Gena Lee Nolin (right) and thyroid specialist, Alan Christianson, N.M.D.
?Baywatch? beauty Gena Lee Nolin suffered with thyroid disease for over 20 years, but only recently did she learn that she has an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Now she?s healthier, but there were times when she topped the scales at nearly 200 pounds.
How did Gena regain her health? Join Lifescript?s live Twitter chat at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (1 p.m. EDT) on Friday, June 1. We?ll be talking about women?s thyroid health with Gena and her naturopath doctor, Dr. Alan Christianson, N.M.D., and co-author of ?The Complete Idiot?s Guide to Thyroid Disease.? Follow us @lifescript and participate with #lifescriptchat and #thyroid.
1.??? What is Income Tax?It is a tax imposed by the Government of?India?on any body who earns income in India. This tax is levied on the strength of an Act called Income tax Act which was passed by the Parliament of India.2.??? What do you mean by income earned in India ?
Income earned in India is not limited to income earned within the geographical limits or boundaries of the country. Certain incomes are also deemed to have been earned in India although they may have been earned outside the country.
3.??? Who administers the Income-Tax Act?The job of monitoring the Income-tax collection by the government is entrusted to a?Department?called? Income-Tax . This department functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India .4.??? What is the period for which a person s income is taken into account for purpose of Income tax?Income earned in the twelve months contained in the period from 1st?April to 31st?March (commonly called Financial Year [FY]) is taken into account for purposes of calculating Income Tax. Under the income tax Act this period is called a Previous year .5.??? What is an Assessment Year ?It is the twelve-month period 1st?April to 31st?March immediately following the previous year [refer answer-4]. In the Assessment year a person files his return for the income earned in the previous year. For example for FY:2006-07 the AY is 2007-08.6.??? Who is supposed to pay Income Tax?Any?Individual?or group of?Individual?or artificial bodies who/which have earned income during the previous years are required to pay Income tax on it. The IT Act recognizes the earners of income under seven [7] categories. Each category is called a Status . These are Individuals, Hindu Undivided Family [HUF], Association of Persons [AOP], Body of individuals [BOI], Firms, Companies, Local authority, Artificial juridical person.When Companies pay taxes under the?Income tax Act?it is called Corporate tax .7.??????Is?Income tax Act?applicable only to residents?No, The?Income tax Act?applies to all persons who earn income in India. Whether they are resident or non-resident.8.??????Who is a resident?If an?individual?stays in India for 182 days or more in a year, he is treated as resident in that year regardless of his citizenship. If the stay is less than 182 days he is a non-resident.9.??????How can I know whether a company is resident or non-resident?A company is considered as resident if it is incorporated under the Indian Companies Act. A foreign company can also become a resident if the control and management of its affairs is done entirely in India during the previous year.10.??How is resident/ non-resident status relevant for levy of income tax?In case of resident individuals and companies, their global income is taxable in India. However non-residents have to pay tax only on the income earned in India or from a source/activity in India.11.? I am an Indian scientist, who had gone abroad on a government project. Should my return of income include income earned/received abroad?It depends on your residential status. If you are a resident all incomes earned globally are taxable. Therefore the same needs to be included in the return. However if any tax is paid on that income in the foreign country, you will get credit for the same.12.? What does the Income Tax Department consider as income?The word Income has a very broad and inclusive meaning. In case of a salaried person, all that is received from an employer in cash, kind or as a facility is considered as income. For a businessman, his net profits will constitute income. Income may also flow from investments in the form of Interest, Dividend, and Commission etc. Infect the?Income Tax Act?does not differentiate between legal and illegal income for purpose of taxation.?Under the Act, all incomes earned by persons are classified into 5 different heads, such as:1.??? Income from?Salary2.??? Income from?House?property3.??? Income from Business or Profession4.??? Income from?capital gains5.??? Income from other sources13.? Are all receipts considered as income?Receipts can be classified into two kinds. A) Revenue receipt B) Capital receipt.The general rule under the?Income tax Act?is that, all revenue receipt are taxable unless a receipt is specifically exempted and all capital receipts are exempt from taxation unless there is a provision to tax it. Gifts and loans etc are in the nature of capital receipts not attracting tax.14.? What are revenue and capital receipts?In a simple language, all that one derives from a source is called revenue receipt. For ex. Salary from employment, Rent from property, Interest or Divided from Investments, Profits from business. When an income is earned on account of transacting the source itself, it is called Capital receipt. For ex. Sale of land and building, business, investment etc.15.? Is income tax levied on gifts received by a person?Gift exceeding Rs 25,000 is taxable unless it is received from(i)? any person who is?a relative or(ii) ?????? on occasion of marriage or(iii) ?????? under will or by inheritance orin contemplation of death of the?payer16.??I own shares of various Indian companies and receive dividends. Is it taxable?No. The dividend declared by Indian companies is not taxable in the hands of the share holders because tax on distributed profits have already been borne by the company.17.??I am a religious preacher and earn money from preaching. Do I have to pay tax and file return?18.? Can I claim deduction for my personal and household expenditure in?calculating?my income or profit?19.??Most of my income is given away in charity and I am left with just enough to meet my personal requirement. What will be considered as my income?What is done after the income is earned does not determine its taxation. However charitable contribution to approved institutions will give you the benefit of certain deductions from?taxable income.20.??My daughter stays in USA. She owns a house in India and has let it out. She has asked tenants to pay rent to me so that I can a lead decent life. She has not received any rent. Is she still liable to tax??What if she transfers the house to me?Your daughter is the owner of the house and therefore she is liable to pay tax even though you receive the rent. If the house is transferred, then you would become the owner and you will have to pay tax on the rental income.21.??My children living abroad send me Rs.20000/- per month for my maintenance. Would this be considered as my income?22.? Is there any limit of income below which I need not pay taxes?At the moment?individual, HUF, AOP, and BOI having income below rupees one lakh need not pay any income tax. For other categories [persons] such as co-operatives societies, firms, companies and local authorities no such exempted limits exists, so they have to pay taxes on their entire income. In cases of senior citizens aged above 65 years and women the exempted limit for the financial year 2007-08 are rupees one lakh ninety thousand and one lakh forty thousand respectively.23.? I am an agriculturist. Is my income taxable?Your agricultural income is not taxable per se. However, if you have any other source of income like income from investments, property etc,?while?calculating?tax on them, your agricultural income will be taken into account, so that you pay tax at a higher rate on that other income.24.??What is agricultural income?To consider an activity as agriculture the basic operation such as tilling, sowing, irrigating & harvesting should have been carried out. Thereafter what is sold in the market should be the primary product harvested. Receipt from such sale is considered as agricultural receipt. If however some further processing or modification were done to the harvested product to enhance its marketable value then such enhanced value would be considered as business income.25.? Is income from animal husbandry considered as agricultural income?26.? Do I have to maintain any records or proof of earnings?For every source of income you have to maintain proof of earning and the records specified under the IT Act. In case, no such records have been laid down, you should maintain reasonable level of records with which you can support the claim of income.27.? As an agriculturist, am I required to maintain any proof of earning and expenditure incurred?Even if you have only agricultural income you are advised to maintain some proof of your agricultural earnings.28.? I win a lottery or prize money in a competition. Am I required to pay taxes on it?
C.?Tax on Income
29.? How does the Government collect Income Tax?Taxes are collected by three means: a) voluntary payment by persons into various designated Banks. For example Advance Tax and Self Assessment Tax b) Taxes deducted at source [TDS] on your behalf from the payments receivable by you. c) Taxes collected at source [TCS] on your behalf at the time of spending. It is the constitutional obligation of every person earning income to compute his income and pay taxes correctly.30.? How will I know how much Income tax I have to pay?The rates of income tax and corporate taxes are available in the Finance bill [commonly called budget] passed by Parliament every year.31.? Does every person have to keenly follow the annual Finance bills?You need not do so. You can take professional help or the help of Public Relation Officer [PRO] in the local Income Tax Department office. You may also take assistance from Tax Return Preparers [TRP]32.? When do I have to pay the taxes on my income?Generally the tax on income crystallizes only on completion of the previous year. However for ease of collection and regularity of flow of funds to the Government for its various activities, the Income tax Act has laid down payment of taxes in advance during the year of earning itself. Taxes may also be collected on your behalf during the previous year itself through TDS and TCS. If at the time of filing of return you find that you have some balance tax to be paid after taking into account your advance tax, TDS & TCS, the short fall is to be deposited as Self Assessment Tax .33.? What is the procedure for depositing tax?A form called Challen available in the Income Tax department, in banks and on the IT department web site should be filled up and deposited in the bank along with the money. Taxes can also be paid on-line.34.? In the challan there are terms like Income tax on companies & Income tax other than companies . What do they mean?The tax to be paid by the companies on their income is called corporate tax and in the challan it is mentioned as Income tax on Companies . Tax paid by non-corporates is called Income tax and in the challan it is identified as Income tax other than Companies .35.? How is advance tax calculated and paid?It is paid in installments. The amount payable is to be calculated in the following manner:
The deposit of advance tax is made through challan by ticking the relevant column.36.? What is regular tax and how is it paid?Under the Income tax Act every person has the responsibility to correctly compute and pay his due taxes. Where the Department finds that there has been understatement of income and tax due, it takes measures to compute the actual tax amount that ought to have been paid. This demand raised on the person is called? Regular Tax . The regular tax has to be paid within 30 days of receipt of the notice of demand.37.? What are the precautions that I should take while filling up the tax payment challan?i.??????Head of payment eg. Corporation Tax/Income Taxii.??????Amount and mode of payment of taxiii.??????Type of payment [Advance tax/Self assessment/Regular/Tax on Dividend]iv.??????Assessment yearv.??????The unique identification number called PAN [Permanent Account Number] allotted by the IT Department. (Since PAN related services have been outsourced, for further details on PAN please see the departmental website?http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/?or www.nsdl_tin.com)38.? Do I need to insist on some proof of payment from the Banker to whom I have submitted the challan?The filled up taxpayers counter foil will be stamped and returned to you by the bank. Please ensure that the bank stamp contains BSR[Bankers Serial number code] , Challan Identification Number [CIN], and the date of payment.39.? How can I know that the Government has received the amount deposited by me as taxes in the bank?The NSDL website [http://www.tin-nsdl.com] provides online services called Challan Status Enquiry . You can also see your tax pass book , an online tax credit viewing facility in the same website.40.? What is the procedure to be followed to view my Tax passbook/Tax statement?You must first register your PAN by logging into the online service called view tax credit in the NSDL website [http://www.tin-nsdl.com]. Thereafter your PAN registration must be authorized by visiting the nearest TIN [Tax Information Network] facilitation center of NSDL or getting their representative to call upon you. These are paid services.41.? What should I do if my tax payment particulars are not found against my name in your website?For payments deposited by you into the bank you will have to contact your bankers if the credit has not been given even after three days. In case of TDS or TCS you will have to contact the concerned deductor /collector after the due date for filing the quarterly TDS/TCS return by them is over.42.? Is my responsibility under the Income tax Act over once taxes are paid?No. You are thereafter responsible for ensuring that the tax credits are available in your tax passbook, TDS/TCS certificates are received by you and that full particulars of income and tax payment along with necessary proof is submitted to the income tax department in the form of Return before the due date.43.??What can I do to reduce my tax?The tax can be reduced by making investment in approved schemes and also by?making donations to approved charitable institutions.?44.??What is a return of income?It is a prescribed form through which the particulars of income earned by a person in a financial year and taxes paid on such income is communicated to the Income tax department after the end of the Financial year. Different forms are prescribed for filing of returns for different Status and Nature of income .45.??From where can I get a return form?46.??How can I know which form is applicable for my income?You should choose a return form according to your status and nature of income?from the following:
For Individuals having Income from Salary/ Pension/ family pension & Interest
For Individuals and HUFs not having Income from Business or Profession
For Individuals/HUFs being partners in firms and not carrying out business or profession under any proprietorship
For individuals & HUFs having income from a proprietary business or profession
For Companies other than companies claiming exemption under section 11
For persons including companies required to furnish return under section 139(4A) or section 139(4B) or section 139(4C) or section 139(4D)
Return for Fringe Benefits
Where the data of the Return of Income/Fringe Benefits in Form ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, ITR-6 & ITR-8 transmitted electronically without digital signature
47.??What documents are to be enclosed along with the return of income?The new return form numbering 1 to 8 is annexure less. Hence no documents need to be attached.48.? Where and how am I supposed to file my return?A return is to be filed before your Assessing officer. It may even be sent by post or filed electronically. Nowadays returns are also being received at designated post offices.49.? Who is an Assessing officer?He/She is an officer of the Income tax department who has been given jurisdiction over a particular geographical territory or class of persons. You can find out from the PRO or from the Departmental websitehttp://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/?as to your jurisdiction.50.? How is a return filed electronically?Companies and firms are compulsorily required to file their return electronically, while for others it is still optional. For electronic filing of return you have to log on to the Departmental websitehttp://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/?and upload the information of income and taxes in the prescribed form. If you have digital signature the same can be appended and there would be no need to file a paper return. In case you do not have a digital signature you will be required to file a paper return quoting the provisional acknowledgement number received on completion of uploading.51.? I am going out of India. Who will file my income tax return for this period?You can authorize any person by way of a Power of Attorney to file your return. A copy of the Power of Attorney should be enclosed with the return.52.? Will I be put to any disadvantage by filing my return?No.?On the contrary by not filing your return in spite of having taxable income, you will be laying yourself open to the penal and prosecution provisions under the Income-tax Act.53.? What are the benefits of filing my return of income?Filing of return is your constitutional duty and earns for you the dignity of consciously contributing to the development of the nation. This apart, your IT returns validate your credit worthiness before financial institutions and make it possible for you to access many financial benefits such as bank credits etc.54.? Is it necessary to file return of income when I do not have any positive income?If you have sustained a loss in the financial year, which you propose to carry forward to the subsequent year for adjustment against its positive income, you must make a claim of loss by filing your return before the due date.55.? What are the due dates for filing returns of income/loss?The due dates are as follows:
Companies & their Directors
Other business entities, other than companies, if their accounts are auditable & their working partners
56.??If I fail to furnish my return within the due date of filing, will I be fined or penalized?Yes. This may take the form of interest if the return is not filed before the end of?the assessment year. If the return is not filed even after the end of the assessment?year, penalty may also be levied.57.? Can a return be filed after the due date?Yes. It may be furnished at any time before the expiry of two years from the end of the financial year in which the income was earned. For example, in case of income earned during FY 2006-07, the belated return can be filed before 31st?March 2009.58.? So far I have never paid any tax. If I file a return this year will the IT department ask me about my earlier years income?It is never too late to start honoring your constitutional obligations for payment of tax. The department may ask you to file return of income for earlier years if it finds that you had taxable income in those years.59.? If I have paid excess tax how and when will it be refunded?The excess tax can be claimed as refund by filing your income tax return. It will be refunded by issue of cheque or by crediting to your bank account. The department has been making efforts to settle refund claims within four months from the month of filing return.60.? If I have committed any mistake in my original return, am I permitted to file a corrected return?Yes, provided the original return has been filed before the due date and provided the department has not completed assessment. However it is expected that the mistake in the original return is of a genuine and bona fide nature.61.? How many times can I revise the return?Theoretically a return can be revised any number of times before the expiry of one year from the end of the assessment year or before assessment by the department is completed; whichever event takes place earlier.62.? Am I required to keep a copy of the return filed as proof and for how long?Yes. Since legal proceedings under the income tax act can be initiated up to six years prior to the current financial year, you must maintain such documents at least for this period.63.??There are various deductions that have not been reflected in the Form 16 issued by my employer. Can I claim them in my return?64.??Why is return filing mandatory even though all my taxes and interests have been paid and there is no refund due to me?Amounts paid as advance tax and withheld in the form of TDS or collected in the form of TCS will take the character of your tax due only on completion of self-assessment of your income. This self-assessment is intimated to the department by way of filing of return. Only then does the government acquire rights over the prepaid taxes as its own revenue. Filing of return is critical for this process and, hence, has been made mandatory. Failure will attract levy of penalty.65.??Am I liable for any criminal prosecution [arrest/imprisonment etc] if I don t file my income tax return even though my income is taxable?Non-payment of tax attracts interests, penalty and prosecution. The prosecution can lead to rigorous imprisonment from 6 months to 7 years and fine.66.? What are the benefits of obtaining a Permanent Account Number [PAN] and PAN Card?A PAN number has been made compulsory for every transaction with the Income Tax department. It is also mandatory for numerous other financial transactions such as opening of bank accounts, availing institutional financial credits, purchase of high-end consumer item, foreign travel, transaction of immovable properties, dealing in securities etc. A PAN card is a valuable means of photo identification accepted by all government and non-government institutions in the country.67.? I have lost my PAN card but remember my number.?Do I necessarily need to get a fresh card?With your PAN you can continue to transact with the Income Tax department. However, in respect of other agencies you may encounter constraints without a PAN card since it doubles as a photo identity card.68.? I have been allotted two PANs. Which number should I use?You may retain any one of the numbers and surrender the other through a letter addressed to your jurisdictional Assessing Officer.69.? If I do not surrender the additional PAN number, is there any problem?Yes. It is illegal to have two PANs and the penalty for such offence is Rs.10,000/-70.? By mistake I have been using different PANs for different purpose like one for my demat account and another for filing my Income Tax return and payment of taxes. How do I set this right?It is advisable to retain only one PAN, preferably the one used for Income Tax purpose and surrender the other number immediately. The institutions where the latter number has been quoted should be informed of the correct PAN.71.??Is it mandatory to file return of income after getting PAN?No. Return is to be filed only if you have taxable income.72.??What is considered as Salary income?Whatever is received by an employee from an employer in cash, kind or as a facility [perquisite] is considered as Salary.73.??What is meant by an employer-employee relationship?If a person has the right/power to hire and fire another, then he is an employer of the latter.74.??What are allowances? Are all allowances taxable?Allowances are fixed amounts, apart from salary, which are paid by an employer for the purpose of meeting some particular requirements of the employee. There are generally three types of allowances for the purpose of income tax- taxable, fully exempted and partially exempted.75.? I am always on tour and my employer gives me substantial daily allowance, most of which is saved. Will this saving be treated as income?76.? My employer reimburses all my expenses on grocery and children s education. Would this be considered as income?Yes. These are in the nature of perquisite.77.? During the year, I had worked with three different employers and none of them deducted any tax from salary paid to me. If all these amounts are clubbed, my income will exceed the minimum exemption limit. Do I have to pay taxes on my own?Yes. You will have to pay self-assessment tax and file the return.78.? Even if no taxes have been deducted from salary, is there any need for my employer to issue Form-16 to me?Form-16 is a certificate of TDS and in your case it will not apply. However your employer must issue a salary statement.79.??Is pension income considered as salary?Yes. However pension received from the United Nation is exempt.80.??Is Family pension considered as salary?No. It is taxable under other sources .81.??If I am receiving my pension through a bank who will issue Form-16 or pension statement to me- the bank or my former employer?82.??Are retirement benefits such as PF and Gratuity taxable?No. They are exempt subject to conditions and limits laid down in the Income Tax Act.83.??Are arrears of salary taxable?Yes. However certain benefit of spread over of income to the years to which it relates can be availed for lower incidence of tax. This is called relief u/s 89(1) of Income-tax Act.84.??Can my employer consider relief u/s 89(1) for the purposes of calculating my tax liability?85.??My income from let out house property is negative. Can I ask my employer to consider this loss against my salary income while computing my tax liability?86.??Is leave encashment taxable as salary?It is taxable if received while in service. Received as retirement benefit, however it is exempt subject to certain conditions.87.??Life insurance amount received on maturity along with bonus ? is it taxable?G.?Income from House property88.??What do you mean by Income from House Property ?Unlike the other heads of income, Income from house property is a notional income based on a concept called Annual value . This is the value a property is expected to fetch if it is let out. It may be more than the actual rent being received if let out. If it is not let out the expected market/fair rent will be considered as annual value for the purpose of taxation. Property includes the building and the land surrounding it.89.??If a property is not a residential house, can its income still be considered as income from house property?Yes, provided the property is not used for business purpose.90.??What are the conditions for taxing income from a property under this head?The person should own the property.91.? Can interest paid on hand loans taken from friends and relatives be claimed as deduction while calculating house property income?92.? I have two houses. One is a farmhouse that I visit on weekends and the other is in the city that I use on weekdays. Is it correct to treat both these residences as self occupied?No. You can claim any one as self occupied. Incomes from buildings situated in or near agricultural farm are considered exempt provided they are used for dwelling of the farm owner/cultivator or for related purposes of storage etc.93.??I own two houses both of which are occupied by my family and me. Is there any tax implication?Yes. As already mentioned in the answer to Q.No: 87, income from house property is a notional income and only in respect of one residential unit, if self occupied, it will be considered as nil . In case of the other residential unit, marketable rental value will have to be offered for tax.94.? My spouse and I are joint owners of a house constructed by availing housing loan separately. Are we both individually/separately entitled for deduction of the maximum interest payable of Rs.1.5 lakh?No. The net taxable income from the property must be calculated first and then apportioned between the co-owners. In this process of calculation maximum interest payable of Rs.1.5 lakh can be considered only once.95.? My spouse and I jointly own a house for construction of which both of us have invested equally out of independent sources. Can the rental income received be split between us and taxed in the individual hands?96.? I have 5 separate let out properties. Should I calculate the house property income separately for each individual property or by clubbing all the rental receipts in one calculation?The calculation will have to be made separately for the various properties.
? Acquisition of Ski Travel Centre and Greece Update
Thursday, May 31st, 2012 - Author: Minoan Group
Travel and Leisure
In line with its strategy of building the Group?s travel and leisure (?T&L?) business, Minoan is pleased to announce the acquisition of the trade and business assets of Ski Travel Centre. Ski Travel Centre was started in 1985 and is a leading Glasgow-based travel agency, arranging winter sports holidays in Europe and North America for clients in the UK, Ireland and beyond, ranging from families of first-time beginners to large groups and clubs.
The completion of the acquisition of the assets and business of Stewart Travel Centre (?Stewart?), as announced on 16 March 2012, was conditional on Minoan receiving regulatory approval from the relevant authorities by 31 May 2012, or such later date as the parties may agree. Although almost complete, the details for regulatory approval are not yet formalised and, as a consequence, a new long stop date of 31 July 2012 has been agreed. In the meantime, the integration of Stewart into the Group?s T&L business continues.
The Project
Greece is currently awaiting the outcome of a second election, to be held in June, inevitably slowing almost all bureaucratic processes. However, the Board remains confident that the Project?s full potential will be realised in due course. The country has a long-standing tradition in the leisure industry combined with superb natural resources. The quality of leisure services remains intact despite changing prices and the Board is confident that tourism will remain a prominent sector of the Greek economy going forward. The Board is optimistic that the future government, irrespective of the party in power, will proactively seek to attract investment in quality tourism and the value of such tourist assets will be underpinned by their ability to generate foreign earnings.
Christopher Egleton, Chairman of Minoan commented:
?The T&L business continues to trade well and commissions and operating profits are on budget. Despite difficulties suffered by the T&L sector in recent months, we believe our skilled and experienced management team is well placed to take advantage and we have identified several businesses and other opportunities, the acquisition of which would generate value for Minoan?s shareholders. We expect to make further announcements in due course.?
Please view our announcements for more information. View Our Announcements In Full.
The doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 33 years in jail. But perhaps?US-Pakistan relations have fallen so low that the US doesn't care anymore.?
By Scott Baldauf,?Staff writer / May 23, 2012
Pakistani men walk by the Central Jail in Peshawar, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 23. A Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 33 years in jail.
Mohammad Sajjad/AP
Enlarge
A Pakistani tribal court has found the Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA effort to locate Osama bin Laden guilty of treason, and sentenced him to 33 years in prison.
To Pakistan, Shakil Afridi is a traitor who helped a foreign power locate and kill an enemy on its territory. To the US, Dr. Afridi is a hero who will now, apparently, spend the next 33 years of his life in prison.
The US lobbied hard with the Pakistani government to gain Afridi?s release. US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, during a February 2012 visit to Islamabad, urged Pakistani authorities to release Afridi, but Pakistan declined. Given the substantial public anger in Pakistan over the bin Laden killing ? more about the US?s violation of Pakistani sovereignty than for sympathy for the man ? Pakistan sealed Afridi?s fate.
Now his sentencing marks another low-water mark for the US-Pakistani relationship, and highlights how little common ground the two countries share. But expectations for each side are now so low that it?s unlikely the US is going to adopt another full-court press as seen when another US spy ? Raymond Davis ? faced detention in Pakistan.
Think you know Asia? Take our quiz?
To be sure, Afridi?s Pakistani nationality also means the US isn?t going to view his detention in quite the same leave-no-man-behind terms. And the US does not have the same legal arguments of the Geneva Conventions as it did in the case of Mr. Davis.
But there?s also much less riding on the US-Pakistan relationship than even a year ago when the Davis affair erupted. NATO has managed to keep the Afghan war effort going, despite Pakistan cutting off supply lines through its territory. Then, too, trust has evaporated since the discovery of bin Laden in Pakistan and the unauthorized US raid to kill him.
Roller coaster ride
America has had a roller coaster relationship with Pakistan for years. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the US and Pakistan were as thick as thieves, funding, arming, and training Afghan and Pakistani fighters to take on the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. After the Soviets withdrew, and after Pakistan successfully tested a nuclear device, the US imposed strict military sanctions against Pakistan, and left that country with tens of thousands of former militants, thousands of politically charged Islamic seminaries, and a Pakistani economy addicted to foreign aid.
Today, the US and Pakistan have spent a decade ostensibly fighting on the same side against Islamist extremist groups ? some of whom use Pakistan?s less-well-controlled corners, such as Swat and Northern Waziristan, as their bases ? and yet it is not clear how much these two countries share in common anymore.
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CRAIG, Colo. (AP) ? Mitt Romney is poised to clinch the Republican presidential nomination after Tuesday's Texas GOP primary, a largely uncontested election that will formalize the former Massachusetts governor's status as President Barack Obama's general election challenger.
While Romney's nomination has been virtually assured for a month, the day marks the culmination of several years of work, dating back to his unsuccessful 2008 effort, and perhaps far earlier.
"It'll be a big day tomorrow," Romney told reporters aboard his campaign plane Monday evening. "I'm looking forward to the good news."
But Romney's focus Tuesday will be hundreds of miles north of Texas, where he's scheduled to court voters and donors in Colorado and Nevada during a two-state swing punctuated by a Las Vegas fundraiser with conservative businessman Donald Trump.
The evening event, set for the Trump International Hotel, comes amidst fresh criticism from Republicans and Democrats over Trump's continued questioning of Obama's citizenship. Romney hasn't condemned Trump's false claims, offering a fresh example of the presidential contender's reluctance to confront his party's more extreme elements. There have been other examples in recent weeks that underscore Romney's delicate push to win over skeptical conservatives while appealing to moderates and independents who generally deliver general election victories.
Asked Monday to weigh in on Trump's support for the so-called birther movement, Romney declined to condemn Trump's latest suggestion that Obama was born in Kenya.
"I don't agree with all the people who support me. And my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in," Romney told reporters before flying from California to Colorado Monday evening. "But I need to get 50.1 percent or more. And I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people."
Polling suggests that the election between Romney and Obama will be very close, ultimately decided by several swing states, Colorado and Nevada among them. Romney will begin campaigning Tuesday in the northern Colorado town of Craig before flying to Las Vegas for an afternoon rally before the Trump fundraiser.
The Texas primary offers 152 delegates; Romney is just 58 delegates shy of the 1,144 needed to become the nominee. His Republican rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich already have endorsed Romney, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul has stopped actively campaigning. Gingrich is expected to attend the Trump fundraiser.
Under similar circumstances last week, Romney swept all the delegates in GOP primaries in Kentucky and Arkansas and picked up more endorsements from party leaders.
But Romney's meeting with Trump may generate as much interest, or more, than his tightened grasp on the Republican nomination.
"I do not understand the cost benefit here," conservative commentator George Will said over the weekend. "The cost of appearing with this bloviating ignoramus is obvious, it seems to me."
"Donald Trump is redundant evidence that if your net worth is high enough, your IQ can be very low and you can still intrude into American politics," Will continued. "Again, I don't understand the benefit. What is Romney seeking?"
Trump revived the false claims about Obama's birthplace late last week, citing a discredited story about a literary agency that mistakenly listed that Obama was born in Kenya.
While Romney briefly addressed the issue Monday, his senior aide Eric Fehrnstrom also declined to condemn Trump's remarks in a recent interview.
"I can't speak for Donald Trump ... but I can tell you that Mitt Romney accepts that President Obama was born in the United States," Fehrnstrom said. "He doesn't view the place of his birth as an issue in this campaign."
Romney has been criticized on several occasions for failing to speak out against extreme rhetoric from his party. The reluctance stands in contrast to the 2008 GOP presidential nominee and current Romney supporter, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who once corrected a supporter who called Obama a Muslim.
And on Tuesday, Obama's re-election campaign surfaced a new television commercial directly accusing Romney of failing to stand up to "the voices of extremism" in his party.
The ad takes the former Massachusetts governor to task for failing to speak out against real estate mogul Donald Trump, a supporter who has consistently charged that Obama is not a U.S. citizen. It opens by showing 2008 nominee John McCain brushing aside a woman who raised the citizenship issue at a town hall-style meeting, and the commercial asks the viewer, "Why won't Mitt Romney do the same?"
Campaigning in Cleveland earlier in the month, Romney did not initially respond to a supporter who suggested that Obama should be tried for treason. He said after the rally that he didn't agree.
He was also slow to condemn conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who said a college student defending Obama's contraception policy was "a slut." At the time, Romney initially declined to weigh in on the issue before saying "it's not the language" he would have used.
And he was initially silent on violent rhetoric from classic rocker Ted Nugent before a spokeswoman said Romney "believes everyone needs to be civil."
GW researchers discover biomarker for advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancerPublic release date: 29-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne Banner abanner@gwu.edu 202-994-2261 George Washington University Medical Center
Thailand's Ministry of Health implements test for advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer in O. viverrini endemic regions of Thailand
WASHINGTON (May 29, 2012) GW Researchers, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, and Paul Brindley, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, along with colleagues from Khon Kaen University in Thailand have determined that plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are an sensitive and specific biomarker for the detection of the advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer that comes from chronic infection with the Asian Liver Fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini). The research, titled, "Elevated Plasma IL-6 Associates with Increased Risk of Advanced Fibrosis and Cholangiocarcinoma in Individuals Infected by Opisthorchis viverrini," was recently published in the journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
This discovery is a critical advance for the Northeastern (Isaan) region of Thailand and other areas of Southeast Asia, where an estimated 10 million people are currently infected with Asian Liver Fluke, which is the leading cause of cancer in the region. This food-borne parasite encysts in the fins, skin, and musculature of fish and infection occurs when people ingest this raw or uncooked fish. While the infection can be cured by chemotherapy, environmental and cultural factors of the region strongly favors rapid reinfection, with bile duct cancer as a common outcome. Northeastern Thailand has the highest levels bile duct cancer in the world. The determination that plasma IL-6 levels are associated with bile duct fibrosis (a precursor state to bile duct cancer) and early bile duct cancer were done by examining participants in the Khon Kaen Cholangiocarcinoma Cohort, the largest cancer cohort of its type in the world, and an NIH sponsored project in collaboration with George Washington University and Khon Kaen University. In this study, researchers visited nearly 4,000 individuals resident in rural areas of Thailand, where the parasite is endemic to conduct ultrasound studies to detect advanced bile duct fibrosis and early bile duct cancer and then link the ultrasound results with levels of plasma IL-6. This research was done in collaboration with Drs. Banchob Sripa, Bandit Thinkhamrop, Eimorn Mairiang, and Thewarach Laha from the Khon Kaen University School of Medicine and School of Public Health.
As a result of the identifying this biomarker, the Thai Ministry of Public Health has implemented testing for levels of plasma IL-6 for individuals between 20 and 60 in endemic regions of Isaan Thailand to identify individuals at risk for bile duct cancer. Through this test, it is hoped that bile duct cancer can be detected earlier and at a more treatable stage.
"Typically, bile duct cancer has a late presentation, and so a very high mortality rate. Now that we've identified the IL-6 biomarker, our hope is that earlier detection is possible and earlier treatment saves more lives," said Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS).
In collaboration with Dr. Jason Mulvenna of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane Australia, the researchers are also using quantitative proteomics approaches to identify biomarkers that could be used in an even more sensitive and specific test for the early detection of this infection-associated bile duct cancer. The current discovery was possible through funding from an RO1 grant (R01CA155297-01) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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About the School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation's capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation's capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities. www.smhs.gwumc.edu
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
GW researchers discover biomarker for advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancerPublic release date: 29-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne Banner abanner@gwu.edu 202-994-2261 George Washington University Medical Center
Thailand's Ministry of Health implements test for advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer in O. viverrini endemic regions of Thailand
WASHINGTON (May 29, 2012) GW Researchers, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, and Paul Brindley, Ph.D., professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, along with colleagues from Khon Kaen University in Thailand have determined that plasma Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are an sensitive and specific biomarker for the detection of the advanced bile duct fibrosis and bile duct cancer that comes from chronic infection with the Asian Liver Fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini). The research, titled, "Elevated Plasma IL-6 Associates with Increased Risk of Advanced Fibrosis and Cholangiocarcinoma in Individuals Infected by Opisthorchis viverrini," was recently published in the journal, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
This discovery is a critical advance for the Northeastern (Isaan) region of Thailand and other areas of Southeast Asia, where an estimated 10 million people are currently infected with Asian Liver Fluke, which is the leading cause of cancer in the region. This food-borne parasite encysts in the fins, skin, and musculature of fish and infection occurs when people ingest this raw or uncooked fish. While the infection can be cured by chemotherapy, environmental and cultural factors of the region strongly favors rapid reinfection, with bile duct cancer as a common outcome. Northeastern Thailand has the highest levels bile duct cancer in the world. The determination that plasma IL-6 levels are associated with bile duct fibrosis (a precursor state to bile duct cancer) and early bile duct cancer were done by examining participants in the Khon Kaen Cholangiocarcinoma Cohort, the largest cancer cohort of its type in the world, and an NIH sponsored project in collaboration with George Washington University and Khon Kaen University. In this study, researchers visited nearly 4,000 individuals resident in rural areas of Thailand, where the parasite is endemic to conduct ultrasound studies to detect advanced bile duct fibrosis and early bile duct cancer and then link the ultrasound results with levels of plasma IL-6. This research was done in collaboration with Drs. Banchob Sripa, Bandit Thinkhamrop, Eimorn Mairiang, and Thewarach Laha from the Khon Kaen University School of Medicine and School of Public Health.
As a result of the identifying this biomarker, the Thai Ministry of Public Health has implemented testing for levels of plasma IL-6 for individuals between 20 and 60 in endemic regions of Isaan Thailand to identify individuals at risk for bile duct cancer. Through this test, it is hoped that bile duct cancer can be detected earlier and at a more treatable stage.
"Typically, bile duct cancer has a late presentation, and so a very high mortality rate. Now that we've identified the IL-6 biomarker, our hope is that earlier detection is possible and earlier treatment saves more lives," said Jeffrey M. Bethony, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS).
In collaboration with Dr. Jason Mulvenna of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane Australia, the researchers are also using quantitative proteomics approaches to identify biomarkers that could be used in an even more sensitive and specific test for the early detection of this infection-associated bile duct cancer. The current discovery was possible through funding from an RO1 grant (R01CA155297-01) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
###
About the School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation's capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation's capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities. www.smhs.gwumc.edu
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The loss of natural reef systems is a threat to both biodiversity and ecosystem services on a global scale. In many cases, the loss of these reef ecosystems is a direct result of anthropogenic activities, which, is in fact, one of the primary themes of the environmental studies field course that I am currently enrolled. Now that I?ve experienced some of these marine environments first-hand, I?ve found myself wondering if human impact, particularly artificial reef habitats, can play a constructive role in shaping these environments?
Graphical comparison of attraction-production hypotheses. Adapted from ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Over the past 300 years, artificial reefs have been employed for the purpose of promoting marine life [1]. In particular, their primary purpose was to create fisheries for commercial interests, but recently governments and environmental organizations have adopted their use. Unfortunately, most data into the effects of artificial reef deployment is lacking since research rarely begins prior to construction [2]. Post-hoc research is important, but has not been able to address the fundamental questions regarding global impacts or local impacts on natural reefs.
Concerns associated with artificial reefs fall mainly into three categories: 1) toxic chemicals being leached into the water, 2) artificial materials coming loose and damaging natural reefs, and 3) whether artificial reefs attract biota that would otherwise contribute to nearby natural reef systems.
The first and second concerns are addressed by the National Artificial Reef Plan, which requires the EPA to grant permits prior to the deployment or dumping of materials for an artificial reef since 19853. The third concern is more controversial as the overall effects of artificial reefs (e.g., source vs. sink) are hotly debated amongst the scientific community.
Reef Ball successfully growing coral in Indonesia. Photo courtesy of www.reefball.org
Proponents of artificial reef systems believe that reef habitat is the limiting factor for growth. For example, habitat restoration and reef deployment is believed to improve biodiversity on a local, and even global level.
Many types of artificial reef methodologies are in place today, which include the use of Reef Balls (see image above), as well as the scuttling of decommissioned ships to create habitat. In fact, the largest artificial reef on the world (the decommissioned aircraft carrier Ex-U.S.S. Oriskany) lies off the coast of Florida[3]. Unfortunately, ships and other discarded materials can bring with them a variety of toxic chemicals and other environmental issues that often require expensive cleanup efforts.
Bulldozer at Seabee Junkyard. (Photo by Jim Haw)
This week, while on Guam, I had the opportunity to dive on an artificial reef (of sorts) in Apra Harbor known as Seabee Junkyard, which was created by the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion to discard of equipment after World War II. Since the placement of the ?junk? (more than six decades ago) there has been some coral growth and a fair number of reef fish call the site home.
Thus, I return to my original question regarding the environmental value of artificial reefs. Based on my recent experiences I would say the answer to this question is ?maybe.? The fact of the matter is that nearly 10% of earth?s coral reefs have been destroyed and another 60% are in danger [4] ? so maybe there is something to the concept of artificial reefs after all.
For example, artificial reefs, ?provide corridors of a sort, allowing smaller fish to safely migrate from one natural reef to another, instead of just crossing a huge empty expanse where they might get gobbled up,? said Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society [5]. With more research, the effects and processes occurring with the deployment of artificial reefs will become more effective, and, with luck, will be a positive impact we have on the world?s oceans. In the meantime, the conservation of our existing coral reefs should be paramount.
About the Author: Edward Fischer is a junior working toward a bachelor?s of science in Environmental Studies in the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He has been diving since 2007 and hopes the program in scientific diving will provide the tools to learn how to protect and harness ecosystem services.
Sources Cited:
1. Choi, Charles Q. ?Concern Lingers on Success of Artificial Reefs.? LiveScience.com. 27 Dec. 2007. Web. 14 May 2012.
2. Wilding, T. ?Evaluating Artificial Reef Performance: Approaches to Pre- and Post-deployment Research.? ICES Journal of Marine Science 59 (2002): S222-230. Web. Rep. National Artificial Reef Plan (As Amended). United States Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Feb. 2007. Web.
3. Olsen, Erik. ?Out of Commission Above Water, but Not Below It.? 18 Aug. 2008. The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2008. Web. 14 May 2012.
4. ?Coral Reefs.? Coral Reefs. Exploring The Environment. Web. 14 May 2012.
5. Choi, Charles Q. ?Concern Lingers on Success of Artificial Reefs.? LiveScience.com. 27 Dec. 2007. Web. 14 May 2012.
Editor?s note: Scientific Research Diving at USC Dornsife is offered as part of an experiential summer program offered to undergraduate students of the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. This course takes place on location at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island and throughout Micronesia. Students investigate important environmental issues such as ecologically sustainable development, fisheries management, protected-area planning and assessment, and human health issues. During the course of the program, the student team will dive and collect data to support conservation and management strategies to protect the fragile coral reefs of Guam and Palau in Micronesia.
Instructors for the course include Jim Haw, Director of the Environmental Studies Program in USC Dornsife, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies David Ginsburg,, SCUBA instructor and volunteer in the USC Scientific Diving Program Tom Carr and USC Dive Safety Officer Gerry Smith of the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies
Previously in this series:
Catching Up with Scientific Diving at USC Dornsife: Surfgrass Monitoring at Catalina Catching up with Scientific Diving at USC Dornsife: The Robot Submarine Catching up with Scientific Diving at USC Dornsife: Diving into the Aquarium of the Pacific USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Moving Forward to Guam and Palau 2012 USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Finding My Career Through This Course USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Devaluation of Ecosystem Services USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Why USC Dornsife was the Right Decision For Me USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Why Experiential Learning is Vital to Academic Life USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: My Walden South of Los Angeles USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Crown-of-Thorns Outbreaks and Anthropogenic Pollution USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The International Policy Rationale for the Military Buildup on Guam and Some Environmental Drivers USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Marine Ecology from Antarctica to Micronesia USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Palau Water Supply USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Contributions of J. S. Haldane to Dive Safety USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Human Impacts on Mangrove Forests USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Global Sea Cucumber Fisheries USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Palauan Mermaids USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The California Spiny Lobster USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Invasion of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Coconut Crab in Guam USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Ordot Dump and Layon Landfill USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Marine Ecosystem Based Management USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Navy Dive Tables USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Entangled in the Excitement of Every New Day USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Economic Effects of the Revised Military Buildup in Guam USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: The Guam and Calayan Rails USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Chamorro Women and the Spanish USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Diving into Apra Harbor?s Western Shoals and CB Junkyard
The sensational Chinese murder investigation in which the wife of an ousted Politburo member stands accused of poisoning a British expatriate may include evidence from blood samples taken from the victim's body before cremation, according to people familiar with the case.
Henry Lee, a forensic scientist who gained international recognition for his work in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, said that he was asked this year to analyze a blood sample that most probably came from Neil Heywood, the dead Englishman.
"They said somebody died of drinking," said Lee in a telephone interview from his office in New Haven, Conn. "They had a blood sample. They wanted to know whether or not we can assist them to determine the type of poison in the sample.
Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms... Mainly this afternoon. Some thunderstorms may be severe this afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent. Heat Index values in the mid 90s this afternoon.
Positive self-esteem is very important for our general health and wellness as human beings. Having positive self-esteem is also important for promoting any type of healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Poor or low self-esteem on the other hand can be quite detrimental to our well-being and even our very existence. Negative self-esteem can create anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression, problems with relationships, seriously impair academic and job performance and also can generate an increased vulnerability to drug and alcohol abuse and dependency. On the other hand, a person with positive self-esteem tends to be more motivated in taking on and creating a life that he loves, living it powerfully and in this process be authentically related to others in his community. Having positive self-esteem appears to be necessary for having a happy and healthy existence regardless of who we are or what profession we are taking on in life.
What is self-esteem? We commonly think that self-esteem is merely about how we feel about ourselves at any particular moment. While seemingly existing in degrees, we tend to believe that we have positive or negative self-esteem and that we make that determination simply by how we feel about ourselves. However, within a conversation of Transformational Counseling, our feelings or emotions do not exist alone or have an independent existence. We do not just simply feel. Rather, for every feeling or emotion that we have, either positive or negative, there is a corresponding thought that we have about ourselves that generates the experience of self-esteem. Whether positive or negative, self-esteem is merely how our organism experiences the thoughts that the individual has about himself or herself. If a person has positive thoughts about himself he will experience positive or good self-esteem. On the other hand, if the individual has negative thoughts about who he thinks he is then he will experience poor or negative self-esteem. Therefore, to truly understand what self-esteem is all about and more importantly to be able to alter it when necessary for ones wellness or healing, we must first get it that self-esteem is really about our thinking, and more specifically about the thoughts that we develop or create about ourselves. The thoughts or beliefs that we have about ourselves are crucial in that they determine or create the structure of our experience of self-esteem and the various emotions associated with it.
We also tend to think of our self-esteem as being something that is shaped by the events that take place in our life, particularly those from our past. We tend to believe that who we think we are and how we feel about ourselves is merely the product, effect or caused by the experiences that we have had in the past, that we are who we are by virtue of what has happened to us as human beings. More specifically, we tend to think that the cause in the matter of who we think we are and our self-esteem is due to circumstance, situation or others, people, places and things. We do not tend to think that our self-esteem is something we actually developed or created. Within the work of transformation, it is not the past, circumstance, situation or others, that determines our underlying self-image and corresponding self-esteem. We created our thoughts and with it our emotions from the meaning that we gave to the events that took place in our life, especially at an early age. As meaning making machines we give meaning to everything in our life including and most importantly to ourselves. At an early age the meaning that we give an event tends to be made out to be all about us. While events do happen it is not the events that are important but rather the meaning that we give them and especially how we made it out to be about our identity.
Given the fact that our thoughts determine our feelings or emotions and equally important that we are truly responsible for their creation, to change or transform our self-esteem, how we tend to feel about ourselves, amounts to us altering how we see or conceive of ourselves in the world in the now and this work is our responsibility alone. It is our self-image, how we define ourselves as an individual in the world in the present, that determines our experience of self-esteem and it is this that we are truly responsible for creating and equally responsible for transforming. When we alter or transform our definition of ourselves in the present we change how we feel about ourselves and with it our experience of reality and life in general. If we do not get it that we are responsible for what we think about ourselves and that we are the real author of our self-image and self-esteem we will continue to blame something or some body, remain powerless and stuck in life. The question of how to actually go about altering or improving an individual?s self-esteem is one that has been debated for many years by professionals both in the mental health and addiction arenas.
Self-esteem can be improved or transformed in several ways. One way to improve ones self-esteem is to do the work of transformation as outlined in my articles, Transformational Counseling and The Conversation of Transformation. To improve ones self-esteem in this manner is to become present to ones self limiting belief, that which has stopped us in life and in the process create new possibilities for oneself, a new self-image from which to begin to live life into. Another way to improve an individual?s self-esteem is through the use of positive affirmations. Given that the basis of self-esteem is the thoughts that a person has about himself, an individual with poor or negative self-esteem is believing negative thoughts or ideas about who he thinks he is. The individual may think, for example, that he is ?worthless? or ?not good enough? and as a result will tend to experience poor or negative self-esteem. Within the work of transformation and Transformational Counseling, the thought that is at the basis or core of our self-talk is defined as a person?s Self Limiting Belief, the fundamental or core belief about who we think we are. Unless this core thought or belief that a person has about himself is changed or transformed he will continue to experience a poor or negative self-esteem and as a result of this negative thought pattern create or generate life experiences that will match and validate what they think about themselves. Given such a cognitive and emotional situation life will continue to appear as it has in the past and ones future will merely be the probable almost certain future.
Utilizing positive affirmations can be a very powerful tool for transforming what a person thinks about himself and as a result improve the individual?s self-esteem. Consistent use of positive affirmations will transform the negative beliefs about who a person thinks he is into positive ones, will begin to alter the basis and structure of his self talk or inner voice and produce a transformation from poor self-esteem to positive self-esteem. While utilized in a various ways, working with positive affirmations will be more effective when delivered through or combined with therapeutic relaxation music. What therapeutic relaxation music does to enhance the effect of positive affirmations is to create a very relaxed audio environment for the individual to become even more open or suggestive to the language of positive affirmations. When therapeutic relaxation music is combined with binaural audio tones the audio space that is created for the delivery of positive affirmations is even more relaxing and as a result very powerful. In addition to utilizing a unique type of therapeutic relaxation music, the infusion of either theta or alpha binaural tones is crucial for the success of this type of intervention. When therapeutic relaxation music and binaural audio tones are combined in this fashion the individual will experience a very deep state of relaxation and as a result be more open to the reception and eventual acceptance of the positive affirmations.
The key to the effective use of positive affirmation in this or any other type of intervention is consistency. The self-image and the negative thoughts about who a person thinks he is that generates his experience of poor or negative self-esteem is well established in the his belief system. In many cases the development of a negative self-image took years to create and has been reinforced through repetitive behavioral validation. Once a person creates and then believes that a self-limiting belief is true he will continually act as if it is true. This seemingly fundamental belief will appear to the person as true and as a result will continually be acted upon and thereby be reinforced through ones behavior. Much of that person?s behavior will be to continually validate who he thinks he is. Ones behavior will always be directed at supporting, reinforcing and validating what the person believes is true about him. While necessary for ones well-being and health, such a transformation of ones self-image from being basically a negative one to one that is fundamentally positive does not happen instantly. As with the development of an individual?s negative self-image, the development of a more adequate belief about the true nature of the individual will necessitate consistent and repetitive work by the person. Basic to this process is that the individual must fully embrace his sense of complete responsibility for the development of his self-image and also for its transformation. To do otherwise will only leave the individual feeling powerless and unable to create the life that he or she truly desires and unless there is consistency and repetition such a transformation will simply not happen.
Enhancing My Self Esteem is an audio product that will effectively transform the very structure of an individual?s thought or belief pattern, the basic ideas and language structure that he uses to define who he thinks he is in the world. This product was designed specially to change the self-talk that a person experiences on a daily basis by changing the ideas or beliefs that the person has about himself, the very foundation or backdrop of his inner conversation. As our identity is merely language, change the language in a person?s mind and his life transforms. By listening to this product an individual has the opportunity to practice or repeat fifty positive affirmations that will empower them to alter their life. Within a conversation of Transformational Counseling, committing an affirmation to spoken word makes it so or real especially if it is done repeatedly. Listening to positive affirmations before sleep also allows the person?s mind to begin this restructuring or reprogramming process even while the individual sleeps by taking the words and language into their dream state. By consistently listening to and practicing the positive affirmations in this product the individual will have the opportunity to begin to redefine themselves, who they think they are in the world, from one that is negative to one that is positive and enhancing for their life. With the acceptance of the words and language of the positive affirmations will come an improved self-image and with it an experience of positive self esteem.
I am currently using Enhancing My Self Esteem with all the clients that I counsel at the Holistic Addiction Treatment Program in North Miami Beach, Florida. All of the clients that I have worked with who are experiencing a drug and/or alcohol dependency problem also have very low self-esteem. My clients tend to be very depressed and unmotivated in many if not most of the various domains of their life, including and especially with their recovery. When given to my clients as homework, consistent use of Enhancing My Self Esteem alters how they think and improves how they feel about themselves. With an improved self-image and enhanced self-esteem my clients become more motivated in their life and especially with their recovery. If a person continues to experience low self-esteem and there is no intervention to disrupt the underlying cognitive process taking on improving their life and working the 12 Step Program will be meaningless and eventually given up completely as so many other things have been in the past. It is my belief that not altering or transforming the fundamental structure of ones self-image accounts for the great percentage of individuals who begin recovery and eventually relapse. The work that is essential to successful recovery is for the individual to be able to redefine who he thinks he is, to alter his self-image, the very foundation of his experience of self-esteem and life. Who the individual believes he is will determine what he does and how he will be in and appear to others and the world.
Harry Henshaw, Ed.D., LMHC
www.enhancedhealing.com
Dr. Henshaw earned his doctoral degree in Human Development and Counseling from Boston University and has designed and implemented mental health and substance abuse programs in outpatient, residential and hospital settings in Illinois, Massachusetts and Florida.
Dr. Henshaw is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida, a certified Clinical Supervisor and a member of the American Counseling Association & American Psychological Association. Trained in neuro-linguistic programming, Dr. Henshaw is also certified to practice and teach hypnosis in the State of Florida.
Dr. Henshaw is also in private practice in Hallandale Beach, Florida and utilizes the technology of Transformational Counseling. In addition to his work as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Supervisor, Dr. Henshaw has developed a series of audio helath care products for use by professional providers and the public.
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Public release date: 29-May-2012
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The loss of natural reef systems is a threat to both biodiversity and ecosystem services on a global scale. In many cases, the loss of these reef ecosystems is a direct result of anthropogenic activities, which, is in fact, one of the primary themes of the environmental studies field course that I am currently enrolled. Now that I?ve experienced some of these marine environments first-hand, I?ve found myself wondering if human impact, particularly artificial reef habitats, can play a constructive role in shaping these environments?
The sensational Chinese murder investigation in which the wife of an ousted Politburo member stands accused of poisoning a British expatriate may include evidence from blood samples taken from the victim's body before cremation, according to people familiar with the case.