Travel Stress-free With Pets ? Family Matters Blog

(Guest blogger Navy Lt. Theresa Donnelly, of U.S. Pacific Command, is the owner of Hawaii Military Pets, a one-stop resource on Hawaii military pet information. She?s offered to share her pet-related knowledge in a series of blogs for Family Matters.)

By Theresa Donnelly
Jan. 3, 2011

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Navy Lt. j.g Kirsten Davis greets her dog, Tressel, in Norfolk, Va., after returning home from a two-month deployment aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall in March 2011. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kayla Jo Guthrie

Military moves can be tough on military families, especially if a spouse is deployed. It?s hard enough to get the humans in the family ready for a big move, let alone a family pet.

?Growing up as an Army ?brat,? I moved every three years from state to state and to Europe and back twice,? Kari Mendoza, owner of Island Pet Movers in Hawaii, told me. ?We always had pets and our parents taught us that pets are part of the family.

?I served four years in the Navy,? she added, ?and I can tell you it was hard to find an apartment off-base that would allow me to take my cat, but giving him up was never an option.?

Fortunately, many resources are available to ensure your pet stays with your military family and isn?t surrendered to a shelter, or given away.

A first step is to go online and research the pet policies at your next duty station. A quick call to your sponsor, family-service center or veterinarian at the next installation can help you better understand pet policies in housing, animal laws in that state or country, pet-friendly hotels and any transport requirements. For example, many states and countries are considered ?rabies-free,? so you may have to start the process of preparing to ship your family pet several months in advance. ?

Now that you have fully researched information such as applicable breed bans and base pet policies, consider calling local airlines to see if there are flight restrictions for your pet, including months when your pet is restricted from flight. For example, some dogs have respiratory issues due to the structure of their face, making breathing at sea-level difficult.

Because of these restrictions, many airlines impose a ?pet embargo? on certain dog breeds between May 15 and Sept. 15, which means you will have to ship your pet outside of this time frame. A visit to the airline?s pet transport Web page should give you information such as cabin temperature, weight requirements, approved airline crates, and what stickers and labels should be on the carrier.

Since all pets are transported for hours, or even more than a day, in a crate, it?s a must that all military pets are crate trained. It can take months to get an animal adjusted to the crate environment, and will be the best way to ensure the animal doesn?t get stressed in transport.

Air Mobility Command offers space-available flight, commonly known as Space-A travel, for pets, but you may only take two pets and a 14-day travel window is required. Space-A is a service that allows military service members, their families and service retirees fill seats on military air transport flights that otherwise would be left empty. Some duty stations don?t fly commercial airliners, so you can only book these flights to a destination that has these capabilities.

Are your certificates in order?? Two are provided by military veterinarians. The first is a veterinary health certificate, DD 2209, which must be issued within 10 days of your departure. It?s advisable to schedule the pet?s flights a few days before yours so that if there is a last-minute issue, you are there to take the animal back.

The second documentation is a rabies vaccination certificate, DD 2208. The rabies certificate is issued at least 30 days prior to your departure, but in some states it can?t be more than a year old. It?s best to research the policies in the state or country to ensure the required documentation is in order.

When you reach your destination, or if your pet must be quarantined, you may be able to get some money reimbursed. Check with your personnel office to find out more about this opportunity. Finally, check with your tax-filing office to see if some of your pet-moving expenses can be written off when filing income taxes.?

For more detailed information, visit Military OneSource. They have numerous checklists and samples of a military pet care plan. Another great resource is your military legal office, where you can include the family pet in your will and power-of-attorney forms. As with any other member of your family, it?s best to always be prepared for the unexpected when caring for your pet, a lifetime commitment.

This entry was posted on January 3, 2012, 10:18 am and is filed under Family Matters. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://afps.dodlive.mil/2012/01/03/travel-stress-free-with-pets/

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ASUS Transformer Prime getting a speed boost with latest update

Ye olde inbox this morning is alerting us to an update headed into the ASUS Tranformer Prime. The quad-core tablet, which is still awaiting its promised Ice Cream Sandwich Update, is now at software version 8.8.3.33-20111223. And in addition to some overall increased snappiness, we're hearing that the camera's launching much faster as well. Seeing any other improvements? Let's hear 'em!

More: Transformer Prime forums; thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Also: Read our Transformer Prime Review

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Xe2TmS2k_C8/story01.htm

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Leftovers fill California lawmakers' agenda for 2012

Reporting from Sacramento?

When state lawmakers convene again Jan. 4, their plates will be filled with leftovers.

Their agenda is expected to be dominated by issues that have been unresolved in the last few years: state budget problems, pension reform, a new water supply system and legalizing poker on the Internet.

But lawmakers face a huge distraction: The 2012 elections will be the first since their districts were redrawn to make them more competitive. Many officeholders face an uncertain political future.

The backdrop for those anxieties is the state's persistently grim financial situation. The deficit is expected to be nearly $13 billion for the new fiscal year that starts July 1.

"That is the big issue of the year, how we continue to grapple with the economic crisis," said Assembly Speaker John A. P?rez (D-Los Angeles).

So officials are revisiting earlier ideas for raising money ? besides increasing taxes, which Gov. Jerry Brown hopes voters will do on the November ballot.

One revenue-spinner could be Internet gambling. Lawmakers held hearings in 2011 on a proposal that the state sanction certain websites for poker and other gambling, with a cut of the action going to the treasury. The matter was postponed until this year amid opposition from some Indian tribes that see such games as competition for their brick-and-mortar casinos.

Now, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) has brought the two sides together in hopes of forging a compromise that lawmakers will pass, according to Mark Hedlund, a spokesman for the leader. Steinberg wants to regulate cyber-gambling "while providing revenue ? hopefully hundreds of millions of dollars ? to help us reinvest in public schools, higher education and public safety," Hedlund said.

Both Steinberg and P?rez said their priorities include making California's universities more affordable after years of tuition and fee increases. Leaders of the minority Republicans said theirs include job creation, a cap on state spending and an overhaul of the public pension system.

"Reforms will bring jobs," said Sen. Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga), who is expected to step down as Senate minority leader.

Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar), competing to succeed Dutton, said he wants to reduce bureaucratic red tape to help spur economic recovery.

Brown wants to put before voters a measure to raise taxes by nearly $7 billion, and lawmakers will be under pressure to get the state's financial house in order first, according to Raphael Sonenshein, a political scientist at Cal State Fullerton.

"That way, a better case can be made by the Legislature that voters can trust them with their money." Sonenshein said.

One way they may try to do that is to change the public pension program so the state can afford its future obligations ? an issue left over from 2011. California's retirement system is underfunded by tens of billions of dollars.

Brown recently sent the Legislature his own 12-point proposal for retooling pensions. It includes having employees contribute more and raising the retirement age.

A special legislative committee is scheduled to hold hearings on various overhaul plans in mid-January so legislation can move forward relatively early in the year. But once again, Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided over how far to go, and there is even some disagreement within the majority party.

Assemblyman Warren Furutani (D-Gardena), chairman of the special committee, says the Democratic governor's plan is too far-reaching. Furutani prefers to focus on stopping abuses by high-wage earners, such as pension "spiking," rather than on reducing benefits for low-paid public employees.

Another issue the Legislature previously postponed is the state's inadequate and aging water infrastructure. The topic promises to generate vigorous debate again.

Lawmakers agreed in 2010 to put an $11-billion bond measure on the ballot to pay for improvements to water delivery and storage systems but later pulled it, fearing it would be defeated because of the state's economic slump. The measure was delayed until the November 2012 ballot.

But some legislators and environmentalists have criticized the borrowing plan for being too large and stuffed with pork. Steinberg and P?rez said they are willing to scale it back ? if they can get the votes.

Steinberg favors reducing it to "well under" $10 billion, according to spokeswoman Alicia Trost. But she noted that it would take a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to change the measure or move it.

Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis) is among those who want to take the bond measure off this year's ballot. "I don't think this is the era for more debt, for big bloated projects," she said.

With so many issues vying for lawmakers' attention, they could be tempted to take their eyes off the ball.

In addition to new voting districts for the 100 legislative seats on the June and November ballots, there's a new election system as well. The top two vote-getters in any primary will move on to the runoff, regardless of their party affiliation or lack of it.

"This will be the most unsettling election in memory," said Larry Gerston, a political science professor at San Jose State.

Some lawmakers could find themselves competing against incumbent colleagues to represent the same district. And legislators may spend significant time dialing for dollars from supporters ? time away from solving California's problems.

"Different kinds of people handle anxiety in different ways," said John J. Pitney Jr., a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College: some finger worry beads, others say a Hail Mary. "Politicians," he said, "raise money."

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/local/politics/cal/~3/iU1om7y6efM/la-me-legislature-20120102,0,1034865.story

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Analysis: U.S. hopes new Iran sanctions more scalpel than axe (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The United States has armed itself with some of the toughest sanctions yet targeting Iran but must carefully assess how to avoid catching energy-importing allies such as Japan, South Korea and India in the crossfire.

President Barack Obama signed the law on Saturday imposing sanctions on financial institutions that deal with Iran's central bank, the main clearinghouse through which OPEC's No. 2 oil exporter deals with clients around the world.

The new U.S. sanctions were pushed through Congress despite misgivings among administration officials, who now must consider how to implement the law without roiling global energy markets or upsetting friendly governments that depend in part on Iranian crude oil imports.

Political analysts said Washington hopes the new sanctions will spur foreign banks to change their behavior before the United States is required to begin freezing them out of U.S. financial markets.

"The sanctions will force a choice between buying Iranian oil or engaging in the U.S. financial system, the largest in the world. That is going to change the risk calculus for a lot of folks," said Brian Katulis, a security expert at the Center for American Progress.

"They are going to wait to see how this signal is received before they take any further steps."

MORE SCALPEL THAN AXE

The new U.S. measures target both private and government-controlled banks, including central banks, and would take hold after a two- to six-month warning period depending on the transactions.

U.S. officials acknowledge that allies such as Japan have concerns, and have built in several provisions designed to make the new law more of a scalpel than an axe.

The law allows Obama to exempt institutions in a country that has significantly reduced its dealings with Iran. He may also grant waivers deemed to be in the U.S. national security interest or otherwise necessary for energy market stability.

Obama would need to notify Congress and waivers would be temporary but they could be extended.

White House officials declined to say which countries have sought waivers or how they expect the sanctions to impact U.S. relations with Iran's oil customers.

China, the No. 1 customer for Iran's oil, and Russia have both resisted additional sanctions on Tehran and are unlikely to be swayed by the new U.S. law, analysts said.

But for countries such as Turkey, which gets about 30 percent of its oil from Iran, or India, which gets 11 percent, the prospect of a U.S. waiver could reduce anxieties over the sanctions and consolidate support for Washington's aggressive stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"There is increased frustration from many of these nations when they see that previous rounds of sanctions haven't done what they were intended to do," said Trita Parsi, an Iran expert and head of the National Iranian American Council.

"Part of the administration argument going into an election against a Republican candidate is that Obama has been able to create a much stronger international coalition against Iran. You can't make that argument if you end up in a conflict with some of those allies."

Waivers also could be selectively granted for humanitarian reasons or for institutions that have forward contracts with Iranian companies - blunting the immediate impact of the new law, while retaining the threat of full implementation.

TENSIONS AND TALKS

The new U.S. sanctions came at a moment of increasing tension with Tehran, which in recent days Iran has tested long-range missiles and staged 10 days of naval exercises in the Gulf. Iran also warned it could shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of world oil is shipped, if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports.

Tehran already is subject to four rounds of U.N. sanctions because of its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities and faces more pain if the European Union follows the United States and bans imports of Iranian crude oil.

Tehran signaled during the weekend that it was ready to resume talks on its nuclear program with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany that stalled in January.

Western officials have said repeatedly they still want to talk to Tehran but only if it is ready to discuss the core concerns about its nuclear program. Tehran says the nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes but the United States and others fear it is aimed at producing atomic weapons.

George Lopez, a sanctions expert at the University of Notre Dame, said the new U.S. sanctions could strengthen Washington's hand going into any new talks with Iran after a year of steadily increasing economic pressure.

"This is the book-end to a series of measure that began late last spring in coordination with the EU," Lopez said.

"It sends a strong message to (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad and also to domestic constituents that we're not backing off. But it is also a strong message that they should come back to the table."

(Additional reporting by Laura MacInnis; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120102/wl_nm/us_iran_usa_sanctions

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Vote for the Gadget of the Year: Championship Round [Gadget Of The Year]

Just two gadgets are left standing in our melee to determine the most important gadget of the year, but there can be only one. See what made the cut, and cast your vote for the last match-up of the tournament. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/h6nrUTl4LuA/vote-for-the-gadget-of-the-year-championship-round

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Fifth-ranked North Carolina beats Elon 100-62

North Carolina's forward John Henson (31) battles for a rebound over Elon's guard Sebastian Koch (24)during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

North Carolina's forward John Henson (31) battles for a rebound over Elon's guard Sebastian Koch (24)during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

North Carolina's forward Tyler Zeller (44) is guarded by Elon's forward Lucas Troutman (31) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

North Carolina's forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives to the basket on Elon's guard Sebastian Koch (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) ? North Carolina headed into Christmas with one of its best performances of the season. The fifth-ranked Tar Heels didn't want to squander that progress by coming out of the holiday looking flat and unfocused.

Instead, they put together a dominating first-half run to blow out Elon early and extend their home winning streak.

Tyler Zeller had 19 points and 13 rebounds to help the Tar Heels beat the Phoenix 100-62 on Thursday night, tying a Smith Center record with their 25th straight win in the arena. It was North Carolina's first game after an eight-day layoff following a 19-point win against Texas.

"It's been a long break," point guard Kendall Marshall said. "We didn't want to take a step back. Coach (Roy Williams) always tells us that you're either going to progress or regress. You're not going to stay in the same place."

The Tar Heels (12-2) had coasted through several matchups in the current nine-game homestand, frequently looking disinterested in stretches against overmatched opponents in lopsided games. But the Tar Heels looked focused against the Longhorns in their last significant test before opening Atlantic Coast Conference play against Boston College next week, then blew Thursday's game open with a dominating 23-0 run midway through the first half in their return to the court.

Williams gave his players five days off for Christmas. The team returned to practice Tuesday night, starting a stretch of eight practices and three games before classes resume.

"So that means we're a basketball team right now," Williams said of the team's mentality during the semester break. "Let's focus on basketball."

His players heeded the message.

Leading 18-14, the Tar Heels ran off 23 straight points ? their biggest run since scoring 25 in a row against North Carolina State here almost four years ago. John Henson had two of his six first-half dunks in that run, while Marshall knocked down two 3-pointers during the spurt that gave North Carolina a 41-14 lead with 3:26 left in the half.

Elon (7-5) missed 14 straight shots during that 8-minute drought, sending North Carolina to its largest halftime lead (53-19) of the season. The Phoenix missed 31 of 39 shots in the opening half (21 percent), including 13 of 15 3-point tries that might have helped them hang around a bit longer.

"We wish that we would have answered the bell a little bit better," Elon coach Matt Matheny said. "We wish that when they were playing well that we would have been able to bounce back, fight back, not get knocked so far back on our heels in the first half. The game got away from us in the first half because of the way they played."

The rest of the game allowed the Tar Heels to pump up their stats and throw down a few dunks to thrill the crowd. Zeller had a career high with nine offensive boards and matched his career best for total boards. Barnes had battled a stomach bug in recent days, but had 18 points and finished with a career-high five assists.

Henson had 16 points and 11 rebounds ? all but two points came in the first half ? as the Tar Heels shot 47 percent and finished with a 64-35 rebounding advantage. Marshall finished with eight points and eight assists with one turnover.

North Carolina led by 50 points in the second half and scored 100 points for the third time this season. Twelve players scored for UNC while only four Tar Heels played even 20 minutes.

"We just executed what Coach wanted," said Dexter Strickland, who had 10 points. "Everybody knew their role and did their jobs."

While the 25 straight wins ties the record for the nearly 26-year-old campus arena, UNC's home winning streak is tied for third-longest in program history.

Sebastian Koch scored 17 points to lead for the Phoenix, who remained winless against ranked opponents since entering Division I competition a dozen years ago. Elon shot just 33 percent, including 7 for 28 from 3-point range.

Officials had to stop the game with 3:01 left when a Tar Heels cheerleader fell to the court while being held in the air by her partner during a timeout. She was helped to her feet and off the court with an apparent left-leg injury.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-29-T25-Elon-NCarolina/id-f3c2dc951ea94131ade4933be4ce677b

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