DT Fine Art

Michael Needham is CEO of Heritage Action for America, an activist group associated with the Heritage Foundation

Our nation’s government is built upon a system of checks and balances. Fiscally, it also has alarm bells that go off when our spending is out of control. The debt limit is the loudest such alarm bell.

Since the Democrats recaptured Congress in 2006, our debt ceiling has been increased six times—from $8.965 trillion to the current $14.294 trillion. Each and every time the alarm bell has rung, it has been ignored and the type of fundamental changes necessary to get our nation back on track have not been implemented.

This year must be different.

Before we begin considering the events surrounding an increase in the debt ceiling, we must put one dangerous and politically motivated rumor to rest. The simple act of refusing to raise the debt ceiling would not cause America to default on its public debt.

The Obama administration is simply wrong when it says failure to raise the debt ceiling would &"precipitate a default&" and &"have catastrophic economic consequences.&" If the government runs up against the debt ceiling, it will still be able to collect money and spend the money it collects. As my colleagues at the Heritage Foundation point out, the government will have more than enough revenue to pay interest on the debt.

[Check out a roundup of editorial cartoons about the federal budget and deficit.]

Reaching the debt ceiling would not be catastrophic, nor would taking the time to couple raising the debt limit with common-sense policy changes aimed at getting our fiscal house in order. What would be catastrophic is a continuation of the status quo.

Now is not the time for rhetoric, strategic ambiguity, or empty promises. We must seize this opportunity to confront the enormous challenges facing our nation. It is an opportunity to reform entitlements, reduce discretionary spending, and correct a legislative process that leads to ever more government spending. [Read more about the deficit and the national debt.]

For the first time in our nation’s history, spending on entitlements (i.e., Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security) has outpaced government revenues. In other words, we could slash every discretionary spending program, including defense, and still run a budget deficit. We cannot be serious about the debt ceiling until we’re serious about addressing these budget behemoths. And even though entitlements are the proverbial elephant in the room, Congress must also address the rapid rise in discretionary spending. Since 2001, discretionary spending has increased by 60 percent. My Heritage Foundation colleagues have identified more than $340 billion in potential spending reductions, all of which should be on the table during the debt ceiling debate.

Pursuing the right policy is important, but we also need to change rules to lock in those policy gains. It is essential to limit the cause of the problem, which is spending. By capping spending, we ensure future Congresses will not relapse into a reckless spending addiction.

It is almost impossible to understate the scope of the problem. By the end of the year, our national debt will exceed our gross domestic product. As we’ve seen with Greece, Ireland, and now Portugal, this is not trivial. Simply put, a debt-laden country cannot thrive.

[See political cartoons about the economy.]

Congress must insist on immediate and substantive spending reductions and reforms. It must focus on entitlement spending, discretionary spending, and the way Washington spends money. Those issues must be addressed either prior to, or in conjunction with, any increase in the debt ceiling. Anything less will be yet another blank check that our children are forced to pay.

See the other side of the debate: Read an op-ed by William Gale of the Brookings Institution on why it is necessary to raise the debt ceiling.

• See political cartoons about the federal budget.
• Read more about the deficit and the national debt.
• See the 10 best cities to find a job.

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New York, NY (PRWEB) March 28, 2011

Viva Media, the games North American publisher, shares the third Developer Diary for Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops. The release comes one week before the April 5th release date, and provides gamers an inside look into the creative process behind Black Lion Studios stealth-action game. This Developer Diary profiles the character Myra Lee, the games stealth and espionage expert. The game will be available in retail stores and via digital download.

In addition to the Developer Diary, Viva Media has released a new trailer for the game highlighting the stealth and espionage elements. The trailer can be viewed here, or downloaded from Viva Medias Virtual Press Room.

ABOUT SHADOW HARVEST: PHANTOM OPS

When tyrants and warlords threaten the well-being of International Law, its the job of those few, of those skilled to protect the world and maintain the veil of secrecy. These men and women are the unsung heroes, the soldiers who get the job done even behind enemy lines. Often going unheard and unnoticed, but certainly felt – at least by their enemies; they fight a war of high stakes that civilians will never even know about.

Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops takes place in the year 2025 as the world is shaken by numerous conflicts over the control of dwindling natural resources. Greedy warlords and dictators of 3rd world countries thirst for advanced weapons systems and never before have arms dealers been so profitable. Players will be immersed into highly detailed environments in Somalia, Cuba and the city of Dubai. The central characters, Myra Lee and Aron Alvarez are operatives of a secret US military intervention unit, called the ISA. Both agents are relentless warriors with unique and deadly battle skills.

Platform: Windows PC

Price: $49.99

Genre: Stealth-Action

Release Date: April 5th, 2011

BLACK LION STUDIOS is a gathering of highly professional and veteran game developers with the declared goal to create the ultimate gaming experience. The company is an independent game development studio, set to exclusively create AAA-content for todays leading entertainment platforms. Black Lion Studios was founded in early 2007 by Martin J. Schwiezer, who is in the industry since 1991 and who was also the founder, managing director and lead visionary of Reakktor, the company that developed Neocron, the worlds first cyberpunk MMORPG. Martin J. Schwiezer also wrote the initial concept for Reakktors upcoming Sci-Fi MMORPG Black Prophecy and was the executive producer of the ultra-realistic racing sims GTR and GTR2.

VIVA MEDIA, founded in 1999, has grown to be a market leader maintaining a top 10 NPD ranking for the last several years. Viva Media products are found in most mass-market retail locations. The New York based company focuses on delivering quality and is dedicated to publishing a wide array of interactive content of the highest standards on a variety of platforms.

The companys collection of over 150 games boasts more than 100 awards for excellence in interactive publishing. Recent and upcoming releases include Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops, Edna and Harvey: The Breakout, Black Mirror 2, Black Mirror 3, Gray Matter, Cargo: The Quest for Gravity, STALKER Call of Pripyat, Grand Ages Rome, the wildly popular Crazy Machines series, the Learn to Play Chess series based on the worlds #1 chess software engine, the renowned car racing simulation games RACE, GTR Evolution, RACE ON and a variety of casual games including North American best sellers, Farm Frenzy series, the Treasures of Mystery Island series, Natalie Brooks and many more.

Follow us on Facebook: on.fb.me/hAImKi

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/vivamediapress

For more information please visit our website at www.viva-media.com.

Contact: Andrew Emond – andrew(at)viva-media(dot)com

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/03/prweb5199474.htm

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The number of Internet subscribers is on the rise, but about 60 percent of those connections are slower than the 4Mbps that the Federal Communications Commission says is necessary to accomodate todays bandwidth-heavy apps, according to data the FCC released today.

The number of Americans with wired Internet connections increased from 81 million to 82 million during the first half of 2010, while the number of people with mobile wireless devices and data plans for full Internet access jumped 27 percent from 56 million to 71 million.

But how fast are those connections? In July, the FCC updated its definition of what constitutes broadband service. For over a decade, the standard had been set at 200 kilobits per second downstream, but the FCC updated it to 4Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream.

Based on the data released Monday – collected by the FCC from phone, cable, wireless, and satellite providers – fixed providers are more likely to produce broadband-levels speeds. About 41 million fixed connections hit 4Mbps compared to 5 million wireless.

By mid-2010, however, 60 percent of all Internet connections – or 92.5 million – were still slower than 3Mbps. About 9 percent, or 13.6 million were between 3-6Mbps, while 31 percent, or 46.8 million were at least 6Mbps.

In sum, 69 percent of reportable Internet access service connections (or 106.2 million connections) in June 2010 were too slow in both the downstream and upstream directions, or too slow in a single direction, to meet the broadband availability benchmark adopted by the FCC last year, the commission concluded.

The FCC also found that VoIP connections grew 29 percent between 2009 and 2010, while the number of traditional phone lines droped by 8 percent in the same time period. About 77 percent of people who use VoIP connect via a cable provider.

Last year, the FCC launched a broadband testing tool that let consumers test their connection quality or alert the FCC if they lived somewhere without broadband access. Several months later, it released a report that said 80 percent of broadband users in the US do not know the speed of their connection, as well as another report that said consumer broadband speeds are roughly 50 percent slower than their advertised rates.

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Under the new federal health care law, half the reduction in the number of uninsured Americans would come from a federal expansion of Medicaid, the federal program that provides health care for the poor. The plan would push some 16 million new patients into the program when it takes effect in 2014.

Under the current law, our Texas Medicaid program will expand by 65 percent, said Arlene Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Thats a lot of folks.

The states pay a share of the cost of Medicaid, and theyre already struggling.

Its about 21 percent of Virginias budget now, Virginia’s Republican Governor Bob McDonnell said. To put it in perspective: it used to be five percent just a couple of decades ago.

In fact, McDonald says, Medicaid spending in Virginia has gone up 1600 percent over the last 27 years. He adds that the new health care law will push that up to about 28 percent of the states budget.

In Texas, it will be even worse when the Medicaid expansion hits in 2014.

Theyd be looking at the budget requirement for Medicaid that would be 46 percent of our entire states budget, Wohlgemuth says. That means that we are spending nearly 50 percent of our states budget on the one program.

That will leave the states with some ugly choices. They will either have to cut programs such as education, or raise taxes.

We also have very strict debt limits so we cant print money, McDonnell said. We cant go into this massive unsustainable debt like the federal government.

While the cost of Medicaid is shared by the states and Washington, during the first few years of the Medicaid expansion, the feds pick up the tab.

In 2014, when the Medicaid expansion is scheduled to be in place, as you know, the federal government is picking up 100 percent of the cost of the newly eligible Medicaid recipients for a period of three years and gradually that cost-sharing decreases, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a hearing on Capitol Hill last week.

But theres still a problem. The new law will require everyone to have insurance or pay a fine. So many people already eligible for Medicaid, but who had not signed up, will now be forced to in order to avoid the federally mandated fines.

Analysts call that the woodwork effect, meaning people will come out of the woodwork to sign up for Medicaid.

Were looking at having to come up with additional fifteen billion dollars in new state money to pay for this in two years, Wolgemuth added.

And for that group, the Administration gives no additional money. But officials do seem to recognize the problems.

We are committed to working with governors to help them manage their Medicaid costs, their Medicaid programs, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

There are lots of ideas about how to make the law more flexible. And without that flexibility, many governors say they have no idea how theyll pay for it.

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New York, NY (PRWEB) March 28, 2011

NYC SeedStart Media 2011, a 12-week summer program searching for the most innovative digital media companies in New York City, has recently announced the list of participating advertising, e-commerce, media and technology companies in the program. Participating companies include Akamai, AOL Ventures, Comcast, ESPN, Gilt City, Google, Hearst Corporation, Kantar Video, MTV Networks, News Corporation, The New York Times Company, OgilvyEntertainment, Time Warner Investments and Vivendi. Startup companies accepted into the program will have direct access to senior level executives from these firms and receive $20,000, mentorship and workspace. In addition, startups selected for the program will also receive support from an outstanding group of venture capital firms including Contour Venture Partners, Comcast Interactive Ventures/Genacast Ventures, NYC Seed, Polaris Venture Partners and RRE Ventures as well as many notable entrepreneurs and Chadbourne amp; Parke LLP, New York University, NY Tech Meetup, Silicon Valley Bank and SorinRoyerCooper.

The vertical focus of NYC SeedStart Media 2011 is uniquely New York, involving numerous corporate participants to work together to foster the growth of new startups. NYC SeedStart Media 2011 aims to bridge the gap between large media corporations and early stage startups developing new technology to transform the industry. I am thrilled to be a part of the NYC SeedStart Media program, said Allison Goldberg, Vice President, Time Warner Investments. I look forward to working with entrepreneurs building innovative digital media companies in New York City, and hope that this mentorship process helps lead to strategic partnership discussions with Time Warner businesses over time.

The growing number of new software companies in New York City over the past few years has led to a stream of new innovations that the leading media companies are eager to grasp. Theres a lot to be gained from SeedStart Media for big corporations and startups alike. Our scale and expertise as content creators combined with the entrepreneurial innovation and fresh thinking of these young companies can elevate some of the best new ideas among New Yorks vibrant digital media community, said Jeremiah Zinn, Executive Vice President of Digital Products for MTV Networks. Startups will benefit from the advice and possible partnership with their larger counterparts. Participating corporations will have exposure to the cutting edge technology and ideas created during NYC SeedStart Media 2011.

Among the dozens of companies applying to be a part of the program NYC SeedStart Media 2011 is seeking companies building new technology in advertising infrastructure, digital content, e-commerce, and mobile technology. As a global leader in the media business, the Times Company has a great deal of interest in nurturing the growth and development of technology-based media companies in our home town – New York City, said Michael Zimbalist, Vice President, Research and Development Operations, The New York Times Company. Our involvement with SeedStart Media is another example of the Times Companys commitment to digital innovation and entrepreneurship.

As media platforms continue to evolve, its critical for Hearst to support the companies that are driving this innovation, said Kenneth Bronfin, President of the Interactive Media Group, Hearst Corporation. We support them through our venture investment activity, through our corporate innovation program and through terrific programs like SeedStart Media. We are confident that our interaction with the SeedStart entrepreneurs will be mutually beneficial. We are proud participants in this program.

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Banks pouring money into technology funds, wealthy clients and institutions clamoring to get pieces of start-ups, expectations of stock market debuts building as Wall Street’s machinery kicks into second gear, some investors with memories of the Internet bust a decade earlier are wondering whether this sudden burst of activity spells danger for the industry once again.

With all this exuberance, valuations are soaring. Investments in Facebook and Zynga have more than quintupled the implied worth of each company in the last two years. The social shopping site Groupon is said to be considering an initial public offering that would value the company at $25 billion. Less than a year ago, the company was valued at $1.4 billion.

“I worry that investors think every social company will be as good as Facebook,” said Roger McNamee, a managing director of Elevation Partners and an investor in Facebook, who co-founded the private equity fund Silver Lake Partners in 1999 at the height of the boom. “You have an attractive set of companies right now, but it would be surprising if the next wave of social companies had as much impact as the first.”

Funds set up by Goldman and JPMorgan Chase have invested in Internet start-ups like Facebook and Twitter or in funds with stakes in those start-ups. Even the mutual fund giants Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price have stepped up their efforts, placing large bets on companies like Groupon and Zynga.

Thomas Weisel, founder of an investment bank called the Thomas Weisel Partners Group that prospered in the first Internet boom, says he is “astounded” by the amount of money now flooding the markets.

“I think it’s much greater today,” he said. “The pools of capital that are looking at these Internet companies are far greater today than what you had in 2000.”

Yet there are notable differences between the turn-of-the-century dot-com boom and now. For one, the stock market is not glutted with offerings. In 1999, there were 308 technology IPO.’s, making up about half of that year’s offerings, according to data from Morgan Stanley. In 2010, there were just 20 technology IPO.’s, based on Thomson Reuters data.

More important, the tech start-ups that have attracted so much interest from investors have real businesses not just eyeballs and clicks. Companies like Facebook have fast-growing revenue. Groupon, which has been profitable since June 2009, is on track to take in billions in revenue this year. And since 1999, when 248 million people were online (less than 5 percent of the world’s population), broadband Internet and personal computing have become mainstream. About one in three people are online, or roughly two billion users, according to data from Internet World Stats, a Web site that compiles such numbers.

“In those days, you had tiny, little companies going public that hardly had a business plan,” Stefan Nagel, associate finance professor at Stanford University, said. “And now you’re talking about only a few companies companies that are already global and with revenue.”

With such a small, elite group, the potential fallout if things go badly would be limited, some investors say. “Yes, we have a frenzy again,” said Lise Buyer, a principal of the Class V Group, an advisory firm for companies considering initial public offerings. “But the frenzy is on a very select group of companies. Facebook is clearly Secretariat, but there are a few other championship horses they are looking to bet on.”

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NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks opened slightly higher Monday as traders hoped to extend a rally even as concerns remained about Japan’s nuclear crisis and violence in the Middle East and North Africa.

Indexes were nudged higher in early trading by a government report that consumer spending and incomes rose in February.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 32 points, or 0.3 percent, to 12,252 in morning trading. Last week was the best for the Dow Jones industrial average since July as investors turned their attention to positive US economic news.

The Standard Poor’s 500 index rose 3, or 0.2 percent, to 1,317. The Nasdaq composite rose 4, or 0.2 percent, to 2,747.

Traders are closely watching developments in Asia after contaminated water was discovered in the trenches around three reactor units of Japan’s crippled nuclear power plant. In neighboring China, health authorities are monitoring food and drinking water for radiation contamination in 14 provinces and cities, after detecting low levels of radioactive material in the northeast.

In Libya, rebels are gaining ground against longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi after international airstrikes against Gadhafi’s forces. Elsewhere in the region, violence spread to Syria, Bahrain and Yemen.

Oil prices fell as Libyan rebels retook control of key port towns Ras Lanouf and Brega and said they would resume exporting crude within weeks. At $104.11 a barrel, crude is still about $20 higher than it was trading in mid-February, before the fighting in Libya escalated.

The Commerce Department reported that consumer spending rose in February at the fastest pace in four months.

Consumer spending rose 0.7 percent. Personal incomes rose 0.3 percent after a Social Security tax cut boosted take-home pay. High prices at the pump were a big part of the increased spending, and economists are concerned fuel costs could cut into household budgets and limit what consumers spend on other things.

Retailer Harry David said it would file for bankruptcy reorganization after battling weak revenue and hefty debt. The seller of fruit baskets and snack gifts has struggled as consumers cut down on discretionary spending.

In housing news, the National Association of Realtors said more Americans signed contracts to buy homes in February, but sales were uneven across the country and not enough to signal a rebound in the housing market.

Stocks may also be affected by the debt crisis in Europe as Portugal appears headed for financial collapse. The country pledged to abide by deficit cuts, but many analysts predict the country will soon need a bailout like the ones given Greece and Ireland.

Later in the week, investors will be watching a Labor Department report that is expected to say payrolls increased, and manufacturing surveys that should show strong numbers.

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House Republicans, Senate Democrats and the Obama Administration remain at a stalemate over spending priorities for the rest of the fiscal year. But House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is optimistic that something could be in the works.

Weve come a long way. I think were very close to an agreement. Were very close to a number that could be agreed on, Hoyer said in an interview with FOX.

With Congress out of session this week, budget and spending talks have continued at the staff level this week, with few signs of a breakthrough. Federal programs are currently funded through April 8 on what is now the second ad hoc spending measure to prevent a government shutdown. Many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle believe that the endgame to cut a deal is fast approaching as support for approving another stopgap bill is waning.

Hoyer spoke Tuesday morning to a meeting of the National Association of Development Organizations in Arlington, VA. During his remarks, Hoyer indicated that lawmakers from both parties want to trim government spending. But Hoyer said it was critical that lawmakers make smart choices when they cut.

This is a hard time for our budget, Hoyer said. Cuts have to be smart and targeted.

Hoyer accused House Republicans of pulling a number out of the air for the big spending bill that slashed $100 billion for the rest of the year. He also believes the debate over this spending bill is minor compared to looming fights over entitlements like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and a need to raise the debt limit.

$100 billion is easy, Hoyer said.

At the end of his remarks, one member of the audience rose to ask Hoyer a question.

Where is the courage by leadership and the administration and to stand up and face reality and fix the debt? the man asked.

Hoyer responded that polls show that 70 percent of Americans dont want cuts to defense or entitlements which account for the bulk of government spending.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security have to be on the table. That makes everybody nervous, Hoyer said. Everybody in America needs courage.

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Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Brooklyn Paper, the plaid-covered residents of Williamsburg and Greenpoint will once again have a way to work off their tall boys. The Parks Department had planned to close McCarren Parks Gilroy Field for reseeding, a move that would have pushed back the start of the Brooklyn Kickball League until July 1. But a sudden reversal will once again allow players to engage in their ironic nostalgia for American pastimes come spring. The dusty baseball field still needs work, however. Expect league members to push up their oversize glasses and make apathetic gestures of protest should the field be closed in September.

Field of dreams! City backtracks, will allow league play at McCarren Park this summer [Brooklyn Paper]

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CERTIFIED COPY Rating 4

Starring: Juliette Binoche, William Shimmell (Should read William Shimell), Jean-Claude Carrière, Agathe Natanson, Gianna Giachetti, Adrian Moore

Playing at: AMC cinema. Parents’ guide: for all.

I’ve never been a fan of film reviews that reveal too much of the plot. I myself generally try to learn as little as possible about a movie before I see it – part of the enjoyment in watching a film, I find, is in being taken somewhere without knowing where exactly you’re going.

That is certainly the case for Certified Copy, the third feature (CORRECTION: This was not Kiarostami’s third feature; the veteran director has made many films.) from Iranian director Abbas Kierostami (Should read: Abbas Kiarostami), starring the ever-radiant Juliette Binoche (whose performance won her best actress at Cannes last year) and British opera singer (Should read William Shimell) William Shimmell (doing a fine job in his first acting role) as a pair of middle-aged strangers who spend the day together driving around Tuscany.

In one sense, that’s it; nothing much happens in this film except for a lot of conversation, ranging from the scholarly to the metaphysical, romantic and recriminatory. And yet, the path that Kierostami leads us on is full of little twists and at least one sharp turn that need to be experienced first-hand.

So I will do like a fellow critic from the L.A. Times and say that this film is best seen without knowing too much. What you can know, I will now tell you.

It’s not for everyone – the meandering narrative and slippery dialogue may become tedious to some – but those with patience and the willingness to go along for the ride will be justly rewarded.

Shimmell plays British author James Miller, visiting Italy to promote his new book (from whence the film gets its title), which posits that art forgeries can be as valid as the originals.

Binoche is an expat antique store owner and shorttempered single mother of a 10-year-old son. Referred to only as Elle, she attends Miller’s talk, is smitten and arranges for them to meet.

He is suave and self-satisfied, while she’s flustered and deferential – at first, anyway. She drives them out of the city and their courtship/duel begins. The art debate continues – what really is real, and isn’t everything a copy of something?

It would all be rather stuffy if emotional subtexts didn’t seep their way into the mix, and soon the two characters we thought to be so clearly defined are shifting before our eyes, surprising us as they circle each other to reveal new sides of their personalities and their developing relationship.

Binoche carries the film with her charged, multifaceted performance. Though most of the conversation takes place in English, she flips easily to French and Italian; meanwhile, cinematographer Lucca Bigazzi constructs a visual language of his own, creating a seductive array of backdrops for the couple to move through.

Kierostami’s title offers insight into the couple’s interaction, as reality and fantasy become intertwined and, ultimately, indistinguishable. It’s an apt metaphor for the filmmaking – and viewing – process, in which all parties engage in a game of consensual makebelieve that is meant to replicate real life.

We are dropped at the other end, our curiosity piqued, imagination engaged, with more questions than answers. Let the conversation continue.

tdunlevy@ montrealgazette.com

twitter.com/tchadunlevy

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette   

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