Powerball: Can Money Buy Happiness?

Nov 28, 2012 1:02pm

Can money buy happiness? If you?re clutching several?Powerball tickets in one hand as you thumb through yacht and pony catalogs with the other, you?re probably betting yes.

We?re all told the odds of winning are abysmal ? about 1 in 175 million ? but let?s assume you win the $500 million jackpot. Experts say the initial euphoria will wear off relatively quickly and you?ll be left with pretty much the same dismal outlook on life?you?ve?always had.

?Winning will release some pleasurable chemicals in your brain over the short term,? said Scott Bea, a clinical psychologist with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. ?Unfortunately, your brain will likely revert back to the same old same old before too long.?

Bea conceded that the extra bushels of cash would ease any anxiety over paying the bills, and you?d probably get an additional rush of those joy-boosting neuro-hormones when you went on a shopping spree, but ultimately the basal ganglia, the part of your brain that tends to dwell on the negative, will kick in and you?ll be back to your usual miserable self in no time.

Why? Because in its dark little heart, the brain is a pessimistic organ. Studies show bad memories tend to be far stickier than pleasant memories. And as Bea pointed out, complaints are the topic of nearly 70 percent of all conversation. So according to this logic, you?re less likely to relive the glory of your jackpot moment than you are to grouse about all the fifth cousins suddenly friending you on Facebook to ask for a handout.

Bea also said big winners who?aren?t?careful to cultivate happiness skills such as optimism, a charitable attitude and savvy money management habits often wind up in more wretched circumstances than where they started. History is certainly littered with such examples.

Back in the 1980s, Evelyn Adams won the New Jersey lottery not once, but twice. She quickly gambled away all $5.4 million and today she?s flat broke, living in a trailer park. Then there?s Billy Bob Harrell Jr. a Pentecostal preacher who was working as a stock boy in 1997 when he scored a cool $31 million in the Texas lottery. The stress of winning so overwhelmed him that he divorced his wife and committed suicide.

Does this mean you should hope the odds work against you when they draw those lucky numbers at 10:59 ET tonight? According to Bea, not at all.

?For most people, purchasing a ticket and fantasizing about what life will be like once?you?ve?won is the most pleasant part of the lottery experience,? he said, ?You could probably flush the same amount of money down the toilet and get much the same result ? but then you?wouldn?t?have the dream.?

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/11/28/powerball-will-winning-buy-you-happiness-probably-not/

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Video: Former Fed Chief Volcker Says Rule Already Effective

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50007570/

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Deadly cave may have inspired Hades myth

A giant cave that might have helped serve as the inspiration for the mythic ancient Greek underworld Hades once housed hundreds of people, potentially making it one of the oldest and most important prehistoric villages in Europe before it collapsed and killed everyone inside, researchers say.

The complex settlement seen in this cave suggests, along with other sites from about the same time, that early prehistoric Europe may have been more complex than previously thought.

The cave, located in southern Greece and discovered in 1958, is called Alepotrypa, which means "foxhole."

"The legend is that in a village nearby, a guy was hunting for foxes with his dog, and the dog went into the hole and the man went after the dog and discovered the cave," said researcher Michael Galaty, an archaeologist at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. "The story's probably apocryphal ? depending on who you ask in the village, they all claim it was their grandfather who found the cave." [ See Photos of Alepotrypa Cave ]

A prehistoric cathedral
After its discovery, Greek officials originally saw the cave as a potential tourist attraction. However, when archaeologists realized the historical secrets it might hold, they led efforts to keep tourism from inadvertently destroying the site.

The main chamber of the cave is about 200 feet (60 meters) tall and up to about 330 feet (100 m) wide. Altogether, the cave is nearly 3,300 feet (1,000 m) long, large enough to have its own lake, in which famed explorer Jacques Cousteau once scuba-dived.

"If you've ever seen 'The Lord of the Rings,' this might make you recall the mines of Moria ? the cave is really that impressive," Galaty told LiveScience.

Excavations that have taken place at Alepotrypa since 1970 uncovered tools, pottery, obsidian and even silver and copper artifacts that date back to the Neolithic or New Stone Age, which in Greece began about 9,000 years ago.

"Alepotrypa existed right before the Bronze Age in Mycenaean Greece, so we're kind of seeing the beginnings of things that produced the age of heroes in Greece," Galaty said.

Cave dwellers apparently used the cavern not only as a shelter, but also as a cemetery and place of ritual.

"You have to imagine the place torchlit, filled with people lighting bonfires and burying the dead," Galaty said. "It was quite like a prehistoric cathedral, a pilgrimage site that attracted people from all over the region and perhaps from further afield."

Cave settlements
The cave apparently went through a series of occupations and abandonments.

"Alepotrypa was at a perfect place to intercept sea trade from Africa all the way to the eastern Mediterranean, being right at the southern tip of Greece," Galaty said.

Settlement at the cave abruptly ended when its entrance collapsed about 5,000 years ago, perhaps due to an earthquake, burying cave dwellers alive.

"It is and was an amazing place, the closest thing we have to a Neolithic Pompeii," Galaty said, referring to the ancient Roman town of Pompeii, which was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago. Ash entombed and preserved Pompeii, and excavations there have given archaeologists extraordinarily detailed views of life during that time. In much the same way, the final cave collapse left everything in place in Alepotrypa, with everything inside getting a pearly mineral coating over the years.

Intriguingly, people apparently performed burials in the cave while conducting rituals that involved burning huge amounts of dung and depositing large amounts of colored and finely painted pottery.

"The burial sites and rituals that took place really do give the cave an underworld feel. It's like Hades, complete with its own River Styx," Galaty added, referring to the river that in Greek myth served as the boundary between the mortal realm and the netherworld. [ Science Fact or Fantasy? 20 Imaginary Worlds ]

Alepotrypa archaeology
For about 40 years, excavations at Alepotrypa were largely the singlehanded work of Greek archaeologist Giorgos Papathanassopoulos. In the last three years, Papathanassopoulos has reached out to other archaeologists, who have helped uncover a wealth of new insights on the site.

For instance, surveys around the cave now show there was a settlement outside. Altogether, hundreds of people may have lived at the site in its heyday, making it one of the largest, most complex known Neolithic villages in Europe.

In addition, analysis by researcher Panagiotis Karkanas at the Ephoreia of Paleoanthropology and Speleology of Southern Greece in Athens and his colleagues is confirming that rituals were conducted there regularly.

Much remains unknown about the cave. For instance, "we don't know how much deeper deposits go. For all we know, we might have Neanderthals down there," Galaty said. "The next bay over, you have Neanderthal artifacts in caves, so it's hard to believe there wouldn't be such evidence in Alepotrypa. We just haven't dug deep enough to know."

Chemical analysis of the pottery can also shed light on its origins.

1. Science news from NBCNews.com

   1. Deadly cave may have inspired Hades myth

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"Giorgos Papathanassopoulos has always argued this pottery was not local to the site, but came from elsewhere ? that the cave was a kind of pilgrimage site where important people were buried, leading to the fanciful idea that this was the original entrance to Hades, that it was the source of the Greek fascination with the underworld," Galaty said.

Chemical analysis of the bones can yield similar insights. "Are people actually bringing bodies from distant locales to bury?" Galaty said.

This site, along with others in Europe, might help confirm that complex societies arose earlier than currently thought on the continent.

Papathanassopoulos, Karkanas and Galaty, along with Anastasia Papathanasiou, William Parkinson, Daniel Pullen and their colleagues, will detail this year's findings at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America on Jan. 6 in Seattle.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook? and Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49999550/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Chuck Sweeny: GOP ought to support statehood for Puerto Rico

If Republicans want to score victories over the Democrats in presidential elections, they need to improve their standing among minorities, particularly Latinos.

When George W. Bush ran for re-election in 2004, he got 44 percent of the Latino vote. Bush was a champion of sweeping immigration reform; the first country he visited upon becoming president in 2001 was Mexico, not the UK, as is traditional. He wanted to be filmed riding horses at the ranch of then-President Vicente Fox. Bush and his ?strategerist? Karl Rove were determined to make Latino-Americans a GOP constituency.

The Republican far right torpedoed that plan and the post-Bush party became virulently anti-illegal immigrant ? which was widely seen as anti-Latino in general ? so much so that GOP nominee Mitt ?Self-Deportation? Romney mustered just 27 percent of the Latino vote on Nov. 6. Meanwhile, Latinos grew to 12 percent of the vote, a percentage that will increase because of natural population growth among Latino-Americans.

So how does the Republican Party change directions? One painless way to start is to claim the cause of Puerto Rico?s statehood. What? You?re not familiar with this issue? That?s because it received very little coverage on the mainland.

Puerto Ricans voted Nov. 6 in a nonbinding, two-question referendum. They voted 54 percent to 46 percent to reject the continuation of commonwealth status, under which Puerto Ricans have been American citizens since 1917. Many enlist in the armed forces, but they lack the right to vote in mainland elections and aren?t subject to the U.S. income tax.

Puerto Rico sends voting delegates to the Republican and Democratic conventions and sends a nonvoting delegate to Congress.

On the second question, 61 percent voted for statehood, 33 percent voted for something called ?free association,? and 6 percent voted to become an independent nation.

This is the first time voters on the island of 4 million have OK?d statehood in a referendum. One reason they did is the quest for more jobs. Puerto Ricans have been leaving for work on the mainland for decades. Now, 5 million Puerto Ricans live in the continental U.S.

But for statehood to become reality, Congress must approve it. Republicans have a golden opportunity to seize this issue and make it theirs. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is on board. Democrats, who fancy themselves as a rainbow coalition party, could hardly be seen standing in the way of statehood, so they?d be forced to go along.

Traditionally, pro-statehood Puerto Ricans have been conservative and pro-business, so they?d be a natural fit to become continental Republicans. But will the GOP shed its xenophobia and embrace statehood for a primarily Spanish-speaking population?

I doubt it. Too bad, though.

Ald. Bill Timm, R-9th, has taken his job very seriously over the 16 years he?s been advancing the ward?s interests at the City Council. Now Timm, 82, is packing it in. And guess what? No Democrat filed to run in the February primary. No Republican filed, either. Maybe an independent or two will step forward.

Timm has been a first-rate alderman. Retired from a career at Smith Oil, he used his time driving daily around the ward, observing the condition of streets and alleys, block by block, talking to residents about problems and riding herd on nuisance businesses, homeowners and landlords.

Timm had a close working relationship with police and with the Public Works Department, and he teamed with community service officers to nip problems in the bud. Now he laments that those officers are few and far between.

?To be very honest, we are very short of police officers,? he said. ?I don?t get time to spend with a community service officer anymore to keep the lid on my ward.?

Chuck Sweeny: 815-987-1366; csweeny@rrstar.com; @chucksweeny

Source: http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/columnists/x1156348215/Chuck-Sweeny-GOP-ought-to-support-statehood-for-Puerto-Rico

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Crafty Confessions: Tophatter Review and a $10 Credit!

I have a new addiction and its name is Tophatter. Tophatter is a live online auction house where you can find just about anything from craft supplies to jewelry to electronics. It operates just like a real auction house. Bidding on items was exciting and addictive, and really brought out my competitive spirit. The best part is that it is so easy to use!

When you sign up for Tophatter you will be taken through a short tutorial on how to use the site. After that you just choose an auction to attend. You can RSVP for auctions that are happening later in the day and you can even receive text reminders about not only the auctions, but specific items! I used this feature for a ring that I was absolutely IN LOVE with, and guess what? I won! My ring should be here any day.
In addition to my amazing new ring, I was able to buy the Deluxe Anniversary Edition of Monopoly for only $6 and 18 glass beautiful glass vials for only $7! Those vials are going to be perfect for my Etsy shop and to use as Christmas presents.
Tophatter isn't just a place to buy. You can also sell your own items. I'm planning to sell a few of my crochet goodies in the handmade auction later this week!

Right now Crafty Confessions readers will get a $10 credit when you sign up for Tophatter and spend $11 on an auction. How great is that? Just click Tophatter to get started.

Have you discovered the?addictive new auction site called Tophatter, where buyers bid for sellers? unique goods in fast-paced virtual auction rooms? From crafts and DIY projects, to antiques, jewelry, home d?cor and much more, there?s no limit to what you can discover on Tophatter.

With live auctions every day, sellers get to showcase their wares from around the world to a community of thousands of buyers, and answer questions via chat as the clock ticks down. Each lot sells in an average of two minutes, so buyers must bid quickly!

Tophatter?s auctions become interactive live events where buyers and sellers can hang out, chat, and win. Led by the esteemed Sir Wendell Wattington and his animated family, Tophatter auctions keep the fun rolling in.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tophatter. The opinions and text are all mine.

Source: http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2012/11/tophatter-review-and-10-credit.html

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Authenticating Cells Out of Curiosity, Not Fear

Interior of an incubator showing cells growing in culture flasks, petri dishes, and microtiter plates.

Cell lines are standard tools in biomedical research, and yet when it comes to their genetic identity, they are remarkably unstable. That volatility comes with their defining trait?immortality. Over time, cells accumulate mutations that may ultimately change the structure of chromosomes and alter cellular functions.

A number of those genetic changes can be detected with cell line authentication, although despite the authority implied by its name, such testing is not yet performed routinely in many laboratories. In fact, for the better part of the 60 years since its inception, authentication has not featured prominently on scientists? to-do lists. It was even actively dismissed for a time, because the manner in which attention had been called to scientists? mistakes (in many cases committed unknowingly) was perceived as career-threatening.

By the 1960s, it was clear that authentication would be an effective way to catch obvious mix-ups and contamination between cell lines. But it would have been difficult to predict its usefulness for detecting the many diverse genetic variations that bear so critically on cell line identity over time, since those variations were unknown then. And even now, equipped with relatively advanced technologies and with an understanding that genetic variation can be both powerful in effect and subtle in form, they are still able to escape detection.

The elusiveness of variation is a fascinating aspect of cell biology, and its significance is emphasized particularly by the widespread use of immortalized cell lines in laboratory research and by the fact that genetic variation is now a cornerstone of biomedical science. Curiosity about variation in nature is not a new phenomenon, of course. Observations of plants, notably those recorded by Gregor Mendel and Dutch botanist Hugo De Vries in the 19th century, were critical to the realization that genetic variation is the basis for evolution by natural selection. Knowledge of induced mutation, or mutagenesis, introduced in the 1920s with the work of German geneticist Hermann Joseph M?ller, piqued the interest of not only scientists but also writers and the general public, notably in the form of science fiction and comics, which are rife with mutant characters.

Types of chromosomal mutations.

Still today it is difficult not to be amazed by genetic variation and mutagenesis. The depth of variation that exists in the human genome, for instance, is astonishing. In 2006 scientists reported that copy number variations, which include relatively large deletions, duplications, and insertions of genetic material that alter the structure of DNA, affect from 6 to 19 percent of any given chromosome in the human genome. Prior to that study, it had been estimated that just 0.1 percent of the human genome was affected by genetic variation, much of which had been attributed to single nucleotide polymorphisms, which alter individual building blocks of DNA (changing an A to a T, for example).

The sheer diversity of variation in humans is illustrated further by cancer. Scientists have identified nearly 225,000 unique variants for this disease alone. Presumably many of those represent acquired mutations, or changes that have occurred as a result of time or exposure to cellular stressors, such as certain chemicals.

Which brings us back to cell lines.

The longer cells are kept in culture, and the more stressors they are exposed to, the more mutations they acquire. Eventually, they gain the mutations they need to make them immortal, giving rise to a cell line. A cell line, then, is an established lineage of continuously dividing cells, one in which the cells have effectively surpassed the Hayflick limit, or the finite number of cell divisions that normally would bring about replicative senescence (a state in which cells are metabolically active but not capable of division).

In the human body, the time that cells require to overcome the Hayflick limit typically comes with aging, which leads to age-related diseases, such as cancer. Most human cell lines used in biomedical research have in fact been developed with cells isolated from patient tumors. Such cells have already acquired immortality-conferring mutations that facilitate cell-line establishment. Non-tumor-derived cells (?normal? cells), on the other hand, may require exposure to a cancer-causing virus or some form of genetic engineering to become immortal. Once immortalized, they are only several steps removed from becoming tumorigenic (capable of forming tumors when injected into animals).

Immortalization is key for enabling researchers to work with fairly homogenous populations of cells, making for more robust experiments and data. But with each passage, in which a subset of cells is transferred to a new plate or flask to encourage the growth of still more cells, other mutations begin to work their way into the genetic material, producing populations of cells with chromosomal abnormalities or other alterations. If passaged excessively, those populations may become dominant, ultimately changing the cell line?s genetic identity. For some cell lines, such as certain lineages of embryonic stem cells, such changes occur relatively rapidly, after a dozen or so passages, which can have implications for their clinical use.

An early advocate of implementing procedures to catch those identity crises before they resulted in the publication of inaccurate data was Walter Nelson-Rees, who specialized in the characterization of cells at the Naval Biosciences Laboratory in California. In the 1960s and ?70s, Nelson-Rees began validating cell lines using karyotype analysis (which had been used in the first authentication studies in the 1950s) combined with the identification of certain cell surface proteins and isoenzymes. He found that many cell lines were contaminated with genetic material from other cells lines and, perhaps most significantly, that some human cell lines had been overtaken by HeLa cells, the first established human line and the most widely distributed.

Many scientists were caught off guard by Nelson-Rees?s findings. His job essentially was to fact-check the genetic profiles of cancer cell lines. But it seems that many of the creators of the lines and other researchers who had used them became aware of their errors only after Nelson-Rees highlighted offending papers in a series of articles published in Science. His approach, while bringing attention to the problem, had a strong isolating effect on scientists, leading to the eventual condemnation of his work as unscientific.

Still, cell lines are not always what researchers think they are. While the most egregious errors?a human cell line that turns out to be hamster?seem to be relatively uncommon, at least 18 percent of cell lines continue to be misidentified. Methods of authentication have advanced significantly, owing mainly to the development of rapid and inexpensive tools for the analysis of very short, repetitive segments of DNA, known as short tandem repeats. So, it would seem that there is no reason not to have cells checked, although arguably authentication is not required for some types of cell research.

The responsibility of knowing when to verify cells, and actually following through on it, rests with scientists, since journals and funding agencies have been reluctant to require it. And maybe that is all right. The greatest motivating factor for authentication should not be fear of not being published or funded. Rather, it should be curiosity, the reason why scientists explore questions about the natural world in the first place.

Images: Cell culture; Chromosomal variations

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8d28ffc6cc51dd32742f11d0fe377559

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Nanotech 'second skin' could protect soldiers from chemical threats

5 hrs.

Devin Coldewey , NBC News

Advances in nanotech have allowed research into materials that actively detect and shut out harmful molecules, or even shed layers like real skin. It?could be a lifesaver for soldiers and emergency workers.

A soldier in the field has lots of protection: A helmet, flak jacket, armored panels and so on. But when it comes to chemical and biological warfare, that equipment is virtually useless. Gases and bacteria can penetrate or simply cling to soldier's garments and gear, wreaking havoc later despite being highly diffuse.

The risk can't be mitigated entirely, but polymer scientists at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are working on a "second skin" made of?smart materials that would be a far more effective and sophisticated defense than we have now.

They call the fabric they're working on a "hybrid functional material," and it's made of a combination of carbon nanotubes and specially?designed nanoparticles. It's designed not just to block out unwanted agents, like poisonous gas molecules and spores, but to be normally breathable as well in less dangerous situations.

At a molecular level, the nanotubes are aligned vertically and arranged to form pores just a few nanometers wide. While ordinary air can pass through these tiny "nanopores," larger molecules and organisms like viruses simply don't fit.

There are smaller threats, however: Nerve agents and mustard gas would go right through even such tiny gaps. The nanomaterial?membrane?would be coated with "responsive functional groups," special molecules designed to respond to the presence of such deadly toxins. Activated molecules would trigger the nanopores to shut completely.

Lastly, in the case of agents that tend to stick around instead of diffusing, such as anthrax, the material will be designed to slough them?off, mimicking human skin. That way a garment exposed to infection wouldn't bring it back to, or out of, a hospital or base.

The leader of the research team is LLNL's Franceso Fornasiero, who is working closely with UMA's Kenneth Carter and James Watkins and others. They've just received a $1.8 million five-year grant to research how to manufacture these nanomaterials in bulk, and they estimate that new nano-uniforms could be in the field within 10 years.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC?News Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/nanotech-second-skin-could-protect-soldiers-chemical-threats-1C7291458

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Euro zone to seek Greek aid deal without write-off

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund made their third attempt in as many weeks to agree on releasing emergency aid for Greece on Monday, with policymakers saying a write-down of Greek debt is off the table for now.

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said he was confident the ministers would reach a deal after Greece fulfilled its part of the deal by enacting tough austerity measures and economic reforms.

"I'm certain we will find a mutually beneficial solution today," he said on arrival for what was set to be another marathon meeting.

Greece, where the euro zone's debt crisis erupted in late 2009, is the currency area's most heavily indebted country, despite a big "haircut" this year on privately-held bonds. Its economy has shrunk by nearly 25 percent in five years.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said it was vital to disburse the next 31 billion euro tranche of aid "to end the uncertainty that is still hanging over Greece". He urged all sides to "go the last centimeter because we are so close to an agreement".

Negotiations have been stalled over how Greece's debt, forecast to peak at 190-200 percent of GDP in the coming two years, can be cut to a more sustainable 120 percent by 2020.

Without agreement on how to reduce the debt, the IMF has held up payments to Athens because there is no guarantee of when the need for emergency financing will end.

The key question is: Can Greek debt become sustainable without the euro zone writing off some of the loans to Athens?

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on arrival that the solution must be "credible for Greece".

A source familiar with IMF thinking said the global lender was demanding immediate measures to cut Greece's debt by 20 percentage points of GDP, with a commitment to do more to reduce the debt stock in a few years if Greece fulfills its program.

Under the source's scenario, Greece's debt could be reduced to around 125 percent of GDP by 2020 using a variety of methods including a debt buyback, reducing the interest rate on loans and returning euro zone central bank 'profits' to Greece, but further steps would still be needed to hit the 120 percent goal.

The ministers took an extended break in mid-afternoon while experts worked on how to formulate a link between short-term measures and a credible assurance of eventual debt relief.

Germany and its northern European allies have so far rejected any idea of forgiving official loans to Athens.

DEBT RELIEF "NOT ON TABLE"

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told reporters on arrival that a debt cut now was legally impossible, not just for Germany but for other euro zone countries, if it was linked to a new guarantee of loans.

"You cannot guarantee something if you're cutting debt at the same time," he said. That might not preclude debt relief at a later stage if Greece has completed its adjustment program and no longer needs new loans.

The source familiar with IMF thinking said a loan write-off once Greece has established a track record of compliance would be the simplest way to make its debt viable, but other methods such as foregoing interest payments, or lending at below market rates and extending maturities could all help.

The German banking association (BDB) said a fresh "haircut" or forced reduction in the value of Greek sovereign debt, must only happen as a last resort.

Two European Central Bank policymakers, vice-president Vitor Constancio and executive board member Joerg Asmussen, said debt forgiveness was not on the agenda for now.

Asmussen told Germany's Bild newspaper the package of measures would include a substantial reduction of interest rates on loans to Greece and a debt buy-back by Greece, funded by loans from a euro zone rescue fund.

So far, the options under consideration include reducing interest on already extended bilateral loans to Greece from the current 150 basis points above financing costs.

How much lower is not yet decided -- France and Italy would like to reduce the rate to 30 basis points (bps), while Germany and some other countries insist on a 90 bps margin.

Another option, which could cut Greek debt by almost 17 percent of GDP, is to defer interest payments on loans to Greece from the EFSF, a temporary bailout fund, by 10 years.

The European Central Bank could forego profits on its Greek bond portfolio, bought at a deep discount, cutting the debt pile by a further 4.6 percent by 2020, a document prepared for the ministers' talks last week showed.

Not all euro zone central banks are willing to forego their profits, however, the German Bundesbank among them.

Greece could also buy back its privately-held bonds on the market at a deep discount, with gains from the operation depending on the scope and price. Officials have spoken of a 10 billion euro buy-back at around 30 cents on the euro, that would retire around 30 billion euros of debt, although since the idea was raised the potential gain has fallen as prices have risen.

But the preparatory document from last week said that the 120 percent target could not be reached in 2020, only two years later, unless ministers accept losses on their loans to Athens, provide additional financing or force private creditors into selling Greek debt at a discount.

The latest analysis for the ministers showed the debt could come down to 125 percent of GDP in 2020, one euro zone official with insight into the talks said.

FORGIVING OFFICIAL LOANS?

German central bank governor Jens Weidmann has suggested that Greece could "earn" a reduction in debt it owes to euro zone governments in a few years if it diligently implements all the agreed reforms. The European Commission backs that view.

An opinion poll published on Monday showed Greece's anti-bailout SYRIZA party with a four-percent lead over the Conservatives who won election in June, adding to uncertainty over the future of reforms.

German paper Welt am Sonntag said on Sunday that euro zone ministers were considering a write-down of official loans for Greece from 2015, but gave no sources, and a euro zone official said such an option was never seriously discussed.

(Additional reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek, Ethan Bilby, Luke Baker in Brussels, Reinhardt Becker in Berlin, Astrid Wendlandt in Paris; Writing by Jan Strupczewski and Paul Taylor; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/euro-zone-imf-seek-greece-deal-debt-write-055911326--business.html

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Greece Hopes for Delayed Loan Today - Greece - Greek Reporter

Greek Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras (R) with his French counterpart, Pierre Moscovici

Eurozone finance ministers on Nov. 26 will consider for the third time in three weeks whether to sign off on a long-delayed $38.8 billion loan installment Greece needs to keep its debt-crushed economy from crashing, but could face yet another setback.

The bloc?s fiscal chiefs can?t see eye-to-eye with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde over how to reduce Greece?s debt and deficit, including whether granting another two years, until 2022, to meet fiscal targets, as well as other options that include imposing losses on its lenders.

The Troika of the European Union-IMF-European Central Bank is holding back the loan, the first in a second bailout of $173 billion, until a consensus can be reached. Greece was surviving on a first series of $152 billion in rescue loans and Samaras pushed through Parliament an unpopular $17.45 billion spending cut and tax hike plan as a condition of getting the additional aid, and has been frustrated at the delay.

Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras will be in Brussels hoping to clinch a deal that could include folding in another installment to bring the total to $57 billion, although most of that is set to pay overdue bills and recapitalize the country?s banks that had been pushed toward insolvency after a previous administration imposed 74 percent losses on investors.

Stournaras took part in a Nov. 24 teleconference between the finance ministers that focused on the technical issues involved in finding a formula to reduce Greek debt. Finance Ministry sources told the newspaper Kathimerini there were not any serious disagreements and said they were confident a deal would be reached.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras spent the last few weeks contacting foreign officials, including Lagarde and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, to get their support. Final approval may require a fourth gathering, pushing the decision to a previously scheduled meeting on December 3, according to a statement issued by Finland.

So far, the options for debt reduction under consideration include reducing interest on already extended bilateral loans to Greece from the current 1.5 percent above financing costs. Another option, which could cut Greek debt by almost 17 percent of GDP, is to defer interest payments on loans to Greece from the EFSF, a temporary bailout fund, by 10 years.

The ECB could forego profits on its Greek bond portfolio, bought at a deep discount, cutting the debt pile by a further 4.6 percent by 2020, a document prepared for the ministers? talks last week showed, but some banks are balking, including the German Bundesbank.

Greece could also buy back its privately-held bonds on the market at a deep discount, with gains from the operation depending on the scope and price. To cut the debt more boldly, the IMF wants the euro zone to forgive Greece some of the official loans, in what is called Official Sector Involvement (OSI) but which Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Slovakia have already rejected as it would make their taxpayers pay for Greece?s negligence.

Source: http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/11/26/greece-hopes-for-delayed-loan-today/

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What's good for the goose is good for fraud victims | CalWatchDog

Nov. 26, 2012

Katy Grimes: Former?Democratic campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee is facing only an 8-year sentence, even after she was?arrested on charges of mail fraud and defrauding Democratic campaigns of millions of dollars.

The Sacramento Bee reported?Monday that Federal prosecutors are planning to ask a judge to sentence Durkee?to only eight years in federal prison for a record case of campaign fraud.

Durkee had access to more than 400 Democratic campaigns, political action committees and club accounts, and was found guilty of wiping out many of the accounts and stealing from active Democratic campaigns, including from U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein of San Francisco.

A not so secret past

Durkee not only pleaded guilty to stealing more than $7 million from Democratic campaigns in 2011, the campaign treasurer had a sketchy history that was not a secret.

?Many ask why Democrats allowed Durkee to continue as a treasurer despite campaign violation?fines?totaling?$185,000, as well as criminal investigations by the Los Angeles County district attorney?s office in 2008 and 2009, the Los Angeles Times?reported,? I wrote in a story in Oct. 2011.

State Democrats appealed to the state Fair Political Practices Commission for a change of state campaign rules to help alleviate the pain of Durkee?s massive theft of the campaign funds. But they did this only after telling victims of financial swindles in California that they would get no special tax relief from the state.

State?Sen. Joel Anderson, R-San Diego, authored a 2011 bill which would have provided tax relief for victims of fraudulent investment schemes similar to the?Bernie Madoff case, by allowing a tax deduction for losses attributable to criminal investment fraud.?Victims of financial fraud are allowed tax relief in many other states and by the federal government.

But Democrats in the?Senate Committee on Governance and Finance?killed the bill, sponsored by State Treasurer Bill Lockyer.

Democrats in the governance committee stated they voted against Anderson?s bill because ?tax relief policies would decrease state revenues and exacerbate the state?s multi-billion dollar budget deficit.?

Then Democrats asked the FPPC to be able to accept additional contributions to rebuild the money stolen by Durkee from campaign accounts.

Durkee?s fraud case

Federal prosecutors found that Durkee had used campaign money to pay her personal credit cards, home mortgage, business-related bills and even for her mother?s assisted-living facility. Durkee apparently created a sophisticated cover-up scheme shifting funds between candidates? accounts to cover up the theft.

At her sentencing hearing this week, it is also expected that a restitution amount should be announced. ?But I?m not sure that Democrats expect to get any money back either through more fundraising, or from squeezing blood from the turnip.

Being a fraud victim stinks, doesn?t it?

?

Tags: California, Democrats, fraud, Katy Grimes, Kinde Durkee, tax increases

Source: http://www.calwatchdog.com/2012/11/26/whats-good-for-the-goose-is-good-for-fraud-victims/

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After Sandy, lower Manhattan limps back to life

NEW YORK (AP) ? The hum of massive mobile generators, boilers and pumps emerges blocks from Manhattan's Financial District and turns into a steady din south of Wall Street ? the now-familiar sound of an area laboring to recover from Superstorm Sandy.

Other parts of the city have gotten mayoral visits and media attention after the Oct. 29 storm killed dozens of residents and tore apart homes in coastal neighborhoods. Less obvious were the millions upon million gallons of sea water that wreaked havoc on subterranean electrical panels and other internal infrastructure throughout lower Manhattan, making them unusable even after power was restored to the area.

"There were waves on Wall Street, and it all ended up here," Mike Lahm, a building engineer who rode out the storm at 120 Wall Street, said during a recent tour of the skyscraper's basement.

Nearly a month later, some of the high-rises that are home to investment banks, large law firms and luxury apartments have bounced back quickly. But others buildings remain eerily dark and vacant.

Landlords have warned full power won't be back for weeks, if not months, leaving businesses and residents displaced and uncertain about when ? and even whether ? they'll return. JP Morgan Chase, the Daily News and the American Civil Liberties Union are among tenants still operating in satellite locations after getting washed out of their headquarters in lower Manhattan.

Heavy flooding also hit a complex of multimillion-dollar apartments along the Hudson River, whose well-heeled owners ? reportedly including Gwyneth Paltrow and Meryl Streep ? could quietly retreat to second or third homes on higher and drier ground.

"What you're looking at here is a mass exodus," downtown resident Gail Strum said as she retrieved some files and other belongings from a rental apartment building that's still without power. "It feels like there's no coming back."

On paper, Strum's assessment sounds too pessimistic. The city Buildings Department declared only nine buildings in lower Manhattan unsafe because of structural damage from the storm, and the power company, Consolidated Edison, says all buildings citywide had access to electricity and steam power by Nov. 15.

A real estate consulting firm that's tracking the lower Manhattan recovery, Jones Lang LaSalle, says 49 of the 183 office buildings in the business district were closed because of mechanical failures. By the latest count, at least half were back in full operation, even if it has meant relying on temporary power. More are expected to follow.

"We see that as a very healthy pace," said John Wheeler, a Jones Lang LaSalle executive.

One success story was 120 Wall Street, a 600,000-square-foot, 34-story skyscraper built near the East River that's home to nonprofits such as the National Urban League, the United Negro College Fund and the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration.

Even before Sandy hit, landlord Silverstein Properties got ahead of a scramble for recovery resources by securing portable diesel generators each capable of providing 2 megawatts of power. Afterward, the building brought in its own fuel tanker from Pennsylvania ? and a security team from Florida to guard it ? so it could keep the generators going during the gas crunch.

Using a mix of generator power and restored Con Ed service, engineers had the elevators, lights and heat up and running by mid-November.

To the tenants, "It's as if the building's operating normally," said Jeremy Moss, a vice president with Silverstein Properties.

What tenants don't see in the bowels of 120 Wall Street is a thicket of temporary, exposed wiring that runs everywhere. The warning "LIVE WIRE. KEEP OUT" is spray-painted in red on the door of a room housing switches, fuses or circuit breakers after it was submerged. The air is clammy and musty ? "the smell of the East River," said Lahm, the building engineer.

Fearing the East River might one day try again to meet the Hudson, 120 Wall Street and other buildings are facing an even bigger, more expensive job: Moving critical infrastructure to higher floors or even roofs.

"We're going to need to relocate equipment so history doesn't repeat itself," Moss said.

Farther uptown, NYU Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center had put generators on high floors where they could be protected in a flood. But they still suffered failures with Sandy, apparently because other critical components of the backup power system, such as fuel pumps and tanks, remained in basements just a block from the East River.

While 120 Wall Street enjoys a degree of normalcy, other newer and taller glass towers around it remain shut as teams of contractors and workers struggle to restore power, phone and other services. Tractor-trailers providing emergency services such as "microbial remediation" crowd the streets. Cabs are few.

Fire engines became a part of the mix on Friday with the report of a fire in the basement of another vacated office building at 55 Water St. ? the address for financial services company Standard & Poor's and the city Department of Transportation ? that left two dozen people suffering from smoke inhalation and sent four to a hospital. The cause wasn't immediately clear.

The lower Manhattan disarray has also reached the courtroom. Last week, a resident of a still-evacuated luxury high-rise filed a $35 million lawsuit against his condo board and management company, accusing them of "gross negligence" in the wake of Sandy.

The management company, Cooper Square Realty, fired back in a letter from its chief executive, David Kuperberg, claiming that contractors recruited from as far away as Wisconsin and Michigan have been working nonstop to tear out wet walls, carpeting and wallpaper to prevent mold; installing new generators; rebuilding a water pump; and mopping up residue left by oil-tainted salt water.

"While Cooper Square Reality did not cause the storm, the company is doing everything it can" to get people back in their homes, Kuperberg wrote.

The uncertainty also is evident at South Street Seaport, a cluster of early 19th-century mercantile buildings converted to retail shops and apartments. Usually teeming with tourists, the seaport remained a ghost town late last week, despite postcard-perfect weather.

Inside a shut-down brew pub still without lights, workers wearing masks and white jumpsuits scrubbed down the bar, floor and tables. Many businesses, including Ann Taylor, Body Shop and Guess outlets, were still boarded up with plywood.

Also shuttered was "Bodies ... The Exhibition," the show featuring dissected human cadavers that has been a fixture there since 2005. Its website says that due to "damage to our venue, we are closed until further notice."

Some seaport residents have electricity back but no heat or hot water. Liz McKenna, 54, who was living in a third-floor apartment overlooking the East River when a deluge filled the entire first floor with water, said she expects to be able to move back in a couple of weeks ? maybe.

"That's only a guess," she said as she picked up her mail. "Look around. Nobody really knows how bad it is down here. ... We've been ignored."

One of the few businesses to open its doors, Meade's bar and restaurant, had no customers at lunchtime.

"We're open, but who are we open for?" said 28-year-old bartender Nichole Osborne. "All of my regulars are displaced."

An etching on the front window, quoting Dylan Thomas, offered a glimmer of resolve: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

___

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sandy-lower-manhattan-limps-back-life-072154595--finance.html

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Why So Much Confusion About Holdover Tenants? ? Retail Real ...

There really is such a thing as a ?holdover? tenancy, but our experience has taught us that not a lot of us know what it is. So, today, we?ll either be clearing this area up or adding to the confusion. We?re sure our loyal followers will let us know either way.

Last week, Ruminations overstayed its welcome with a very lengthy piece about landlord lien waivers. If you haven?t finished digesting it, press on because it was very, very well received. This week, our goal is to get in and out, hoping to average, over the two weeks, a reasonable size blog posting.

To know what characterizes a holdover tenancy, you?ve got to know what it isn?t. It?s not a ?Term of Years? (?Tenancy for Years?); it?s not a ?Periodic Tenancy?; and, especially, it is not a ?Tenancy at Sufferance.?

When you hear or see ?Term of Years,? focus on the word ?Term,? not on the word ?Years? because, to qualify as one, it just needs to have a fixed term. It needs a starting date and an ending date. Basically, it?s the kind of lease we are all accustomed to seeing. The starting date can be explicitly stated or can be implied based on the date of execution or delivery. The ending date can be a fixed date or can be ?X? days, months or years after the starting date. One way or the other, you will know when the term begins and when it ends. The end of the lease term happens without any need for one party to give the other any notice and without any need for something to fall out of the sky. It?s over when it?s over (Ain?t it baby, Ain?t it. Rips ya like a dagger, Can it baby, Can it. Wish we could do it over. Damn it baby, Damn it. We had it in the air, we just ?) [Cowboy lyrics by Eric Church]. What happens if a tenant overstays its welcome depends on what the lease says and the particular facts in play. For today, to keep it short, we?re going to assume that readers of Ruminations are dealing with ?overstaying? in their written leases.

In contrast, a ?Periodic Tenancy? ain?t ?over when it?s over? because a ?Periodic Tenancy? has no defined ending date, the ?term? just keeps rolling over and over. Think month-to-month or year-to year. Without going over the detailed rules, suffice it to say that if neither landlord nor tenant gives the other a sufficient notice (with the time requirements for such varying from jurisdiction to jurisdiction), the tenancy repeats week by week, month by month or year by year, depending on what its initial periodicity might have been. The periodicity might be stated in the lease; otherwise, it generally matches the rent interval ? e.g., monthly rent means a month-to-month tenancy. That?s not a complete statement because what appears to be a monthly rent might actually be an annual rent payable, as a privilege, in monthly installments. A Periodic Tenancy commonly follows the end of a Term of Years. To put an end to a periodic tenancy, one party must give the other notice. The length of notice generally matches the ?period,? e.g., a month?s notice for a month-to-month lease. Often, a state?s law will set six months as the notice period for a year-to-year lease. And, the measuring date for notices is almost always based as if each period starts on the first day of a month. That?s often misunderstood with the result being that a lot of defective ?one month? notices are sent. For example, termination notices for month-to-month leases almost always need to be sent a ?calendar month? in advance. That means a notice sent on November 15 would be effective on December 31, not December 15. Worse than that, some courts will ?toss out? an entire notice sent on November 15 if it states that the month-to-month tenancy is terminated as of ?December 15,? making a whole new notice mandatory. The lesson is that you have to know ?how it works? in the jurisdiction where the property is located.

?Periodic Tenancies? are not common ways to start a landlord-tenant relationship. Nonetheless, the rules for them are important because many leases for a fixed term (a ?Term for Years?) are written such that they will continue as month-to-month arrangements after the stated term has ended, with all of the other lease?s provisions remaining intact. Keep that in mind as we crawl toward our discussion of the true ?holdover? tenancy.

Next, we get to the ?Tenancy at Will.? Although this is mainly relegated to non-commercial situations ? social situations such as ?stay as long as you like,? commercial arrangements of this sort do exist. At common law, these could be ended at the ?will? of the landlord or tenant. Today, for the rare commercial Tenancy at Will, statutes commonly set forth a one (calendar) month termination notice requirement. A Tenancy at Will is not a ?holdover? tenancy, though from reading a lot of leases, it seems that many parties think it is.

That leaves us with the ?Tenancy at Sufferance,? a ?wrongful? tenancy. Yes, if a tenant overstays its welcome (meaning it stays in possession after one of the previous three tenancies ends), it is a trespasser ? it shouldn?t be there; it is wrongfully ?holding over.? In our trade, the leasing trade, this is what we (should) mean when we speak of a ?holdover? tenancy. Basically, it is the landlord?s choice or the terms of the lease that determine whether you have a ?Tenancy at Sufferance.? If the lease is silent, the landlord can ?permit? its tenant to stay in possession, thereby creating a Periodic Tenancy, or it can deny its (now former) tenant the right to lawfully remain in possession. If the lease sets forth different ?rules,? the lease ?trumps? the landlord?s free will choice.

Here is where the text of a lease is critical. If a lease says that if the tenant hangs on after the term, the tenant becomes a month-to-month tenant (a ?Periodic Tenancy?), then the tenant isn?t a ?holdover? tenant. Similarly, if a lease says that staying beyond the term creates a Tenancy at Will, the tenant isn?t a ?holdover? tenant. That?s because, in each case, the tenant remains at the premises with the permission of the landlord and has the right to be there. And, that ?permission? remains in force until one party gives the other proper notice and the notice time has run. Go read your lease form. What does it say? If your lease form provides for a Tenancy at Will or a Periodic Tenancy, then the lease?s provisions continue in force and the rent is whatever your lease says it is.

What makes a ?holdover? tenancy special? Basically, because it is wrongful. That means that, as a trespass, a landlord may be entitled to tort damages. For a refresher on ?damages,? click HERE. Holdover tenancies are so common that many states provide for a statutory ?rent,? often double the last rent or double the ?fair market rent.? Some states require that a landlord first make a demand for possession, but that?s not a universal rule. Court decisions teach that trivial retention of possession (like leaving some easily movable or removable furniture behind) does not create a Tenancy at Sufferance. A tenant forced to remain in possession, such as by reason of a broken elevator or a utility blackout, is generally not treated by courts as a ?holdover? tenant under ?holdover? statutes.

We?d be remiss if we bailed out for today without telling readers that parties can vary a statutory ?double? rent remedy by providing otherwise in their lease, not only by reducing the ?holdover? rent, but also by going ?bigger? than double. In the ?less than double? class, figures like 125% or 150% are quite common (when negotiated), as are step approaches ? 110% for the first 60 days, 150% thereafter, being examples of such. In the ?go even deeper? approach, we?ve seen aNew ? Jerseycourt approve an agreed-upon ?tripling.? Logically, there must be some limit. Look to your state?s court cases. Also, it isn?t uncommon to state that the holdover rent is to be paid for an entire month, even if the holdover doesn?t last that long. There may be some case law as to whether that is an unenforceable penalty or as to whether you?ve created a new tenancy, but we haven?t seen any, nor have we done any research. Perhaps one of our readers has done so and is willing to ?share? by posting her or his comment.

There?s a practical side to what has preceded this point. It is that landlords and tenants need to figure out just how they want to handle ?what happens when the scheduled lease term is over.? If there is no bargaining power at the table for one party or the other, then it will be a Hobson?s choice. [?Take it or leave it ? you remember our October 14 posting?] If there is bargaining power all around, then the two sides can duke it out when writing the lease. Perhaps, the lease term should be extended on a month-to-month basis unless one party notifies the other at least six months before the end of the stated term that the term will not be extended. After all, without a notice period, once one party has affirmatively told the other that ?this is really the end,? what is really happening is that the landlord or the tenant, as the case may be, is jockeying for a negotiating advantage.

What do we mean? Well, in our experience (and from reading a lot of cases), a common scenario goes like this. (1) The end is near. (2) The parties begin discussing a lease extension, say for 5 or 10 years. (3) The lease term ends. (4) The parties are still discussing a lease extension. (5) The landlord gets impatient. (6) The landlord threatens to evict its tenant. (7) The tenant leaves. (8) The landlord claims double ?holdover? rent. (9) The landlord loses because it really didn?t know that permissive possession by a tenant isn?t a trespass; isn?t a ?holdover.? (10) Both parties are unhappy.

Maybe the ?tale of woes? just related suggests that sophisticated parties should negotiate for a three to six month notice period so that the tenant can leave graciously and its landlord will have time to start looking for the next tenant.

The subject of ?damages? for causing loss of the ?next? tenant is beyond the scope we set out for today?s posting. So, we?ll stop here.

Source: http://www.retailrealestatelaw.com/2012/11/why-so-much-confusion-about-holdover-tenants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-so-much-confusion-about-holdover-tenants

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Special Education teachers are an aging population: Local schools ...

California is currently facing as shortage of qualified teachers ? including special education teachers ? according to an article printed in September on US News on NBCNews.com.

The article cited a report, ?Greatness by Design? released by the California Department of Education in September ? a report designed to help improve how teachers are recruited, trained and mentored ? that states ?there are still shortages of qualified teachers in fields such as special education.?

Dr. Pia Wong, department chair for the Department of Teaching Credentials and professor at California State University Sacramento, says one reason for the shortage is teachers retiring without anyone to fill their positions. ?When you look at the average age of teachers in special (education) and general education, it?s an aging population,? she explains. ?Based on when people typically do retire or can retire, we know in the next 10 years we?re going to see very high numbers of retirement.?

Another reason, says Dr. Wong, is a growth in the population of students who qualify for special education services due to better diagnostic processes. ?Because we have better tools for understanding the special needs that students have, there?s more students that are identified and therefore that creates a need for special programs, special classes, specialized teachers,? she says.

So what does this mean for Sacramento?

Inclusion Practice at SCUSD

In Sacramento City Unified School District, Director of Special Education Becky Bryant says there?s not a shortage of special education teachers overall, but there is a shortage in certain types of special education specialties, such as speech and language pathologists and occupational therapists.

Overall, Bryant says the amount of special education teachers they have is cyclical and will depend on the number of retirees they have each year and if there are new teachers coming to replace them. ?Because Sacramento is the capitol, we have a lot of people that kind of move in and out because they have to relocate or something,? she adds.

According to Bryant, SCUSD employs 260 special education teachers and serves 88 schools plus charter schools. She says there are resource specialist programs at all school sites, and throughout the district there are special day programs.

Bryant says SCUSD is in the third year of implementation of an Inclusive Practice program at six schools in the district ? C.K. McClatchy High School, California Middle School, Sutterville Elementary, Oak Ridge Elementary, Leataata Floyd Elementary, and Caleb Greenwood K-8 School. Through this model, says Bryant, students who would have been in a traditional special day class setting are now in general education, and the general educator and special education teacher co-teach together to provide instruction to all students in the classroom.

According to Bryant, Inclusive Practice helps teach students skills they will need when they become adults and enter into a diverse society, and it allows all students to learn together and be part of a community. ?It?s not about singling out students with disabilities and sending them somewhere else,? she adds.

Special Programs & Inclusion at SJUSD

Over at San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD), Dayle Cantrall, program manager for special education, believes that special education is a growing need because there is not always a pool of credentialed teachers at the ready to fill any holes they may have. ?When we have credentialed teachers, they usually end up in a job and they stay ? they don?t face layoffs like general education teachers do, they?re always in high demand,? she adds.

According to Cantrall, SJUSD currently employs 307 special education teachers, including speech therapists and adaptive PE teachers. She says there is at a minimum a half-time resource teacher at every school site, and some high schools have upwards to nine special education teachers at a school site. And special education students range from those that need speech therapy to specialized programs for severe autism and the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Cantrall says recent changes in special education programs at SJUSD include specialized programming for severe autism students and a new transition center for kids ages 18-22 this year.

Additionally, there are specialized inclusion programs from elementary through high school on a few campuses in the district, says Cantrall. ?We have support built into the particular campuses, including increased number of instructional assistants,? she explains. Plus some campuses also have the capability for a special education student to attend the same school as their brothers and sisters through the support of ?roving inclusion teachers? and resources teachers.

What It Takes

To help ensure there are qualified special education teachers for California schools, Dr. Wong says one thing CSUS has done is advocate for an admission cycle for the special education credential program every semester. Additionally, faculty has been active in securing grants from the federal government to help candidates interested in pursuing the special education credential.

For those considering becoming certified to become a special education teacher, Dr. Wong suggests they look into it by doing some research and visiting some classrooms. ?I think people may have certain preconceptions about what it means to teach students with special needs,? she explains. ?I think if they were to visit some classrooms, they would really see some positive, exciting things happen and maybe find it?s something that attracts them.?

Bryant says they look to hire special education teachers who have a passion for kids in general, and a passion to work with students with disabilities. ?(We look for) people who have a clear understanding of how to manage a classroom, how to motivate kids, and who are really willing to work on creating relationships with kids,? she adds.

And Cantrall says if you have a calling to work with at-risk kids, you?re not afraid to collaborate, think outside the box, and do what?s needed to meet the best interests of that child?s needs ? go for it. ?We need people in special education who are not only dedicated to kids, but dedicated to paving the way so those kids can continue to learn in the least restrictive environment possible,? she says.

Source: http://www.valcomnews.com/?p=9212

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