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Sometimes What You Think Is A Luxury Is Really Just A Burden

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Recently, my boyfriend and I took a somewhat last minute trip to Seattle.

The goal was simply to get away from the grind for a few days and explore a new environment. In the spirit of frugality, we decided to relinquish one big luxury: car rental.

Yes, we thought the convenience would be nice, but it would’ve cost upwards of $300, and we figured we could make the sacrifice and “rough it” by taking public transportation or just walking.

Turns out, roughing it wasn’t rough at all, and renting a car would have actually been less of a luxury and more of a burden.

During our long walks from the hotel to the Space Needle, Pike Place and Pioneer Square, we made some pleasant and memorable stops at various coffee houses, restaurants and boutiques — stops we wouldn’t have made had we opted for the “luxury” of driving. We also spent a lot of time talking during those walks, and those conversations have become some of my favorite memories. Had we rented a car, those talks would have probably revolved more around where to park, which streets to take, and other thrilling, driving-related topics.

Burden or Luxury??Sometimes burdens disguise themselves as luxuries. By definition, luxuries already cost more than they’re worth, but we want them anyway, because they provide some sort of happiness. But lately, the question I’ve been asking myself is — do those luxuries provide happiness? Or, frugality aside, would I actually be happierwithout them? If I’d be happier without them, then those luxuries serve no purpose and are only big wastes of money.

Here are a few personal examples of how I suspect my burdens are disguising themselves as luxuries:

Going out?As my bank statements will tell you, I really enjoy going to restaurants and bars. Yes, I budget myself, and I’m frugal about it, but I choose to spend a certain amount on this each month because I just really, really enjoy it. But here’s the thing: I also enjoy my home. It’s my sanctuary. It’s not as if I like going out because I don’t like being home. But when I’m out every weekend, it keeps me from enjoying my apartment, and rent is my biggest expense. If I’m mostly using my home as a place to sleep and work, I’m actually missing out on truly enjoying what I spend the majority of my income on.

Thinking about this, when I have friends over, it gives me the same “high” as going out. Therefore, it’s not restaurants, bars, or other venues I enjoy as much as it is being around people. I’m not saying I should slash my restaurant budget to zero, but I bet I could cut back, invite people over more, and my time would be just as enjoyable–actually more enjoyable, because I get to simultaneously enjoy my home. I do like going out, but probably not as much as I think, and therefore, it’s likely not as much of a luxury I think it is.

Cable?Every frugal person will tell you this is the biggest luxury on which you could waste your money. But I really enjoy cable, both for the convenience and the programs. I really enjoy turning on the TV and knowing I just might stumble upon an old episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when I least expect it.

But still, there are better things to do than watch reruns of that show (no matter how awesome it was). I have a long list of books to read and movies to watch. Perhaps if I didn’t have the convenience of cable, I’d actually get around to that list. My justification is: “well, I wouldn’t, because I’m just in the mood to turn on the TV and zone out.” Zoning out is my luxury. But when I think about it, it’s a pretty crappy one. Without cable, I would be forced to be more conscious about my entertainment choices, and I bet those choices would then be of better quality. This isn’t to say that The Fresh Prince isn’t a quality show, but there are only so many times in my life that I need to see Will get stuck in that basement with Tisha Campbell.

Note: Tomorrow’s “ask the readers” column is specifically about alternatives to cable television.

Soda?Maybe this is a silly one, but I used to really love my soda. I drank one around the same time every day, and I considered it my little luxury. In the spirit of saving money (and being healthy), one day I decided to stop drinking it every day. Turns out, I actually don’t really like soda. Who knew? I had one last night, for the heck of it, and I realized it’s not very good. Perhaps I liked the ritual, perhaps it was the sugar I was addicted to–I don’t know. All I know is, for whatever reason, my body doesn’t even want soda anymore. It was an unnecessary luxury, and actually, not even a luxury at all, but a costly burden/addiction.

I could go on, but you get the point. So now that I’ve pinpointed these burdens disguised as luxuries, what do I do? Here’s my plan.

The Value of Luxuries

?I’ve asked myself how much I enjoy my “luxuries” in the first place. What do I like about them? In Seattle, I wanted to rent a car so that I could drive from the airport to my hotel and from my hotel to the Space Needle.Ooooh, so luxurious! Sure, convenience can be a luxury, but is that convenience really worth $300?

• Money aside, what would I do without the luxury? Is there a possibility my indulgence is keeping me from doing something I enjoy more? Am I paying money to be less happy? For example, I’m healthier and happier without my soda habit.

• Why do I like it in the first place? What’s at the core of the things I deem to be luxuries? Why do I enjoy them and seek them? Is there better and cheaper way to get that feeling? I suspect I enjoy going out because I like being around people. Well, being around people is free. So this is an area I need to visit. It just might be that, at its core, my luxury is free. That’s something I need to determine, which brings me to…

My plan is to go without some of these luxuries for a month or so and see if they can’t easily be replaced by something better and cheaper. Maybe I’m actually happier without them altogether. This is how I plan to weed out what’s a burden and what’s an actual luxury. Maybe I do truly enjoy the simple act of zoning out on reruns. But there’s a good chance I don’t enjoy zoning out as much as I think I do, and a trial run without cable will help me to determine that.

We do so many things in life without questioning them. Sometimes we even determine our happiness without giving it much thought. Like me, you may find that your luxuries aren’t that luxurious at all. Sometimes, they’re just costly burdens.

Now meet a woman who ditched her job and apartment to go on the ultimate road trip > 

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It Was Shockingly Easy For The Batman Shooter To Buy A Massive Arsenal

glock

Denver shooting suspect James Holmes purchased some 6,000 rounds of ammunition over the internet before carrying out his massacre at a midnight screening of Batman.

The ammunition was part of a massive arsenal he gathered in the run-up to the killings, which also included four guns legally purchased at local gun shops.

His weapons were two Glock pistols, a 12-guage shotgun, and a high-powered AR-15 assault rifle fitted with a drum magazine allowing a fire rate of 50 to 60 rounds per minute.

Dan Oates, the chief of police in Aurora, Colorado, where Holmes killed 12 people and injured 58 others, said: ’He purchased four guns at local gun shops and through the internet he purchased over 6,000 rounds of ammunition, more than 3,000 rounds of 0.223 ammunition for the assault rifle, 3,000 rounds of 0.40 caliber ammunition for the two Glocks in his possession, and 300 rounds for the 12 gauge shotgun.

“Also through the internet he purchased multiple magazines for the 0.223 caliber assault rifle including one 100-round drum magazine which was recovered from the scene.

“Even if it was semi-automatic I’m told by experts that with that drum magazine he could have got off 50 to 60 rounds within a minute. As far as we know it was a pretty rapid pace of fire in the theatre.

“My understanding is that all the weapons he possessed, he possessed legally and all the clips that he possessed, he possessed legally and all the ammunition he possessed, he possessed legally.”

Holmes is also believed to have joined a casual sex website where he apparently hinted at his plans for his killing spree, asking potential suitors: “Will you visit me in prison?”

The AdultFriendFinder website, which offers users the chance for casual encounters, features pictures of a man features pictures of a man who resembles Holmes with dyed red hair, the same colour described by NYPD spokesman Ray Kelly following Holmes’s arrest.

Under the username 'classicjimbo’, the 24-year-old — known as Jimmy to friends and family — said he was “looking for a fling or casual sex gal. Am a nice guy. Well, as nice enough of a guy who does these sort of shenanigans (sic)”.

The AdultFriendFinder account was last accessed on Tuesday, two days before the shootings. Holmes is believed to have joined the site on July 5th, just two weeks before Thursday’s attack.

The ease with which Holmes was able to obtain his deadly arsenal has provoked renewed debate over the issue of gun control in the US, where many are fiercely protective of their Constitutional Second Amendment 'right to bear arms’.

Colorado’s gun laws are notoriously lax, even in light of the 1999 Columbine High School shootings, which took place just a 30 minute drive from the site of the Aurora cinema massacre.

Thirteen students died at Columbine when disaffected students Eric Harris and and Dylan Klebold opened fire on campus.

Firearm rights organisations have successfully blocked many attempts to tighten gun legislation in the state, and residents are permitted to carry loaded weapons in a vehicle if intended for 'lawful purposes’. Individuals with permits are entitled to carry concealed weapons and many claim the process of obtaining a permit is 'straightforward’ for anyone with no prior criminal convictions.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/x0YLKajoRUo/it-was-shockingly-easy-for-the-batman-shooter-to-buy-a-massive-arsenal-2012-7

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Private Student Loans: The Subprime Mortgages of the College World

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Student loans and student debt
With more than $1 trillion in student loans outstanding, many students and graduates are struggling under the weight of huge amounts of debt. But as a report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reveals, one fairly small part of the student loan market appears to be most responsible for many of the problems borrowers face: private student loans.

According to the CFPB report, borrowers have more than $150 billion in private student loan debt. Yet the market for private student loans is still a pretty small niche, making up just 7% of total student loans originated in 2010-2011.

But go back a few years, and you would have seen a much different story. During the mid-2000s, investor demand for securities backed by private student loans led to a big growth surge in lending activity. Just as subprime mortgages opened up the housing market to less creditworthy borrowers, so too did lax lending standards for many private loans sow the seeds for trouble later on, with students taking out loans they didn't need and borrowing more than they could afford.

The CFPB report points out some of the consequences. More than 850,000 loans have defaulted since 1999, involving more than $8 billion in debt. Because private student loans don't come with the same deferment, forbearance, and debt forgiveness options that many government loans have, borrowers have a lot less flexibility in handling problems once they arise. Moreover, even bankruptcy isn't a good option for troublesome private student loans because of tighter bankruptcy laws governing courts and their ability to discharge student loan debt.

For-Profit Problems

The report notes the big role that for-profit colleges have played in boosting private student loans. Citing 2008 statistics, 42% of undergraduates at for-profit colleges used a private student loan, compared to just 14% of undergraduates overall.

But the report doesn't call out all private student loans. As the Education Finance Council noted in its response to the study, the CFPB found that default rates on nonprofit, state-affiliated lenders are about half those of for-profit lenders.

Despite recommendations from the CFPB to make the private loan process more transparent and easy to understand for prospective borrowers, the real challenge comes from rising college costs. As long as young people need a college education in order to succeed, demand will keep prices high and drive many students into credit problems that will take them years to overcome.

For more on education and your money:

Motley Fool contributor Dan Caplinger only spent a modest amount of his loan money on pizza. You can follow him on Twitter here.



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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/07/20/private-student-loans-subprime-mortgages-college/

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High-Risk, High Reward Small Caps

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I'll be gathering more small- and mid-cap candidates for my real-money "multivitamin" portfolio over the next few days via my Foolish 8 and modified Foolish 8 screens. Today, I present the Foolish 8, which was developed by Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner to identify profitable, rapid-growth small-cap stocks. Here are the eight criteria:

1. Revenues: $500 million or less
2. Earnings and sales growth: 25% or greater
3. Net profit margin: 7% or greater
4. Daily dollar volume: $1 million-$25 million
5. Insider holdings: 10% or greater
6. Share price: $7 or greater
7. Relative strength: 90 or greater
8. Operating cash flow: a positive number

The contenders
This month, 11 companies passed the screen, up from 10 in June:

Company

Market Cap (in millions)

Industry

Add to Your Watchlist

Akorn (Nasdaq: AKRX  )

$1,522

Pharmaceuticals Add
Altisource Portfolio Solutions

$1,758

Real estate management/development Add
American Vanguard  

$696

Chemicals Add
Credo Petroleum (Nasdaq: CRED  )

$145

Oil, Gas and Consumable Fuels Add
HealthStream

$690

Health-care technology Add
Homeowners Choice

$164

Insurance Add
Liquidity Services (Nasdaq: LQDT  )

$1,327

Internet software and services Add
SolarWinds

$3,156

Software Add
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: SPPI  )

$978

Biotechnology Add
TGC Industries

$199

Energy equipment and services Add
Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL  )

$785

Commercial Banks Add
Data provided by S&P Capital IQ.

Western Alliance Bancorporation and Credo Petroleum are new this month. Western is a quiet, regional bank based in Phoenix. It's down 75% from its all-time high, but reported record revenue and net income last quarter.

Credo has really had its ups and downs over the years, but soared over 30%, after announcing this month that it's being acquired by Forestar. The buyout is for $14.50 per share; expect the stock price to hover just below there until the deal closes later this year.

CRED Chart

CRED data by YCharts

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals has soared for us in the past couple of months, and is now up 44% since hitting the screen in May. Fellow Fool Brian Orelli has three reasons you may want to pick up some shares for yourself.

Liquidity Services mysteriously dropped about 25% earlier this month on no news. Still, our Stock Advisor team continues to like this company because of its strong competitive position, excellent returns on capital, and growth potential.

Finally, Akorn continues its fantastic climb this year. It's now up 31% on the Foolish 8 scorecard, and 110% in the past 12 months. Nick Pugleasa offers a closer look at its turnaround.

AKRX Chart

AKRX data by YCharts

I hear CAPS calling
As I mentioned, I'm tracking and scoring each one of my monthly screens now, so we can see exactly how they're performing. We refer to it as a CAPScall around these parts, and the Foolish 8 has its own page. Just add it as a favorite to keep up.

Tomorrow, I'll reveal the results of this month's modified Foolish 8 screen, and then talk about the companies that interest me from both screens in more depth.

If you're looking for something to balance out your risky small caps, consider our special free report detailing the best of the steady dividend payers. It's called "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks," and it's yours for the taking.

Election Shocker: Guess who's got an 86% chance of winning this November...

It's not Romney. Or Obama. It's not Democrats, Republicans, or the Tea Party. In fact, it's not politicians at all. It's individual investors like you.

Since 1952, the S&P 500 has posted a gain in the last seven months of an election year 85.7% of the time. But if you want to set yourself up for maximum profits and minimum risk after the election, you need to have the proper investment strategy in place well before November.

That's why we've asked our top advisors and equity analysts to weigh in on which investments will win if Romney does... which will win if Obama does... and what you can do to help boost your wealth no matter who wins in November.

It's all part of our brand-new investor empowerment series, "Invest Like a Pro: Savvy Strategies for the Next 4 Years and Beyond" ? which we're making available to individual investors like you absolutely free for a limited time.

To get access to this exclusive bundle of informative videos, advisor roundtables, special reports, articles, and more, simply enter your email address below, click the "Sign me up!" button, and then check your inbox for further details. Advertisement

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Source: http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/07/20/high-risk-high-reward-small-caps.aspx

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12 Dead, 70 Wounded At Denver Screening Of 'Dark Knight Rises'

 

dark knight shooting theater

A horrific shooting at the Century Theater in Aurora, Colorado, early on Friday morning has stunned the United States.

A figure in a gas mask set off what appear to have been tear gas bombs about 15 minutes into a midnight showing of The Dark Knight before opening fire on the crowd watching the movie.

Police told reporters that 12 people have died and 58 more were injured in the attack. There were 70 casualties in total, making it the largest mass shooting in U.S. history by casualties.

As of 3:30 PM local time (5:30 PM EDT), 30 patients remained in the hospital and 11 patients were still in critical condition.

In a midday press conference, Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates named 24 year-old white male James Eagan Holmes as the sole suspect in the case. Police apprehended Holmes in the parking lot of the movie theater. 9News in Denver reports that the subject did not resist arrest.

dark knight shooting aerial shot


Bomb squads still on the scene

Oates said the shooter made statements to police about explosives at his apartment and car after being taken into custody. According to 9NEWS, a bomb robot found suspicious materials in Holmes's car.

Upon further investigation, authorities determined that the subject's apartment had been booby-trapped with explosive or flammable devices. By that point, they had already evacuated the building at East 17th Street and Peoria in Aurora.

The area--which includes five adjacent apartment buildings--remains surrounded by police. Authorities do not know how long it will take to secure the area.

The police chief called Holmes's apartment a "very vexing problem." "We don't know how we're going to handle that," Oates said. "It's like nothing I've ever seen."

Aurora authorities sought help from the FBI and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives). The task force had halted an operation to disarm the booby-traps for the day by Friday evening and planned to restart those efforts Saturday.

University of Colorado—Denver police have evacuated two research buildings the suspect once worked in, according to CBS Denver.

dark knight shooting aerial shot climbing into apartment


Theater-goers experienced their own horror movie

Witnesses say the perpetrator, allegedly wearing a bullet-proof vest, goggles, and a gas mask, entered Theater #9--one of three theaters showing The Dark Knight Rises around midnight--through a fire exit. He opened fire after blinding the audience with tear gas.

The Dark Knight Graphic Novel

At least one person in Theater #8 (also showing the Batman flick) was also hit by bullets coming through the wall. A witness also told reporters on the scene that the shooter eventually entered other theaters after they had been evacuated in an attempt to shoot stragglers.

Some witnesses remarked in interviews after the massacre that Holmes appeared and even called himself the "Joker," a character in the Batman saga.

Journalists also pointed out that the shooting bears an uncanny resemblance to Frank Miller's graphic novel "The Dark Knight Rises."


A puzzling suspect

Police have said that Holmes has no criminal history beyond a single traffic violation. They are "confident" that Holmes acted alone, and by midday were no longer exploring the possibility that he acted in concert with an accomplice.

While witnesses speculated that the incident "[felt] like" a terrorist attack in TV interviews immediately after the event, police have said that the alleged gunman has no known connections to terrorist groups or activities. The New York Times reports that police consider Holmes "somewhat of an enigma"  because they have been unable to find any solid indications of a motive nor any evidence of any past aberrant behavior.

However, Oates told reporters at an evening press conference, "If we had information about a motive, we would not share it with you."


The victims

We've seen two disturbing, graphic amateur videos so far that were taken during or in the direct aftermath of the tragedy. One shows theater-goers fleeing the movie theater, first at a walk and then at a run. The second shows victims being carried through the parking lot away from the site of the attack.

The wounded were transported to various local hospitals, all of which remarked that the victims tended to be young, with most between 16 and 30. The youngest person hospitalized that news channels identified was a 3 month-old who was taken to University Hospital. According to 9News, the infant was not injured, and taken to the hospital as a precaution. A 6 year-old was also taken to the local children's hospital.

Most of the victims were treated for gunshot wounds, though a few victims only sought treatment for chemical exposure. These latter injuries were caused by the tear gas--or another chemical irritant--that the gunman apparently used to confuse theater-goers.

"Nearly every one [of the victims] was shot," Oates told reporters.

One victim posted images of his injuries to Reddit >

dark knight shooting aerial shot


Gunman stockpiled weapons ahead of the attack

Oates told reporters in a press conference Friday evening, "In the last 60 days he purchased 4 guns at local metro gun shops." He also purchased 6,000 rounds of ammunition online. The police currently believe that Holmes acquired all his weapons and ammunition legally.

James HOlmesThe shooter fired from an assault-type AR-15 rifle, a model 870 pump shotgun, and at least one of two .40-caliber Glocks police found at the scene. He was also carrying a knife. He was driving a car with Tennessee plates, but had been living in the Aurora area recently. Two more weapons—a shotgun and a pistol—were allegedly stored in his car.  Here's what we know about the equipment carried by the gunman >


Holmes's mother tells reporters, "You have the right person" before Holmes was publicly identified

Before police had confirmed the identity of the suspected gunman, ABC News got in touch with Holmes's mother. In a conversation with journalists she said, "You have the right person...I need to call the police...I need to fly out to Colorado," before ending the conversation.

Later, San Diego police showed up outside her house. "We're only here to preserve the peace; we're not here to conduct and investigation or do anything else," said Lt. Andrea Brown of the San Diego Police. She said their tasks included keeping the street open and making sure journalists did not disturb the residents.

According to the Associated Press, the University of Colorado Medical School said that the suspect had been a student there. He withdrew last month. He appears to have taken a course titled the Biological Basis of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders (via @BuzzFeedAndrew).

The Associated Press reported at 4:20 PM EDT that Holmes is not cooperating with police officials, despite appearing to go quietly with police directly after the shooting and reveal the presence of explosives in his car and apartment. 

Holmes is currently being held in Araphoe County Jail. His first court appearance will take place on Monday at 8:30 AM local time (10:30 AM EDT), according to Chief Oates. Police have elected not to release a mugshot.

dark knight shooting aerial shot


Politicians jump into the fray

Both President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney released statements on the incident, expressing sympathy and sadness. Both men gave press conferences about the incident.

Warner Brothers has also extended its "sincere sympathies to the families and the loved ones of the victims" of the attack, and has cancelled the Paris premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in the wake of the shooting.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told WOR radio this morning that the incident should prompt candidates to come clean about their stance on gun policy.

Pundits have already expressed concerns that the tragic social realities of the shooting will be overshadowed by the political debates it generates, particularly in an election year.

 

First full day following the massacre draws to a close

In a press conference at 7 PM local time (9 PM EDT) Friday--their third of the day--both Police Chief Oates and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper appeared saddened and exhausted.

Chief Oates said that police had removed the last of the 10 bodies of victims pronounced dead in the theater a little after 5 PM local time.

Hickenlooper told reporters, "[We have] an anger that can't find purpose." He continued, "We're not just going to let [this] happen to us. We're going to push back."

The next press briefing will take place at 4 PM EDT Saturday.

---

You can follow the story by watching 9 News's live coverage and at the Twitter handle #theatershooting.

We're updating this story live as it develops.

WATCH: Disturbing Amateur Video At Theater Where Colorado Shooting Occurred >

Here's that live video feed from 9 News:

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/XYjjyu2soGU/at-least-10-killed-and-30-40-injured-at-dark-night-rises-premiere-in-colorado-2012-7

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Key Drivers Behind Manulife?s $13 Stock Value

Asia is expected to account for 85% of the world's middle class in the next five years, providing a huge potential customer base for insurance companies such as Manulife.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2012/07/19/key-drivers-behind-manulifes-13-stock-value/

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Since Doing Away With Sales Didn?t Work, JCPenney Is Just Getting Rid Of Check-Out Clerks

jcpnoclerksIf it works for grocery stores, why not try it at a department store? JCPenney is doing away with human checkout clerks and turning to self-service stands instead. You never know, perhaps the lure of a new experience will bring in customers to the struggling retail chain, since doing away with sales didn't quite pan [...]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/07/since-doing-away-with-sales-didnt-work-jcpenney-is-just-getting-rid-of-check-out-clerks.html

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A Huge Sunspot Fires Off An Intense Solar Flare

Solar Flare

A gigantic sunspot unleashed an intense solar flare early Thursday (July 19), though the solar storm shouldn't pose any serious problems to us here on Earth, scientists say.

The flare erupted from a sunspot known as AR 1520 at 1:13 a.m. EDT (0513 GMT) Thursday and peaked about 45 minutes later. The outburst qualifies as an M7.7-class solar flare, meaning it's a bit weaker than the sun's most powerful blast, X-class flares.

The sun storm also produced a coronal mass ejection (CME), a huge eruption of solar plasma that can streak through space at speeds of 3 million mph (5 million kph) or more. CMEs that hit Earth can wreak havoc, spawning geomagnetic storms that can disrupt GPS signals, radio communications and power grids.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, a spacecraft that constantly watches the sun in different wavelengths of light, recorded a video of the solar flare as it appeared to erupt from the edge of the sun.

Modeling efforts suggest Thursday's CME is not headed our way, NASA researchers said. The flare also generated a minor radiation storm around Earth, but it doesn't appear to be dangerous to astronauts or satellites.

"The S1 (minor) Solar Radiation Storm persists, but should steadily decline through the day," scientists with the Space Weather Prediction Center, which is operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wrote in an update today (July 20).

The outburst was not the first for AR 1520, which researchers say could be 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) long. Last week, it shot out an X1.4 flare, the strongest of the summer to that point but not the most powerful flare of the year. That distinction goes to an X5.4 behemoth that erupted in March.

After remaining quiet from 2005 to 2010, the sun began waking up last year, spouting off numerous powerful flares and CMEs.

Most experts think such outbursts will continue over the next year or so. Solar activity waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle, and scientists expect the current one, known as Solar Cycle 24, will peak in 2013.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/PSqvPyTsWYg/a-huge-sunspot-fires-off-an-intense-solar-flare-2012-7

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