Coping With Crisis: Advice For The Hard Times From Deepak Chopra

By Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra, co-founder of the Chopra Foundation and author of "Spiritual Solutions: Answers to Life's Greatest Challenges," reveals how to face our roughest times.

Challenges are part of everyone's life, but there are dark moments when a challenge turns into a crisis. The outcome of our lives depends on the choices we make at those moments. Will they be breakthroughs or setbacks? What we call wisdom is a crucial tool here. Without it, people usually make their most important decisions based on impulse or its opposite, habit.

It might seem impossible that any three questions can -- and should -- be asked anytime things go wrong, but the sad truth is that millions of us dwell on the three questions we shouldn't ask, questions such as: (1) What's wrong with me? (2) Whom can I blame? (3) What's the worst-case scenario?

We all feel the urge to condemn ourselves out of guilt, to blame others for our misfortunes and to fantasize about total disaster. But these three questions will haunt you and do untold harm unless you consciously stop them, push them aside and replace them with the right questions, leading to the right actions. Here are three positive, self-affirming ways to approach your next tough situation:

1. Is this a problem I should fix, put up with or walk away from?

Unless you can answer this question clearly and rationally, your vision will be clouded. Without knowing it, you will be acting under the influence of negative emotions such as fear. You will give in to impulsiveness or fall back on old habits.

You must clarify your inner confusion. You must get your bearings in a reasonable way. The first step is to consider -- in consultation with those you trust -- a course of action that begins with finding a fix. If the fix isn't there, ask why. Perhaps someone is blocking you or you lack the resources of money and time. Yet it is always worthwhile to search for a fix and commit yourself to finding one. Only when you feel satisfied that you've exhausted your realistic options should you begin to decide between putting up with the situation (using patience, not passivity) and walking away.

The three alternatives are easier than they sound, because most people vacillate when things go bad. One day they wishfully hope for a fix and maybe take a few steps toward it. The next day they feel passive and victimized, so they put up with things as they are. The third day they are sick and tired of suffering and simply want to escape. The overall result is self-defeat. No solution can ever be found by running in three different directions. So clarify your situation and act on what you clearly see.

2. Who can I consult who has solved the same problem successfully?

Bad things aren't solved in isolation, yet there is no doubt that our reactions isolate us. We become afraid and depressed. We draw into ourselves. Around the edges we entertain shame and guilt, and once these appear, there is even more reason to shut down.

Finding someone who has gone through the same crisis that you are facing accomplishes several things at once. It gives you an example to follow, a confidant who understands your plight and an alternative to withdrawing into isolation. Victims always feel alone and helpless. So reach out to someone who has proven, through their own lives, that they were not victimized by the bad thing you are facing now.

We aren't talking about hand-holding, shared misery or even therapy. All those activities can be beneficial (or not), but there's no substitute for talking to a person who has entered a dark place and come out successfully. Where do you find such a person? Ask around, tell your story, seek support groups, go online to find blogs and forums -- the possibilities are much greater than ever before. And don't stop until you find not just good advice but real empathy from someone you trust.

3. How can I reach deeper into myself for solutions?

There is just no getting around that turning bad things into good things is up to you. No one can be there all the time, and like it or not, crises are all-consuming. You find yourself facing an inner world that is suddenly full of threats, fears, illusions, wishful thinking, denial, distractions and conflict. The world "out there" won't change until the world "in here" does.

There is a simple spiritual truth that I believe in deeply: The level of the solution is never found at the level of the problem. Knowing this, you can escape many traps that people fall into. What exists at the level of the problem? Repetitive thinking that gets nowhere. Old conditioning that keeps applying yesterday's outworn choices. Lots of obsessive thinking and stalled action. I could go on. But the relevant insight is that you have more than one level of awareness, and at a deeper level there is untapped creativity and insight.

Your higher self contains the potential for new solutions, but you must find it. Instead of "higher self," you can substitute any term that applies -- soul, Atman, Holy Spirit, muse, inspiration -- because linguistics are not nearly as important as the experience itself. You must experience the place inside where the light dawns and brings hope, where peace is possible and there is certainty about finding a viable path forward.

It's not a mystery that such a place can be reached, because even in the worst crisis we experience flashes of it. The trick is to be able to inhabit the level of awareness that brings solutions. First, know that this level exists. Second, make a plan to get there, through all the techniques open to everyone: meditation, reflection, contemplation, prayer. Reduce your stress by every means you can find. Seek others who understand consciousness. Read books that inspire you but also books that realistically describe what it means to go on the inward journey. I've given an abbreviated plan of action, but the important thing is that you take the first steps inside.

Of course, I can't know what bad things are happening to you specifically. I just urge you to quit the majority who live in confusion and conflict. Join the minority who see a clear path out of present darkness, who never submit to fear and despair and who in truth lead the world into a future full of light.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/coping-with-crisis-deepak-chopra_n_1945508.html

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NASA's Mars rover finds traces of carbon - one essential for life

By Irene Klotz

SAN FRANCISCO | Mon Dec 3, 2012 8:23pm EST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, dispatched to look for the chemical ingredients and environments for microbial life, has found hints of carbon, though whether this building block for life on Earth has played a similar role on Mars is unknown, scientists said on Monday.

"Just finding carbon somewhere doesn't mean that it has anything to do with life, or the finding of a habitable environment," lead scientist John Grotzinger, with the California Institute of Technology, told reporters at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco.

"If you have organic carbon and you don't have any water, you don't have a habitable environment," he said.

Even with carbon and water, life needs other chemicals, such as sulfur, oxygen, phosphorous and nitrogen, to form and evolve.

"It's not unexpected that this sand pile would not be rich in organics. It's been exposed to the harsh Martian environment," added planetary scientist Paul Mahaffy, with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

"It's really going to be an exciting hunt over the course of this mission to find early environments that might be protected from this surface Mars environment and see what we can add to the carbon story," Mahaffy said.

The rover, which in August touched down on the floor of a 93-mile wide (150-km) impact crater near the Martian equator, has already turned up evidence that its landing site was once covered in water.

Scientists do not know if the carbon compounds in the soil are contamination from Earth, arrived on the surface of Mars via comets or asteroids, or, if they are indigenous, whether they came from geological or biological activities on Mars.

"It tells us that we have a lead into a measurement of one of the important ingredients that adds to a habitable environment," Grotzinger said. "We still have a lot of work to do to qualify and characterize what it is."

The rover is expected to reach a richer slice of Martian history next year when it begins examining layers of sediment in a mountain rising from the floor of the crater.

"We're starting to find the spices that make a stew tasty. There are the basic ingredients that you expect to be there, but it's how you combine them and the minor ingredients that really turn out to be interesting," he said.

"What this mission is about is integrated science," Grotzinger added. "There is not going to be one single moment where we all stand up and on the basis of a single measurement have a hallelujah moment."

The rover also carries a radiation detector, intended to help NASA figure out how much and what type of shielding would be needed for future planned human missions to Mars, a long-term goal of the U.S. space program.

Data collected during the rover's four months on the surface show astronauts would face about the same amount of radiation as they do aboard the International Space Station, though that level likely will increase as the sun moves into the more active phase of its 11-year cycle.

However, astronauts would surpass career radiation limits imposed by NASA if the higher radiation dosages experienced during the nine-month cruise to Mars were taken into account, said Donald Hassler, with the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

"We can survive the Mars surface. The hard part is the cruise," Hassler said.

The agency is working on spacecraft shielding and protocols to try to counter the effects of solar and cosmic radiation.

The $2 billion Curiosity mission, which is due to last two years, is NASA's first astrobiology mission since the 1970s Viking probes.

(Editing by Tom Brown and Jim Loney)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/sMUvRVxmbsM/us-space-mars-idUSBRE8B21BB20121204

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Homeland, Season 2

Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody

Photograph by Kent Smith/Showtime.

In?Slate?s?Homeland?TV Club, June Thomas will IM each week with a different partner?policy experts, intelligence researchers, critics, and even?Slate?commenters. This week she chats with strategy director at GlobalInt and former chair of the U.S. Air Force Minerva Initiative, Chad Briggs.

June Thomas: Holy crap! That was the cruelest, most abrupt cut to black since the Sopranos finale! That was a hell of an episode, even though so much of it was set up for what promises to be a truly insane final two episodes. Since I'm IMing with an international relations dude, I'll start highbrow: I was struck, in that powerful negotiation between Brody and Abu Nazir of how much "our" interactions with irrational actors, like terrorists, come down to a game of chicken. Brody "won" the argument, but he still went ahead and sent the serial number to Nazir. Of course, it helped that, as he said, he pretty much disagreed with everything Walden said and did. Still, that was a pretty powerful trust exercise, wouldn't you say?

Chad Briggs: It was, and is a powerful example of how difficult it is to negotiate when all trust is lost. Of course, that was a common theme throughout the episode, and the power struggles between people didn't stop at Nazir and Brody. There was Jess and Brody, Saul and Estes, and it was set up beautifully at the beginning with Saul?s conversation with Dar Adul, when he lamented the loss of the Cold War and said simply, "I miss the rules." It's been more than 20 years, and foreign policy experts still feel that loss of the world they knew, and fear that it's been replaced with these unknowable games of chicken, as you say. But I was also struck at the link made when Finn and Dana were talking, when she said, "Whatever we felt, we broke it. " I could not help but feel that was a larger statement about the world post-1991 and post-9/11.

Thomas: So true, though I sometimes wished there was room to flesh out some of those conversations. Although Carrie dismissed all Nazir's attempts to justify his methods?"you're a terrorist" is her go-to conversation-ender?she didn't have time or energy to challenge his assertion that it was the drone strike that radicalized him. I buy that it made him hate Walden, but he was already a terrorist. He'd kept a Marine in a hole and broken him, even if some ?emotional transference? did take place. He's perverting the truth there, just as she says he perverts the teachings of Islam.

Briggs: I agree that conversation, which is an important point in the series as a whole, was not fleshed out well. But perhaps that was almost intentional, because right after we witness Brody not just handing over information about the VP, but actually killing him in a fashion. I had wondered (we all had) about his motivations and whether he was acting out of divided loyalties (not easy for a Marine), trying to protect his family, love for Carrie of Issa, or hatred of the VP. None of those are necessarily exclusive, but the hatred really came out this episode, and it was really striking when it did. So... again, who is the terrorist? And if the CIA is willing to kill him, and if they turn against Saul in favor of black ops types ... again, who is really playing by any rules now? Is it really, as Carrie says, "Anything it takes"?

I suppose that is why the Dana storyline is important, that she remains the moral center of the story. Everyone else has lost their way.

BTW, I could not get over Dar Adul eating chicken and waffles at the beginning. It reminded me too much of Roscoe's in Hollywood.

Thomas: It made me very hungry. And such terrible tradecraft. There's no point moving house every few weeks if you're going to show up at Walter's Waffles every Tuesday.

Thomas: Related to that is how well Nazir apparently knew Brody?s heart. ?He will do it to save you,? he told Carrie??do it? in this case being sending the serial number of the vice president's pacemaker to Abu Nazir so that he could orchestrate Walden's murder. Nazir was right about Brody. By being right about the core motivations of one very confused and confusing man, he's established as an insightful, maybe even reliable source. That makes it harder to dismiss his claim that the West can?t win because we focus too much on the short-term?on pension plans and organic food?whereas his people of faith will wait one, two, three centuries?as long as it takes?to ?exterminate? the infidels. (And believe me, I want to!)

Briggs: Nazir's question of "How much faith do you have?" applies to not just or even primarily religion in the U.S., but if we still believe in what we stand for, which may be precisely those rules we break in order to catch the bad guys. I'm glad that Homeland is willing to raise these issues, because 24 never did, nor did Jack Bauer ever have moments of self-doubt.

Thomas: It's funny how Homeland's credibility-stretching plot points bother me less than the larger questions?about terrorists' motivations or how our open society hurts us. I am still burning up about the writers having Nazir discover the vice president's Achilles hee?his Walden heart?by reading the New York Times. I can't really believe that a Times story would reveal the location of the pacemaker packaging, though I suppose the mention of the VPOTUST?that is, the vice president of the United States' treadmill?suggests it might have been a photo that tipped off Nazir. And we do love to stare at all the things in the background of photos of our nation's leaders. [Update Dec. 13, 1:45 a.m.: Showtime's PR team tweeted out a link to the March 2008 New York Times story that inspired the pacemaker plot line.]

Briggs: It was remarkable that Nazir felt he could still trust Brody, because he and Carrie were the last two people to trust anyone in this show. Nazir even mentioned that they both loved him, and had that in common. Carrie has obviously not trusted herself throughout the entire series, and Claire Danes has done a remarkable job of portraying that uncertainty. And in this episode we see Brody struggle with his loyalties ... it was really etched in his face. As for the agency, no one trust anyone, though that is fairly true to life, particularly given recent events.

The New York Times mention reminded me of a similar line from Dr. Strangelove, that the Soviets got their most reliable intelligence from there. (There is some truth to this.)

The motivations of the CIA are the remaining puzzle, and perhaps now we won't even know how much the VP knew or was involved in any of it. I would guess that we'll discover he signed off on the assassination of Brody, in which case we're almost faced with a self-defense situation (though not clearcut, particularly since Brody did almost kill most of the national security staff last season). But the willingness to kill a sitting member of Congress fills me with some sense of dread in what will happen the next two episodes and how far the agency will be willing to act. We almost seem to be treading into a Seven Days in May or Operation Northwoods territory here.

Thomas: It is all very old-school. To go back to something you mentioned earlier?about intelligence operatives longing for the good old days?the writers also reminded us how much technology has enlarged the realm of possibility. Back in the days when the Soviets were Enemy No. 1, pretty much none of what happened in this episode would be possible. (And not just in a ?Brody would never get access to Walden?s office? kind of way.) The live video stream/phone call in which Abu Nazir showed Brody that he was holding Carrie? Old-school, that?s a photo of Carrie holding up that day?s Dalton?s Mill Advertiser or a traceable phone call. Brody texting the number to Nazir and Nazir sending it to the Killer Coder? Another series of halting and traceable phone calls at best. And, of course, the whole wirelessly accessible pacemaker is pretty much a modern convenience. It kind of makes me long the days of poison-tipped umbrellas.

Briggs: I completely agree, and at one point I was wondering what kidnappers used to use to bind hands before we had plastic ties. In the case of today's technology we often have too much information and no time with which to react. Brody's frantic pleadings to Nazir were the result of him being surprised and shocked at the suddenness of what he faced. As you say, in the old days there would have been time to formulate a plan, consider alternatives, but we almost have to trust our gut feelings in a world of instant messaging. In the days of the Cold War, the ?time to decision? was always considered the most dangerous part of U.S./Soviet nuclear politics?and precisely why rules were agreed upon by both sides. The technology piece also suggests a larger issue that we've had to deal with in our work, about how vulnerable technology makes us. Terrorists have so many more ways to threaten our existence, and in many ways we bring that upon ourselves without recognizing it.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=b905d4206d6bbacb30f0737d4c7b5ceb

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Netgear's NeoTV Prime (GTV100) is the latest Google TV box outed by FCC filings (update: pictures!)

Just like the suddenly inescapable 4K, it appears Google TV will be a buzzword for multiple new devices at CES like this Netgear NeoTV Prime (model # GTV100) which GTV Hacker discovered via a pair of curious FCC testing documents. It actually snuck through the FCC before the just-leaked ASUS Qube (more on that in a moment), revealed via a documents for both its Bluetooth-connected remote control and a wireless component, although the box itself remains under wraps. The remote packs a QWERTY keyboard, while up front there's a touchpad plus the usual assortment of control buttons augmented with several app shortcuts for Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, HBO Go and Crackle. It may be wishful thinking, but here's hoping the inclusion of Amazon and HBO Go buttons mean dedicated apps are on the way, instead of the current website shortcuts. The wireless module is less revealing, only confirming the name, 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0 and a lack of ad-hoc wireless network support. Check after the break for a couple of more pics, and info on where Google TV may be headed.

Update: We've heard a bit more about the box which is apparently in beta testing. At least at the moment, those button shortcuts are still tied to the webapps and some testers are complaining about overheating. We also have pictures of the box itself next to its remote, although it's possible the design could change before launch.

Gallery: Netgear NeoTV Prime GTV 100 Google TV

[Thanks, anonymous]

Continue reading Netgear's NeoTV Prime (GTV100) is the latest Google TV box outed by FCC filings (update: pictures!)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google

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Source: GTV Hacker, NeoTV Prime remote (FCC), NeoTV wireless (FCC)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/YeJUtHFaACw/

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How 'transparent' is graphene?

ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2012) ? The amazing electrical, optical and strength properties of graphene, a single-atom-thick layer of carbon, have been extensively researched over the last decade. Recently, the material has been studied as a coating that might confer electrical conductivity while maintaining other properties of the underlying material.

But the "transparency" of such a graphene coating to wetting -- a measure of the degree to which liquids spread out or bead up on a surface -- is not as absolute as some researchers had thought. New research at MIT shows that for materials with intermediate wettability, graphene does preserve the properties of the underlying material. But for more extreme cases -- superhydrophobic surfaces, which intensely repel water, or superhydrophilic ones, which cause water to spread out -- an added layer of graphene does significantly change the way coated materials behave.

That's important, because these extreme cases are generally of greatest interest. For example, coating a superhydrophobic material with graphene was seen as a possible way of making electronic circuits that would be protected from short-circuiting and corrosion in water. But it's not quite that simple, the new research shows.

The findings were recently published in the journal Physical Review Letters by professors Daniel Blankschtein and Michael Strano, graduate student Chih-Jeh Shih, and three other MIT postdocs and students.

Blankschtein, the Herman P. Meissner '29 Professor of Chemical Engineering, has studied wetting properties for a long time. He had not previously examined graphene, but decided to explore its wettability now that it's a material of great interest to researchers.

Because graphene's transparency to wettability turned out not to be perfect, Blankschtein says, "this finding may be viewed as a negative result." But, he adds, "it is nevertheless extremely important to the scientific community, because it [shows] what can actually be accomplished in practice."

Most electrically conductive materials, he points out, are hydrophilic: Water spreads readily on them, thoroughly wetting the surface. "On the other hand," he says, "for many electronic and military applications, it is important to fabricate hydrophobic, electrically conductive surfaces." And while graphene's transparency to wettability is not perfect, it may still be good enough for such applications, he says.

This research, which included both theoretical modeling and experimental confirmation, shows that by depositing a large graphene sheet, grown by a process called chemical vapor deposition, on another material's surface, "it would be possible to induce electrical conductivity on the surface, while partially preserving the desired surface wetting behavior," Blankschtein says. In fact, he adds, the contact angle of such a surface -- the measure of how well it prevents wetting -- "is believed to be one of the highest attainable on a flat, electrically conductive surface to date."

Shih, the lead author of the paper, says, "We have demonstrated that the wettability of a transparent, graphene-coated surface can be manipulated without undermining its thermal/electrical conductivity." That's useful because "in general, conductive surfaces have very high wettability due to their high surface tension, and it is generally very challenging to produce a thermally/electrically conductive surface with tunable wettability" -- wettability that can be controlled almost at will.

The team describes this partial transmission of the underlying characteristics as "translucency," rather than transparency, of wettability.

By selecting a particular combination of an underlying material with a graphene coating, different combinations of electrical, optical and wetting characteristics can be achieved, Shih says: "People can control the wetting properties of the substrate ? this breakthrough successfully decouples the conductivity and wettability of a material."

What's more, this opens up new possibilities for practical devices, because the materials involved are already widely used in industry, Shih says: "Due to its compatibility with today's semiconductor processes, many exciting opportunities may be pursued in the areas of microelectronics, nanoscale heat transfer and microfluidic devices -- to simultaneously engineer desired wettability, heat transfer and electronic transport."

Blankschtein emphasizes that in addition to the potential applications, "I'm excited about this from a fundamental point of view." It shows, he says, that "you can't assume that you can just take a substrate and drop graphene on it without perturbing the wetting behavior." By understanding this complex behavior, "we can learn how to take advantage of that."

The work, which also involved MIT postdocs Qing Hua Wang, Shangchao Lin and Zhong Jin and graduate student Kyoo-Chul Park, was supported by the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation and MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The original article was written by David Chandler.

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Journal Reference:

1. Chih-Jen Shih, Qing Wang, Shangchao Lin, Kyoo-Chul Park, Zhong Jin, Michael Strano, Daniel Blankschtein. Breakdown in the Wetting Transparency of Graphene. Physical Review Letters, 2012; 109 (17) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.176101

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/sLqy8-xj0gA/121203131704.htm

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Cowboys Beat Eagles 38-33: Tony Romo Breaks Troy Akiman's Franchise Record For Career Touchdowns

Kansas City Chiefs players greet fans as they exit the tunnel before an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Dez Bryant, Tony Romo

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) scores a touchdown from a pass by quarterback Tony Romo during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. Romo set a Cowboys record with his 166th touchdown pass, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Ndamukong Suh, Donald Brown

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, right, stops Indianapolis Colts running back Donald Brown (31) during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Von Miller

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (58) does a dance in the end zone after intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Greg Zuerlein

St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein (4) watches his 54-yard field goal during overtime of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in St. Louis. The field goal gave the Rams a 16-13 victory. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Calvin Johnson

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) puts the ball over the goalpost after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Members of the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers pray together following an NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. The Chiefs won 27-21. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Bryce Brown

Philadelphia Eagles running back Bryce Brown (34) scores a touchdown as tackle King Dunlap (65) celebrates and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears (96) and safety Gerald Sensabaugh (43) react during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Leon Washington, Sherrick McManis

Seattle Seahawks running back Leon Washington (33) is tackled by Chicago Bears defensive back Sherrick McManis (27) in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Rob Housler, Calvin Pace

Arizona Cardinals tight end Rob Housler (84) is tackled by New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Isaac Redman

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Isaac Redman (33) is stopped by Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (55), inside linebacker Jameel McClain (53), outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw (91) and cornerback Corey Graham (24) defense during the second half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Jake Locker, Whitney Mercilus

Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker (10) is sacked for a 1-yard loss by Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus (59) in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joe Howell)

Joique Bell

Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (35) is upended by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

Bill Belichick, Jim Howey

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick argues a call with head linesman Jim Howey during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Chris Clemons, Aaron Hernandez

Miami Dolphins strong safety Chris Clemons (30) grabs New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) face mask during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Miami. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) celebrates his touchdown reception with teammate Brandon Marshall (15) in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Riley Cooper, Brandon Carr

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper (14) makes a touchdown reception as Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr (39) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Tom Brady

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) leaves the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Miami . (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Greg McElroy, Konrad Reuland

New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy (14) is lifted by teammate Konrad Reuland after throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff Cumberland during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

CJ Spiller, Dawan Landry

Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller (28) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars' Dawan Landry (26) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)

Louis Murphy, Jalil Brown

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Louis Murphy (83) reaches the ball across the goal line while tackled by Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Jalil Brown (30) during the second half of an NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kellen Davis, Red Bryant, Matt Forte

Chicago Bears tight end Kellen Davis (87) blocks Seattle Seahawks defensive end Red Bryant (79) as Bears running back Matt Forte (22) rushes in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Lovie Smith, Jay Cutler

Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith throws a red flag to review a touchdown play in the second half against the Seattle Seahawks in an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. The ruling went in favor of the Bears. Looking on is Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Matt Forte, Bobby Wagner

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) scores on a pass from quarterback Jay Cutler (6) past Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) celebrates his touchdown reception with teammate Brandon Marshall (15) in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Stevie Johnson

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson (13) celebrates a touchdown catch with fans during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

William Powell, Ellis Lankster

Arizona Cardinals running back William Powell (33) leaps over New York Jets defensive back Ellis Lankster during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Josh Norman, Jon Baldwin

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jon Baldwin (89) is tackled in the end zone by Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman (24) during the second half of an NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Miles Austin, DeMeco Ryans

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin (19) carries the ball past Philadelphia Eagles middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans (59) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Jorvorskie Lane, Jerod Mayo

Miami Dolphins fullback Jorvorskie Lane fumbles the ball as he is tackled by New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Miami. The Dolphins recovered the ball. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Haruki Nakamura

Carolina Panthers free safety Haruki Nakamura (43) jumps over the pile during a goal line stance in the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Mario Williams

Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) knocks the ball away from Jacksonville Jaguars' Chad Henne (7) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Williams recovered the fumble on the play. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)

Chad Henne, Kyle Moore

Jacksonville Jaguars' Chad Henne (7) runs for a touchdown as Buffalo Bills defensive end Kyle Moore (54) chases him into the end zone during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

Wes Welker

New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker (83) runs for a touchdown as Miami Dolphins defensive back R.J. Stanford (25) cannot catch up during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Miami . (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson breaks away for a 48-heard run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

Brady Quinn

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn (9) gestures after a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Arian Foster

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) blows a kiss to the crowd after scoring a touchdown on a 2-yard run against the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joe Howell)

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson breaks a for an 82-yard touchdown run during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

James Jones

ADDS THAT THE PLAY WAS CALLED BACK ON A HOLDING CALL - Minnesota Vikings cornerback A.J. Jefferson cannot stop Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (89) from crossing the goal line after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. The play was called back on a holding call. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Coby Fleener, DeAndre Levy, Louis Delmas

Indianapolis Colts tight end Coby Fleener (80), defended by Detroit Lions free safety Louis Delmas (26) and linebacker DeAndre Levy (54), falls into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

C.J. Spiller, Aaron Ross

Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller (28) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars' Aaron Ross (31) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)

Aldon Smith, Sam Bradford, Barry Richardson

San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith, center, sacks St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, left, for a 6-yard loss while Rams tackle Barry Richardson, right, tries to block Smith during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Mikel Leshoure

Detroit Lions running back Mikel Leshoure (25) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

James Casey

Houston Texans fullback James Casey (86) scores a touchdown on a 5-yard pass reception against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joe Howell)

Steve Smith, Neiko Thorpe

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) celebrates after making a touchdown catch while covered by Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Neiko Thorpe (38) during the first half of an NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Specatators use bags over their heads while watching the first half of an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Steve Smith, Ron Torbert

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) makes a touchdown catch in front of side judge Ron Torbert (62) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Bruce Miller, Colin Kaepernick

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) throws to fullback Bruce Miller, left, during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

Earl Bennett

Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett (80) dives for a touchdown after a 12-yard pass reception against the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. The play was ruled a touchdown after a review. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Donnie Avery, LaVon Brazill

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver LaVon Brazill (15) jumps in the air as wide receiver Donnie Avery runs into the end zone for a touchdown as time runs out in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. The Colts won 35-33. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/02/cowboys-eagles-38-33-tony-romo-troy-aikman_n_2229447.html

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Obama accuses House GOP of holding middle class tax cuts 'hostage'

President Obama is urging Congress to extend tax breaks for the middle class, saying it's "unacceptable for some Republicans in Congress to hold middle class tax cuts hostage simply because they refuse to let tax rates go up on the wealthiest Americans."

With the clock ticking toward the so-called "fiscal cliff," Obama asked lawmakers in his weekly address to "begin by doing what we all agree on" and extend the middle class tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year.

Read: Cliff Dive: A Stalemate and a Scrooge Christmas

"With the issue behind us, we'll have more time to work out a plan to bring down our deficits in a balanced way, including by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more, so we can still invest in the things that make our nation strong," he said from a toy manufacturing facility in Hatfield, Pa., where he delivered a similar message to workers Friday.

The president has launched a public campaign to try and force Republicans to sign on to his position on the expiring Bush tax cuts, asking them to pass a Senate bill that would maintain low middle class tax rates while allowing them to go up on the top income earners.

"If we can just get a few House Republicans on board, I'll sign this bill as soon as Congress sends it my way," he said.

Read: Could Outgoing Republicans Hold Keys to 'Fiscal Cliff'?

Earlier this week, the White House put forth a deficit reduction proposal to avert the looming tax increases and spending cuts set to kick in on Jan. 1, which included $1.6 trillion in tax increases over the next 10 years, $50 billion in new stimulus spending, $400 billion in unspecified Medicare cuts, and a measure to effectively end Congress's ability to vote on the debt limit. The offer, which closely mirrors the president's previous deficit-reduction plans, lacked concessions to Republicans, including detailed spending cuts, and was strongly rejected.

Since then, as House Speaker John Boehner put it, negotiations between the White House and House Republicans have come to a "stalemate."

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-accuses-house-gop-holding-middle-class-tax-110043481--abc-news-politics.html

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