Internet use promotes democracy best in countries that are already partially free

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2012) ? Although use of the internet has been credited with helping spur democratic revolutions in the Arab world and elsewhere, a new multinational study suggests the internet is most likely to play a role only in specific situations.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that the internet spurs pro-democratic attitudes most in countries that already have introduced some reforms in that direction.

"Instead of the internet promoting fundamental political change, it seems to reinforce political change in countries that already have at least some level of democratic freedoms," said Erik Nisbet, lead author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University.

"Internet use is a less effective means to mobilize citizens for democracy in extremely authoritarian countries."

In addition, demand for democracy is highest in a country when more people are connected to the internet and, most importantly, when they spend more time online.

"Internet penetration in a country matters in terms of how much people want democratic reforms, but it is even more important that people are spending greater amounts of time on the internet and that they are connected to other people in their community," said Elizabeth Stoycheff, a co-author of the study and doctoral student in communication at Ohio State.

Nisbet and Stoycheff conducted the study with Katy Pearce of the University of Washington. Their study appears in the April 2012 issue of the Journal of Communication, a special issue dedicated to social media and political change.

The researchers analyzed previously collected data on 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. This included surveys of 37,549 people who participated in the 2008 Afrobarometer and 2006-2008 Asian Barometer surveys. Included were questions that evaluated how much the citizens in each country demanded democracy and their frequency of internet use.

In addition, the researchers looked at country-level data that measured how democratic each country was, and their levels of internet penetration, international bandwidth per internet user and other sociodemographic factors.

The results suggest that the internet is most likely to play a role in democratization in countries that have a moderate to high internet penetration and that have at least a partly democratic political regime.

In countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, people may have access to the internet, but the rulers may control the content available, how users may interact with each other, and whether they may get information from outside their own country, Stoycheff said.

"The internet's effect on citizen demand for democracy is somewhat contingent on both the technological context and the political context," Stoycheff said.

Based on the results of the study, Nisbet said there are some countries that currently appear to have the right political and technological mix for the internet to play a role in social and political change. Those countries include Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, Singapore and Zambia.

But countries in the survey that are run by highly authoritarian regimes, such as Vietnam and Zimbabwe, are not likely to see democracy flourishing anytime soon, regardless of use of the internet, the findings suggest.

Other countries, like Mozambique and Tanzania, are partly free but have a low citizen demand for democracy and little internet penetration, Nisbet said. But if internet use grows in these countries, it has the potential to encourage people there to challenge their autocratic regimes.

"Our results suggest that the internet can't plant the seed of democracy in a country," Nisbet said. "However, the internet may help democracy flourish if it has already started to grow."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Erik C. Nisbet, Elizabeth Stoycheff, Katy E. Pearce. Internet Use and Democratic Demands: A Multinational, Multilevel Model of Internet Use and Citizen Attitudes About Democracy. Journal of Communication, 2012; 62 (2): 249 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01627.x

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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What we can learn about gold & silver from the report published by ...

The South Carolina Treasurer?s Office, acting upon a directive from the?state legislature,?has recently published a report on the advisability of investing in gold and silver. Basically, the state legislature wanted to know if it?s wise to invest public funds under it?s custody in gold & silver.

?Here?s what the Treasurer?s Office has to say about itself:

Our mission is to serve the citizens of South Carolina by providing the most efficient banking, investment and financial management service for South Carolina State Government. Our commitment is to safeguard our State?s financial resources and to maximize return on our State?s investments.

This is a tall order, hence we can assume that the report must be well researched and credible. ?It concluded that it is not advisable to invest public funds in gold & silver because:-

1. There?s escalating market speculation
2. Current value (I think they mean price) is too high
3. Market possibly in a bubble
4. South Carolina Code of Laws?states that the Treasurer has ??full power to invest? in ?debt instruments of the US government and corporations, but makes no mention of investments in derivatives of gold & silver. Hence investing in gold & silver derivatives may ?create a legal conflict?

While the timestamp of the document was 27 Feb 2012, it can be assumed that the report was prepared soon after the end of September 23, 2011 due to this inclusion. From the perspective of a short term investment, that was a pretty good call, considering the fact that gold and silver have been taken down to $1624 and $31.40 respectively as I write.

However, this piece is not about how good the Treasurer?s Office was at making an investment call based on price. Neither is it about whether gold & silver is in a bubble. These conclusions (2) & (3) are opinions of the Treasurer?s Office, which are subjective. Of greater interest are the facts revealed in the body of the report.

Regular readers of this blog would have noticed that there are several key issues that are repeatedly discussed or highlighted here (through news feeds or third party contributions). They include:-

1. Gold & silver prices are being suppressed
2. Central Banks & major bullion banks are suppressing their prices
3. Naked?short selling is one of the price suppression mechanism
4. Bullion Banks and exchanges practice fractional reserve bullion banking
5. Stay out of gold or silver bank accounts, ETFs, Certificates,?and all forms of derivatives
6. The safest way to own gold & silver is to hold physical gold & silver

Items (1) to (4) are often disputed by the mainstream media and investors, sometimes referring to them as conspiracy theories. Hence, it is most interesting to see what this government published report has to say about these 6 issues.

Price Suppression is Real

In one short paragraph, this report confirms in no uncertain terms the truth behind the so called ?conspiracy theories?. Not only does it confirm the existence of price suppression, it discloses the WHOs and the HOWs!

Risks of holding gold through ETFs, Certificates, Bank Accounts & other Derivatives

It has been repeatedly emphasized here that the only secure means of owning gold & silver is by holding physical coins and bars in your own possession or stored in a private vault outside the banking system. Anything else is a Derivative ? a paper or electronic representation of the real thing.

If I have not managed to make this clear enough, or if I am perceived to lack the credibility to write on these issues, I hope this government-published report may help convince you on the risks of holding such financial instruments.

The full report in pdf?is available for download at the South Carolina Treasurer?s website. Text from relevant sections is reproduced below with comments related to the 6 items above highlighted.

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Proviso 89.145 GP:
Gold & Silver Investments
Office of State Treasurer

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GOLD AND SILVER AS AN INVESTMENT:
Historically, investors have purchased gold as a hedge against an economic, a political, or a currency crisis. A decline in investment markets, a growing national debt, a weak currency, increasing inflation, military conflicts and social unrest are the most common reasons for investment in gold. Currently, gold and silver are at historic highs leading many expert investors to conclude that a bubble has been created in the precious metals market. Since the US recession began, the value of gold and silver has increased as investment markets perform poorly, troublesome economic news is announced, and when uncertainty in international markets intensifies.

Similar to other commodities, the value of gold and silver is determined by supply and demand, as well as speculation. The Federal Reserve, The London Bullion Market Association, JP Morgan Chase, and HSBC Holdings have practiced fractional-reserve banking and engaged in naked short selling causing arti?cial price suppression.

There are several ways to invest in gold and silver: bars, coins, ETP?s, certificates, accounts, and derivatives. If a state were to choose to invest in gold (and silver), it would likely choose to invest by:

1. ETP?s-Exchange Traded Products. This allows the stakeholder to invest in bullion without having to store bars and coins. The ?rst gold ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) was created in 2003 and has been viewed largely as a success, but has also been compared to investing in mortgagebacked securities. The annual expenses of the fund (storage, insurance, and management fees) are charged by selling a small amount of gold represented by each certificate, so the amount of gold in each certificate will gradually decline over time. ETF?s are investment companies that are legally classified as open-end companies or Unit Investment Trusts (UIT), but differ from traditional open-end companies and U]T?s. The main differences are that ETF?s do not sell directly to investors and they issue their shares in what are called Creation Units. Also, the Creation Units may not be purchased with cash but a basket of securities that mirrors the ETF?s portfolio. The?Usually, the Creation Units are split up and re-sold on a secondary market.

2. Certificates- allow investors to avoid the risks and costs associated with the transfer and storage of bullion by taking on a set of risks and costs associated with the certificate itself. Banks may issue gold certificates for gold which is allocated (non-fungible) or unallocated (fungible). Unallocated gold certi?cates are a form of fractional reserve banking and do not guarantee an equal exchange for metal in the event of a run on the bank?s gold on deposit. Allocated gold certificates should be correlated with speci?c numbered bars, however it is difficult to prove whether a bank is improperly allocating a single bar to more than one investor. The US ?rst authorized the use of gold certificates in 1863. By the early l930?s the US placed restrictions on private gold ownership and therefore, the gold certificates stopped circulating as money, but certificates are still issued by gold pool programs for investment purposes.

3. Accounts- Many banks offer gold accounts where gold can be instantly bought or sold just like?any foreign currency on a fractional reserve (non-allocated, fungible) basis. Pool accounts, facilitate highly liquid, but unallocated claims on gold owned by the company. Digital gold currency systems operate like pool accounts and additionally allow the direct transfer of fungible gold between members of the service. Different accounts impose varying types of intermediation between the client and their gold. One of the most important differences between accounts is whether the gold is held on an allocated or unallocated basis. Another major difference is the strength of the account holder?s claim on the gold, in the event that the account administrator faces gold-denominated liabilities, asset forfeiture, or bankruptcy.

4. Derivatives- The product symbol for gold futures is GC, and it is traded in a standard contract
size of 100 troy ounces. In the US, gold futures are primarily traded on the New York Commodities Exchange (COMEX). As of 2009 holders of COMEX gold futures have experienced problems taking delivery of their metal. Along with chronic delivery delays, some investors have received delivery of bars not matching their contract in serial number and weight. Because of these problems, there are concerns that COMEX may not have the gold inventory to back its existing warehouse receipts.

ADVISABILITY:
There is no statute preventing the State from investing in gold and silver. The various methods of investment in gold and silver each carry different and often significant risks, the foremost being speculation. As the US has experienced the recent bursts in the housing and tech bubbles, it is important to take caution when contemplating an unconventional investment. Taxpayer money (state funds and state pension) across the US has not typically been used to invest in gold or silver bullion.

Recently, with the uncertainty in global markets, the devaluation of the dollar, rising inflation, and a flat US economy, there has been a renewed interest in either moving back to a gold standard, investing in gold or both. The value of gold and silver has significantly increased in the last decade, meaning it would cost a great deal to invest at this time.

Risks:
1. Bars and coins- South Carolina does not have the capacity to store or funding to secure gold and silver bullion. For these reasons the State Treasurer?s Office does not advise investing in gold and silver bars and coins.

2. ETP?s- The armual expenses and costs associated with this type of investment are high. In recent years there have been issues surrounding gold ETP?s. The purchase price provides the investor with a fluctuating amount (in weight) of the metal. Over time, as value increases and more investors participate in the fund, the amount of metal owner by the investor decreases. ETP?s can also be split and sold on the secondary market. For these reasons the State Treasurer?s Of?ce does not advise investing in ETP?s for gold and silver.

3. Certificates- Certificates for allocated gold present an accountability problem. Allocated gold certificates are supposed to be correlated with speci?c numbered bars; however, it is difficult to verify whether a bank is improperly allocating a single bar to more than one investor. Also, unallocated gold certificates are a form of fractional reserve banking and do not guarantee an equal exchange for metal in the event of a run on the bank?s gold on deposit. This is in conflict with S.C. Code of Laws 1976 SECTION 11-9-660. For these reasons, the State Treasurer?s Office cannot advise investing in gold and silver certificates.

4. Accounts- Similar to the risks associated with gold and silver certificates, allocated and unallocated metals held in accounts produce similar accountability problems. The strength of the account holder?s claim on metals is subject to the account administrators liabilities, assets, and/or solvency. Per S.C. Code of Laws 1976 SECTION 11-9-660, the State Treasurer?s Office cannot advise investing in gold and silver accounts.

5. Derivatives- Over the last three years, gold futures traded on the New York Commodities Exchange (COMEX) have encountered significant accountability problems. Holders of COMEX gold ?ltures have frequently experienced delivery delays of their metals. Once delivered, there have been many reports of inaccurate weights and serial numbers on bars that do not match the holder?s contract. For these reasons the State Treasurer?s Office does not advise investing in gold and silver derivatives.

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Gold: April 2012

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Having read the above, it may now be easier to make sense of the sharp price decline for both gold & silver over the past 2 days. Lets now ask some questions. Was the price action due to:

• Market forces or Price Suppression in action?
• Falling Demand or Naked Short Selling?
• Human Traders or High Frequency Traders (HFTs)?

Historically, investors have purchased gold as a hedge against an economic, a political, or a currency crisis. A decline in investment markets, a growing national debt, a weak currency, increasing inflation, military conflicts and social unrest are the most common reasons for investment in gold

Have any of the issues above that formed the rationale for purchasing gold (and silver) been resolved?

Recently, with the?uncertainty in global markets, the devaluation of the dollar, rising inflation, and a flat US economy, there has been a renewed interest in either moving back to a gold standard, investing in gold or both.

The?mainstream?media attributed this week?s sharp price decline to ?improving economy, low inflation and no imminent QE announcements following the release of the latest FOMC meeting minutes. Given that the above statement was published just 5 weeks before the FOMC minutes, who is lying?

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Car Rental In Los Angeles | World Auto News & Reviews

Home ? Cars ? Car Rental In Los Angeles

Experience the thrill closely, as it adds fun car battery dead and thrill in the length travelled new police cars with folks! It demands hard core enthusiasm when you ride on ford; ford parts are produced and manufactured for tough drives. As for the torque, you can expect car rental in los angeles to receive a maximum of 110nm @ 4800rpm. These models are quite innovative and exclusive with their performances and even after many years of manufacturing, the Honda models are having their own unique status of becoming greater motivation and spirit for the ATV users. 2010 Honda ATVsHonda has rocked the ATV industries and even in 2010, some of the models are waiting to get launched and to make the appearance of getting started in the market. Classic car insurance from a specialty provider has a lot of benefits for those of us who own and drive an antique car, classic muscle car or other collectible or special interest vehicle. They have 38 web networks in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Nissan has long been known for long- last compacts, which is why car rental in los angeles Nissan Washington DC Sentras are still among the top pre- owned sellers. Additionally, there are massive automobile insurance companies which provide specialized insurance including antique and classic automotive insurance, however you will have to do a good bit of searching in order to search out them. One recent exception is the European model of the Focus, which has sold strongly on both car rental in los angeles sides of the Atlantic. Ford is the second largest automaker in the U. S. Is that you get to enjoy lower premiums because of an accident claim you need to save, costs start coming in. You save on your car insurance policy premiums are, car rental in los angeles you can find car insurance company nominated by you as your need to use a certain mechanic, you follow or will pay for desert car kings website itself. Employee turnover significantly dropped, and production increased significantly. Insurance policies may be bought through these free line auto insurance quotes services, and they will guarantee a good deal for the buy. Ford Motor Corp may be underperforming for the first quarter as per the goals that had been set by executives, but as quarter two begins, numbers always have the chance of turning around. MI Auto Times covers all Michigan automotive news all the time, featuring newly released vehicle recall information, relevant Michigan automaker news, vehicle ratings and comparisons, and everything else auto- related Michigan and world readers need to know. Got a hot tip? And like car rental in los angeles most other collector car insurance companies, you must have a ? daily driver? that is insured in your name in addition to your classic car. The particular Course- plotting Package includes any Machine Course- plotting Method along with 5? coloration touch- screen keep track of, half a dozen improved audio system as well as Rockford Fosgate 8? bass speaker. 1982 was the last year the M- block was sold. That way the work that you do to find your vehicle insurance could make itself worthwhile for many years of low cost motoring. Did you know if you are employed in certain occupations, such top car brands as engineers, educators or scientists, you may be eligible for an when were cars invented auto insurance discount. No doubt Honda will come with upgraded model and will seek ahead with the next generation model. This next generation Honda Civic is expected to lead the India market next year. Post WWII Ford was a company that developed and evolved very fast. That is because the engine in a Toyota has extra horsepower not just to be successful over the motor? s heaviness and to aid with additional assistance for determined dynamism. They too advertise heavily through television, radio, and print media, attempting to attract new customers. car rental in los angeles used cars california Ford car rentals las vegas dealer Hamilton has been a great venue for repairs, ford parts, ford service, used cars and many more related ford services. On top of bolstering style, the uninterrupted lines of a Nissan also mean they are a breeze to clean, which is ideal for drivers who want to make a statement with their car.

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The Key to Getting Instant Search Engine Traffic to Your Website ...

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Categories | Search Engines, Website,

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Most of the businesses that I work with start their websites under the following assumption: if I build a website, people will visit it. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

With over 350 million websites on the internet to view, how can we expect people to find our little website, ahead of so many others? With thousands of articles out there about building more traffic, why is it that so many people still don?t have the traffic that they want? Simply put, they are using the wrong strategies.

In any web project or online business, there are an infinite numbers of ways to build awareness and traffic, and each different business will have a completely unique way that it should be going about it ? remember that what works for a garbage company, may not work for an information product. So, without any further ado, let?s get into the nuts and bolts of it.

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The Key to Instant Search Engine Traffic

There are a million and a half different ways to rank highly on a Search Engine, in fact every Internet Marketer has their own way of doing it (and all can be highly effective) and there is an entire industry dedicated to the mastery of it (SEO).

Let?s instead talk about the aspect of SEO (or rank building) that is the least discussed, but in my opinion, the most important. Competition.

Have you ever wondered why you can start a website called ?Bazzle?, and instantly it ranks as number one on every Search Engine for the term ?Bazzle?? Simple. Because there is no (or very little) competition for it.

But then if you want to create a website that is called ?Search Engine?Optimization?, you have 1 chance in hell of getting that thing one Google?s Page 1. Why? Because there are so many websites targeting that term! Sure you can spend thousands of dollars, and hundreds of hours trying (and probably failing) to get your website to the top of that list, but surely there must be an easier way.

There is.

Simply put: Target a term on your website with low (or even better, zero) competition. Yes, it may take a little bit of time in research and experimenting to find a term that works for you, but the reward is instant search engine traffic.

I know, this sounds so simple, you will probably ignore this completely. But let?s look at the facts. You can spend 100 hours trying to place highly on a competitive term, only to lose your position because someone else has an entire team dedicated to getting them highly ranked, or you can spend 1 hour figuring out a term with low competition.

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How do you find a term with no competiton?

The easiest way is of course to simply search for a term and look at the results. If you are getting a lot of results that don?t have that specific term highlighted in bold, or even sites that don?t even include that term, you know there is low competition on that term.

Getting a little fancier, you can use Google?s Keyword tool. Simply type in a search term and watch as a whole bunch of terms come up, not only with a competition ranking, but with the number of searches that term gets each month.

When you trying to find that keyword, you may need to get a little creative. You may even need to get very niche-specific. But remember this, people searching for ?Sports Nutrition for elderly Golfers? are much more valuable to your Sports Nutrition business than people searching for ?Nutrition?. You may only get 100 searches per month on that term, but if 90 of those people are extremely interested in your business, that is much more valuable than 100,000 searches where 20 are interested in your business.

I usually look for a term that if I simply name the website that term, I can rank almost straight away. Maybe a heading that includes the term, or some small content targeting, but if I want instant traffic, I don?t look for a term that will require much more than that.

I know that sounds ridiculous, but when you build a website and spend a long time getting it ranking on Google and having a huge amount of traffic, there is nothing more disheartening than seeing that 99% of your visitors leave straight away, because really, they are not interested in you or your offerings.

Now, that is not the whole story. If ranking on Google had only to do with finding a term with little to no competition, then targeting that on your website, it would be far too easy to write an article on. There is a science to rank building that includes backlinks, meta descriptions, content modification and so much more.

But why not make your job 100 times easier and find a keyword that you can get instant traffic on?

If you enjoyed this article, please share it.

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April 3, 2012

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New Zealand Travel Insurance!!! | hshmexico.org

Wherever you are traveling worldwide you need to have travel insurance coverage for you and your belongings. There are different types of travel insurance that traverse may possibly avail while traveling any destination worldwide. These kinds include annual and single trip holiday insurance, one way or full trip insurance, winter sports cover and insurance coverage for backpackers, families and enterprise trips. If you take New Zealand flights have to get travel insurance. Possessing travel insurance supplies you extra peace of mind when you are flying away from your house. It can be got by paying a minimal amount typically you require to spend five to 6 pounds for your one way flight insurance coverage. Paying a few pounds is significantly greater than the hassle and frustration you have to face if your luggage was to get lost or stolen or if you had been to fall ill.

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Your travel insurance is not pricey but your baggage lost or sickness can be a lot costly.

Travel insurance has created its special spot in the tourism business for the rewards it provides. Travelers taking flights to New Zealand opt for this cover due to the fact its rewards overweigh its expense. If we make a thorough comparison of the benefits of possessing insured with drawbacks of getting not insured we will be finding much more points for acquiring insured. Now-a-days practically all the travel and tour operators offer this service. They provide travelers with a speedy and straightforward way to view some of the greatest deals on the market. You might view them and make a thorough comparison to pick the best 1. It can be effortlessly bought at discounted rates along with you low-cost flights to New Zealand.

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Get your travel insurance coverage with any one the leading travel and tour operator like 7-Continets Travel.

They are operating air travel in UK because 1986. They do not only provide worldwide travel but are now also proud to give travelers insurance cover. You might get insurance cover at the time you are buying low cost New Zealand flights from them. Now let us take a look at its various types.

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Annual Insurance coverage: If you obtain annual insurance it will provide you protection for the trips you could take throughout the year.

Single Travel Insurance: It gives you protection for the only trip you have bought it for.

Backpacker Travel Insurance coverage: provides standard travel cover at an economy cost specifically for the travelers of age beneath 35.

Ski Insurance coverage: Accidental loss or theft of your personal or hired ski equipment is covered beneath this sort of travel insurance. If you take flights to New Zealand fromUK or some where else and have planned skiing, you need to acquire Ski Insurance coverage to get replacement skiing equipment in case of any theft or loss

This entry was posted in New Zealand Travel and tagged Insurance, Travel, Zealand. Bookmark the permalink.

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Wisconsin's highways show routes to GOP's primary

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns at a pancake breakfast event in Milwaukee, Wis., Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns at a pancake breakfast event in Milwaukee, Wis., Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney,right, greets people in an overflow room at a town-hall style campaign event in, Madison, Wis., Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks to a crowd at a town-hall style campaign event in, Madison, Wis., Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Florence Banaszak attends a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum held at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, center, addresses supporters as he is joined by son John, left, daughter Sarah Maria and wife Karen, right, at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, April 1, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (AP) ? Well-traveled routes that serve as Wisconsin's vital arteries also provide a window into the competing hopes for Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Romney can roll up a solid win in Tuesday's presidential primary with a strong showing along the state's east-west Interstate 94, which bisects Milwaukee's GOP-rich western suburbs.

Santorum's fading hopes rest on swamping Romney in cities and towns along north-south Interstate 43, which lead from Milwaukee north through the industrial and blue-collar base of the Fox River Valley.

Wisconsin elections officials are projecting 35 percent of Wisconsin's 4.35 million eligible voters will participate in Tuesday's primary. A large majority of the vote will come from Wisconsin's metropolitan southeast corner and industrial Fox Valley north to Green Bay.

"While you might achieve a victory margin in other places around the state, the percent contribution to the total vote goal, there's just not a lot of numbers there," said Brandon Scholz, a consultant and former executive director of the state Republican Party.

The dynamic favors Romney, whose appeal in the suburbs in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois helped him win those Midwestern primaries this year. Meanwhile, Santorum, who had campaigned aggressively last week in less populous northern and western Wisconsin, planned to return to his home state, Pennsylvania, Monday, all but conceding the state where Romney leads in polls.

Stretches of both I-94 and I-43 also promise to be key general election battlegrounds. The four congressional districts that cover them are represented by Republicans in Congress. Democrat Barack Obama carried the districts narrowly in winning the state easily in 2008, while George W. Bush carried them more easily in his narrow loss of the state in his 2004 re-election bid.

More than Romney, Santorum has ventured away from the suburbs nearest Milwaukee. He was heavily working the upper stretch of the I-43 corridor Sunday, with stops in seven cities including Green Bay, Appleton and Oshkosh.

The former Pennsylvania senator who represented the Pittsburgh area in the U.S. House before that was working hard to come off as a common man. He tossed a few frames at local bowling alleys, swilled beer and stopped in at a Friday night fish fry, a tradition in restaurants and taverns all over the state.

And he's talked a lot about his "Made in America" ideas for reviving the nation's manufacturing sector, which would seem to resonate in a state that's home to motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson's headquarters, plumbing fixture company Kohler and Mercury Marine outboard motors, and dozens of other high-skill, precision manufacturers.

The Fox Valley also is home to the highest concentration of the world's paper manufacturing, good for 10 percent of the employment in and around 16 cities along the river, including Appleton. This blue-collar influence mixes with a conservative evangelical element evident in the anti-abortion billboards that mark the I-43 corridor.

But interviews with voters in these pockets revealed doubts about whether it's paying off in a nomination race Republicans are increasingly interested in winding down and setting up the battle with Democratic President Barack Obama.

Retired sales executive Tom Siewert of Fond du Lac said he's voting for Romney because he thinks it's time for Republicans to focus on November even if it's not the ideal pick for the party. And despite his effort to portray himself as the outsider against the well-funded establishment Republican Romney, Santorum's Washington past is a liability for some voters.

"Senator Santorum is no saint. Nobody is. You spend five, 10, 15 years of your life in politics and you're going to do some things that are not going to look too good to people," Siewert said.

Mary Draheim of Plymouth ? halfway between Green Bay and Milwaukee on I-43 ? supports Santorum and is bothered by what she calls the GOP establishment's rush to nominate Romney. She calls him the "godfather" of the health care bill Obama signed in 2010.

Impressed by what she describes as Santorum's moral convictions, Draheim said: "I'd rather have him than Romney."

Romney and a pro-Romney political action committee are heavily outspending Santorum and his allies in television advertising, especially in the Milwaukee market.

Still, Santorum drew Laurie Stevens and five of her nine children to a small rally outside his state campaign headquarters in the near-west Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield Saturday.

Stevens is among the heavy pocket of evangelicals in the Milwaukee area Santorum can count on Tuesday. "He stands for what I believe," Stevens said. Of his long odds, she added: "I believe in the power of prayer."

And while I- 94 runs through Waukesha County, home of the state's largest evangelical Christian mega-church, Romney is poised to do better in what has become a heavily suburban county and one of the most GOP-rich tracts in the nation. George W. Bush carried Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District, held for decades by Waukesha County conservative Jim Sensenbrenner, with a whopping 63 percent of the vote in 2004.

Westward residential expansion of the metro area has transformed hundreds of square miles of dairy farms and hayfields into a booming residential area heavily populated by Republicans, including young professionals and retirees.

And Waukesha County has a recent pragmatic hue. In 2008, Republican John McCain collected almost 63 percent in the county, double the more conservative Mike Huckabee's total.

"This primary is about beating Barack Obama," said John Kleczka, a retired accountant and Brookfield Republican who ventured a few blocks east to Milwaukee Friday to see Romney in the iconic Serb Hall Friday night. "It's time to stand by Romney. He can win and do the job."

Longtime Waukesha County GOP activist Edythe Cooper is backing Romney because but she wants the front-runner to end the primary campaign now.

"I don't want any more of this squabbling. I don't want any more of the throat-cutting. If we don't unite, we're not going to win," Cooper said.

Romney has hammered a southern ellipse from Milwaukee west to the suburbs of Democrat-heavy Madison, although he did campaign in the Fox Valley's Appleton Friday.

As he has in other Midwestern states, Romney has spent less time with the grass roots and more time courting GOP establishment figures. True to form, he nabbed the backing Friday of Rep. Paul Ryan.

The congressman is a rising national star. But his district also covers the southeastern corner of the state and catches the southern half of Waukesha County, including the bedroom community Mukwonago.

As traffic whizzed past on I-94 outside a Pewaukee hotel, Ryan introduced Romney to an audience of more than 1,000 conservative activists Saturday, sparking louder cheers than either Romney or Santorum, who addressed the forum later.

Pewaukee Republican Patricia Funk walked away from the forum conflicted. "I'm torn, but I'm leaning toward Romney," the retired factory worker said. ""We can fight over values, or we can try to win."

Carlsbad Current-Argus

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Real Relationships: Friendship > Comparison | The Hand

Posted by The Hand on April 2, 2012 in Relationships |

I recently read a blog about comparing ourselves to our friends or society in general and how if affects friendships. I was compelled to think it through and apply the premise to my own life. Do I unconsciously push away relationships because I am too inwardly focused?

On the surface, women are the worst offenders, comparing their physical appearance to their friends, celebrities and that other girl who runs by their house each morning (dang, she has a nice body). However, men are just as guilty of competing with their friends and peers for a better car, a better house, a better job, or (gulp) a better-looking girl.

Everyone does it. It is human nature. But is this automatic response responsible for the sacrifice of meaningful relationships?

Consider this: What if you simply live within your means, accept who you are mentally and physically and everything that you have and simply be. Be yourself and allow your friends to be themselves. Work together instead of against each other. Find something you are both passionate about and enjoy it together instead of throwing it in each other?s faces.

Do not overspend your means to keep up appearances. Your true friends like you for you, not for what you have. If they do like you for what you have, it may be time to interview new friends. Concentrate on being together, experiencing together and making memories.

What you have versus what they have doesn?t matter, unless you make it matter. Friendships are born out of common goals, likes and desires. Women focus so intensely on their outward appearance in comparisons to another woman that they overlook a kindred soul. Where has comparing your body, clothes or accessories to those around you ever taken you? On a one-way trip to uhappyville, that is where.

If you do have the urge to ?better yourself,? whether it be through your job, your body or just your attitude, make sure your motivation is healthy and comes from within.

Most importantly, don?t sacrifice the important relationships in your life for a sense of betterment that will leave you alone and empty.

Have a relationship question? Email sacpress@live.com.

Article source: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/65765/Real_Relationships_Friendship_Comparison

Tags: love, relationships

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