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UAB studies low strength magnetic stimulation therapy for depression

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depressionBIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and colleagues at other universities have launched a study of a new, low-strength magnetic field as a potential therapy for depression.
The new technique uses a lower magnetic-field strength than Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a magnetic field therapy provided at UAB since 2010.
Investigators think the new technique, referred to as low-field magnetic stimulation (LFMS), might offer the same benefits as rTMS with less cost and fewer side effects.
“About 10 years ago, it was observed that patients with depression who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often had a reduction of their depression symptoms and in general felt better,” said Richard Shelton, M.D., professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry and lead investigator of the study. “In 2011, rTMS became the first FDA-approved therapy for depression using magnetic fields, and the new LFMS may be the next generation of therapies in this area.”
Participants in the study will undergo a 20-minute exposure to a low strength magnetic field four times during the month-long study. Study subjects will lie on a table with their head resting in a magnetic field-generating cylinder. The magnetic field is less than that used in rTMS and less than a typical MRI scan.
“It appears that magnetic therapy stimulates neurons in the brain, causing them to become active and grow new synaptic connections,” Shelton said. “This helps patients better control and regulate their emotions.”
Shelton says LFMS has no known side effects and eliminates the major complaint with rTMS – noise.  rTMS uses a focused beam of magnetic energy directed at a specific spot on the head, which can lead to an unpleasant noise level and headaches. LFMS should also be a much less expensive alternative.
“If it proves to be effective, this device should be affordable enough that many psychiatrists would have one in their office, making the therapy accessible and economical” said Shelton. “rTMS is effective but expensive, and there are only two rTMS systems in Birmingham.”
Shelton said as many as two-thirds of patients with depression may respond well to magnetic therapy. Among the goals of the study is to see how rapidly the therapy becomes effective in relieving symptoms, as well as how long the effect persists before re-treatment is required. Shelton says the long-range goal of magnetic therapy is to get patients with depression off medications.
Shelton is looking for adult subjects with depression who have not responded well to alternative therapies such as medication. For more information, contact 205-934-2484.

The study is funded by the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), one of the National Institutes of Health.

Back-to-School Tax Tips for Students and Parents

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Tax imagesGoing to college can be a stressful time for students and parents. The IRS offers these tips about education tax benefits that can help offset some college costs and maybe relieve some of that stress.

•    American Opportunity Tax Credit.  This credit can be up to $2,500 per eligible student. The AOTC is available for the first four years of post secondary education. Forty percent of the credit is refundable. That means that you may be able to receive up to $1,000 of the credit as a refund, even if you don’t owe any taxes. Qualified expenses include tuition and fees, course related books, supplies and equipment. A recent law extended the AOTC through the end of Dec. 2017.

•    Lifetime Learning Credit.   With the LLC, you may be able to claim up to $2,000 for qualified education expenses on your federal tax return. There is no limit on the number of years you can claim this credit for an eligible student.
You can claim only one type of education credit per student on your federal tax return each year. If you pay college expenses for more than one student in the same year, you can claim credits on a per-student, per-year basis. For example, you can claim the AOTC for one student and the LLC for the other student.
You can use the IRS’s Interactive Tax Assistant tool to help determine if you’re eligible for these credits. The tool is available at IRS.gov.

•    Student loan interest deduction.  Other than home mortgage interest, you generally can’t deduct the interest you pay. However, you may be able to deduct interest you pay on a qualified student loan. The deduction can reduce your taxable income by up to $2,500. You don’t need to itemize deductions to claim it.
These education benefits are subject to income limitations and may be reduced or eliminated depending on your income.

For more information, visit the Tax Benefits for Education Information Center at IRS.gov. Also, check Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education. The booklet’s also available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Do You Have a Written Income Plan
 for Retirement?

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RetirementThink you have your Golden Years covered? – Get it in 
writing! says expert financial planner
“Age 85 is a bad time to go broke,” says expert retirement planner Jeff Gorton.  Personal savings, various investments and, yes, Social Security may prove to be short of what you’d expected.
“Budgeting how you spend money before retirement can often be a misleading measurement of how you’ll actually spend it during retirement,” says Gorton, a veteran Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner™, and head of Gorton Financial Group (www.gortonfinancialgroup.com).
“Spending 40 hours a week at work not only earns you a paycheck, it also keeps you from spending money on more vacations, matinee screenings at the movie theater, extra trips to the mall or shopping online. You need to be exceedingly realistic in your planning, and the five years before retirement are actually the most crucial in solidifying post-employment stability.”
To prevent a rude awakening during retirement, Gorton makes certain his clients start with a written income plan (WIP). He reviews the benefits and importance of this “living document”:
• A comprehensive list of life expenses paints a clearer picture. For a 65-year-old married couple today, there is a 72 percent chance that at least one spouse will live to age 85; a 45 percent chance that one will live to age 90, and an 18 percent chance that one will reach age 95, according a recent study from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics. You may not think of listing things like pet care, yard maintenance, and regular visits to salons or spas. But if you enjoy those services now, you may want them during retirement, and you might find that you underestimated the real cost of maintaining your desired lifestyle. And, that’s not including gifts to children and grandchildren!
• The forecast of a two-legged stool. A WIP helps you appreciate the reliability of retirement income. What sources of income do you anticipate having? Traditionally, retirement funding has been viewed as a “three-legged stool,” implying a balance between Social Security, retirement plans and savings/investments. As the baby boom generation ages, Social Security benefits may decrease — and the age at which an individual can collect benefits may increase. Changes in employment may affect retirement plans. As a result, the third leg of the stool, savings/investments, may become even more important.
• Who is authoring your WIP? As with all written documents, you must always consider the source. What you may not realize is that a financial planner is liable to have a stake in selling you a financial product. Just like a retailer may have an incentive to move certain brands of products, many planners are incentivized to have you invest in specific financial vehicles from major institutions. What plan works best for you? Seek advice from an expert who isn’t trying to sell you something, such as an independent firm.
“If you don’t have a written income plan, then you’re just hoping things will work out,” Gorton says.

Six Good Reasons Why You Should Become a Tax Volunteer

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If you’re looking for a way to help your community, then consider becoming a tax volunteer. The IRS is looking for IRS Volunteersvolunteers now who will provide free tax help next year.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly are community-based programs. They provide free tax return preparation for people who need tax help but can’t afford it. People with low-to-moderate incomes, seniors, people with disabilities and those with limited English skills usually qualify for this free service.
Here are six good reasons why you should become a VITA or TCE volunteer.
1.    No previous experience is required. Volunteers receive specialized training and have the option of serving in a variety of roles. If you’re fluent in a language other than English, you can help those who do not speak English.
2.    IRS provides free tax law training and materials that allow volunteers to prepare basic individual income tax returns. Volunteers learn many aspects of tax return preparation. This includes tax deductions and credits that benefit eligible taxpayers, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for the Elderly.
3.    The hours are flexible. Volunteers generally serve an average of three to five hours per week. Volunteer programs are open from mid-January through the tax filing deadline, which will be April 15, 2014.
4.    Volunteer sites are located in communities throughout the nation. You’ll find them in neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other convenient locations. VITA and TCE sites offer free electronic filing for both federal and state tax returns.
5.    Veteran and non-veteran volunteers may be able to help military personnel and their families.
6.    As a volunteer, you become part of a program that has helped people file tax returns at no charge for more than four decades. With VITA and TCE, you do make a difference. It’s people helping people. It’s that simple.

Additional information about becoming a VITA or TCE volunteer is available on IRS.gov. Type the key words “tax volunteer” in the search box to read more and to submit Form 14310, VITA/TCE Volunteer Sign Up, by email through the IRS website.

TSU Birmingham Alumni Chapter Hosts HBCU Picni

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The Tennessee State University (TSU) National Alumni Association – Birmingham Chapter has for the second year in a row reached out to invite other HBCU Alumni Chapters to join them in their annual picnic.  This was an idea that the chapter had to spark the waning interest in the local HBCU Alliance group. Last year only one other University accepted the invitation. This year, however, Saturday, August 24, at Tom Bradford Park in Birmingham, five other HBCU Alumni Chapters committed to be a part – Alcorn State University, Alabama State University – Jefferson/Shelby County Chapter, Miles College, Stillman College, and Tuskegee University.  In grand ole “HBCU Style”, a joyous fellowship took place with all dining on delicious food, dancing to great music, and snapping fun photos along the way.  Several younger alums felt blessed to fellowship with HBCU alums that were their former teachers like Ms. Druella Borders and Ms. Veronica Salary (Miles Alums) and Ms. Barbara Bonner, Ms. Lottie Palmer, and Ms. Odessa Ashley (ASU Alums).  The group even gave a round of applause to Mr. & Mrs. Benson, as Mrs. Barbara Benson gave a rousing testimony of how recently they were sleeping and heard the loud noise of the UPS plane that crashed near the airport, shaving trees on both sides, but missing their home.  GOD IS GOOD, exclaimed Mrs. Benson. Other fun festivities were a cheer-off and old school dance competition among the HBCUs. By the end of the picnic we also had representatives from several other HBCUs including Alabama A&M, Knoxville College, Spelman College, and Alabama State University-Birmingham Chapter. We concluded by establishing a planning committee with one representative from each HBCU to make sure that the event continues.

Ford Presents a Check for $30,000 to Winner of Community Leader of the Year Award

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Shawn Thompson, Stan Richards (Winner of the “Community Leader of the Year Award), Chereace Richards and Shemar Moore backstage at the 2013 Ford Neighborhood Awards with his $30,000 check for charity

Every year, community members doing great deeds and delivering outstanding services to good ol’ regular folk are recognized for their hard work and enduring effort.
This year marks Ford’s 7th consecutive year of participation in the annual awards show hosted by Ford Partner, Comedian and Best-Selling Author Steve Harvey.
“The Ford Neighborhood Awards continues to represent a mainstay within the African American community,” said Shawn Thompson, manager, Ford multicultural marketing. “Each year this show gets even bigger and for us at Ford we are excited to be able to present this year’s ‘Community Leader Award’ recipient with a check for $30,000 to ultimately give back to their local community. Our goal as a brand is to not only go further when it comes to our products, but also as it relates to our communities. With this award, we are able to play a role in directly impacting the local community of this year’s winner, extending our involvement beyond the actual awards show.”
This year, Ford presented Stan Richards author of “From the Bus to the Bentley” with the Community Leader of the Year award. Along with the accolades, Richards also received a $30,000 check to be donated to a nonprofit organization of his choice, a first for Ford and the Neighborhood Awards. Typically, Ford gives away a car, but instead, the company recognized the importance of embracing and uplifting businesses and supporting the community in a different way.
Richards has motivated and inspired thousands through his story and consistent work in the community. The author and motivational speaker is the epitome of rags to riches, coming from impoverished Washington D.C. to becoming one of the most impactful leaders in business.
Since launching his career, he’s helped join other entrepreneurs in the D.C. area to begin an entertainment company, Positive Black Men Coalition in 1992.
He also became a mogul of sorts with Metro, becoming a top executive. Eventually he and his wife joined a business venture 5LINX, a global telecommunications and energy company. Within 18 months, he garnered enough success to leave his post as double platinum senior vice president at Metro, where he nurtured an 18-year career.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated to Work Closely with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans

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Kappa Alpha PsiPHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated is proud to announce that as of Tuesday, August 6, 2013 it is now working closely with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans to ensure that all caring adults, especially African American fathers and male mentors are engaged in supporting African American learning and development, through a recently established working group focused on fatherhood and mentoring.
This development comes upon the heels of the successes of Kappa Alpha Psi’s National Guide Right program and the positive outcomes it has provided to young men of color ages 8-18 throughout the country in the areas of personal development, academic achievement, mentorship and college access.
Kappa Alpha Psi aims to provide assistance to the White House’s initiative and its executive director David Johns on understanding the best practices and strategies to address the educational issues that concern African Americans and youth.

Smart Payment Plan® celebrates a decade of helping Americans pay bills, reduce debt faster and simplify budgeting

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Smart payment planSmart Payment Plan to Mark 10th Anniversary by Launching Debt Reduction Tour
 
AUSTIN, Texas – Leading financial technology company SMART Payment Plan is celebrating its 10th anniversary of helping consumers reduce their debt faster by launching its Debt Reduction Tour across the country in August.
“In August, we are launching the Great American Debt Reduction Tour, a cross-country tour to educate Americans on reducing their debt and making smart financial decisions to live easier, happier lives,” said David Engelman, chief executive officer of SMART Payment Plan.
“We are excited that we’ve been helping hundreds of thousands of Americans achieve smaller, easier home and car payments. Most of all, we are happy to help Americans save time and money, budget easier and reduce financial stress.”
“We are currently helping Americans save $63,465,739 in interest savings, payoff loans 43,240 years faster and accelerating $219,523,888 in equity for our clients.  We will process over $1 Billion in loan payments by the end of the year.”
SMART Payment Plan’s innovative technology simplifies the bill paying process by automatically deducting smaller bill and loan payments from a client’s bank account on a schedule that coincides with their pay schedule. By making smaller payments that match paydays, clients are able to pay off debt faster and save money by reducing the amount of interest they are charged. SMART Payment Plan works to pay down automobile loans, home loans, student loans, credit cards boat and RV loans other types of debt.  In addition, SMART eliminates bill paying hassles and improves cash flow, Engelman said.
It was 10 years ago that Engelman put forward the idea of automatically collecting smaller, easier loan payments to help Americans payoff loans faster and save interest charges. By targeting the automotive and home sales market, SMART Payment Plan found its niche and began growing exponentially over the years.
But it wasn’t that easy in the beginning, as the company struggled to win over automotive dealers and mortgage professionals who had doubts about the business, Engelman recalled.
“We had to struggle to get automotive dealers and mortgage professionals to understand what we were trying to do,” he said. “Lots of car dealers said we were crazy to think car buyers would let us automate their loan payments. Now, we are a complete bill payment service helping hundreds of thousands of Americans live easier, happier lives. We are proud to have recently been selected by automotive dealers as the leading bill payment service in their industry.”
To mark their 10 year anniversary, SMART Payment Plan launched its Great American Debt Reduction Tour on August 15 with a fully equipped RV that will travel the country visiting major cities to inform Americans of the benefits of its bill payment service.
“We’re bringing our 40-foot RV to cities around the country to spread the word about reducing debt faster, saving interest charges, simplifying budgeting and living an easier and happier life by letting us pay your bills – and we’ll be giving away educational books and gifts at each stop,” Engelman said.

Homosexual activists bully Donnie McClurkin

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clenard-childressBy Rev. Dr. Clenard H. Childress, Jr.

NATIONWIDE/ (BlackNews.com) – The hijacking of the Civil Rights Movement by homosexual activists took a quantum leap with the barring of Donnie McClurkin from the Martin Luther King Concert celebration. Such a strategic strike by the LBGT could not have happened without the compliance of the normal House Negroes of the Democrat Party, who also profit from the plight of African-Americans. This has become typical of Democrat administrations. African-Americans must take complete notice of the fact that the voice of the Black Community was completely disregarded for a few disgruntled homosexual activists. Mayor Vincent Gray, of Washington, D.C., due to pressure from the Lesbian Bisexual Gay Transgender lobby requested internationally known gospel singer, and Senior Pastor of Perfecting Faith Church, of Freeport, New York, be banned from performing. Mayor Vincent Grey, and undoubtedly the White House, all agreed.
It is a sad day for the church, especially for the Black Church, for let us realize, this move was executed after careful consideration of the possible repercussions. Their assessment? The Black Church will remain complacent, will more than likely abandon their brother, and go away, with little objection. Such assessments can be made due to the Black Church, and most of its members’ ungodly alliance with the Democrat Party, who now dictates to them who can perform at concerts, and who cannot. Please for one minute don’t think that Mayor Gray didn’t receive a call from the Oval Office affirming the request of the LGBT insisting that Donnie McClurkin not perform. I might also add, we should not think for a second that Barack Obama, who will be speaking at the Lincoln Memorial next Wednesday, could not have intervened on the behalf of Donnie McClurkin, but refused. The president could have mirrored Martin Luther King’s response to the insistence of the gay agenda being in the platform, by Bayard Rustin in 1963, which resulted in Rustin leaving the movement. When Martin L. King spoke at the Lincoln Memorial, he stood strong to his moral convictions; the President doesn’t have the same moral convictions as Martin, and in comparison, they are miles apart, and thus you have the expulsion of Donnie McClurkin from the performance. It is clear to one and all, the homosexual agenda trumps the Black Church in urban communities. Regina Griggs of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays) made a very valid and crucial observation stating:
“Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy cited public ‘animus’ against gays as a reason to strike down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, yet gay rights groups promote hatred against former homosexuals,” said Griggs. “As shown with Donnie McClurkin, ex-gays are the most powerless and discriminated against minority in America today. At the behest of gay activists, the Black mayor of a major urban city removed an African-American from a civil rights event despite the protests of local Black ministers. Respecting the lives of people like Donnie, who have decided to change, and including them in the conversation, is part of building a tolerant society.”

The Machiavellian tactics of the homosexual activists is clearly seen here. They speak tolerance and acceptance, yet they attack, bully, and punish those with whom they disagree.
We all need to recognize that Donnie McClurkin is the worst nightmare of the Gay agenda. The insistence of the gay agenda to ignore psychiatrists, and even the liberal American Psychiatric Association, who factually state, there is no homosexual or lesbian gene, thus those who are trapped in the lifestyle, is due to a flawed orientation, not genealogy. I have repeatedly said, “you don’t give civil rights to sexual orientation because the orientation might be flawed.” There are thousands of people such as Donnie McClurkin that have been freed from the homosexual lifestyle, and it is directly due to that freedom, he was barred from performing at a Martin L. King Gospel Celebration. Oh the irony! Remember, the request of the Black Church was ignored. Despite numerous calls from Pastors, they were basically told, ‘you don’t have enough clout… your influence is insignificant… and above all, you will vote for us anyway, so why should we listen…?’
Well Church, I am reminded of an awesome sermon and later title of a book, by Martin Luther King, and I must interject its title here by asking this salient question: “Where Do We Go From Here? What will the Black Church do? How will the Black Pastors of Washington, D.C. respond? I would say: if there is no response, then the lack of one will do far more damage than the offense itself. Then we will we be reminded of another sermon of Martin’s called…
“Unfulfilled Dreams?”
Rev. Dr. Clenard H. Childress, Jr. is the founder of www.BlackGenocide.org – a website designed to reach the Afro-American community with the truth about abortion.

We Don’t Need Another Hero Like Zimmerman


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Zimmerman4-272x350by Djana Milton
After self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was acquitted in the wrongful death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, his brother – Robert Jr. – tweeted, “Today… I’m proud to be an American.”
I am proud to be an American every day. But the knowledge that it is apparently possible to get away with killing someone without punishment is not a contributing factor to my love of country.
On NPR’s website, one of the early top-rated comments was:
One thing I don’t understand is what was the young man supposed to do when approached by an armed guy on the side of he [sic] road? Black, white, whatever, if a guy with no obvious authority stops anybody on the side of the road in an accusatory manner, exactly what could they say to put them at ease? (emphasis added)
As the prosecution summarized, it’s any child’s worst nightmare (or any person, really): walking home alone, in the dark and being followed. How many television shows, movies and books begin this way? The creepy music starts. The tension is palpable. Something bad is about to happen.
As first described by American physiologist Walter Cannon in the 1920s, such conditions cause the human body to mobilize its resources to deal with threatening circumstances. It’s called the flight-or-fight response.
We know from witness Rachel Jeantel’s testimony that Martin tried the former – flight – but that didn’t work.
The two individuals – civilian adult and minor – came face-to-face. What was Martin to do? According to Florida law, the Zimmerman family and their attorneys, Martin’s only alleged defensible position was to become victim to his pursuer. A successful self-defense by Martin was apparently out of the question.
The Zimmerman family would understandably rather have their loved one survive.
In his 2012 interview with Sean Hannity, Zimmerman seemed to have no remorse about setting off the chain of events that culminated with him killing a child. He does not regret getting out of his car. He does not regret taking his gun with him. He does not regret pulling the trigger. He believes it was all part of “God’s plan.” Perhaps that’s why he didn’t call 911 and ask for medical assistance as Martin lay dying for up to 10 minutes.
According to defense attorney Mark O’Mara, Zimmerman will spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. If true, he at least won’t have further opportunity to act as an angel of the god he believes wanted him to take a life.
Zimmerman’s delusions aside, it is difficult to believe Florida’s various defense laws are intended to afford so little protection to potential crime victims. The precedent established here is concerning. How this will play out for other young people deemed out of place in the future is worrisome.
Kids should be able to go to convenience stores, walk in the rain, talk on the phone and wear hooded sweatshirts as long as doing so is lawful and parentally-approved. They should be expected to return home alive from such excursions.
Kids should also be able to flee from “creepy” men or, that failing, have leave to effectively protect themselves when so accosted.
What is more, grown men who kill kids through the consequences of their own actions should be held accountable.
As Tina Tuner sang in that Mad Max movie, “We don’t need another hero.” We certainly don’t need any more George Zimmermans.
Florida needs to re-examine and correct its laws before these patterns of behavior get out of hand, else this country will find itself undeserving of anyone’s pride on any day.

Djana Milton, is a member of the Project 21 Black leadership network. Comments may be sent to Project21@nationalcenter.org.