security has many similarities to a Ponzi scheme but it's even worse. The main difference is that Ponzi schemes are voluntary and Social Security is mandatory. Everyone is forced to pay Social Security payroll taxes whether they want to be part of the system or not. Just like Charles Ponzi's fraudulent scheme, money from "later investors" or young workers is transferred to "earlier investors" or retirees.
Ponzi schemes are always great for earlier investors but rip off those who invest later on. The number of retirees is growing far faster than the number of new workers. The ratio of workers to retirees has grown from 42 to 1 in 1940 to just 3.3 to 1 today. Social Security is facing more than $20 trillion in unfunded future liabilities. Young people actually believe that they have a better chance of seeing UFOs than a Social Security check made out to them when they retire.
Some people especially those on the left wrongly call us "cruel." But think about it: how cruel is it to force a young person who believes they will get nothing in return into a system? Why should young workers who are just starting out in their careers be forced to pay for the Social Security benefits of elderly millionaires and billionaires? Seniors are much wealthier than young people on average.
Individuals should be free to opt-out of Social Security if they wish. People could then stay in the insolvent Social Security system or invest on their own. If Social Security is so "great", why is it mandatory? Private sector retirement plans can provide safer plans with higher benefits than Social Security. Unlike Social Security, the assets in the private retirement plans can be rolled over to a surviving spouse or other family member. We need more retirement choices instead of being forced into a terribly mismanaged government monopoly.
The Venn diagram above made by The Examiner's Tim Carney shows the difference between Ponzi schemes and Social Security. Bernie Madoff, who was responsible for the largest Ponzi schemes in history, was sentenced to 150 years in prison back in 2009. But the federal government's Social Security scheme is somehow mandatory. Politicians who criticize Social Security are indeed considered pariahs. Think Progress says that it is "nuts" to even compare Ponzi schemes and Social Security.
The Social Security scam disproportionally hurts the working class and African Americans. Tim Carney says that, "given that black men have a lower life expectancy, they get shortchanged on the benefits end." The life expectancy for an African American male is just 69.7 years—versus 75.5 years for white men. The Social Security retirement age is 65. This means that close to half of African Americans males will die before every receiving a dime of Social Security benefits despite paying into the system all of their working life. How is that for cruel?
Social Security is a compulsory Ponzi scheme. As Cato Institute scholar Roger Pilon says, "a private company that ran such a scheme would be prosecuted in less than a New York minute." Social Security is a hopelessly bad deal for today's worker. Americans should be allowed to invest in their retirement as they see fit—not be forced into a mandatory Ponzi scheme against their will. We need more presidential candidates with the guts to propose allowing individuals to opt-out of Social Security.
Social Security, in addition to state and local pensions, is perilously underfunded. The Washington Post recently criticized President Obama for ignoring entitlement reform; particularly Social Security.
Last year, the President's budget asked for a more accurate measurement of the inflation index – chained CPI. This year's budget omits solutions to the expanding Social Security debt, which is already negatively impacting other government programs and will severely affect our children and grandchildren. White House spokesman Josh Earnest used political-speak to explain the changed of position.
"The president is not going to be in a position where he's going to ask senior citizens and middle-class families to make sacrifices in pursuit of reducing the deficit and not ask the wealthy and well-connected to do so, too. The second you bring up the prospect of closing tax loopholes, Republicans walk away."
The Washington Post strongly explained the real-politics translation:
I don't want to take any heat for pursuing a deal with the GOP, even if that would be difficult, and even if it would be the right thing for the country.
"The right thing for the country" – especially children and grandchildren – has long been ignored by most politicians in Federal, state and local governments throughout America. Ignoring the Detroit pension crisis has employees and retirees pleading to save and secure their pensions in bankruptcy court. Stockton and San Bernardino are teetering on bankruptcy with many other cities, counties and states perilously close to bankruptcy.
There are a few forward thinking jurisdictions, though. Rhode Island and San Jose are very liberal exceptions that had the foresight and political courage to adjust their pension systems. With changed pension plans come lawsuits from government-employee unions, and Rhode Island and San Jose are involved in complex, legal and constitutional court challenges. Sadly, making substantial government change, which was long ignored, is very difficult.
Illinois pension "solution" is also in enormous danger. In the recent past, the state heavily borrowed money hoping for a fortuitous bailout – a better economy and more tax revenue. Then, the state increased it's income tax by 66%. Now the legislature and governor have a enacted a law they claim will make the pension system solvent in 30 years, which is likely to be another ruse. Again, government employee unions are suing.
America's government pension crisis is enormously complex both legally and constitutionally. Few Americans have the time and interest to engage in a public dialog. However, every America will be affected. Workers dependent on Social Security will be directly impacted as will the pensions of state and local government employees. For Americans not directly impacted, there will be attempts to tax more Americans, which will reduce economic growth for our children and grandchildren.
Politicians, who have been long-passed aways, and many of our present leaders – Democrats and Republicans – are directly responsible for the ever expanding crisis. Nine years ago, Nancy Pelosi cleverly squashed President Bush's plan to convert Social Security into personal accounts. Bush purposed personal ownership, similar to the conversion from a bankrupt system to the workers-owned plan in Chile and copied by Australia and other governments. Nancy Pelosi's Congressional site continues to brag on how she out smarted "really a lovely man" - President Bush. The response is long and disjointed, but worth reading to better understand her political gamesmanship and thinking. Pelosi:
*Our plan … the private sector advisers said if you start saying: "well the that, the age, the tax, the this, you will be confused with what he is doing. You must not offer another plan. It has to be about his plan." … on a weekly basis at least, Members would come in and say: "is it time for us to have a plan yet?"
And believe me, there were probably had 250 plans, House and Senate, combined. Is it time for us to have a plan? And I kept saying to them: "never, does never work for you?" In terms of the contrast - Social Security, privatize - and that's the beginning of the end. And because our Members trusted us, Harry and me, trusted the two of us, then we were able to keep people together. President Bush really a lovely man, really. We disagreed in terms of policy but he would say: "I'm going to 23 states in 23 days," something like that, and I would say: "I want you to go to 46 states in 46 days and I'll pay your way," because we're going to be there to inoculate against your message, to protect Social Security and educate as to what you said doesn't work. So, at the end of it, I said nothing. *
Today, President Obama refuses to lead. As the Washington Post wrote:
Translation: I don't want to take any heat for pursuing a deal with the GOP, even if that would be difficult, and even if it would be the right thing for the country.
America's government-pension crisis is badly in need of consistent and honest political leadership. The President, congressional leaders, governors, state legislators, county commissioners, and city council members must clearly and continuously engage the public in an honest and thorough explanation of the crisis and alternative solutions. Of course, this an indictment of politicians at all levels of government. Universally, politicians select to maintain their elected positions of power at the expense of honest and fiscally prudent long-term pension policies. The impending financial crisis will force solutions, and part of the solution must be personal accounts. Similar to Chile, a worker, especially our children and grandchildren, will be much better protected by owning and controlling their own pensions. Politicians – Democrats and Republicans - have conclusively proved they are not trustworthy.
Jose Pinera, a Harvard PhD, is the master-mind for personal accounts in Chile, and cogently understands that market risk is much safer than political corruption and manipulations:
"They (worker in Chile) trust the private sector and prefer market risk to political risk. If you invest money in the market, it could go up or down. Over a 40-year period, though, a diversified portfolio will have very low risk and provide a positive rate of real return. But when the government runs the pension system, it can slash benefits at any time."
Nothing is more dangerous to democracy and the viability of America than our government debt burden, which is substantially a pension crisis. Only ownership can stop political corruption and malfeasance. Ownership is essential for freedom and prosperity.
Democracy and Power 104: Future Debt Burden A government debt is a government claim against personal income and private property – an unpaid tax bill. —Hans F. Sennholz
A recent report out of Mesa, Arizona demonstrates the inevitable negative consequences of supposed problem-solving government programs. Audrey Glemba, a 49-year-old triathlon runner, became a medically-retired police officer collecting worker's compensation for an injury she claimed prevented her from working. Taxpayers in her city are now paying her $508 a month, in addition to medical retirement benefits.
In the years between Glemba's back and knee injury in 1995 and her retirement in 2008, she ran 29 races, including 10 triathlons. At the time she was applying for medial retirement, she and her squad were under investigation for hanging up photographs of themselves, the homeless, and the disabled, alongside demeaning comments. While she was appealing her termination, the local pension board approved her retirement. In the meantime, she participated in an Ironman race just months prior to the approval, and has since completed another one.
Glemba is part of a worrying national trend that has seen the number of people receiving disability benefits rise from 1.5 million in 1970 to 8.8 million in 2012, plus an additional 2.1 million dependent spouses and children. The program's fund is projected to be depleted by 2016 as payments continue to outweigh revenues.
While a difficult job market and an aging population are likely contributing to the increase in program participants, the nature of the rise and reported disabilities suggest that far more concerning factors are also at play.
The government is encouraging people to sign up by creating ways to game the system, and an increasing number of Americans are taking advantage. Relaxation of medical eligibility criteria under the Reagan administration made it easier to qualify for benefits. Unlike the medical impairments more commonly reported in the past, such as strokes and heart attacks, the majority of issues today are difficult to verify, inviting fraud. According to a recent NPR report, just 17.9% of recipients in 1961 were claiming mental illness, back pain, and other musculoskeletal problems as their disabilities. Today, this group makes up over 50%.
In addition, the economic value of disability payments has increased, and recipients qualify for Medicare after two years, regardless of their age. Furthermore, there is a concern that states encourage people to apply in order to transfer the economic burden of the unemployed to the federal government.
Still, government programs do not deserve all the blame. In recent years, our culture has strongly emphasized a distorted view of justice and equality that runs counter to the principle of individual freedom. Rather than admiring responsibility, hard work, and charity, people are resentful and have an inflated sense of entitlement. You cannot watch television today without being bombarded by ads with lawyers promising to fight for you and win the benefits that you deserve.
With government bureaucracy encouraging fraud, and society constantly reminding us that life is unfair, it is no wonder that programs designed to be a last resort are now looked upon not only as another option, but a more just one. These factors contribute to the distrubing trend exemplified by Audrey Glemba, resulting in an increasingly significant proportion of the population reliant on the government and taxpayers. As long as the public continues to allow more and more people to choose disability over work, the numbers will only get worse as the program expands and further spreads dependency and waste.
A recent report out of Mesa, Arizona demonstrates the inevitable negative consequences of supposed problem-solving government programs. Audrey Glemba, a 49-year-old triathlon runner, became a medically-retired police officer collecting worker's compensation for an injury she claimed prevented her from working. Taxpayers in her city are now paying her $508 a month, in addition to medical retirement benefits.
In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
—Voltaire (1764)
Politicians transfer money from productive people to favored special interest groups.
Many politicians and complicit bureaucrats have raided Detroit's pension fund for their political gain. The rulers bestowed municipal employees bonuses, hardship payments, perceived investment windfalls and other convenient political artifices. Called the "13th check," the money was often dispensed just before Christmas, and thought of as a "good' thing to do. One bureaucrat explains, "People were having a hard time, living hand-to-mouth, and we thought we would give them some extra."
Sadly Detroit's pension fund is now bankrupt. Horrifically, some people will be financially hurt by past political malfeasance. Currently, those effected by the bankruptcy are waiting for a bankruptcy judge to decide if the promised pensions will be paid along with the fate of the bond holders and other investors.
The lesson in governance is very important:
Whenever there is a pot of money, politicians will seek to raid the money for immediate perceived needs and political advantage. Certainly, this is not solely a problem specific to Detroit. Sadly, this is a politician problem, perpetrated by Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
Social Security parallels the Detroit Pension Heist:
Social Security has also been raided for other government programs – i.e. schools, roads, welfare, and a variety of other government functions. Unlike Detroit's nefarious raids, Social Security was intentionally set up to be raided. It's Congress' dirty secret.
Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system. The 15.3% tax (employer and employee pay equally) goes straight to the federal government. The government takes the money and pays for everything from bombing Libya to paying politicians salaries.
Now, on to the fictional side. Government issues a bond promising to repay the alleged "Social Security Trust Fund." Guess who gets to repay the government bond, which will pay for future Social Security benefits? Tomorrow's workers. Poof, the money is gone and our grandchildren are deeper in debt.
Again, the governance lesson is very important:
Whenever there is a pot of money, politicians will raid the money for immediate, perceived needs and political advantage. Certainly, this is not specifically a problem in Detroit. This is a politician problem - perpetrated by Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
Democracy and Power 103: Government MoneyIn general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. —Voltaire (1764)Politicians transfer money from productive people to favored special interest groups.
That all Men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent natural Right…; among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursuing and obtaining Happiness and Safety. —Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
Indispensable to personal freedom is the liberty for each person to choose how to allocate and invest their time, labor and money as well as to own the gains made by these investments.
Recently, public workers have become more aware their pensions and healthcare programs are in very serious jeopardy. Elected city, county and state officials have made contracts with their employees, but are unable to fund their promises. Sadly, this is the great flaw of democracies. Politicians buy votes to get elected - for example promising great retirements to government union workers - but do not tax, invest or provide adequate resources to pay for their promises. [Read: Detroit & Stockton Bankruptcies Expose Democracy's Great Flaw - Short-term Politics Trumps Long-term Planning]
Unforeseen at the time of their elections, government workers in Detroit, Stockton, Chicago and many other cities are learning they have been duped by long-gone politicians. Clearly, this is immoral governance.
Then, compare the plight of government workers in Detroit, Chicago and Stockton to those employees in three counties in Texas, who opted out of Social Security by creating personal retirement accounts. [Read: Three Texas Counties Opted Out of Social Security]. In 30 years, the county workers in these three counties will retire with more money and better death and disability supplemental benefits than the public employees of Stockton, Detroit and Chicago.
Most importantly, the government workers of Galveston, Matagorda and Brazoria Counties own their retirement, and immoral, corrupt governance will not reduce or take away their nest eggs. These Texas counties chose private accounts and used professional money managers competing for the opportunity to invest their money. As a result, the employees are guaranteed a minimum rate of return.
Merrill Mathews in the Wall Street journal cites the better returns provided by professional money managers:
Those who retire under the Texas counties' Alternate Plan do much better than those on Social Security. According to First Financial's calculations, based on 40 years of contributions:
• A lower-middle income worker making about $26,000 at retirement would get about $1,007 a month under Social Security, but $1,826 under the Alternate Plan.
• A middle-income worker making $51,200 would get about $1,540 monthly from Social Security, but $3,600 from the banking model.
• And a high-income worker who maxed out on his Social Security contribution every year would receive about $2,500 a month from Social Security versus $5,000 to $6,000 a month from the Alternate Plan.
As Galveston County Judge Mark Henry says, "The plan works great. Anyone who spends a few minutes understanding the plan becomes a huge proponent." Judge Henry says that out of 1,350 county employees, only five have chosen not to participate.
A saving and investing system has enormous benefits to all Americans, and ownership stops immoral and corrupt governance because investors protect and preserve their property as well as that of their fellow workers. In the three Texas counties, employees are receiving more money in retirement, which is obviously good. However, what's most important to every American is saving and investing – as opposed to taxing and redistributing by government – provides seed money which propels commerce and industry.
Personal accounts for retirement is absolutely essential for personal freedom and a vibrant society. America's critical task is to end our corrupt political system and create personal accounts.
Personal Freedom and Prosperity 102: Acquiring and Possessing PropertyThat all Men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent natural Right…; among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursuing and obtaining Happiness and Safety. —Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
Yesterday, President Obama made a speech in which he essentially declared that the rest of his presidency would be spent chasing a dream of societal equality, in the name of fairness. The concept of fairness in America has been horribly and tragically distorted by this administration. President Obama, along with his czars have spent the previous five years screaming from the mountaintops that the "rich" need to pay their fair share. Time and time again President Obama has had the audacity to pursue an economic policy agenda that creates a mythical sense of economic fairness instead of legitimate economic stability. Logic and reason be damned, this administration seeks to redistribute the wealth and punish the evil, villainous rich no matter what the consequences may be.
President Obama's definition of fairness is fiscal equality, which is horrendously flawed logic. This administration seeks to manufacture fiscal fairness by lowering the ceiling to raise the floor. Punishing the successful does nothing to help the poor; it in fact harms them by systematically removing liquid capital from the marketplace and in return less jobs and opportunities are available.
If your house was on fire, would you want the firefighters to come put your house out, or light every house in the neighborhood on fire to establish a sense of equality? This is an accurate analogy for Obama's fairness doctrine taken to its logical extreme. In lieu of actually developing sound economic policy, progressives seek to punish the wealthy in a brazen attempt to appease the lower class. It's easier for the Obama administration to manufacture societal discontent by convincing the lower class that success can only be achieved through government force, rather than actually rely on the laws of free market economics. Mandating "fairness" might sound nice, but it doesn't change economic law. The Obama fairness doctrine is a farce which will only serve to enslave and subjugate another generation of Americans to the welfare office.
One of the greatest things about America is everyone has opportunity, if they choose to pursue it. The playing field is not even; however nowhere on earth will you find an even playing field. Obama's policies of corporatism and kickbacks for his cronies in union leadership and big business only serve to hurt those on the lower rung of the income scale more. Using the government to pick winners and losers only widens the income gap and does nothing to help individuals succeed.
Nevertheless, in the United States everyone is at least able to climb the proverbial ladder to success. The unfortunate reality is that some individuals must work harder to climb the ladder than others but the opportunity to climb still exists. It is of great importance that we remember nowhere in the Constitution are we guaranteed the right to an easy climb.
I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Atlanta. During that time I had the pleasure of witnessing individuals go from being homeless, with no education, to earning their GED and even graduating college. Overcoming difficult circumstances is possible; but it takes is work ethic, desire to succeed, dedication and determination. No nation can realistically promise easy access to prosperity, but what makes America the greatest nation on earth is that everyone has access to acquire the tools necessary to achieve their dreams.
Furthermore, The United States is filled with charitable organizations that exist to catch individuals when they fall and get them back on their feet. Americans give more to charity than anyone else on the planet. In a civil, moral society it is our job to help our neighbors when they fall, we are too quick to pass our own social responsibilities on to the federal government.
Friends, we must not fall into the trap of President Obama's fairness doctrine. We should be proud of our individual successes and not made to feel guilty for enjoying the fruits of our own labor. We must continue to speak out against the entitlement programs that enslave the unsuccessful, so that we may end the government's reign of economic terror over the impoverished.
So long as we continue to give handouts in lieu of education and motivation, we will never inspire or assist those in need to better their situation by embracing personal responsibility. If President Obama and his cronies focused on developing the lower income class instead of punishing and lambasting the upper class, America would slowly begin to resemble the economic powerhouse we once were. I dream of an America where we strive for prosperity, where success is lauded, and where achievement is admired. This dream is within reach, but first we must overthrow the tyranny of government mandated equality.
Yesterday, President Obama made a speech in which he essentially declared that the rest of his presidency would be spent chasing a dream of societal equality, in the name of fairness. The concept of fairness in America has been horribly and tragically distorted by this administration.
A government with moral and legal authority promulgates written rules and universally, impartially and uniformly enforces the rules, which provides a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions. The law prevails, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, the enforcer (e.g., policeman) or judge.
Social Security Manipulation Violates the Rule of LawPursuant to our Social Security Act, Trustees are tasked with reporting the program's finances. The current Trustees' report calls for prompt legislative corrections:
Lawmakers should address the financial challenges facing Social Security and Medicare as soon as possible. Taking action sooner rather than later will leave more options and more time available to phase in changes so that the public has adequate time to prepare.
Charles Blahous, one of two public Trustees, succinctly identifies the reasons Social Security is financially insolvent. The shortfall facing Social Security, as a whole, arises primarily from demographic factors interacting with the program's benefit formula and financing method:
Our politicians presume that means-testing who receives benefits (wealthy seniors would not receive promised benefits) and changing the cost-of-living formula (adopted in the 1970s) would preserve our Social Security program as we know it. However, these are difficult political votes. Presently, there is a strong coalition, led by avowed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, opposed to changing our current formula. Likewise, very few politicians support means-testing to reduce promised benefits to seniors.
Harmfully and immorally, Congress and the President will most-likely do nothing until they are forced to make unpopular votes. Simply, America's political elite will ignore and avoid being prudent and responsible until the so-called Trust Fund is insolvent, which is predicted to be 2016 for disability benefits and 2033 for old-age and survivor benefits.
Moreover, there also exists a critical, philosophical issue. Absolutely absent in this political debate – as opposed to the the Trustees duty to report on the finances – is Congress and the President's honor and respect for the Rule of Law. Should Congress and the President manipulate a long-standing law – denying benefits to some and change the established formula for all beneficiaries? Our Rule of Law states:
The law prevails, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, the enforcer or judge.
Incredibly, America's political elites – Members of Congress, the DC media and most academics - don't know, appreciate or care about our Rule of Law. By changing the cost-of-living formula and means-testing to determine who receives benefits, government (Congress and the President) will be saying to every worker and every employer, "Yes, you were taxed 15.3% to pay for Social Security. However, we were not honest or good stewards and now here are the new rules. Every beneficiary receives less and some wealthy people get substantially less or nothing." This is a horrible breach of an essential duty of morality and governance:
A government with moral and legal authority promulgates written rules and universally, impartially and uniformly enforces the rules, which provides a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions. The law prevails, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, the enforcer or judge.
Alas, the present proposed manipulations are a continuation of the inglorious history of Social Security. Politicians - Republicans and Democrats – have regularly manipulated Social Security for their immediate political advantage. For example:
Thus, government unilaterally altered the contract with American workers and beneficiaries. For example, Congress and the President initiated a tax on the benefits and increased the payroll tax and retirement age.
Only personal accounts – owned by the worker – will stop government manipulation and restore the Rule of Law. America must stop robbing from the young and unborn, who will be most impacted by the presumed changes. America must terminate how Social Security is financed : the program is financed on a pay-as-you-go basis, meaning that each generation's benefits are paid for the most part from the tax contributions of the following generation, rather than saving those contributions to finance future payments. Any other fix to Social Security will continue the corrupt and destructive abuse of power by government. The only honorable solution is to stop the inter-generational theft and servitude.
I purpose the Freedom IRA, which allows young people to opt-out of Social Security by investing 7.65% in their own IRA. When a person opts-out, they give up thier future rights to Social Security, with the exception of disability benefits. In other words, they forfeit all that they have been previously taxed.
I am well aware that fiscally-prudent Americans are very concerned about the cost of such a transition. One suggestion is to entice seniors, who are approaching retirement, to voluntarily delay their Social Security benefits until they turn 72. A combination of delaying benefits and reducing taxes would substantially reduce the burden of government debt. To advance this concept, additional design parameters and fiscal assumptions must be "scored" by the Office of Management and Budget. Stay tuned.
Any other fix to Social Security will continue the corrupt and destructive abuse of power by government. The only honorable solution is to stop the inter-generational theft and servitude. Young Americans will be have a more secure retirement, and hopefully more people will understand and appreciate the Rule of Law.
Read Previous Post on Social Security:
Social Security: Structurally Violates Freedom
Social Security: Immoral Special Interest Politics
Indirectly Obama and NYTimes Admit Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme
Chained CPI - Harms Elderly and Bamboozles the Young
Personal Freedom and Prosperity 110: The Rule of LawA government with moral and legal authority promulgates written rules and universally, impartially and uniformly enforces the rules, which provides a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions. The law prevails, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, the enforcer (e.g., policeman) or judge.
Harmfully, the vast majority of the voters are rationally ignorant of most government actions; bills, legislation, regulations and taxes that will ultimately impact their lives.
Why? Americans are working hard to make a living, raise a family and improve their community. Individual voters don't have the time to know all our government's transactions and it is impossible to stay abreast of all government's actions.
Chained CPI – Harms Elderly and Bamboozles the YoungPresident's Obama's budget includes the chained-weighted Consumer Price Index, which would reduce the benefits received by Social Security recipients. The AARP, AFL-CIO, Moveon.org and many other organizations are vociferously opposed to any Social Security reductions.
Anticipating these strong and persistent objections, our President has made special provisions for the elderly and could possibly exempt other recipients. For example, at 76 years of age, a Social Security recipient would receive additional money. Among the other groups exempted from reduced benefits are the disabled, which proves, again, that politics always picks winners and losers and not the public. It's not a matter of the reason for the exemption but the deep-pockets funding the decision.
The biggest losers in this game are young Americans. Why? The federal tax code has brackets. As a worker increases their earnings, he or she graduates to a higher bracket and an increased tax rate. Historically, wages grow faster than inflation, and this causes "bracket creep." Taxpayers move to a higher bracket and an increased tax-rate faster than the rise of their standard of living. In other words, government stealthly takes more money from the American worker. Under the current CPI, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects a tax increase of 30% over the next 25 years. The chained CPI would slow a corresponding bracket adjustment. And so...all Americans would have a higher tax rate and government would take more money from almost every taxpayer. Stealth robbery!
Let's review the dynamics: Personal income rise faster than the corresponding tax bracket adjustments, and government receives 30% more revenue from the increased tax rates. Unbeknownst to everyone – especially the young, the chained CPI will quickly push taxpayers into a higher bracket and government will take more money.
Obviously, most Americans are completely unaware of these tax implications on a seemingly insignificant change in the CPI. However, the Federal government is aware. The Obama administration has intentionally linked the chained CPI to Social Security and our tax code. Plus, they excluded valuable groups – the disabled and others. They attempted to appease seniors by offering special concessions – an increase in benefits at age 76, etc. Then, by stealth action, they increased the tax rates that impact every working American.
Alas, the American voter is rationally ignorant and does not have the time or the energy to study all the transactions of our government. It is impossible to stay abreast of all government's actions.
Unfortunately, there is no quick or easy fix to the problem. Government will always have the power and intent to obfuscate, manipulate and hide their machinations and intent. Worse, the bigger and more distant our government, the less knowledge and power voters will possess.
The goal of a free society must be to return the power of governance to local control. That is family, friends, churches and the local community.
Read more at Democracy and Power 102: Voters are Rationally Ignorant.
Democracy and Power 102: Voters are Rationally IgnorantHarmfully, the vast majority of the voters are rationally ignorant of most government actions; bills, legislation, regulations and taxes that will ultimately impact their lives.
Like malfunctioning clockwork, President Barack Obama's new budget proposal has arrived (a little late) to provide us all with some comic relief. Aptly referred to as a "fantasyland" by POLITICO's David Nather, President Obama's budget hikes taxes, expands federal interference in education, increases the minimum wage, and bails out another federal agency. Sound appealing?
• Nobody should be surprised that the president wants higher taxes. Ever since House Republicans compromised on taxes to avert the "fiscal cliff," President Obama has made it very clear that he expects future budgets and deficit-reduction deals to hike taxes, as well.
Specifically, he raises another $583 billion in new taxes on high-income Americans and he proposes a 94 cent hike on the cigarette excise tax, thereby raising it to $1.95 per pack. From the president's point of view, current federal baseline spending of $3.618 trillion isn't enough. He wants to bump it up to $3.78 trillion, and he wants us to pick up the tab.
• President Obama suggests using $71.2 billion of this new revenue to fund "universal preschool" across the country. Regardless of your thoughts on the merit of preschool (which is certainly debatable), this is just another example of federal overreach in the realm of education. Traditionally, states and local governments exercised control over education, but the federal government has grown increasingly involved in recent decades, and with harmful effects. Once again, the president displays his disregard for federalism and disdain for federal restraint.
• Apparently feeling that the unemployment rate is too low, President Obama also calls for a hike in the federal minimum wage, from $7.25 to $9.00. Most economists will tell you that raising the price floor in any market (including the labor market) will reduce the quantity demanded while increasing the quantity supplied. In other words, unemployment will go up. How much? As economist Russ Roberts argues:
"Economists have done an immense amount of work trying to measure these effects and the overall impact on the poor. The overwhelming consensus has been that minimum wages serve the poor very poorly. The standard finding is that a 10% increase in the minimum wage reduces employment among low-skilled workers from 1% to 3%."
Just for the sake of reference, President Obama is proposing an increase in the minimum wage of more than 20%. For a more complete understanding of the impact of minimum wage hikes, I suggest reading this article by FreedomWorks' Patrick Hedger.
• The budget also provides for a $943 million taxpayer bailout of the Federal Housing Administration, which is losing money hand over fist due to high-risk loans made in 2007. It's incredible to think that we're still on the hook for bailing out failing and mismanaged federal agencies, especially housing-related ones. Haven't we seen this movie before?
• Fortunately, it's not all bad news. President Obama's lengthy budget does contain one notably positive item: the implementation of "chained CPI" in Social Security, which will require a bit of an explanation. Each year, Social Security benefits increase on the basis of cost-of-living adjustments, which are meant to prevent inflation from reducing the real value of those benefits.
There are different ways to calculate inflation, and therefore the size of the cost-of-living adjustments. Right now, the government uses the "consumer price index" (CPI) to calculate inflation. However, many economists believe that the CPI tends to overestimate annual inflation significantly. As a result, Social Security benefits increase by more than the inflation rate.
Chained CPI is a more accurate variation of the consumer price index, and using it to replace the current CPI method would make the annual cost-of-living adjustments serve their intended purpose, instead of working as a back-door means to increase entitlement spending. Unsurprisingly, many among the left haven't embraced this portion of the president's budget. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) decries the proposal and insists, "...we cannot allow [Social Security] to be dismantled inch by inch."
In other words, she considers improving the inner workings of Social Security equivalent to "dismantling" the program. If Senator Warren wants to increase Social Security benefits beyond what's necessary to mitigate the effects of inflation, I would suggest that she propose an actual law to that effect, instead of relying on a flawed technical mechanism within the program to do it. It's not only dishonest, it's ridiculous. At least President Obama was willing to accept this common-sense reform as part of his budget.
President Obama's budget is still, for the most part, awful. I have only highlighted a few of the many substantial problems with it. He proposes tax hikes, new spending initiatives, and further government expansion. His budget never balances, and he barely addresses entitlements, which are the primary driver of our rising national debt. To put it simply, the United States would be made worse off by enacting his plan.
Of course, the president will never have the opportunity to sign his budget into law. Indeed, his previous proposals have failed to garner even a single vote in either the House or the Senate. Two years ago, the Senate rejected his budget with a vote of 0-97. Last year, the Senate issued an even more resounding repudiation with a vote of 0-99. The House voted it down with a tally of 0-414, for good measure.
Perhaps President Obama will finally shame a few Democrats into supporting his budget this time around, but I certainly wouldn't bet money on it. Given the challenges confronting us, the president's plan is a serious disappointment.
Like malfunctioning clockwork, President Barack Obama's new budget proposal has arrived (a little late) to provide us all with some comic relief. Aptly referred to as a "fantasyland" by POLITICO's David Nather, President Obama's budget hikes taxes, expands federal interference in education, increases the minimum wage, and bails out another federal agency. Sound appealing?
The first and chief design of every system of government is to maintain justice: to prevent the members of society from incroaching on one another's property, or seizing what is not their own. The design here is to give each one the secure and peacable possession of his own property.
- Adam Smith
Utilizing property greatly advances a person's opportunity to investment their time, intellect, labor and money. Coupled with limitless and competitive exchanges of ideas and products, these investments propel commerce, science, art and charity. Civilization advances.
The USA: How Government Confiscates Private PropertyPeople seeking freedom throughout the world are horrified by the government of Cyprus stealing money from personal bank accounts. [Read: Cyprus! Government Spending, Debt and Government Confiscation of Private Property] Equally horrific is the European Union's approval of the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund's compliciy. Knowledgeable investors know that these government edicts – the coerced seizure of bank accounts - violates a cardinal element of freedom. Over 200 years ago, Adam Smith stated:
The first and chief design of every system of government is to maintain justice: to prevent the members of society from incroaching on one another's property, or seizing what is not their own.
Raiding bank accounts in Cyprus has caused devastating financial and social degradation. Europe will suffer because investors in Europe and the rest of the world fear additional raids will continue on personal property. [Read: Stealing Private Property: Cyprus and the EU]
Now, take a look at how a sophisticated country devalues private property. Presently, the USA is raiding everyone's bank account. Richard Rahn in the Washington Times explains that the Federal Reserve has expanded our money supply, which keeps our interest rate very low – approximately 1%. However, inflation is approximately 2 to 3%. Presto; if you had money in a savings account your purchasing power is 1 or 2% less.
Do you want evidence? Has your grocery bill gone up? Yep. Case closed. This is a deliberate manipulation by government, which reduces the wealth of its citizens. Again, a cardinal element fostering freedom is for government to protect people and their private property.
Additionally, tax on earned-interest seizes your wealth. Remember, your savings account is earning 1%. However, you must pay tax on the interest you receive. Think it through. You are paying tax on the piddly amount of interest you earned, and our 2 or 3% inflation has diminished your purchasing power – your wealth. Thus, you are paying tax on an savings account that's losing real value.
Now, let's examine a bigger theft by our government – Social Security. Our government taxes workers 12.4% (employee and employer each pay 6.2%). Every American should realize, government cannot honor its implicitly promised benefits. Politicians are already talking of mean-testing (thus, excluding people that saved for their retirement), changing our cost of living calculations and extending our retirement age. Again, our Federal government is taking property – 12.4% tax – and arbitrarily decreeing who and how much a worker will receive in benefits.
With the approval of the European Union, Cyprus overtly raided personal bank accounts. The United States, on the other hand, is stealthly depleting worker's savings and promised retirement benefits, e.g., Social Security. Even worse, Americans saving their money, above and beyond Social Security, now know President Obama seeks to limit personal savings to $3million. This is not protecting private property. It's just the opposite; this is regulating and confiscating private property.
In the late 1700's, Adm Smith recognized that the secure and peacable possession of property enhanced a person's opportunity to investment their time, intellect, labor and money. Fortunately for America, the importance of private property was known to the Founders of America. James Madison wrote:
Government is instituted to protect property of every sort; as well that which lies in the various rights of individuals, as that which the term particularly expresses. This being the end of government, that alone is a just government, which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own.
John Adams wrote:
The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If "Thou shalt not covet," and "Thou shalt not steal," were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free.
The governments of the United States and Europe have dangerously ignored and abused a crucial element of freedom – private property. Our governments must again respect and protect private property. It is absolutely essential for peace and prosperity.
Personal Freedom and Prosperity 103: Private PropertyThe first and chief design of every system of government is to maintain justice: to prevent the members of society from incroaching on one another's property, or seizing what is not their own. The design here is to give each one the secure and peacable possession of his own property.- Adam Smith
In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one part of the citizens to give to the other. —Voltaire (1764)
Indirectly - Obama and The NYTimes admit Social Security is a Ponzi FraudThrough intended "leaks," President Obama will propose a change in calculating the cost-of-living increases for Social Security, which will result in beneficiaries receiving less money than the current system. The President's faithful supporters are horrified that the President would take money from retirees. Union leaders, Moveon.com, and the Senate's only socialist – Bernie Sanders – are adamantly opposed. Why would the President "tweak" Social Security, and irritate his political base and gigantic voting block – seniors?
The President knows – as should every member of the Senate and House – that Social Security and Medicare are spending more money than the Social Security and Medicare tax revenues bring in. These two programs and Medicaid (health care for the poor) are sucking gigantic sums of money out of the Federal treasury and will continue to consume more and more. So, the President is seeking a trade with Republicans – a small tweak to Social Security in exchange for a lot of tax increases.
It's a terrible trade; especially for young Americans. If Congress and the President make a "deal," Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will continue to expand – especially Medicaid under ObamaCare - and taxes will be greatly increased. Paul Krugman recently reported that in order to maintain these programs, a Value Added Tax (VAT) must be imposed. A VAT is a form of sales tax, which will tax everyone in addition to our current taxes. [Read: America Beware of More Stealth Tax Increases]
Most revealing - indirectly, President Obama is admitting that Social Security and Medicare are Ponzi frauds. As The New York Times recently stated "... Social Security has always been a pay-as-you-go system, with workers' taxes going not to some actual trust fund for them but directly toward benefits for retirees."
Jackie Calmes, of The New York Times, laments that the public – especially seniors – mistakenly believe they have paid for their Social Security and Medicare benefits. In an article titled Misperceptions of Benefits Make Trimming Them Harder, she reports that for the last six years Medicare has sucked over 45% of its payment from the Federal treasury. So, besides paying the 15.3% Social Security and Medicaid tax, every taxpayer is also paying for the short-fall in Social Security and Medicare benefit payments. YIKES!
Needless- to-say, America has a debilitating and perilous debt problem. The President and Calmes acknowledge – indirectly – that Social Security and Medicare must be substantially changed.
This is important. For major political change to occur, Americans must understand the problem. The problem with Social Security and Medicare is that "workers' taxes going not to some actual trust fund for them but directly toward benefits for retirees."
Worse, Social Security and Medicare are sucking gigantic sums from the Federal treasury and will continue to consume more and more. These indirect admissions are a rebuke of Pelosi's claims eight years ago that Social Security was solvent until 2042, and should stop politicians from claiming Social Security and Medicare are not part of America's deficit and debt debacle.
When Americans understand the debt problem, then serious discussions on resolutions will ensue.
Democracy and Power 103: Government MoneyIn general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one part of the citizens to give to the other. —Voltaire (1764)
Want more freedom? Become a member today!


text:
User interface design
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2010) |
This article needs attention from an expert in Computing. (March 2011) |
User interface design (UID) or user interface engineering is the design of websites, computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, and software applications with the focus on the user's experience and interaction. The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible, in terms of accomplishing user goals—what is often called user-centered design. Good user interface design facilitates finishing the task at hand without drawing unnecessary attention to itself. Graphic design may be utilized to support its usability. The design process must balance technical functionality and visual elements (e.g., mental model) to create a system that is not only operational but also usable and adaptable to changing user needs.
Interface design is involved in a wide range of projects from computer systems, to cars, to commercial planes; all of these projects involve much of the same basic human interactions yet also require some unique skills and knowledge. As a result, designers tend to specialize in certain types of projects and have skills centered around their expertise, whether that be software design, user research, web design, or industrial design.
User interface design requires a good understanding of user needs. There are several phases and processes in the user interface design, some of which are more demanded upon than others, depending on the project.[1] (Note: for the remainder of this section, the word system is used to denote any project whether it is a website, application, or device.)
- Functionality requirements gathering – assembling a list of the functionality required by the system to accomplish the goals of the project and the potential needs of the users.
- User analysis – analysis of the potential users of the system either through discussion with people who work with the users and/or the potential users themselves. Typical questions involve:
- What would the user want the system to do?
- How would the system fit in with the user's normal workflow or daily activities?
- How technically savvy is the user and what similar systems does the user already use?
- What interface look & feel styles appeal to the user?
- Information architecture – development of the process and/or information flow of the system (i.e. for phone tree systems, this would be an option tree flowchart and for web sites this would be a site flow that shows the hierarchy of the pages).
- Prototyping – development of wireframes, either in the form of paper prototypes or simple interactive screens. These prototypes are stripped of all look & feel elements and most content in order to concentrate on the interface.
- Usability inspection – letting an evaluator inspect a user interface. This is generally considered to be cheaper to implement than usability testing (see step below), and can be used early on in the development process since it can be used to evaluate prototypes or specifications for the system, which usually can't be tested on users. Some common usability inspection methods include cognitive walkthrough, which focuses the simplicity to accomplish tasks with the system for new users, heuristic evaluation, in which a set of heuristics are used to identify usability problems in the UI design, and pluralistic walkthrough, in which a selected group of people step through a task scenario and discuss usability issues.
- Usability testing – testing of the prototypes on an actual user—often using a technique called think aloud protocol where you ask the user to talk about their thoughts during the experience.
- Graphic interface design – actual look and feel design of the final graphical user interface (GUI). It may be based on the findings developed during the usability testing if usability is unpredictable, or based on communication objectives and styles that would appeal to the user. In rare cases, the graphics may drive the prototyping, depending on the importance of visual form versus function. If the interface requires multiple skins, there may be multiple interface designs for one control panel, functional feature or widget. This phase is often a collaborative effort between a graphic designer and a user interface designer, or handled by one who is proficient in both disciplines.
The dynamic characteristics of a system are described in terms of the dialogue requirements contained in seven principles of part 10 of the ergonomics standard, the ISO 9241. This standard establishes a framework of ergonomic "principles" for the dialogue techniques with high-level definitions and illustrative applications and examples of the principles. The principles of the dialogue represent the dynamic aspects of the interface and can be mostly regarded as the "feel" of the interface. The seven dialogue principles are:
- Suitability for the task: the dialogue is suitable for a task when it supports the user in the effective and efficient completion of the task.
- Self-descriptiveness: the dialogue is self-descriptive when each dialogue step is immediately comprehensible through feedback from the system or is explained to the user on request.
- Controllability: the dialogue is controllable when the user is able to initiate and control the direction and pace of the interaction until the point at which the goal has been met.
- Conformity with user expectations: the dialogue conforms with user expectations when it is consistent and corresponds to the user characteristics, such as task knowledge, education, experience, and to commonly accepted conventions.
- Error tolerance: the dialogue is error tolerant if despite evident errors in input, the intended result may be achieved with either no or minimal action by the user.
- Suitability for individualization: the dialogue is capable of individualization when the interface software can be modified to suit the task needs, individual preferences, and skills of the user.
- Suitability for learning: the dialogue is suitable for learning when it supports and guides the user in learning to use the system.
The concept of usability is defined of the ISO 9241 standard by effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of the user. Part 11 gives the following definition of usability:
- Usability is measured by the extent to which the intended goals of use of the overall system are achieved (effectiveness).
- The resources that have to be expended to achieve the intended goals (efficiency).
- The extent to which the user finds the overall system acceptable (satisfaction).
Effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction can be seen as quality factors of usability. To evaluate these factors, they need to be decomposed into sub-factors, and finally, into usability measures.
The information presentation is described in Part 12 of the ISO 9241 standard for the organization of information (arrangement, alignment, grouping, labels, location), for the display of graphical objects, and for the coding of information (abbreviation, color, size, shape, visual cues) by seven attributes. The "attributes of presented information" represent the static aspects of the interface and can be generally regarded as the "look" of the interface. The attributes are detailed in the recommendations given in the standard. Each of the recommendations supports one or more of the seven attributes. The seven presentation attributes are:
- Clarity: the information content is conveyed quickly and accurately.
- Discriminability: the displayed information can be distinguished accurately.
- Conciseness: users are not overloaded with extraneous information.
- Consistency: a unique design, conformity with user's expectation.
- Detectability: the user's attention is directed towards information required.
- Legibility: information is easy to read.
- Comprehensibility: the meaning is clearly understandable, unambiguous, interpretable, and recognizable.
The user guidance in Part 13 of the ISO 9241 standard describes that the user guidance information should be readily distinguishable from other displayed information and should be specific for the current context of use. User guidance can be given by the following five means:
- Prompts indicating explicitly (specific prompts) or implicitly (generic prompts) that the system is available for input.
- Feedback informing about the user's input timely, perceptible, and non-intrusive.
- Status information indicating the continuing state of the application, the system's hardware and software components, and the user's activities.
- Error management including error prevention, error correction, user support for error management, and error messages.
- On-line help for system-initiated and user initiated requests with specific information for the current context of use.
User interface design has been a topic of considerable research, including on its aesthetics.[2] Standards have been developed as far back as the 1980s for defining the usability of software products.[3] One of the structural bases has become the IFIP user interface reference model. The model proposes four dimensions to structure the user interface:
- The input/output dimension (the look)
- The dialogue dimension (the feel)
- The technical or functional dimension (the access to tools and services)
- The organizational dimension (the communication and co-operation support)
This model has greatly influenced the development of the international standard ISO 9241 describing the interface design requirements for usability. The desire to understand application-specific UI issues early in software development, even as an application was being developed, led to research on GUI rapid prototyping tools that might offer convincing simulations of how an actual application might behave in production use.[4] Some of this research has shown that a wide variety of programming tasks for GUI-based software can, in fact, be specified through means other than writing program code.[5]
Research in recent years is strongly motivated by the increasing variety of devices that can, by virtue of Moore's Law, host very complex interfaces.[6]
Research has also been conducted on generating user interfaces automatically, to match a user's level of ability for different levels of interaction.[7]
At the moment, in addition to traditional prototypes the literature proposes new solutions, such as an experimental mixed prototype based on a configurable physical prototype that allow to achieve a complete sense of touch, thanks to the physical mock-up, and a realistic visual experience, thanks to the superimposition of the virtual interface on the physical prototype with Augmented Reality techniques.[8]
See also[edit]
- Chief Experience Officer (CXO)
- Cognitive dimensions
- Graphical user interface elements
- Experience design
- Gender HCI
- Graphical user interface
- Human-computer interaction
- Human interface guidelines
- Icon design
- Information architecture
- Interaction design
- Interaction design pattern
- Interaction technique
- Interaction Flow Modeling Language (IFML)
- Knowledge visualization
- Natural mapping (interface design)
- New Interfaces for Musical Expression
- Participatory design
- Principles of user interface design
- Process-centered design
- Progressive disclosure
- User-centered design
- User experience design
- User interface
Further reading[edit]
- Lal, Raj (2013). Digital Design Essentials: 100 Ways to Design Better Desktop, Web, and Mobile Interfaces. Rockport Publishers. ISBN 1-592-53803-7.
- ^ Wolf, Lauren (23 May 2012). "6 Tips for Designing an Optimal User Interface for Your Digital Event". INXPO. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- ^ "The role of context in perceptions of the aesthetics of web pages over time". International Journal of Human–Computer Studies. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ Dr. Reinhard Oppermann (2001). "User-interface design". Institute for Applied Information Technology. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ "The HUMANOID model of interface design". Proceedings CHI'92. 1992.
- ^ "Creating user interfaces using programming by example, visual programming, and constraints". ACM. 1990-04-11. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "Past, present, and future of user interface software tools". ACM. 2000-03-01. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "SUPPLE: Automatically Generating Personalized User Interfaces". Intelligent Interactive Systems Group (website). Harvard University. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Mixed prototyping with configurable physical archetype for usability evaluation of product interfaces". Computers in Industry. Volume 64 Issue 3, April, 2013.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We are outgrowing our server and will be migrating to a new one in the next few days. Apologies for the inconvenience. More info will be posted before the move.
What does SSTB mean? See our glossary of acronyms.
What can i do with 172 g of HerbalAire (deep-spent) ABV in 7 days?
Discussion in 'Cooking with Cannabis' started by Egzoset, Dec 24, 2012.
Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2


text:
Governors Green - Apartment Rentals in Bowie, MD
Governors Green Apartments Description
Governors Green Apartments, located in the heart of Bowie, offers contemporary apartment living. Situated in Anne Arundel county, between Baltimore and Washington DC, we are just a short drive to great malls, the Inner Harbor, National Monuments and major military bases. Our location along Maryland Route 3/301 is just minutes from Route 50 providing easy access to everything. Just down the street is Waugh Towne Center in Gambrills which includes Wegmans, a 15 screen Imax theater, Green Turtle Sports Bar and Bone Fish Grill. Our community offers the perfect balance of comfort and excitement with great amenities including a swimming pool, sand volleyball courts and barbecue area.
Pet Policy
Cats and Dogs are allowed.
- Pool
- Playground
- On-site Management
- Fitness Center
- High Speed Internet Available
- Garage
- Package Receiving
- Volleyball Court
Governors Green
16501 Governor Bridge Rd
Search Nearby Cities
- Alexandria Apartments
- Arlington Apartments
- Baltimore Apartments
- Fairfax Apartments
- Gaithersburg Apartments
- Hyattsville Apartments
- Rockville Apartments
- Silver Spring Apartments
- Washington Apartments
- Woodbridge Apartments
Search Nearby Zip Codes
Apartment Rentals Near Bowie, MD
- Harmony Place Apartments 14909 Health Center Dr Bowie, MD 20716 Phone Number: (301) 852-7504
- Steeplechase Apartments 150 Steeple Chase Way Largo, MD 20774 Phone Number: (301) 363-1503
- The Avanti 6501 Hil Mar Dr Forestville, MD 20747 Phone Number: (240) 258-6796
- Gateway Gardens 4203 58th Ave Bladensburg, MD 20710 Phone Number: (301) 476-1604


text:
Top Ten Thursday: Angels Player Power Rankings
I know this is Top Ten Thursday, but today, I refuse to be bound by any numeric limitations because today I am doing my own personal power ranking of all the players on the Angel roster. Talent? Performance? Please, I'm far too subjective to base this ranking on anything so objective. Nope, the only thing that matters is how much I like or dislike the player (apologies in advance to Scott Kazmir). Let's do it!
Only I have the power in these rankings!


text:
Now Playing
Loading stream...
Podcasts & RSS Feeds
David Bianculli | RSS | |
All Content |
View all podcasts & RSS feeds |
Connect with Us
People of IPR
All Things Considered Host
Cedar Rapids Reporter
Backtracks, Blue Avenue, and Beatles Medly host
Weekend Edition Host
Senior Music Producer
Senior Music Producer
River to River and Java Blend Host
Morning Edition Host
Talk of Iowa Host
Arts and Culture Reporter
Talk Show Producer
Senior Music Producer
Senior Music Producer
Senior Music Producer
David Bianculli
David Bianculli is a guest host and TV critic on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. A contributor to the show since its inception, he has been a TV critic since 1975.
From 1993 to 2007, Bianculli was a TV critic for the New York Daily News.
Bianculli has written three books: Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (Simon & Schuster/Touchstone, 2009), Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously (1992), and Dictionary of Teleliteracy (1996).
An associate professor of TV and film at Rowan University in New Jersey, Bianculli is also the founder and editor of the online magazine, TVWorthWatching.com.


text:
Fashion Lab
a-line dress
$14.99 $38.00
The A-Line Lace Dress features:
- US sizing
- A-line design
- Lace allover with teal interior lining
- Crotchet bib
- True to size
Model is wearing size S
Tell a Friend
Copy and paste the following address to tell your friends:
Email a Friend
Sign Up!
Sign up for special offers, exclusive sales and discounts!
We recommend
Other customers also liked these...


text:
The Leading eBooks Store Online
for Kindle Fire, Apple, Android, Nook, Kobo, PC, Mac, Sony Reader ...
Sport and Exercise Physiology Testing Guidelines,, Volume II: Exercise and Clinical Testing
- iPhone / iPad
- Android phones & tablets
- Kindle Fire
- e-readers with Adobe Digital Editions installed
- Mac
This ebook is available for the following devices:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android
- Kindle Fire
- Windows
- Mac
- Sony Reader
- Cool-er Reader
- Nook
- Kobo Reader
- iRiver Story
You can also read this ebook online in eb20 format without having to download anything.
Read Aloud
Sport and exercise physiologists are called upon to carry out physiological assessments that have proven validity and reliability, both in sport-specific and health-related contexts. A wide variety of test protocols have been developed and refined. This book is a comprehensive guide to these protocols and to the key issues relating to physiological testing.
Volume I will cover sport-specific testing, and Volume II clinical and exercise testing.
With contributions from many leading specialist physiologists, and covering a wide range of mainstream sports, special populations, and ethical, practical and methodological issues, these volumes represent an essential resource for sport-specific and clinical exercise testing in both research and applied settings.
Visit the companion website at www.routledgesport.com/bases
less288 pages; ISBN 9781134180912
Read online, or download in EPUB or secure PDF format


text:
Labeda Millennium Inline Hockey Wheels
Description | Blade Chart | Sizing Guide | Reviews | Q&A | Video | 360 View | Color Chart |
Labeda Millennium Roller Hockey Wheels
- The new measuring stick for all other hockey wheels to be judged. New urethane dual durometer technology combine our purple ice grip formula with our highest rebound urethane core.
- Bearings not included
- 74A=X-Soft
- 76A=Soft
Pittsburg PA
1 Stars
bad wheels
July 17, 2013
I used them twice and two of my wheels chunked from an indoor hockey rink. And one cracked
Pros:good grip |
4 Stars
Good Wheels
May 2, 2013
I bought these wheels with my mission syndicates and had for about four or so months but after hockey stopping alot the started cracking and im like 150 or so pounds so this was odd it cracked straight down my back wheel overall i paid 80 bucks and only one wheel broke so 4/5 because of that so these wheels are good for semi and good hockey players
Pros:Grippy, fast, and a good buyCons:cracks,makes you slip if cracked |
Blaze Pascua
5 Stars
April 27, 2012
I live these wheels! I recently got Bauer XR4s for Christmas and ever since I've been bossing it up in travel hockey!
2 Stars
pass on this product offering
September 22, 2011
Dont bother looking at this wheel if you are close to or pushing 200 lbs. This wheel flexes too much for me. I can feel the wheel flexing under me when I turn, stop, and accelerate. I know the wheel is designed to flex to give added grip, but I dont like feeling it, it is distracting to feel it happen. I am much happier with the less expensive orginal Labeda Gripper. Or for the ultimate in indoor wheel performance spring for the Labeda Addiction.
3 Stars
January 28, 2011
The wheels are decent but not fantastic. They wear pretty quick irrelevant of your size but do resist immediate chunking. They are horrible however in mounting as the bearing holes are not perfectly true, so they don't spin as free as say Rink Rat does.
5 Stars
Best Wheels
July 29, 2010
I have gotten this wheels and they are the best yu can get,alot of my friends have the same wheels as me and they seem to love it as much as i do!
mr. fish
5 Stars
the best
July 13, 2010
These are the best wheels ever. I had them with my Code Blues and they were awesome!
5 Stars
January 30, 2010
stop playing with yourself and get these wheels. for a bigger guy, you cant miss. I run the 76A's, and i can keep up with the little fast guys.
Big Mike
5 Stars
Fantastic in round form
February 13, 2009
Make sure you pay attention to the weight ratings. I've used these wheels for close to a decade and when the extra weight comes on you start to chunk the x-soft/soft's like its your job.
John Y
4 Stars
Not as Good as Fuzion
February 8, 2009
The Millennium is a good sturdy wheel, but if your looking for maximum speed without losing grip these aren't for you. Upgrade to the Fuzion, they're amazing.
3 Stars
December 23, 2008
they never stop but if you clean them every now and then ,then they will stop
5 Stars
Labeda Always Delivers
November 7, 2008
Used the millennium for the last 7 years. Never needed to look at another wheel.
Hockey Skates | Hockey Sticks | Protective | Bags | Jerseys & Apparel | Accessories | Goalie | All Brands | Clearance |
- Ice Hockey SkatesIce Skate Holders & RunnersHockey Skate LacesHockey Skate Guards & FootbedsHockey Skate Tools & Hardware
- Inline Hockey SkatesInline Hockey WheelsInline Hockey Bearings / Spacers / AxlesInline Hockey ChassisHockey Oils, Sprays & Cleaners
- Recreational SkatesGoalie Skates
- Hockey Skate Sizing
- Helmets, Cages, and ShieldsHockey Helmets & CombosHockey Helmet CagesHockey Helmet Half ShieldsHockey Helmet Full Shields and CombosHockey Helmet AccessoriesNeck Protectors, Bibs & Slash GuardsHockey Gloves
- Hockey Elbow PadsHockey Shin GuardsHockey Shoulder Pads
- Ice and Inline Pants & GirdlesCut Resistant Hockey SocksWomen's Hockey
- Hockey JerseysPractice Hockey JerseysNHL Gamewear Hockey JerseysNHL Authentic Hockey JerseysNHL Replica Hockey JerseysNHL Player Replica Hockey JerseysNHL Practice Hockey JerseysNHL Vintage Hockey JerseysNCAA College Hockey JerseysHockey Jersey Lettering
- Hockey SocksCut Resistant Hockey SocksNHL Team Ice Hockey SocksSolid Color Ice Hockey SocksPerformance Skate SocksHockey Warm-UpsHockey Under ApparelHockey HatsHockey Shirts & TeesHockey Sweatshirts & JacketsHockey Shorts & Pants
- Hockey Pucks and BallsHockey Tape and StrapsHockey Goals & Replacement NetsHockey Coaches and Training ToolsGift CertificatesHockey MouthguardsHockey Jocks, Cups & SupportersHockey Garter Belts and SuspendersNeck Protectors, Bibs & Slash Guards
- Ice Skate Holders & RunnersHockey Skate LacesHockey Skate Guards & FootbedsHockey Skate Tools & HardwareReferee EquipmentFootwearHockey SandalsStick AccessoriesHockey Helmet Accessories
- Inline Hockey WheelsInline Hockey Bearings / Spacers / AxlesInline Hockey ChassisHockey Oils, Sprays & Cleaners
Sports MedicineGames, Toys & MemorabiliaInstructional Hockey BooksInstructional Hockey DVDs & TapesStickers


text:
Access the Global Review here:
Welcome, guest
Fri Apr 15, 2011
Neil Messing has joined the New York City Comptroller's office as senior investment officer for hedge funds.
Messing will work under the supervision of the head of...
Subscribers have unlimited access to all current content, including fund performance Live League Tables. Start your subscription today - click on the button below.
Subscribe now
Sorry, you are not allowed to print this article.
Please contact us if you have any enquiry:Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Call: UK & EMEA +44 (0) 20 7779 7339Americas +1 212 224 3067 Asia-Pacific +852 2842 6953


text:
Kelley Blue Book provides values and other information specific to your location.
Why ads?Advertisement
The heavy-duty pickup battle is so fierce that you'd half expect these vehicular equivalents of the World's Strongest Man rivals to be sporting lifting belts around their beds and chalk powder all over their tires. All three of the combatants are rugged rigs that can move pretty much anything short of a mountain. The 2012 Ram 3500 manages to set itself apart from its formidable foes via its sharp styling and handsome interior. The Ram's cabin is especially notable for its high-quality look and feel and offers enough luxury features to keep the most spoiled occupant happy. The burly Ram also provides its occupants with a firm but still fairly comfortable ride, thanks to a relatively forgiving suspension, hydraulic cab-to-frame mounts and low levels of road and wind noise. The Ram ST is the bare-bones trim level that comes with 17-inch steel wheels, vinyl upholstery and flooring, a 40/20/40-split front bench seat, air-conditioning, an electronic vehicle information display, a tire-pressure monitor, a tilt steering wheel and a six-speaker stereo with a CD player and auxiliary audio jack. Power windows and door locks are standard on Crew Cab models, while regular cabs have manual controls. Standard safety equipment for the 2012 Ram 3500 includes antilock disc brakes and side curtain airbags. Even though the 2012 Ram 3500 was built to tackle the most demanding of pickup duties, it remains comfortably composed in most situations. The steering is responsive and the truck tracks through turns in a composed manner. And remember, Nobody beats Carl Burgers prices...and I mean NOBODY! All prices exclude tax, license and documentation fees plus any government fees. MSRP shown for comparison purposes only, not actual dealer's selling price. Discounted pricing shown includes Carl Burger Discount and all applicable rebates specific to this vehicle you may qualify for more rebates! Images, pricing and options shown are examples, only, and may not reflect exact vehicle color, t>
Disclaimer * MSRP is the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of the vehicle, AND NOT THE DEALERS ASKING PRICE OR SELLING PRICE. Discounted pricing shown includes Carl Burger Discount and all applicable rebates specific to this vehicle you may qualify for more rebates. Price excludes government fees and taxes, any finance charges, any dealer document preparation charge, and any emission testing charge. Please consult dealer for complete details.Serving San Diego since 1952! leader in Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM Sales and #1 Certified Pre Owned Sales in California. Our Dealership has built a reputation on providing courteous, honest service. We'll give you the no hassle buying experience you want!


text:
This blog post is hidden because you have chosen to ignore juliecarteraz. Show Details
This blog post is hidden because you have submitted an abuse report against it. Show Details
Found beef, pork and ground chicken on sale half-price at the local grocery with a sell by date of tomorrow. Brought it home, wrapped it and froze it for later use this month. It saved me almost $30!


text:
The importance of balance for hiking
When you walk through a boulder-field, carefully hopping from one wobbly rock to another, you become acutely aware of the importance of balance! In recent months we have seen that walking is a complex process requiring endurance, strength and good gait; but it is also a balancing act .
Strengths is addressed in my book Hillfit:Strength but What can we do to improve balance?
What is balance anyway?
To keep you balanced, your centre of gravity over your base of support, your brain brings together information from three different systems:
- The visual system – you see the position of your body in relation to your surroundings;
- The vestibular system – your inner ear detects movement in different planes;
- The proprioceptive system – sensors in your muscles and ligaments ("proprioceptors") plot the position of your body in space.
If the brain senses that you are overbalancing, corrective action is taken: muscles unconsciously contract or relax until balance is restored.
Plotting Brain Maps
Neuroscientists explain that the proprioceptive system supplies the brain with data to plot a "movement map" of the body's position in space. With correct information from the sensors in your skin, joints and muscles, that map is clear and you will move and balance well. If the data is not accurate, that map is "fuzzy" and your movement will not be good.
Are Ankles your Achilles heel?
One consequence of poor balance is ankle sprains. Acute ankle sprains account for 3-5% of all UK A&E attendances, ~1.5 million each year1. As you walk the foot is supposed to roll slightly inwards as it hits the ground. If you don't balance properly as you step forward, the foot rolls outwards stretching the ligament on the outside of the ankle; if this happens with enough force, a sprain occurs.
If you have had an ankle sprain, you are more likely to suffer another. Researchers have shown that previously injured ankles produce worse balance, leading to more injured ankles, not just due to weak muscles but those brain maps. "Once someone has sprained an ankle, the sensory receptors in the ligament are also damaged," says Dr. Jay Hertel, Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Virginia2. Thus, when those neural receptors are damaged, the brain no longer receives reliable signals about how your foot and ankle are positioned relative to the ground.
Better Navigation with Brain Maps
How can we get clearer maps to aid our balance? One "low-tech" tactic, tested by scientists2, showed that ankle sprains can be avoided with a simple exercise: stand on one leg; don't wobble; hold for a minute; repeat. This is not primarily strengthening the muscles of the ankle, important as that is, but stimulating the neural receptors to give accurate information to the brain. Researchers also recommend building this training into everyday life: "One of the exercises we give people is to stand on one leg while brushing your teeth, and to close the eyes, if it's too easy," Hertel says. "Do that for two or three minutes a day and you're working your balance really well"3.
Standing on one leg for a while each day might not seem like cutting edge sports science, but try it and see how your balance and movement improve.
References 1-4 are available on my website: http://bit.ly/qJnt9B
Single Leg Balance Exercise
Barefoot, to maximise the sense data you provide to the brain, stand with hands on your hips. Lift one foot off the ground. Practice until you can stand for one minute without putting your foot down or removing your hands from your hips.
To make the exercise harder, close your eyes. This removes the visual element of the sensory input, forcing the proprioceptive system to work harder. Do the same with the other leg and try to work this into your everyday life as suggested above, perhaps by cleaning your teeth on one leg.


text:
My Reef Creations MRC MR-3 Protein Skimmer.
My Reef Creations MR series skimmers are a serious tool for the serious aquarist. Utilizing the tried and tested Beckett injection technology, these protein skimmers, utilizing a powerful pump can create a massive quantity and quality of bubbles to maximize protein skimming. Constructed of high quality 3/8" American cell cast acrylic, completely ozone safe, and utilized by professional aquarists and organizations worldwide, these skimmers are without a doubt one of the best skimmer designs and units for quickly and thoroughly skimming the aquarium of undesirable aspects. By increasing reaction height and diameter as model sizes increase, the dwell time and consequent skimmer is increased, accommodating larger system volumes. Realistically, this skimmer line is available in whatever realm of system you wish to design.
MR-3 Protein Skimmer
Box Dimensions
10.5" x 7" x 8"
First Riser OD
Second Riser OD
Number of Injectors
1 or 2
Gate Valve (standard)
Total Height
500 gallons
Recommended Pump
BL-55 HD (PW-150PS) or BL-70 HD (PW-200PS)


text:
Originally posted by: BigDog68 on 6/7/2007 6:16:42 PM
Now there's an idea ... <!--graemlin:;)-->
Anybody game? Could be fun.We could teach kids to fish and clean waterways in the state. Hell we could give community service credit to high school students who help. Do meets and other stuff.
Dosent sound like a bad idea!
I would hope that this page would be flooded with people egar to join in I know I want my little girl to be able to enjoy the waters as I have .
Count me in !
Like I said in my original post. I just don't know how to go about it. WE need representation !!!!
How about we get a list of where you are located and then we can figure out a common meeting place. We can start with breakfast then develop ideas on how we can help the waters and just go fishing. I am in Frederick County.


text:
The Variant inv(2)(p11.2q13) Is a Genuinely Recurrent Rearrangement but Displays Some Breakpoint Heterogeneity The American Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 81, Issue 4, 1 October 2007, Pages 847-856 Ina Fickelscher, Thomas Liehr, Kathryn Watts, Victoria Bryant, John C.K. Barber, Simone Heidemann, Reiner Siebert, Jens Michael Hertz, Zeynep Tümer and N. Simon Thomas Abstract Human chromosome 2 contains large blocks of segmental duplications (SDs), both within and between proximal 2p and proximal 2q, and these may contribute to the frequency of the common variant inversion inv(2)(p11.2q13). Despite their being cytogenetically homogeneous, we have identified four different breakpoint combinations by fluorescence in situ hybridization mapping of 40 cases of inv(2)(p11.2q13) of European origin. For the vast majority of inversions (35/40), the breakpoints fell within the same spanning BACs, which hybridized to both 2p11.2 and 2q13 on the normal and inverted homologues. Sequence analysis revealed that these BACs contain a significant proportion of intrachromosomal SDs with sequence homology to the reciprocal breakpoint region. In contrast, BACs spanning the rare breakpoint combinations contain fewer SDs and with sequence homology only to the same chromosome arm. Using haplotype analysis, we identified a number of related family subgroups with identical or very closely related haplotypes. However, the majority of cases were not related, demonstrating for the first time that the inv(2)(p11.2q13) is a truly recurrent rearrangement. Therefore, there are three explanations to account for the frequent observation of the inv(2)(p11.2q13): the majority have arisen independently in different ancestors, while a minority either have been transmitted from a common founder or have different breakpoints at the molecular cytogenetic level. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (3557 kb) |
Linkage Disequilibrium and Heritability of Copy-Number Polymorphisms within Duplicated Regions of the Human Genome The American Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 79, Issue 2, 1 August 2006, Pages 275-290 Devin P. Locke, Andrew J. Sharp, Steven A. McCarroll, Sean D. McGrath, Tera L. Newman, Ze Cheng, Stuart Schwartz, Donna G. Albertson, Daniel Pinkel, David M. Altshuler and Evan E. Eichler Abstract Studies of copy-number variation and linkage disequilibrium (LD) have typically excluded complex regions of the genome that are rich in duplications and prone to rearrangement. In an attempt to assess the heritability and LD of copy-number polymorphisms (CNPs) in duplication-rich regions of the genome, we profiled copy-number variation in 130 putative "rearrangement hotspot regions" among 269 individuals of European, Yoruba, Chinese, and Japanese ancestry analyzed by the International HapMap Consortium. Eighty-four hotspot regions, corresponding to 257 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes, showed evidence of copy-number differences. Despite a predisposing genetic architecture, no polymorphism was ever observed in the remaining 46 "rearrangement hotspots," and we suggest these represent excellent candidate sites for pathogenic rearrangements. We used a combination of BAC-based and high-density customized oligonucleotide arrays to resolve the molecular basis of structural rearrangements. For common variants (frequency >10%), we observed a distinct bias against copy-number losses, suggesting that deletions are subject to purifying selection. Heritability estimates did not differ significantly from 1.0 among the majority (30 of 34) of loci analyzed, consistent with normal Mendelian inheritance. Some of the CNPs in duplication-rich regions showed strong LD with nearby single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and were observed to segregate on ancestral SNP haplotypes. However, LD with the best available SNP markers was weaker than has been reported for deletion polymorphisms in less complex regions of the genome. These observations may be accounted for by a low density of SNP data in duplicated regions, challenges in mapping and typing the CNPs, and the possibility that CNPs in these regions have rearranged on multiple haplotype backgrounds. Our results underscore the need for complete maps of genetic variation in duplication-rich regions of the genome. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (569 kb) |
Natural Selection and Population History in the Human Angiotensinogen Gene (AGT): 736 Complete AGT Sequences in Chromosomes from Around the World The American Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 74, Issue 5, 1 May 2004, Pages 898-916 Toshiaki Nakajima, Stephen Wooding, Takuro Sakagami, Mitsuru Emi, Katsushi Tokunaga, Gen Tamiya, Tomoaki Ishigami, Satoshi Umemura, Batmunkh Munkhbat, Feng Jin, Jia Guan-jun, Ikuo Hayasaka, Takafumi Ishida, Naruya Saitou, Karel Pavelka, Jean-Marc Lalouel, Lynn B. Jorde and Ituro Inoue Abstract Several lines of evidence suggest that patterns of genetic variability in the human angiotensinogen gene (AGT) contribute to phenotypic variability in human hypertension. The A(−6) promoter variant of AGT is associated with higher plasma angiotensinogen levels and increased risk of essential hypertension. The geographic distribution of the A(−6) variant leads to the intriguing hypothesis that the G(−6) promoter variant has been selectively advantageous outside Africa. To test these hypotheses, we investigated the roles of population history and natural selection in shaping patterns of genetic diversity in AGT, by sequencing the entire AGT gene (14,400 bp) in 736 chromosomes from Africa, Asia, and Europe. We found that the A(−6) variant is present at higher frequency in African populations than in non-African populations. Neutrality tests found no evidence of a departure from selective neutrality, when whole AGT sequences were compared. However, tests restricted to sites in the vicinity of the A(−6)G polymorphism found evidence of a selective sweep. Sliding-window analyses showed that evidence of the sweep is restricted to sites in tight linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the A(−6)G polymorphism. Further, haplotypes carrying the G(−6) variant showed elevated levels of LD, suggesting that they have risen recently to high frequency. Departures from neutral expectation in some but not all regions of AGT indicate that patterns of diversity in the gene cannot be accounted for solely by population history, which would affect all regions equally. Taken together, patterns of genetic diversity in AGT suggest that natural selection has generally favored the G(−6) variant over the A(−6) variant in non-African populations. However, important localized effects may also be present. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (2448 kb) |
Copyright © 2005 The American Society of Human Genetics All rights reserved.
The American Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 76, Issue 4, 548-560, 1 April 2005
J. Vander Molen1, *, L.M. Frisse1, *, †, S.M. Fullerton1, ‡, Y. Qian1, L. del Bosque-Plata2, R.R. Hudson3 and A. Di Rienzo1, ,
1 Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago
2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago
3 Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago
A positional cloning study of type 2 diabetes in Mexican Americans identified a region, termed "NIDDM1," on chromosome 2q37 with significant linkage evidence. Haplotype combinations at the calpain-10 gene (CAPN10) within this region were shown to increase diabetes risk in several populations. On the basis of the thrifty genotype hypothesis, variants that increase susceptibility to type 2 diabetes under modern lifestyle conditions provided a survival advantage in past environments by increasing the efficiency of energy use and storage. Here, our goal is to make inferences about the evolutionary forces shaping variation in genes in the NIDDM1 region and to investigate the population genetics models that may underlie the thrifty genotype hypothesis. To this end, we surveyed sequence variation in CAPN10 and in an adjacent gene, G-protein–coupled receptor 35 (GPR35), in four population samples from different ethnic groups. These data revealed two distinct deviations from the standard neutral model in CAPN10, whereas GPR35 variation was largely consistent with neutrality. CAPN10 showed a significant deficit of variation in the haplotype class defined by the derived allele at SNP44, a polymorphism that is significantly associated with diabetes in meta-analysis studies. This suggests that this haplotype class was quickly driven to high frequency by positive natural selection. Interestingly, the derived allele at SNP44 is protective against diabetes. CAPN10 also showed a local excess of polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium decay in intron 13. Simulations show that this pattern may be explained by long-standing balancing selection that maintains multiple selected alleles. Alternatively, it is possible that the local mutation and recombination rates changed since the divergence of human and chimpanzee; this scenario does not require the action of natural selection on intron 13 variation.


text:
1937 Cord 812SC SuperCharged V-8 Phaeton. A Classic Car Club of America Classic. (Model:812) (Serial #:31834H) (Engine #: FC2595) (Mfd by Auburn Automobile Co. Auburn... More
1937 Cord 812 Cabriolet, Single family owned since early 60's. Restoration performed by Stan Gillian in mid 80's. Normally asperated and ACD certified.... More