With

“Despite some cyclical ups and downs we’ve seen in the past several years, this report indicates real growth for the small-business community,” said Todd McCracken, NSBA President, on Fox Small Business News. “Although we are far from where we need to be, it appears that small businesses have turned an economic corner.”

Small businesses have also reported revenue growth higher than any point in the past three years, from 39% to 46%. However, job growth remained largely unchanged over the past three years.

That also means job loss has remained steady for the past three years, as well. Although many business owners expect stagnation in the next year, it can’t hurt to secure a business against possible loss.

Business owners should make sure that they are doing what they can to get their small businesses noticed. Online training firm Fox Business Solutions mentions that getting noticed isn’t too difficult with the right marketing strategy.

As a recent company blog post states, small businesses can easily improve their visibility by “using affiliate marketing techniques such as blogging, social media, and Ebay marketing.” And every little bit of extra business exposure can help.

According to Bloomberg News, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke also spoke positively of the economy. In his words, “The economy shows signs of improvement while remaining vulnerable to shocks.”

Bernanke also reinforced the importance of reducing the federal deficit to lawmakers. “To achieve economic and financial stability, U.S. fiscal policy must be placed on a sustainable path that ensures that debt relative to national income is at least stable or, preferably, declining over time. Achieving this goal should be a top priority.”

Bernanke finished by warning Congress about cutting spending and raising taxes too quickly, claiming that it would undermine the recovery.

When small business owners were asked what topic is most important to them, 44% said reducing the national deficit. It seems that small business is on the upswing. However, business owners must remain cautious. The economy is treading on thin ice, and a misstep could cost a small business a lot of money. Nevertheless, optimism from the Federal Reserve puts many Americans at ease knowing that at least the signs are pointing up.

Small Business May See A Turn Around - Indyposted -

It all started on a cold February day in 1887, on a small hill called Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney PA., 65 miles north of Pittsburgh. The story goes that if the groundhog sees his shadow when it emerges from its hole it means six more weeks of winter. Well, Phil, where the hell has winter been in the first place?

It is all based on a German superstition that claims if a hibernating animal casts its shadow on Groundhog Day, or the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last another six weeks. If the animal does not see a shadow spring will come early.

The kicker here is that all of Phil’s predictions are rigged, so he’s never wrong. Phil should try playing the lottery.

The Inner Circle, who wears top hats and tuxedos and reads Phil’s prediction, decides ahead of time what the prediction will be. Over the years, Phil has seen his shadow over 100 times and only seen nothing 16 times.

Mike Johnson, Vice President of the Inner Circle stated, recently spoke to Time.com about the event. As he stated, “He’s never been wrong.” Phil is “incapable of error.” Due to the fact that he is never specific where winter will last or end, he will always have the right answer someplace.

The ceremony started over a hundred years ago with only a few locals gathering and slowly grew into a decent crowd of a few thousand through the years.

In 1993, the comedy classic Groundhog Day, staring Bill Murray, put the spotlight on this town and the event. This year there were close to 15,000 people ready to watch Phil’s prediction.

Onlookers began to gather at dawn for the 7:30AM ceremony. The temperature in past years has averaged about 17 degrees; fortunately for this year’s attendees, the temperature sat just above freezing at a toasty 33 degrees.

So, what did Phil say? Like most of his other years, he did indeed see his shadow. Does that mean another six weeks of winter? Normally I would be depressed by this notion, having to suffer through another month and a half of bitter freezing winds and ice on my windshield.

However, if winter’s current state is any prediction of the next six weeks, I’ll take it. This year’s winter has seen less than a foot of snow in many northeast cities, and days have ranged from 50 to 60 degrees at some points.

Phil, I would like to thank you for all your expert predictions, but this year you don’t scare me. I’ll take six more weeks of this kind of winter any time. Hopefully things go better next winter, but climate change is a powerful adversary.

Punxsutawney Phil Comes Out Of His Hole, But For What? - Indyposted -

The Super Bowl is one of America’s biggest sex trafficking events. Several Organizations recently headed to Indiana to spread information regarding the underground sex-trade.

The Super Bowl has come and gone. Americans got to do what they almost never do: sit their fat backsides down on the couch and lose themselves in the carnal pleasures of television, beer and hot-wings. Okay, okay, so Americans already do that all the time.

But for some, the Super Bowl is more than just the American version of the Greek Colosseum’s brute stupidity. It’s more than just another means of distracting the masses from acknowledging societal injustices. For some it is, in fact, an injustice in-and-of itself.

AccordingtotheChristianPost, The Super Bowl is one of America’s largest sex trafficking events. Thousands of girls, many under-aged, have traveled to Super Bowls over the years to sell themselves in prostitution.

As the Christian Post article describes, “major sporting events like the Super Bowl generally have more men in attendance who are visiting from a different city, and often do things they wouldn’t normally do at home. This creates a demand that “traffickers and pimps are there willing and waiting to supply.”

Volunteers from the Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution (SOAP) organziation have campaigned to combat the epidemic with information. About 150 volunteers headed to Indiana before this past weekend’s event to pass out bars of soap at area hotels. Each bar of soap is wrapped in a label with phrases like “Are you witnessing young girls being prostituted?” The text is accompanied by the number for the human trafficking hotline.

American perspectives on prostitution are mixed. But the sex trade is undoubtedly a major black-market. And like all black-markets, it is unregulated. Many of the girls pimps pass off as 18 are usually far younger.

Appropriately, Christian organizations have taken a serious issue with these sex traffickers. PastorEdYoung of the Fellowship Church believes we should all do our best to combat prostitution. “These principles are not antiquated relics of the past,” said Young. “They apply to a modern Christian’s everyday life.”

While the debate is still out between Christians and non-Christians on prostitution itself, one thing remains absolutely agreed upon: underage prostitution needs to be stopped, especially in America.

Sex Sells At The Super Bowl - Indyposted -

The Green Party announced Roseanne Barr as their official candidate for presidency on Friday. And no, this is not a joke.

Roseanne Barr, the star of 90s sitcom ‘Roseanne,’ announced her bid for presidency recently. Correspondingly, the Green Party welcomed the comedian as its presidential candidate. John Goodman has yet to comment.

A spokesperson for the Green Party said that Roseanne completed all of the party’s requirements to run under the Green banner. Whether having an exceptionally irritating voice is part of those requirements is still unknown.

According to CNN, “Scott McLarty, national media coordinator for the party, said Barr and Jill Stein, the other candidate that met the qualifications, are committed to ending the influence of corporate money on politics and elections.”

“She’s showing that she really is understanding what the Green Party is about and support our positions and our values,” McLarty said of Barr. “It’s great that someone who is so well known is campaigning not just in the party but for the party.”

During the 2008 Presidential election, Barr toted her support for Barack Obama. Like many who supported Obama’s environmental policies, Barr apparently feels Obama is not fulfilling his promises.

The President largely relied on a green platform during his initial campaign, yet he has recently abandoned key aspects of that platform. In the recent State Of The Union address, Obama promoted drilling for oil off the Floridian coast. While this may lessen America’s dependence on foreign fuels, critics argue it will not solve the energy crisis.

The Green Party believes the future of energy lies in clean and renewable resources. And for this reason the party contends that America needs to develop renewable technologies.  The party has had some success in the past. “Ralph Nader most notably ran for president in 1996 and 2000 as a Green, capturing nearly 3 million votes in the later contest.”

Over the summer, Barr hinted that she may seek office in an interview with Jay Leno. The comment was considered a joke at the time. Barr announced that the comment was serious via Twitter: “”I am running for Green Party nominee for POTUS. I am an official candidate. I am4 the Greening of America&theworld. Green=peace/justice.”

“Six individuals, including Barr and Stein, filed with the Federal Election Commission to register as 2012 Green Party presidential candidates. However, the party is currently only recognizing Barr and Stein due to internal rules that include requiring the submission of a financial report and a list of supporters.” Barr’s running mate, Jill Stein, is a medical doctor and environmental health advocate.

Could Barr’s Presidential bid mean a reunion tour for Roseanne? Here’s to hoping.

Roseanne For President? - Indyposted -

Iran continues to taunt the world through ambiguous threats of violence. There is growing suspicion that Israel may attack pre-emptively.

Recently, the supreme leader of Iran warned the United States that war would have detrimental effects on their country. AccordingtoCNN, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke in Tehran during prayer.

“You see every now and then in this way they say that all options are on the table. That means even the option of war. This is how they make these threats against us…Well, these kinds of threats are detrimental to the U.S.,” he said. “The war itself will be 10 times as detrimental to the U.S.”

Khamenei was referring to remarks officials made regarding previous Iranian threats. Last November, a nuclear watchdog agency reported that Iran was likely developing nuclear weapons. As a result of the report, countries throughout the world have imposed strict sanctions on the Iranian national bank. The sanctions aim to damage the Iranian economy and curtail their alleged military spending.

Last month, tensions ran high when Iran threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade route. United States officials said that they would not tolerate any attempt to hinder world commerce through blockades.

Iran responded by flaunting a “scheduled” military exercise in the area, but neglected to disrupt shipping traffic. Several weeks ago, an Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated in a car bomb. No country or organization has claimed credit for the killing.

Many people believe an Israeli pre-emptive attack is in the works. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel intended to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “Today, unlike in the past, there is a broad global understanding that it is crucial to stop Iran becoming nuclearized and that no options should be taken off the table,” he said.

Khamanei responded to the remarks made by Barak hours later: “The Zionist regime is really the cancerous tumor of this region and it needs to be removed and will be removed.”

Israel is a U.S. ally and America would likely back the middle-eastern democracy if war were to break out. Khamanei claims that war would have “detrimental” effects on the United States are somewhat valid. The United States is currently in the process of ending an eleven year war in Afghanistan and a nine year war in Iraq. Combined, the two wars have cost trillions of dollars.

Many people fault outrageous military spending for the nation’s economic troubles. And there is a growing mentality among Americans that the US should not ‘police’ the world.

Still, Iran’s recent actions and statements are psychotic at best. The nation has openly sponsored terrorist efforts in the region and has threatened to “wipe Israel off the map.” If they are, in fact, pursuing nuclear weaponry, someone should step up to stop them.

Another War Inevitable? - Indyposted -

Vanderbilt University faces criticism for discriminating against a Christian organization’s discriminatory policies. That organization is funded by all students through tuition.

Once again, those snarky little liberal college Professors are upset about where school funding is allocated. And now, Christians are under attack.

AccordingtoFoxNews, “Christian student organizations at Vanderbilt University may be forced to go underground or meet in secret after university officials doubled down on a policy that bans student religious groups from requiring their leaders to hold specific beliefs…Vanderbilt said their nondiscrimination policy ensure that campus groups are open to all students. But opponents said the ban restricts their freedom of speech and could force some nationally-known groups off campus.”

Student organizations recognized by the School receive some University funding. Because University funding comes from tuition, a cost all students pay, these organizations must make their services available for everyone.

Vanderbilt University is currently examining the policies of four Christian organizations registered with the school. The Christian Legal Society, the Fellowship of Christians, Beta Upsilon Chi and Graduate Student Fellowship are all accused of violating the school’s non-discrimination policies.

“This political correctness is running amuck on campus and its constraining one group – and that group tends to be conservatives,” said Carol Swain, the Christian Legal Society advisor. “They will be forced to either accept the university’s policy or leave campus by the end of the academic year. They are in limbo.”

When Ms. Swain says ‘conservatives’, what she really means is social conservatives. Vanderbilt does not curtail its recognition of organizations that support needless wars or lower tax brackets for the wealthy. However, the school does pull funding from organizations that discriminate against students for any reason. The discrimination in the case of the Christian Fraternity was allegedly based on a student’s sexual orientation.

Of course, the Christian organizations don’t see how this is fair. It is their goal to make people of devious orientations feel unwelcome. How else will you help them see the light?

As noted Pastor EdYoung claims, any sort of discriminatory practices don’t really coincide with a Christian-based Scriptural interpretation. As he notes, “while man has an amazing amount of potential for good, he is pre-disposed to disobedience towards God. This disobedience, otherwise known as ‘sin,’ is based in humanity’s free will gained when Eve first ate from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.”

Committing the sin of judgment through discrimination is just as grave a sin as what these organizations are discriminating about in the first place, then.

By denying a homosexual student entry, the Christian Fraternity is in fact teaching a lesson: If you want to belong to this organization that your tuition money finances, fine. But you have to stop all this gay business. Now that’s a Christian sentiment, all right.

Innocent Christians Under Attack - Indyposted -

It looks like “Recession-Fever” has finally started to pass in the American economy. Most researchers are touting 2012 as the year the nation finally begins it very-much needed rebound.

When will the economy bounce back from this recession? That is the question on everyone’s mind. Trend forecasters have recently said that 2012 is expected to have a little bit of economic growth. The economy will not, however, have a super-speedy recovery like everyone is hoping for.

As Yahoo News reported recently, the number of people applying for unemployment has dipped in the past few months. It rose a bit this month due to the number of seasonal workers who are no longer needed. As Yahoo’s report indicated, however, “the longer-term trend is pointing to a healthier job market.”

During the month of January, experts say unemployment applications have dropped to around 377,000. When applications stay consistently around 375,000 the unemployment rate is typically lowered due to job hiring strength.

The national unemployment rate currently sits at 8.5%, its lowest percentage in three years. “Business sentiment is now rebounding and with better bank credit availability now supporting rather than hindering businesses, claims will fall further,” said Ian Shepherdson, an economist at High Frequency Economics.

The demand for well-made manufactured goods has increased with companies buying equipment like computers and other hardware. These are long-lasting products, so the increase in their production means that companies are looking to stay in business for the long run.

Stocks have continued bringing in mixed results, but the good news is that the Dow Jones industrial average has risen quite a bit. Even with the recent increase in unemployment due to seasonal job cuts, the January average is predicted to show a solid growth in jobs.

Consumer confidence has also risen since the reports for December spending had shown an increase in product purchasing. While the housing market continues to struggle, the job outlook has a bright future ahead of it.

While the economic signs are pointing toward a recovery, that still hasn’t helped many of the perpetually-unemployed. For many entrepreneurs, no is a good time to try starting up their own business, instead. Interest rates for loans are down, so now may seem like the right timing for many potential business-owners.

Of course, there are many ‘dream-like’ perks to becoming an online entrepreneur as well. As the online training company Dynamix7 noted recently on a blog, “Small business owners have the option of working from home. [Online training] provides a custom-tailored approach to setting up your own work-from-home or small business.” Take that, unemployment t rates.

Unemployment trends are dropping for the year 2012. Expect to see a slight growth in job production, as well as entrepreneur growth. Using this time of economic hardship to compete with larger businesses may be just what the economically downtrodden need to regain a chunk of the American pie.

Unemployment Rate is Looking Positive for 2012 - Indyposted -

Facebook recently rolled its newest layout format, Timeline, to users as an optional change. Users could roll over to the new layout if they chose to, but didn’t have to. Well, as is typical with Facebook, time’s up. Like-it-or-not, users must make the switch to Timeline.

Odds are if you are a Facebook user, you are familiar with how Facebook will change the site’s appearance once and awhile. The newest and probably most shocking transformation yet is the Timeline. And, as is also the norm for Facebook, the site is finally forcing its users to adopt the new layout.

The first time someone looks at Timeline, needless to say it looks confusing. However, we all know after a few months of using it, once all the complaining has subsided, we will get used to it, and then they change it again.

Prior to this newest layout iteration, you could keep your old style for a while. However, it’s too late for testing the waters: Timeline is now mandatory. This article isn’t going to try and convince you why Timeline is the better choice for profile layout; to be honest, this writer is still confused by it, too. However, users need to stay cautious about hackers, spammers, and advertisers lurking in the dark corners of Facebook.

Most users have seen a post to the effect of, “I hate Timeline, CLICK HERE to change back.” DO NOT click these links! First of all, Timeline is mandatory and users have no option to switch back to the old style.

More importantly though, is that this link is more-than-likely a spyware or spammer. They try and get users to click on a link, which then allows them to take over their profiles and post spam across the entire reaches of Facebook under your name.

Once Facebook gives everyone Timeline, users will have 7 days to preview and edit the information before it goes public. However there are other motives behind Facebook’s switch.

In a recent plan with Google, Facebook plans to keep track of much larger chucks of user information so online business owners can place more appropriate advertising. This has caused a separate but very large outcry against Facebook.

So we have forced layout changes and less privacy options than before? Boy, it seems like the cost of “free” services like Facebook increases more every day.

Tough Luck, Stubborn Internet-Denizens: Facebook Timeline Is Mandatory - Indyposted -

A former ‘Drug Czar,’ if anyone, would probably best understand precisely how drugs affect the brain. And that’s at the forefront of a recent Yahoo News report, particularly about the effects of the drug commonly referred to as ‘magic mushrooms.’

Long ago, the chemical Psilocybin was singled out as the psychoactive component of the illegal drug commonly called ‘magic mushrooms.’ Despite thousands of years of magic mushroom use by various cultures for a variety of purposes, scientists knew very little about how exactly Psilocybin affects the brain.

However, Dr. David Nutt, former UK Drug Czar (who was fired three years ago after publishing a study that quantified the danger of various common drugs) set out to study the conscious-bending effects of Psilocybin on the human brain.

A recent article published by Yahoo News describes the study: “British psychiatrist Professor David Nutt and colleagues [analyzed the effects of Psilocybin by] imaging the brain changes from the conscious to the psychedelic (hallucinogenic) state in two groups of 15 healthy adults who received intravenous injections of Psilocybin using complementary fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging ) techniques.”

The findings were published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

An RTT news article also mentioned the news. As the article describes, “Volunteers who had been injected with a moderate dose of Psilocybin experienced a decrease in oxygenation and blood flow in medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, the two areas of the brain implicated in self-awareness and self-related processing.”

These findings give a special insight into science’s hazy understanding of the substance. Some describe their experiences with Psilocybin as having an increased appreciation of all life, and a blurring of the lines between self and other.

A decrease in blood-flow to these areas of the brain could explain this supposed “ego-loss” associated with the magic mushroom trip. Dr. Nutt argues that these findings signal a potential for Psilocybin in the field of psychotherapy.

The Yahoo News article describes how Psilocybin may be utilized in the field of depression therapy: “Psilocybin would slowly be infused into their bloodstreams while they receive a carefully tailored ‘talking therapy’…magic mushroom chemical enhanced memories associated with positive emotions.”

These effects may carry benefits to patients suffering from depression. Despite Psilocybin’s euphoric qualities, it also forces one to consider his or her past. The experience of a Magic Mushroom can facilitate a sharp perspective change.

Professor Nutt believes that these effects can be utilized in the clinical setting to effectively treat depression long term and with no extended use of medication.

Prof Nutt said the findings were ‘a revelation.’ Now, whether or not the drug-fighting agencies like Nutt’s former employer will reflect these positive findings remains a mystery.

Former UK Drug Czar Releases Study on Effects of Psilocybin on the Brain - Indyposted -

Urologists across the world are gearing up for the 27^th annual European Association of Urology Congress in Paris, starting February 24. Multiple new and forthcoming medical innovations in the field will surely dominate discussions.

This year, the European Association of Urology (EAU) is hosting its 27^th annual Congress in Paris from February 24^th – 28^th. Various aspects of the discipline are up for discussion, from surgical techniques to urological tech.

A recent Medical News article describes the conference in greater detail: “International urological cancer experts will examine the latest treatment and research findings. [This includes] innovative diagnostic procedures, novel treatment options for bladder and prostate cancers, minimally-invasive surgery… [and] combination therapies for kidney cancer.”

Medical News reported that the conference is expected to draw approximately 10,000 urological and cancer experts.

The EAU Scientific Office released a statement: “With the outcomes of the latest research and clinical studies in prostate, bladder, kidney and other urological diseases, we have an international platform to examine contemporary medical and surgical practices.”

Though the upcoming event marks the 27^th meeting of the group, the EAU plans to broadcast a video of live urological surgery to the 10,000 specialists for the first time.

The broadcast will be filmed from three locations in France, Germany, and Belgium. A press briefing is scheduled from noon to 3:15 PM on February 25^th, where topics such as prostate and bladder diseases will assuredly dominate discussions.

Professor Jelle Barentz from the University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands is scheduled to speak at the event. His lecture will discuss a preferred way to utilize “multi-modality magnetic resonance imaging” to diagnose prostate cancer.

Until recently, diagnosing prostate cancer has proven a tricky endeavor, but Barentz hopes to inform the conference and make for easier solutions in the future.

Along with progress in technology, Urologists are becoming increasingly able to treat patients with minimal invasiveness. For example, Dr. Michael Kaplan, a Urologist with over 25 years of experience in the field, has adopted several top-of-the-line treatment options. As a blog about the urologist reads, “Dr. Michael Kaplan’s expertise in vasectomies (particularly the no-needle, no scalpel technique) [is well-known]. You’ve probably also read about his innovation in treating prostate issues with GreenLight Laser Therapy.”

If Urologists like Kaplan are any indicator, the EAU conference will probably help an even larger number of Urologists utilize these cutting-edge medical techniques for patient care.

What to Expect from the 2012 Annual EAU Congress - Indyposted -