business: July 2009

Attention Los Angeles: Evan Sayet’s Right to Laugh Show, Live at the Laugh Factory, Tuesday July 14

My friend, the very funny Evan Sayet, whose YouTube videos have been seen 500,000 times, is at the Laugh Factory this coming Tuesday, July 14th.

Evan Sayet at the Laugh Factory 7-14-09

'Evan has crossed that line from 'funny' to important.' -- Michael Barone, US News and World Report

'Simply the best political comedian working in America today,' -- David Horowitz, best selling author of 'The Party of Defeat.'

'Evan transcends the word 'comic.' He's brilliant!' -- David Zucker, Writer/Director, 'An American Carol,' 'Naked Gun' and 'Airplane.'

"If Ann Coulter, Jackie Mason and Evan Sayet were in town and I could only see two shows, I'd see Evan twice." -- Jaz McKay, Infinity Broadcasting.

"Evan is the best!!" -- Ann Coulter, best selling author of "If Democrats Had Any Brains They'd Be Republicans."

"Evan Sayet is one of my favorite cultural commentators," Tammy Bruce, nationally syndicated radio talk show host and best selling author.

"At last I can delight in a show that is genuinely funny. My thanks to Evan Sayet -- Larry Elder, nationally syndicated radio talk show host.

"(Evan Sayet's) a funny guy...he had the crowd howling." -- Marc Cooper, LA Weekly.

America to Congress: You’re Acting Hysterical. Take a Deep Breath. Calm Down.

Here's a proposed open letter to Congress:

Dear Congress,

Take a deep breath. Calm down.

You passed the $787-billion stimulus bill without even reading it in the hopes that it would fix the economy. We know, you were in a hurry to try to do something, but we can all see now that it didn't work. The banks still are afraid to make loans, the stock market is still in the tank, and unemployment hasn't dropped - but the risk of inflation is now dangerously high.

You passed the $410-billion omnibus spending bill, in less than 48 hours, despite that it was jammed with 8,000+ pork items.

As you move with increasing speed, you are passing bills not only without reading them, but also without even thinking about the consequences. Because you are worried about the AIG bonuses, the House just passed a bill that would:

...impose a 90% levy on bonuses paid to workers whose household incomes top $250,000 by firms that received more than $5 billion under the government's financial rescue package. That would encompass much of Wall Street, including such marquee-name firms as JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

What you're not realizing is that this would be a massive attack on the entire U.S. financial industry - the very industry you are trying to protect.

...alarm spread across Wall Street that the government's sudden taxation fervor could ensnare thousands of workers and affect every major financial firm.

Although the fast-moving legislative campaign was born of frustration with the bonuses paid to workers at ailing American International Group Inc., employees at comparatively healthy investment banks fretted about the steep tax hikes they could face if the legislation became law.

It's clear …

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Cuban Expatriate: Why Obama Reminds Me of Castro

Similar Posters of Castro and Obama

Headlines:

MSNBC 11/2008 -- Obama vows change in U.S. policy on Cuba
President-elect has indicated he's open to talks with Raul Castro

BBC 1/2009 -- Will Obama shift policy on Cuba?
The election of Barack Obama has energised those seeking a change in relations between the US and Cuba.

IPS News 1/2009 -- US-CUBA: Obama Urged to Take Bold Steps Toward Normalisation

Guardian 3/2009 -- Obama will use spring summit to bring Cuba in from the cold

Newsweek 3/2009 -- Why Obama Should Lift the Cuba Embargo

Reuters 5/2009 --� US-Cuba thaw in full swing in arts world

This site recently had the chance to talk to an America man whose family fled Castro's political oppression to come here.�His thoughts include surprising observations regarding Cuba's history, and the state of Cuba today, as well as troubling parallels between Castro and Obama.

We'll call the interviewee, who does not want his name to appear, "Eduardo."

Take this as the verbal testimony of one man. I have obtained partial corroboration from one of Miami's top radio talk show hosts, Ninoska Pérez Castellón. Ninoska is quoted below, regarding some of his most surprising observations.

Per Eduardo's views Cuba is a place in which:

Children are wards of the state - forcibly removed from their parents when they become teenagers.
Some children are forced into state-sponsored prostitution.
Free speech is punishable as a crime against the state.

In addition, Eduardo also sees striking parallels between Obama and Castro.

Let's get right into it.

Children in Cuba are Wards of the State; and,� the Child Prostitution Business

…

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What’s *Really* Shocking About the White House Correspondent’s Dinner

Mike Lupien has an excellent article in today's Daily News talking about the tasteless jokes at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. But the tastelessness of the jokes isn't the real shocker about this.

In the past this dinner has always been a roast, i.e. an occasion where people make good-natured, self-deprecating jokes about the guest of honor (in this case Obama).

For example, from 2007:

Before Bush and Little spoke, CBS star David Letterman made a video appearance from his studio with a Top 10 list of taped vignettes showing some of the funniest Bush flubs of the last year.

From 2002:

President Bush gave reporters here a look Saturday at "what life is really like inside the Bush White House," showing off his collection of "actual, never-seen-before photos."

Bush and top members of his administration mingled with reporters and other Washington insiders at the annual White House Correspondents dinner.

The correspondents dinner, in its 88th year, has become an occasion for self-deprecating humor from presidents. Last year, Bush presented a slide show of his family accompanied by a joke-riddled speech about the 2000 presidential election recount.

What's really shocking isn't just the tastelessness of the jokes - it's that Obama used these jokes and this platform to attack his� political opponents:

Obama Likes Wanda Sykes Joke About Rush Limbaugh — ‘I Hope His Kidneys Fail’

Wanda Sykes Makes Fun Of Absent Sarah Palin With Abstinence Joke

Obama Mocks GOP Chair Michael Steele’s Use Of ‘Street Slang’

Far from being a uniter, the divisive Obama misuses the power of his office to bully all those who oppose him.

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Obama Govt. Treachery… Step 1: “Take This Money, No Strings Attached”… Step 2: “Now We Own You”

American businesses who accepted bailout money didn't know they were potentially selling control of their businesses to the U.S. government. The rage this must be causing to executives all over this country - many of whom are likely to have been Democrats - will hopefully threaten tremendous damage to the Democratic party, so that the Dems will have to stop Obama's blatant attempt to turn our economy into a planned economy like the economies of the Soviet Union, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and North Korea.

If AP is correct, it appears that Democrats are feeling pressure to abort Obama's attempt to turn the economy of the U.S. into that of a third-world nation:

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in Congress are taking only baby steps with his budget, putting off crucial decisions on his ambitious plans to expand health care, curb global warming and raise taxes on the wealthy.

...Risk-averse Democrats, however, are merely kicking the can down the road rather than using the budget to give a real push to the president's agenda. On health care, global warming and even Obama's signature "Making Work Pay" tax cut, the pending House and Senate budget plans offer no clues as to how those big ideas might advance.

Hopefully Obama's treachery will ensure that no company that can avoid it will take bailout money in the future -- now that they know the strings that are attached.

Music downloading unabated
And I had thought file-sharing growth was tapering off. "Illegal music downloading is at an all-time high and set to rise further," The Guardian reports, citing the 4th-annual digital-music survey by Entertainment Media Research. Forty-three percent of respondents said they're downloading illegal songs, up from 36% last year and 40% in 2005. Meanwhile, fear of being caught has lessened. "This year...

More global-socializing data
Once you get past Tagged.com's and Facebook.com's amazing growth figures this past year (774% and 270%, respectively, with Bebo in third place at a respectable 172%), the worldwide membership of these sites is a little less jawdropping. But that international appeal probably explains a lot of these sites' growth. Friendster hasn't grown as much, but 88.7% of its members are in the Asia/Pacific region,...

Online-safety hotline in Oz
The US has its CyberTipline.com, Canada its Cybertip.ca, and Britain its hotline at the Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre. "Within weeks" Australians too "will have access to a national online child protection hotline," as well a free filtering software, Australian IT reports. The Communications Ministry put the emphasis on the education part of the $99 million (US) program, saying parents...

Disney's ClubPenguin now
Penguins at your house might not notice, but ClubPenguin's moving into the Disney igloo. "Disney said it would pay $350 million in cash for the website aimed at 6-to-14-year-old kids. As much as $350 million more will be added if the Canadian company's founders reach profit targets through 2009," the Los Angeles Times reports. Here's the Associated Press on this development.

Air Canada Cargo first carrier in North America certified for RKN e1 container; Transport Canada has formally notified Envirotainer that its RKN e1 electrical heating and compressor cooling air cargo container is now accepted and qualified for use by Air Canada Cargo.
This latest development makes Air Canada the first North American airline to be certified by Transport Canada for the carriage of RKN e1 containers, which allow the maintenance of temperatures between +2 to +25 C.

Weight limits impede truck productivity, environmental progress
US trucks would be more fuel-efficient and emit less greenhouse gases if they were more productive like trucks in Europe, Canada and Australia, according to the preliminary results of a multi-nation study. These findings reaffirm results from 2008 using the American Transportation Research Institute’s higher productivity vehicle model. As countries around the world prepare for increasing freight volumes, many have already instituted programs that increase truck size and weight and have seen great productivity and environmental gains, with continuing improvements in safety.

Corpus Christi cold storage officially transfers to Coastal Bend Cold Storage
Corpus Christi based Coastal Bend Cold Storage took over operation of the Port’s refrigerated warehouse. Coastal Bend Cold Storage is owned by Paul R. Higginbotham, of Aransas Pass, Texas. Mr. Higginbotham was formerly a principal with Virginia-based Corrugated Container Corp. The new company expects to develop new international markets and expand business with large domestic grocers and retailers.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines heads for Kabul
AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), Volga-Dnepr Group’s scheduled cargo airline, has launched a charter Boeing 747 freighter service to Kabul, Afghanistan.

Acquisition of Polish PCC Logistics Group finalized
Deutsche Bahn has finalized the acquisition of PCC Logistics Group effective July 21. The agreement defining purchase terms for the largest privately owned freight railroad in Poland had been signed in Warsaw at the end of January. The EU Commission approved the takeover on June 12.

Starkes Solo im Freundeskreis: Max Herre blickt emotional nach vorn
Max Herre ist es mit dem Stuttgarter Freundeskreis in den vergangenen Jahren gelungen, einen gro�en Fankreis von Hip-Hop-, Rap- und Reggae-affinen Musikliebhabern zu gewinnen. Ein Treuepotenzial, aus dem er jetzt auch wieder auf Solopfaden sch�pfen kann. Unterst�tzt von einigen langj�hrigen Weggef�hrten wie Frank Kuruc, Sékou Neblett und seinem Label-Kollegen Clueso legt Herre Mitte September ein Album [...]

Power, Poesie und Pathos: Die Entdeckung Jimmy Gnecco
Vor zwei Wochen war der Ohrtrommler Zeuge eines gro�artigen Konzertabends im D�sseldorfer Savoy Theater, bei dem Greg Dulli und Mark Lanegan als Hauptact des Abends ein fabelhaftes Akustik Set spielten mit einem Repertoire von gemeinsamen Songs unter dem Bandnamen Gutter Twins und einer Auswahl von Liedern ihrer fr�heren Bands Afghan Whigs und The Screaming Trees [...]

The Dairy Herd Buyout Has Tax Implications.

Yields, Price, And ACRE: Working Toward A Decision

Cornbelt Update

Wheat Market Speculation: A Congressional Issue, Or Simply Revising The Delivery Contract?

Brazil May Be Consuming More And Exporting Less

Ruthless rain paralyses Karachi - City remains without water and power for over 24 hours
Latest Pakistan news of July 20, 2009 in passing Rains play havoc in Karachi - city remains with electricity and water for over 24 hours, 34 dead US claims perpetrators of 9/11 and 29/11 in Pakistan Musharraf not away from country’s politics - the former Pakistani President talks to Sky News Pakistan loosing $5 ...

Web Design Tip Sheet - Choosing Best Website Development Company
Dallas, Texas (CaymanMama.com) -- When embarking on a search for a website design company, do your homework! Why? Simply put, it is just as bad to have a weak website as it is having no website at all. Business owners are what keep the world moving, changing, and exchanging. Many of ...

Press Release Distribution Service on Challenges of Small Businesses in 2009 - Moving Past the Red Tape
Dallas, Texas (CaymanMama.com - Press Release Service ) -- large corporations are often times what form a city’s skyline, creating a sea of skyscrapers and news of stocks. However, many may not realize that the small business is the backbone of the American economy. In fact, a little-known fact is that ...

Power outage in Karachi enters 3rd day - Billions lost as Industry remains closed
Latest Pakistan news of July 21, 2009 in passing France attempts to curb terrorism - Anti terror task force planned with Pakistan Karachi enters 3rd day of power failures - Industry closure leads to billions of losses Judiciary was responsible for current state of affairs in the country - Chief Justice Ajmal Kasab confesses ...

Designer Vanity Sets / Accessories Markdown at West Palm Beach based PioneerLinens.com
West Palm Beach, Florida (CaymanMama.com) -- As the first room one enters in the morning and the last room they leave at night, the bathroom sets the tone for the day and night. Whether a place for a long, hot bubble bath or simply to get dressed for work, the bathroom ...

Web Design Company Explains Personality Types - How to sell to a Motivator - Part 3
Dallas, Texas (CaymanMama.com) -- Selling to a Motivator, many times referred to as a Director or a Doer, can be tricky without knowing how their personalities work, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Knowing this information can not only help to foster a strong and trusting business relationship, it can ...

Daytona injury attorneys Rue Ziffra, P.A. report Disney bus crash
Daytona Beach, Florida (CaymanMama.com) -- Two Walt Disney World buses collided in a rear-end crash Thursday afternoon outside the Contemporary Resort located on the vast Disney property. Twelve people were injured, the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed. The accident occurred at approximately 2:40 p.m. after a bus headed southbound stopped to merge when ...

India’s U turn surprises Pakistan - Indian opposition stages walkout
Latest Pakistan news on July 18, 2009 in passing No substantial results heard from Nawaz Asif meeting Indian Prime Minister refutes NAM accord - takes sharp U turn on dialog with Pakistan - Surprises BJP Nawaz goes scot free from plane hijacking case UK authorities forced to set free the pair of Pakistani students ...

Promotional magnets Now on sale at Pelican Magnet Printing
Riviera Beach: Get into the act, take the 40% discount offer on promotional magnet printing and send your marketing messages to target market. Let the marketing messages stick, let customers remember the dates, important phone numbers and addresses and marketing offers, create a long lasting colorful bond through promotional magnets. Pelican ...

Get Your Priorities Right
Hi Everyone, This can be a useful test to really see how your attitude and approach to time management has changed. Imagine that your cherished home is constructed of wood. It catches fire and you have at most 11 minutes to rescue items form your house that you really need to save from the fire. Consider what you would [...]

Hi Everyone,

This can be a useful test to really see how your attitude and approach to time management has changed.

Imagine that your cherished home is constructed of wood. It catches fire and you have at most 11 minutes to rescue items form your house that you really need to save from the fire.

Consider what you would do first and then next and so on.

The answers you give will confirm whether you have got your priorities right, whether you are realistic in what can be achieved in the time available and whether you are getting better at setting your goals.

I’ll be back soon with some answers.

Meanwhile you can get help with your Time Management skills at: www.manageyourtime.org

Julie

Get Your Priorities Right………The Answers
Hi Everyone, In the time available you would get time to: Try and save human and animal life and Call the fire brigade The order in which you did these two things would indicate whether you thought/cared more about your house than your loved one’s !!! I’ll leave you to ponder that over the weekend. Have a relaxing couple of days and [...]

Hi Everyone,

In the time available you would get time to:

Try and save human and animal life

and

Call the fire brigade

The order in which you did these two things would indicate whether you thought/cared more about your house than your loved one’s !!!

I’ll leave you to ponder that over the weekend.

Have a relaxing couple of days and I’ll be back on Monday.

Julie

Manage Your Time And Achieve More
Hi Everyone, I talked before about setting goals so I hope you did some goal setting for the short, medium and longer term. Make your goals very specific and measurable otherwise how will you ever know whether they were achieved or not. Make them too vague and you will always achieve what you set out too [...]

Hi Everyone,

I talked before about setting goals so I hope you did some goal setting for the short, medium and longer term. Make your goals very specific and measurable otherwise how will you ever know whether they were achieved or not. Make them too vague and you will always achieve what you set out too but you will be fooling yourself and your goals will be nothing more than a complete waste of time.

Time is not something we should waste and like some of the other resources that we have at our disposal (water, fresh air etc) our time will eventually run out. Yes we will die. We know that that is inevitable and yet so many of us continue to waste what little time we have left to us.

Remember to check out: www.manageyourtime.org

Start today by making every second count and work towards all those goals that you have set yourself.

A good manager of time can have an extra 10 hours per week if not more at their disposal than someone who wastes time and procrastinates.

Find those 10 hours and visit: www.manageyourtime.org

10 hours per week is 520 hours per year. Just think what else you could achieve with all this extra time at your disposal.

We never know what is around the proverbial corner so none of us know just exactly how much time we have left.

Make sure you cram as much into your time as you possibly can.

Until the next time !!!

Julie

There Are 24 Hours In A Day
Hi Everyone, If there are 24 hours in a day why do so many people keeping saying “there aren’t enough hours in a day”. Is it their excuse for not getting everything they need to get done, done ? I’ve made a number of postings and covered a wide range of subjects within the Time Mangement arena so [...]

Hi Everyone,

If there are 24 hours in a day why do so many people keeping saying “there aren’t enough hours in a day”. Is it their excuse for not getting everything they need to get done, done ?

I’ve made a number of postings and covered a wide range of subjects within the Time Mangement arena so I sincerely hope that some of the information has been helpful and that you have implemented some of the tips and strategies discussed.

I have pointed you in the direction of very useful products that can help you including:

www.manageyourtime.org

www.loseweighthelp.org

www.defeatstress.org

www.goodbyetobackpain.org

These sites are not gimmicky and full of super slick sales copy that makes you want to throw up. They are serious sites with affordable products that can genuinely help you have a better life. There is no multi millionaire Internet Marketing Guru hiding behind the sites either. Don’t you just hate those sites.

Most of us are more than capable of achieving anything that we desire BUT most of us need help along the way.

I am currently researching some other helpful self improvement products and hope to be in a position to tell you all about them shortly.

Meanwhile, please feel free to send your time saving tips to me so that they can be shared. Knowledge is pointless when you keep it to yourself.

Cheers

Julie

Get Your Priorities Right
Hi Everyone, This can be a useful test to really see how your attitude and approach to time management has changed. Imagine that your cherished home is constructed of wood. It catches fire and you have at most 11 minutes to rescue items form your house that you really need to save from the fire. Consider what you would [...]

Hi Everyone,

This can be a useful test to really see how your attitude and approach to time management has changed.

Imagine that your cherished home is constructed of wood. It catches fire and you have at most 11 minutes to rescue items form your house that you really need to save from the fire.

Consider what you would do first and then next and so on.

I’ll be back soon with some answers.

Meanwhile you can get help with your Time Management skills at: www.manageyourtime.org

Julie

Don’t Arrive Too Early
Hi Everyone, Hope you have all had a relaxing yet productive weekend.Now that spring has sprung the garden had to be tackled and the tidy up has begun. Hard work but very satisfying. My arms and legs are really aching this morning !!! Anyway, I hate being late, I hate waiting for people to arrive and I [...]

Hi Everyone,

Hope you have all had a relaxing yet productive weekend.Now that spring has sprung the garden had to be tackled and the tidy up has begun. Hard work but very satisfying. My arms and legs are really aching this morning !!!

Anyway, I hate being late, I hate waiting for people to arrive and I have a tendency to arrive for appointments very early. When I sat back and examined this I realised that I was wasting a lot of my valuable time. What I do now is really think about what time I need to set off for any appointments and if there is a danger that I may get held up in traffic I allow a bit of extra time. I like to arrive only 10 minutes early these days and I take my unread post with me so that during those 10 minutes I can read it.

Make sure you check out: www.manageyourtime.org

We all want extra time available to us during the good weather so plans do need to be adjusted to build this time in. Remember unless you plan for it it will probably never happen.

Until the next time

Julie

I Need To Know…….
Hi Everyone, How often do we say: I Need To Know ? I say it all the time and I’m not too sure what I used to do before GOOGLE. Anyway, at some point today I was wondering about the origin of the phrase………a stitch in time saves nine. I googled it and got some very wierd and wonderful [...]

Hi Everyone,

How often do we say: I Need To Know ?

I say it all the time and I’m not too sure what I used to do before GOOGLE.

Anyway, at some point today I was wondering about the origin of the phrase………a stitch in time saves nine.

I googled it and got some very wierd and wonderful results, some of which I can assure you had absolutely nothing to do with time management !!! Call me narrow minded but I still cannot work out what the phrase has got to do with sex. Have you noticed how most searches end up finding sex or religion. Made me wonder whether I should have called this blog: Time Management Solutions For All God Fearing Sexy People !!! I’d probably get more visitors and comments.

Anyway, here is something I can show you without blushing:

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

That old proverb isn’t just about sewing, oh, no. Proverbs 17 contains a choice morsel with a similar application:

The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

Another folk proverb along these lines is about ‘nipping it in the bud.’ That is, the best time to deal with an issue is before it becomes an issue.

OK, that is that sorted.I had now set myself off thinking about other sayings.

To Kill Two Birds With One Stone. Here’s one woman’s explanation of what it means:

The saying is “kill two birds with one stone.” It is used when someone does one thing and it solves two problems. For example, I live about 40 minutes from the nearest grocery store, so when I go for food, I also make a stop at Walmart for the things I need. While I am out, I kill two brids with one stone. The person may or may not mean to solve two problems, they may have only thought about one outcome, but when a second thing happens because of the thing they did or said, and it is one that they like, they can say that phrase. I hope this helps.

Strange too how Walmart crops up a lot !!!

And in Italy they say: “Prendere due piccioni con una fava”.
The translation word by word is:

“To catch two pigeons with one bean”. Isn’t that great. It made my afternoon.

Ciao until tomorrow

Julie

Hiatus
We apologize for the interruption in our normal blogging frequency. We will resume course shortly. At this time we would like to remind you to return you chair backs and your seat trays to their upright position. Thank you for flying with The Big Bald Blog. Love, Big Pops

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oh i’ve missed you so much!
So, since I’ve moved the coffee machine’s been playing up: making sour coffee, steaming milk like an asthmatic puffin, not doing my damn laundry or the dusting! Oh… wait, got to remember that it’s not the maid… just the sweet sweet source of all coffee joy. I finally got around to taking in to get it [...]

The Advertising of Yesterday Part XX
Finding new angles to promote your product or service is essential if you want to keep your marketing fresh. In 1965, Jeep decided to cross the gender barrier, well, sort of. In order to sell a 4x4 vehicle to a demographic that wasn't the typical SUV buyer in 1965, they decided to appeal to the emotional side of men. After all you want your wife and children to be safe, right? The hook is...

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LOST Homeschool Lessons - Symbols
This is the fourth part of our LOST homeschool curriculum - symbolism (PART I - THEMES is here.) Strong references to mythology and other symbols have opened much opportunity to include symbols in the series, making it a very interesting show to analyze. NOTE: If you watch the series, this will all make sense to [...]

I DVR Therefore I Am...Not Seeing Any Commercials?
Ever since I got a DVR on my Dish Network system, I'll have to admit that I rarely watch live TV anymore. I record all kinds of shows, sometimes ones that I have never seen before just to see if I'll like them. When I am watching the shows recorded on my DVR, 99.9% of the time I will skip all the commercials. Does this mean that I am not being impacted by the advertising that companies have so...

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Billboard to Boat Cover - Ultimate Recycle
Our boat lift cover had disintegrated a couple years ago, and we’d been getting by with large tarps. But the wind that comes across our wide part of the lake was far too great for the thin vinyl. We were unwilling to purchase a new cover, since the cheapest one we could find [...]

LOST Homeschool Lessons - Themes
We’re doing some summer homeschooling (plan is here) and a large part of it centers around the analysis of the TV series, LOST. NOTE: If you watch the series, this will all make sense to you. If you don’t watch the series, I highly recommend it, but you have to watch it from [...]

You probably do not need a Realtor…
This week I spent a lot of time learning about septic systems, public sewer connections, and some related issues. I drove to 2 separate government offices in 2 separate cities to get first-hand information. My Client is interested in a home with an old septic system. You probably do not need a Realtor to help you [...]

This week I spent a lot of time learning about septic systems, public sewer connections, and some related issues. I drove to 2 separate government offices in 2 separate cities to get first-hand information. My Client is interested in a home with an old septic system.

You probably do not need a Realtor to help you buy a home if you have the time to do this sort of research on your own.

You probably do not need a Realtor if you can use this sort of information to rationally evaluate a property, and consider all risks before you buy something. Most Buyers get emotionally involved in the house, and lose site of potential, future problems.

You probably do not need a Realtor if you understand the limits of California real estate disclosure laws, and can find ways to get necessary information before you get the keys.

You probably do not need a Realtor if you know how to package a REO offer in a way that the bank will like.

You probably do not need a Realtor if you know how to get the best possible price, and terms even if information about the property is incomplete.

You probably do not need a Realtor if you already have a good one.

If you do need a Realtor,

Please give me a call.

Eric Haggin

925 336-6462

Eric@EastBayPlus.com

Posted in Contra Costa, Danville, Dublin, East Bay area, Keller Williams, NOD NOT REO, Real Estate agent, Real estate investing, short sales

Great daycare provider in Dublin
If you need a great daycare provider, I suggest you contact Denise Haggin (my wife) She is licensed, insured, and experienced. More importantly, Denise creates a loving, nurturing experience for your child. Contact Denise: Denise Haggin 925 829-8856 DeniseHaggin@gmail.com www.DeniseDaycare.com Posted in Daycare, Dublin, East Bay area

If you need a great daycare provider, I suggest you contact Denise Haggin (my wife)

She is licensed, insured, and experienced.

More importantly, Denise creates a loving, nurturing experience for your child.

Contact Denise:

Denise Haggin

925 829-8856

DeniseHaggin@gmail.com

www.DeniseDaycare.com

Posted in Daycare, Dublin, East Bay area

Busy week
It’s been a very busy week for me. I am working with buyers in Vallejo, San Pablo, Berkeley, Concord, San Leandro, and Alamo. I haven’t seen this much buyer activity for at least 3 years. We are reaching a price point in many areas where it’s cheaper to own than to rent. We haven’t been there for 5 [...]

It’s been a very busy week for me.

I am working with buyers in Vallejo, San Pablo, Berkeley, Concord, San Leandro, and Alamo.

I haven’t seen this much buyer activity for at least 3 years.

We are reaching a price point in many areas where it’s cheaper to own than to rent. We haven’t been there for 5 years.

Certainely nobody knows when real estate in the East Bay will start to appreciate again. My current buyers are all long-term thinkers and are buying properties which make sense today, even if they do not go up in value.

Posted in Alameda, Berkeley, Concord, Contra Costa, East Bay area, NOD NOT REO, Real estate investing, Real estate market stats, San Leandro, San Ramon, Vallejo

A quick way to increase a home’s value…
This home in a nice, older area of Tulsa, Oklahoma INCRESED in value when the tree crashed into it. Not due to excessive insurance, but something much more interesting. Can you think of why? . . . The house is in a historical district so renovations are severely limited. By virtue of the destruction it became possible to get building permits to do structural upgrades. Everything can be rebuilt to [...]

This home in a nice, older area of Tulsa, Oklahoma INCRESED in value when the tree crashed into it.

Not due to excessive insurance, but something much more interesting.

Can you think of why?

The house is in a historical district so renovations are severely limited.

By virtue of the destruction it became possible to get building permits to do structural upgrades.

Everything can be rebuilt to look as it did before but with modern materials,methods, and features.

Eric Haggin

Posted via email from Eric’s sideways look at real estate and other stuff

Posted in Real estate investing

New (improved) web site
I have created a shiney, new web site to replace this one. Please visit the new site at www.EastBayPlus.com All of the content from here is there, plus many new features and tools. Posted in 1031 exchange, Alameda, Alamo, Apartment Investing, Audio blog, Berkeley, Business, Chinese, Commercial Real estate, Concord, Contra Costa, Danville, Daycare, Design, Destination Imagination, Education, [...]

I have created a shiney, new web site to replace this one.

Please visit the new site at www.EastBayPlus.com

All of the content from here is there, plus many new features and tools.

Posted in 1031 exchange, Alameda, Alamo, Apartment Investing, Audio blog, Berkeley, Business, Chinese, Commercial Real estate, Concord, Contra Costa, Danville, Daycare, Design, Destination Imagination, Education, Floors, foreclosure, Foreclosures, Fremont, Keller Williams, Livermore, Loopnet, New Listing, NOD NOT REO, Non-business, Office, Oklahoma, Pergo, Pleasanton, Price change, Quality, real estate, Real Estate agent, Real estate income, Real estate investing, Real Estate Loans, Real estate market stats, Rich Dad/Poor Dad, San Leandro, San Ramon, short sales, Staging, Style, Tulsa, Uncategorized, Vallejo, Video Store, warehouse, Workshop

Electronic Artists
oh, how far has the ea apple fallen from the tree when they are being called out for “creating an environment where anonymity is not only accepted, but expected as well.” by mainstream media even. ouch. ah. i miss the old days of putting developer names on the box. m3mnoch.

oh, how far has the ea apple fallen from the tree when they are being called out for “creating an environment where anonymity is not only accepted, but expected as well.” by mainstream media even.

ouch.

ah. i miss the old days of putting developer names on the box.

m3mnoch.

Amazon and Zappos Sitting in a Tree
As most you know by now, Zappos has entered into a definitive agreement with Amazon.com and will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon. This is exciting and, after speaking with my friends both at Amazon and at Zappos, they are all quite excited too. Congratulations to Amazon, Zappos, Tony Hsieh, and Jeff Bezos 1 [...]

amazon.com acquires zappos.com, tony hsieh, customer service, jeff bezos, interview As most you know by now, Zappos has entered into a definitive agreement with Amazon.com and will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon. This is exciting and, after speaking with my friends both at Amazon and at Zappos, they are all quite excited too. Congratulations to Amazon, Zappos, Tony Hsieh, and Jeff Bezos ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹.

In honor of their “marriage”, I’ll repost an interview I had with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a 5-part series where Tony Hsieh responds to over 20 questions submitted by shmula.com blog readers. Below is the post series:

Quotable from the series…

We actually have our 1-800 number on every single page of our web site because we actually want to talk to our customers and when customers talk to us for five to ten minutes we have their undivided attention and that’s really the best opportunity to brand ourselves as a company that unlike most companies, actually wants to take care of our customers.

See Jeff Bezos on Kaizen ↩
See Jeff Bezos on Root Cause Analysis ↩
See Jeff Bezos on Lean Thinking ↩
See Jeff Bezos on Taiichi Ohno ↩
See Jeff Bezos on the Fallacy of the Long Tail ↩
See Amazon.com on Loyalty ↩
See Amazon.com and Working Backwards ↩
See Jeff Bezos on Six Sigma ↩
See Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com, Customer Obsession ↩

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What’s *Really* Shocking About the White House Correspondent’s Dinner

Mike Lupien has an excellent article in today's Daily News talking about the tasteless jokes at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. But the tastelessness of the jokes isn't the real shocker about this.

In the past this dinner has always been a roast, i.e. an occasion where people make good-natured, self-deprecating jokes about the guest of honor (in this case Obama).

For example, from 2007:

Before Bush and Little spoke, CBS star David Letterman made a video appearance from his studio with a Top 10 list of taped vignettes showing some of the funniest Bush flubs of the last year.

From 2002:

President Bush gave reporters here a look Saturday at "what life is really like inside the Bush White House," showing off his collection of "actual, never-seen-before photos."

Bush and top members of his administration mingled with reporters and other Washington insiders at the annual White House Correspondents dinner.

The correspondents dinner, in its 88th year, has become an occasion for self-deprecating humor from presidents. Last year, Bush presented a slide show of his family accompanied by a joke-riddled speech about the 2000 presidential election recount.

What's really shocking isn't just the tastelessness of the jokes - it's that Obama used these jokes and this platform to attack his� political opponents:

Obama Likes Wanda Sykes Joke About Rush Limbaugh — ‘I Hope His Kidneys Fail’

Wanda Sykes Makes Fun Of Absent Sarah Palin With Abstinence Joke

Obama Mocks GOP Chair Michael Steele’s Use Of ‘Street Slang’

Far from being a uniter, the divisive Obama misuses the power of his office to bully all those who oppose him.

2 comments

Ramirez: Why You Can’t Take Democrats Seriously

From Ramirez:

FOUR CORNERS
National Geodetic Survey officials say the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be. This only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together was first surveyed inaccurately by the government in 1868 during the initial survey [...]

National Geodetic Survey officials say the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be. This only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together was first surveyed inaccurately by the government in 1868 during the initial survey of Colorado’s southern boundary. (Wire reports, BFP, 4/21/09)

RSS Submission URLs Resources

Top Webmaster Resources

Happy New Year From China Business Watch

Simplify Sharing Process with Shareaholic

Social Bookmark Sites Resources

Mr.Frank Wong Is Scam

Up-to-date Election Coverage
Here is the real time national election information as it comes out. And because we are in Iowa, here is the real time Iowa election data.

[[Click the headline to continue reading]]

Logistics Company OHL Visited By Central Michigan University Phi Chi Theta Chapter
Global Logistics Company OHL was selected by the Central Michigan University (CMU) chapter of Phi Chi Theta as a business of interest for the students in the College of Business Administration. OHL had the privilege of hosting students for a day to teach them about the various departments in the company and how they function together to create a successful business.

Unterwegs nach China und Kabelsalat
Rechtzeitig wie immer habe ich die Vorbereitungen für meinen Flug nach Peking abgeschlossen. Wichtigstes Erkenntnis war, dass ich den Kabalsalal im Koffer einfach nicht vermeiden kann. Wieder mal 5 USB-Kabel für verschiedene Anwendungen wie I-Pod, Handy, Kamera usw. Dazu noch weiterer Laptop-Krimskrams. Ich frage mich, wann die Hersteller endlich mal die USB-Kabel vereinheitlichen. So routiniert wie [...]

How To Make A Million Pounds - aMillionJobsToDo
In the article How To Make A Million Pounds I explained how simple it is to make a million pounds explaining that it’s just a matter of starting a business and applying the formula: �1M = Profit x Number of Sales Which, with some rearrangement allows you to determine, based on your profit per sale, the number [...]

In the article How To Make A Million Pounds I explained how simple it is to make a million pounds explaining that it’s just a matter of starting a business and applying the formula:

�1M = Profit x Number of Sales

Which, with some rearrangement allows you to determine, based on your profit per sale, the number of sales required to make a million pounds. For example the number of sales required for a profit of �1, �10, �100, �1,000 and �10,000 are shown below:

Profit Per Sale	Number You Need To Sell
�1	1,000,000
�10	100,000
�100	10,000
�1,000	1,000
�10,000	100

�

However Chrissi Sharkey read the article and saw not just how simple the concept is, but that it presents a business opportunity too. Here’s what she said in her email:

I just wanted to email you to say thanks! I found your article on how to make a million pounds a while ago, which was the starting point for my new business idea. I have created a concept called aMillionJobsToDo… where people can suggest any task for a minimum fee of just �1.

Her business idea is explained in more detail on her website aMillionJobsToDo, where she explains:

The concept of this idea is that you can contact me and suggest any task which you need completing. You can specify how you would like the task to be done, when and where you would like the task completed and how much you are willing to pay for the task.

To achieve her dream (a local property on the market for just under �1M) she’s adapted the formula:

�1,000,000 = Profit x Jobs

Although she recognises that the more profit she makes on a job the fewer jobs are required, noting that:

This was the basic starting point of my idea. In theory I could actually complete a million tasks worth �1 each or hopefully slightly fewer jobs worth more profit!

She tells me that she’s made �1,000 so far (in a month since launching and whilst maintaining her day job) so I think she’s proven that her business idea can work. She’s also nicely demonstrating that the secret to starting a successful business is not an amazing idea, but a simple idea amazingly executed.

I look forward to following her story, I suspect it’ll be a successful one.

Related posts at Business Opportunities And Ideas:

Responding to bad PR on YouTube
Good response from Gary V. about the Dominos snotty pizza fiasco - this is not a reason for large companies to avoid participating in video and other social media. And a request to have webcams in kitchens and back of house so consumers can see how clean they really are!

Good response from Gary V. about the Dominos snotty pizza fiasco - this is not a reason for large companies to avoid participating in video and other social media. And a request to have webcams in kitchens and back of house so consumers can see how clean they really are!

Mental Health Break: The Nicholas Brothers
You can't watch this and not smile...

You can't watch this and not smile...

Website, Twitter, Facebook - a model for connecting the bits
Great discussion by Jeff Jarvis today on his new MediaTalk USA podcast. They've set this up so you can listen to the talk session through iTunes, find out the names and links mentioned on the MediaUSA website, follow the Twitter updates, and discuss or comment on their Facebook group. Maybe this is the model for restaurants/hotels/bars to use for integration of the 'big 3' on everyone's mind right now: facts and detailed information on a good website, quick news and updates flowing through Twitter, with discussion and interaction available on a Facebook page (or group). Now, where does that leave blogs and email news?!...

Great discussion by Jeff Jarvis today on his new MediaTalk USA podcast. They've set this up so you can listen to the talk session through iTunes, find out the names and links mentioned on the MediaUSA website, follow the Twitter updates, and discuss or comment on their Facebook group.

Maybe this is the model for restaurants/hotels/bars to use for integration of the 'big 3' on everyone's mind right now: facts and detailed information on a good website, quick news and updates flowing through Twitter, with discussion and interaction available on a Facebook page (or group).

Now, where does that leave blogs and email news?!...

Promoting your Restaurant, Bar or Hotel...
How many of these lines do you recognise? Just substitute the word 'bar' or 'restaurant' for 'book'. Hat tip: Mike Duffy

How many of these lines do you recognise? Just substitute the word 'bar' or 'restaurant' for 'book'.

Hat tip: Mike Duffy

This will be tasty and fun: the Julia Child movie

An overlooked and useful KPI
Retailers often analyse the typical customer 'basket' size and composition. Did they buy just one sweater, or add accessories and a t-shirt? How many grocery or hardware items did they choose? The restaurateur or bar manager would be asking: how many items do lunch customers buy? What else do morning coffee drinkers order, or red-wine drinkers (mineral water if the servers are awake)? What beverages were ordered with tapas, or pasta? Per-head spend is the most common view of purchasing behaviour, but 'basket' analysis repays attention. A recent dissection with a client showed how many diners ordered only 2 items (most ordered nothing after the main course) and how many lunch customers did not order a beverage. Grab a pile of dockets from a typical day, and look for ordering patterns. The results may surprise you...

Retailers often analyse the typical customer 'basket' size and composition. Did they buy just one sweater, or add accessories and a t-shirt? How many grocery or hardware items did they choose?

The restaurateur or bar manager would be asking: how many items do lunch customers buy? What else do morning coffee drinkers order, or red-wine drinkers (mineral water if the servers are awake)? What beverages were ordered with tapas, or pasta?

Per-head spend is the most common view of purchasing behaviour, but 'basket' analysis repays attention. A recent dissection with a client showed how many diners ordered only 2 items (most ordered nothing after the main course) and how many lunch customers did not order a beverage. Grab a pile of dockets from a typical day, and look for ordering patterns. The results may surprise you...

How could we use 'beta testing' with menus?
Jeff Jarvis in his new book What Would Google Do? promotes the importance of releasing a product in an 'almost finished' or beta stage [see the short video below]. Google are masters of the process, with many of their popular products still technically 'under development'. They actively and enthusiastically seek comments and suggestions for how to make it just right, rather than deciding in advance that they know best - take it or leave it. The term 'beta' also blunts the picky critics. Menu development is usually hard work; balancing price, ingredients, texture, flavour, seasons, market segment, competition, available skills and equipment...on and on it goes, with hopefully customers somewhere in the mix! What if the menu was released as 'almost done' with a Beta stamp, and an invitation for guests to 'help us get it just right'! No need to incorporate all the suggestions (Google certainly don't), but there will be excellent ideas that weren't thought of or forgotten. All it needs is an easy feedback process (SMS will do), a word processing and a printer. Hey, we have all that, and now we also have real customer engagement! Please watch the video and give me your thoughts...

Jeff Jarvis in his new book What Would Google Do? promotes the importance of releasing a product in an 'almost finished' or beta stage [see the short video below].

Google are masters of the process, with many of their popular products still technically 'under development'. They actively and enthusiastically seek comments and suggestions for how to make it just right, rather than deciding in advance that they know best - take it or leave it. The term 'beta' also blunts the picky critics.

Menu development is usually hard work; balancing price, ingredients, texture, flavour, seasons, market segment, competition, available skills and equipment...on and on it goes, with hopefully customers somewhere in the mix! What if the menu was released as 'almost done' with a Beta stamp, and an invitation for guests to 'help us get it just right'!

No need to incorporate all the suggestions (Google certainly don't), but there will be excellent ideas that weren't thought of or forgotten. All it needs is an easy feedback process (SMS will do), a word processing and a printer. Hey, we have all that, and now we also have real customer engagement! Please watch the video and give me your thoughts...

Share the restaurant experience with pictures and music, not words
Great short video made by my brother and a buddy in Phoenix, with night and day shots of his favourite local restaurant Palatte. We have a mutual challenge to each create 25 videos in 25 days (and I am waaaay behind). This is quick, easy video production: the right music tells so much of the 'atmosphere' story - no words needed! You have customers who could do this on their ear for the cost of a few meals...just ask - barter is back in fashion!

Great short video made by my brother and a buddy in Phoenix, with night and day shots of his favourite local restaurant Palatte. We have a mutual challenge to each create 25 videos in 25 days (and I am waaaay behind).

This is quick, easy video production: the right music tells so much of the 'atmosphere' story - no words needed! You have customers who could do this on their ear for the cost of a few meals...just ask - barter is back in fashion!

Mental Health Break
He's your new waiter or function sales guy...'stop having boring tuna, stop having a boring life!' Hat tip: Marketing Headhunter

He's your new waiter or function sales guy...'stop having boring tuna, stop having a boring life!'

Hat tip: Marketing Headhunter

Cornbelt Update

Sensual Massage: A Lovers' Guide
By Susan Mumford
Publisher: Hamlyn; New Ed edition (15 Nov 1999)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0600600122
ISBN-13: 978-0600600121

Introduction

Massage celebrates the sensuality of any relationship. There is no better way to give and receive pleasure, to relax, relieve stress and tension, and create the ultimate romantic moment. Massage involves structured touch, a technique which must be learned to be accomplished properly. This authoritative illustrated guide shows how to perform each step to give your partner maximum pleasure. The three basic strokes - effleurage, petrissage and friction - and their variations are explored thoroughly, with a a variety of massages presented, lasting from 20 minutes to one hour and including tips on choosing the right massage oils.

Download Sensual Massage: A Lovers' Guide

International Project Management
By Bennet P. Lientz, Bennet P. Lientz
277 pages
Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (November 14, 2002)
ISBN-10: 0124499856

Introduction

International Project Management' provides specific guidelines for achieving greater project success. It is the result of 15 years of work on international projects by the authors across various project areas and industries. The authors address a need for modern techniques in project management geared and suited to international projects. They offer lessons learned from failures and problems in international projects, and suggest alternative solutions for project issues. Industry examples include manufacturing, distribution, communications, media, transportation, government, IT, marketing, energy, medical care, tourism, and others in forty countries across five continents.

Download International Project Management

Five New Yardsticks Indicate How Your Farm Measures Up Financially

The Dairy Herd Buyout Has Tax Implications.

Wheat Market Speculation: A Congressional Issue, Or Simply Revising The Delivery Contract?

Yields, Price, And ACRE: Working Toward A Decision

How VIP Consulting helped me negotiate. (C)

VIP Consulting – David Melatti 43 Wakefield Street Kensington VIC 3031 Tel: 1300 736 638 What is a buyer’s agent? * they are licensed professionals who help in searching, evaluating, and negotiating the purchase of property on behalf of the buyer. * they work exclusively for the vendor * are usually ex-real estate agents themselves and know how the system works * are [...]

Sigifredo Najera, aka “el Canicon” A suspected drug cartel hitman
MEXICO CITY (AFP) — A suspected drug cartel hitman accused of organizing an attack on the US consulate in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey in October has been arrested by security forces, said President Felipe Calderon. “The Mexican army has arrested Sigifredo Najera, aka El Canicon, (who was) directly responsible for the torture and killing [...]

MEXICO CITY (AFP) — A suspected drug cartel hitman accused of organizing an attack on the US consulate in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey in October has been arrested by security forces, said President Felipe Calderon.

“The Mexican army has arrested Sigifredo Najera, aka El Canicon, (who was) directly responsible for the torture and killing of soldiers and the attack on the US consulate,” Calderon announced late Friday.

In a boost for Calderon, Mexico on Thursday arrested the son of top Sinaloan kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is wanted in the United States.

El Mayo runs the ruthless Sinaloa coalition along with the country’s most-wanted fugitive, Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman. Last week, Forbes Magazine estimated Guzman’s wealth at $1 billion.

Texas says Mexico’s Cemex owes at least $558 mln in royalties
* Texas says Cemex owes at least $558 mln in royalties * Lawsuit latest concern for debt-laden Mexican company * Cemex says sand, gravel not subject to royalties (Recasts; adds background, Cemex debt details) By Robin Emmott MONTERREY, Mexico, June 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. state of Texas said on Tuesday it filed a lawsuit against Mexico’s Cemex SA [...]

* Texas says Cemex owes at least $558 mln in royalties

* Lawsuit latest concern for debt-laden Mexican company

* Cemex says sand, gravel not subject to royalties (Recasts; adds background, Cemex debt details)

By Robin Emmott

MONTERREY, Mexico, June 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. state of Texas said on Tuesday it filed a lawsuit against Mexico’s Cemex SA for $558 million in royalties owed in the United States, the latest headache for the debt-laden cement maker.

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said Cemex (CMXCPO.MX)(CX.N), the top cement maker in the United States, was mining a quarry near El Paso, Texas, without paying royalties to the owner, the state’s Permanent School Fund.

Navarrette: U.S Help on the way for Mexico’s drugs war
By Tony Allen Mills BY THE hair-raising standards of torture, murder, kidnapping, extortion and other drug-related mayhem that has become tragically routine along the US border with Mexico, the inspection of a battered red Ford pickup truck travelling south through the Arizona desert this month hardly seemed worth recording. US border patrol agents stopped the vehicle as [...]

By Tony Allen

Mills BY THE hair-raising standards of torture, murder, kidnapping, extortion and other drug-related mayhem that has become tragically routine along the US border with Mexico, the inspection of a battered red Ford pickup truck travelling south through the Arizona desert this month hardly seemed worth recording.

US border patrol agents stopped the vehicle as it headed towards Mexico through the Organ Pipe Cactus national park. A search quickly uncovered seven assault rifles – two of them Russian-made AK47s – a couple of handguns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Compared with the recent seizure of 500 rifles and 100 fragmentation hand grenades close to the Texas border, it was scarcely a big haul. Yet it was the latest evidence that Mexico’s drug cartels are resorting to sinister techniques that are changing the nature of border violence and confronting President Barack Obama with an expanding threat on US soil [timesonline.co.uk]

Mexico’s drugs war

The Best Mexico City Resorts in Mexico City
If your traveling to Mexico City then you have many Mexico resorts that you may fall in love with , why? mainly because you have lots of Mexico City hotels to choose from, the presence of so many hotels gives you the opportunity to choose the ones that are in your budget. Finding the best [...]

If your traveling to Mexico City then you have many Mexico resorts that you may fall in love with , why? mainly because you have lots of Mexico City hotels to choose from, the presence of so many hotels gives you the opportunity to choose the ones that are in your budget. Finding the best Mexico resorts and Mexico City hotels is important for a memorable holiday in Mexico.

Submit your favorites Resorts in Mexico City and ill post them.

Huerta Rios ran operations for the Beltran Leyva drug cartel ‘gets captured’
Soldiers guard alleged drug cartel lieutenant Hector Huerta Rios after a press conference to show him to the media in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Huerta Rios, who allegedly ran operations for the Beltran Leyva drug cartel, was detained Tuesday in Monterrey, northern Mexico Soldiers take part in an operation to capture drug kingpin Hector [...]

Soldiers guard alleged drug cartel lieutenant Hector Huerta Rios after a press conference to show him to the media in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 25, 2009. Huerta Rios, who allegedly ran operations for the Beltran Leyva drug cartel, was detained Tuesday in Monterrey, northern Mexico

Soldiers take part in an operation to capture drug kingpin Hector Huerta Rios in the suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia in Monterrey, northern Mexico March 24, 2009. Soldiers on Tuesday captured Huerta Rio from the Beltran Leyva cartel who is accused of the killing of a police chief in this industrial city. Huerta Rios was seized along with five persons, weapons and money at his car dealership.

Hi Everyone,

How often do we say: I Need To Know ?

I say it all the time and I’m not too sure what I used to do before GOOGLE.

Anyway, at some point today I was wondering about the origin of the phrase………a stitch in time saves nine.

Anyway, here is something I can show you without blushing:

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

That old proverb isn’t just about sewing, oh, no. Proverbs 17 contains a choice morsel with a similar application:

The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

Another folk proverb along these lines is about ‘nipping it in the bud.’ That is, the best time to deal with an issue is before it becomes an issue.

OK, that is that sorted.I had now set myself off thinking about other sayings.

To Kill Two Birds With One Stone. Here’s one woman’s explanation of what it means:

Strange too how Walmart crops up a lot !!!

And in Italy they say: “Prendere due piccioni con una fava”.
The translation word by word is:

“To catch two pigeons with one bean”. Isn’t that great. It made my afternoon.

Ciao until tomorrow

Julie

Who Needs Goals ?
Hi Everyone, Setting goals is an important part of life and without them we neither know what we are trying to achieve nor how we are going to achieve it. Some prefer to keep their goals in their head, that way no one will know whether they have failed. These people have a fear of failure. So [...]

Hi Everyone,

Setting goals is an important part of life and without them we neither know what we are trying to achieve nor how we are going to achieve it.

Some prefer to keep their goals in their head, that way no one will know whether they have failed. These people have a fear of failure. So much can be gleaned from mistakes errors and failures that we should readily accept that we cannot always succeed. We can only learn from our mistakes and become better people.

If you do nothing else today make sure you write down your goals.

What are they for this week.

The next six months.

What do you want to achieve this year.

Next year.

Where do you want to be in 5 years time.

And don’t worry having goals will not rob your life of spontaniety. Goals will inject optimism and a positive mental attitude. Goals can also ensure that you lead a balanced lifestyle rather than just concentrating on your career for example. There needs to be time dedicated to playing too !!!

Making time and room for everything in your life requires thought and dedication.

Get some help and learn more at: www.manageyourtime.org

Julie

Hi Everyone,

This can be a useful test to really see how your attitude and approach to time management has changed.

Imagine that your cherished home is constructed of wood. It catches fire and you have at most 11 minutes to rescue items form your house that you really need to save from the fire.

Consider what you would do first and then next and so on.

I’ll be back soon with some answers.

Meanwhile you can get help with your Time Management skills at: www.manageyourtime.org

Julie

Las Rocas Resort - Rosarito, Mexico
A Picture Submited of Las Rocas Resort - Rosarito, Mexico part of Baja California.

A Picture Submited of Las Rocas Resort - Rosarito, Mexico part of Baja California.

iPhone-Bedienungshilfen genutzt von blinden Photographen
Das Wired-Magazin veröffentlicht einen Artikel über blinde Photographen, die mit den erweiterten iPhone-Bedienungshilfen ihrem Hobby nachgehen. So lassen sich mit einem 3GS die Menüpunkte auf dem Touch-Bildschirm vorlesen, bis zum 5-fachen ihrer Größe zoomen und für den stärkeren Kontrast von ‘Weiß auf Schwarz’ umstellen. Die Werke der vorgestellten Photographen lassen sich im gemeinsamen Weblog ‘Blind Photographers‘ [...]

Blind Photographers Use Gadgets to Realize Artistic Vision | Gadget Lab | Wired.com.jpg

Das Wired-Magazin veröffentlicht einen Artikel über blinde Photographen, die mit den erweiterten iPhone-Bedienungshilfen ihrem Hobby nachgehen. So lassen sich mit einem 3GS die Menüpunkte auf dem Touch-Bildschirm vorlesen, bis zum 5-fachen ihrer Größe zoomen und für den stärkeren Kontrast von ‘Weiß auf Schwarz’ umstellen.

Die Werke der vorgestellten Photographen lassen sich im gemeinsamen Weblog ‘Blind Photographers‘ begutachten. Es wird wenig Aufsehen darum gemacht, das die neue 3-Megapixel Kamera mit Autofokus keine professionellen Ansprüche erfüllt (’toy camera’), vom Aspekt der Benutzung seiner Konkurrenz jedoch weit voraus ist.

Auch erste deutschsprachige Erfahrungen mit der VoiceOver-Funktion beschrieb kürzlich Marco Zehe.

In der anstehenden Firmware-Aktualisierung 3.1 können die Bedienungshilfen auch im Schnellzugriff auf den Doppelklick der Home-Taste gelegt werden.

via wired

The Dairy Herd Buyout Has Tax Implications.

WiFi vorgetäuscht: 3G Unrestrictor (Cydia)
Die Nachfolge von VoIPover3G möchte 3G Unrestrictor für $2 im Cydia-Store auf Jailbreak-Geräten antreten. Die Anwendung gaukelt dem iPhone vor, sich in einem WiFi zu befinden und lässt somit auch von unterwegs die Skype-Telefonie nutzen, lädt App Store-Anwendungen über 10MB oder spielt YouTube-Videos in besserer Qualität. Die Anwendung erschien mit Verzögerung am heutigen Abend, machte einen [...]

Die Nachfolge von VoIPover3G möchte 3G Unrestrictor für $2 im Cydia-Store auf Jailbreak-Geräten antreten. Die Anwendung gaukelt dem iPhone vor, sich in einem WiFi zu befinden und lässt somit auch von unterwegs die Skype-Telefonie nutzen, lädt App Store-Anwendungen über 10MB oder spielt YouTube-Videos in besserer Qualität.

Die Anwendung erschien mit Verzögerung am heutigen Abend, machte einen kurzen Rückzieher, ist aber inzwischen wieder käuflich zu beziehen. Wem Cydia nach der Installation abschmiert, greift zur entsprechenden PDF-Anleitung für dieses hoffentlich temporäre Problem.

Der Autor von 3G Unrestrictor sowie VoIPover3G nennt sich crash-x und aktualisierte im gleichen Atemzug auch das kostenfreie VoIPover3G. Version 1.1 läuft auf 3GS-Geräten, kommt ohne Benutzeroberfläche und funktioniert mit Skype (kostenlos; App Store-Link) sowie Fring (kostenlos; App Store-Link). Letztgenanntes erfuhr diese Woche ebenfalls eine Aktualisierung für Push-Benachrichtigungen.

Wer mehr Programmen ein nicht existentes WiFi-Netz unterschieben möchte, greift zur $2-’Trickanwendung’. Wer nur von Unterwegs per Skype telefonieren möchte, ist mit VoIPover3G ausreichend bedient.

Perry Rhodan als eBook jetzt wöchentlich
Nachdem sich Amazon mit einer ‘DRM-Rückrufaktion‘ der Orwell-Bücher ‘1984′ und ‘Animal Farm’ auf dem Kindle am letzten Donnerstag in das größte aller Fettnäpfchen setzte, kommt die Gelegenheit günstig auf das eBook-Programm Textunes (kostenlos; App Store-Link) hinzuweisen. Auswahl und Präsentation sind (immer noch) exklusiv und hübsch, technisch könnte das Programm ihren Buchvertrieb auch [...]

Nachdem sich Amazon mit einer ‘DRM-Rückrufaktion‘ der Orwell-Bücher ‘1984′ und ‘Animal Farm’ auf dem Kindle am letzten Donnerstag in das größte aller Fettnäpfchen setzte, kommt die Gelegenheit günstig auf das eBook-Programm Textunes (kostenlos; App Store-Link) hinzuweisen.

Auswahl und Präsentation sind (immer noch) exklusiv und hübsch, technisch könnte das Programm ihren Buchvertrieb auch innerhalb der Anwendung realisieren. Mit Firmware 3.0 sollte der Katalog langsam überführt werden und nicht jedes Schriftwerk als einzelne Anwendung den App Store überfluten.

Zur 2500. Folge der bekannten Sciene-Fiction-Serie Perry Rhodan, gibt es zum Jubiläum und dem exklusiven Vertriebs-Start eine kostenlose Leseprobe. Ab dieser Woche beginnt die wöchentliche Serie, bei der jedes neue Blatt zum Preis von 1.59 € erhältlich sein wird.

An den kleinen Schreibfehlern im Titel wird möglicherweise noch gearbeitet…

-> App Store-Link

Five New Yardsticks Indicate How Your Farm Measures Up Financially

World of Warcraft - Mobile Armory
DirektWoW Ein spielbarer ‘World of Warcraft’-Client hat es bislang nicht auf das iPhone geschafft. Für ‘Mobile Armory’ (kostenlos; App Store-Link) hat Blizzard jedoch kurz Onkel Dagoberts-Geldspeicher verlassen, und präsentiert die erste offizielle WoW-Anwendung. Damit können bürokratische Tätigkeiten wie die Raid-Kalender-, Charakter-, Item-, und Gilden-Verwaltung durchgeführt werden. Das Foren-Feedback der Zielgruppe klingt, trotz limitiertem Programm-Umfang, durchaus zufrieden gestellt. [...]

DirektWoW

Ein spielbarer ‘World of Warcraft’-Client hat es bislang nicht auf das iPhone geschafft. Für ‘Mobile Armory’ (kostenlos; App Store-Link) hat Blizzard jedoch kurz Onkel Dagoberts-Geldspeicher verlassen, und präsentiert die erste offizielle WoW-Anwendung. Damit können bürokratische Tätigkeiten wie die Raid-Kalender-, Charakter-, Item-, und Gilden-Verwaltung durchgeführt werden.

Das Foren-Feedback der Zielgruppe klingt, trotz limitiertem Programm-Umfang, durchaus zufrieden gestellt.

-> App Store-Link

Erste Blu-ray mit App Store-Feature
Ich finde es immer total unterhaltsam wenn Verkaufszahlen von einer 91-prozentigen Steigerung sprechen, jedoch ‘vergessen’ Vergleichswerte zu liefern. So ist es im Fall der Blu-ray-Verkäufe gerade in den letzten Tagen passiert. Wühlt man sich weiter durch diverse Studien und Berichte findet man heraus, das in lediglich 7-Prozent der US-Haushalte ein entsprechendes Abspielgerät steht. Und das [...]

The Fast and The Furious.jpg

Ich finde es immer total unterhaltsam wenn Verkaufszahlen von einer 91-prozentigen Steigerung sprechen, jedoch ‘vergessen’ Vergleichswerte zu liefern. So ist es im Fall der Blu-ray-Verkäufe gerade in den letzten Tagen passiert. Wühlt man sich weiter durch diverse Studien und Berichte findet man heraus, das in lediglich 7-Prozent der US-Haushalte ein entsprechendes Abspielgerät steht. Und das soll im Jahr 2009 der große Gewinner im Krieg gegen die HD-DVD sein?

Nein. Obwohl in den nächsten zwei bis drei Jahren noch Unsummen in das potenzielle DVD-Nachfolgermedium zu versenken sind, physikalische Medien attestiere ich keine lange Lebenszeit mehr. Trotzdem ist man natürlich gefangen in seiner eigenen kleinen Welt, in der vor zirka 10 Jahren die letzte CD erworben wurde. Die digitalen Downloads übertrumpften jedoch erst im letzten Jahr den weltweiten Hardware-Verkauf.

Apropos 10 Jahre. Napster jubiliert dieser Tage und Universal Pictures bereitet mit ‘Fast & Furious’ zum Blu-ray-Verkaufsstart (Deutschland: 03.September) den erste App Store-Bundle vor.

For the first time, iPhone and iPod Touch users will be able to control interactive content on their Web-connected Blu-ray Disc players. On subsequent Universal Blu-ray Disc releases coming later in the year, consumers will be able to access bonus content found on their Blu-ray Disc releases and download it onto their iPhone or iPod Touch. They’ll also be able to use the devices as a virtual remote to control their Blu-ray Disc features and access additional information while watching the movie.

Und wirklich nichts, könnte mich weniger interessieren. Macht endlich vernünftige Filme und lasst mich mit virtuellen Spaziergängen durch Vin Diesels-Garage in Ruhe.

The Virtual Car Garage feature lets viewers use the touch screens on their iPhone or iPod touch devices to control 360-degree views of the movie’s street racers and instantly call up the cars’ technical specs.

Oh nein.

via Homemediamagazine

It’s rare that you’re in the r…
It’s rare that you’re in the room of the groom’s parents after the wedding at 3am and find out he was concieved in a pickup truck.

It’s rare that you’re in the room of the groom’s parents after the wedding at 3am and find out he was concieved in a pickup truck.

bring a towel to the dumpster pools
Forget the Trash Bag, Bring a Towel to the Dumpster Pools – NYTimes.com. the hipster country club of brooklyn i suppose. love the photo from the article.

Forget the Trash Bag, Bring a Towel to the Dumpster Pools – NYTimes.com. the hipster country club of brooklyn i suppose. love the photo from the article.

henry allingham
TheStar.com | World | Henry Allingham, 113: War vet was world’s oldest man “Allingham, jokingly attributed his remarkable longevity to “cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women.”" and “He is survived by six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 21 great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great grandchild”

TheStar.com | World | Henry Allingham, 113: War vet was world’s oldest man “Allingham, jokingly attributed his remarkable longevity to “cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women.”" and “He is survived by six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 21 great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great grandchild”

surfing the north carolina coast
Surfing the North Carolina Coast – The New York Times Slide Show. cool set of photos.

Surfing the North Carolina Coast – The New York Times Slide Show. cool set of photos.

In London to kick off the star…
In London to kick off the start of the wedding season. Congrats to Ryan and Genny!

In London to kick off the start of the wedding season. Congrats to Ryan and Genny!

paperclip + s3 + dj
Codeword: Studios -> Delayed upload delivery to S3 with Paperclip + Delayed::Job. totally been meaning to do this for one of my projects.

Codeword: Studios -> Delayed upload delivery to S3 with Paperclip + Delayed::Job. totally been meaning to do this for one of my projects.

bill moyers with hmo insider
Bill Moyers Journal: Interview with former HMO executive Wendell Potter. interesting interview about how much sway the health care industry has in washington.

Bill Moyers Journal: Interview with former HMO executive Wendell Potter. interesting interview about how much sway the health care industry has in washington.

never gonna give your teen spirit up
YouTube – Nirvana vs Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit up. this is surprisingly well done.

YouTube – Nirvana vs Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit up. this is surprisingly well done.

15 creepiest vintage ads of all time
The 15 Creepiest Vintage Ads Of All Time. my favorite line is “Seriously, what kind of woman doesn’t “store test” for fresher coffee?”

The 15 Creepiest Vintage Ads Of All Time. my favorite line is “Seriously, what kind of woman doesn’t “store test” for fresher coffee?”

Burger Quest 2009: Eggspectation
Burgers are like eggs: Undercook 'em and they retain some moisture; overcook 'em and they're chewy like rawhide. That's how things roll at Eggspectation.

Red Line service to quit near crash site for investigation
Midday Metro riders can expect agonizing delays Thursday as federal transportation experts continue their investigation into last month’s Red Line crash. Ditto for Saturday, WMATA announced. Service between Takoma and Fort Totten will be suspended between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Thursday, according to a press statement. Shuttle buses will shlep people between those stations; meanwhile, [...]

South Silver Spring scores new wine retailer
A new shop on East-West Highway in South Silver Spring will offer convenience items like beer and wine, as well as dry-cleaning services.

Books: ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is an adorable tale that mashes contemporary action moves with old-skool English storytelling, all without seeming anachronistic or contrived.

This Weekend
As it turns out, spending the weekend in Silver Spring won't be too painful. There's music, politics and a play -- something for (almost) everyone.

Architects picture park-like setting for proposed library bridge
A footbridge between downtown's new library and the Wayne Avenue garage can go from being a dull, utilitarian walkway to a slick, sky-high park, the project's architects suggested.

Fire causes minor damage to civic center site
A small fire on Fenton Street was quashed before it got cooking Friday afternoon.

APM Terminals Aarhus Starts Rail Service; New Service reduces emissions and truck traffic from Danish highways; Offers new, more cost effective routing for shipping lines
Executives from APM Terminals Aarhus have announced a new rail shuttle service from the Port of Aarhus to serve the Danish capital of Copenhagen. The new service offers shippers a five hour transit time and frequency of up to three departures a week.

Eric’s sideways look at real estate and other stuff – SF East Bay Area
via eastbayplus.posterous.com This was from one of my trips to Taiwan. It was early morning and they had just poured a large area of concrete. The steam was fantastic, and the footprints made this great texture. Eric Posted via web from Eric’s sideways look at real estate and other stuff Posted [...]

via eastbayplus.posterous.com

This was from one of my trips to Taiwan.
It was early morning and they had just poured a large area of concrete.
The steam was fantastic, and the footprints made this great texture.

Eric

Posted via web from Eric’s sideways look at real estate and other stuff

Posted in real estate

Samsung Water Filter
Samsung Water Filter: UK Aqua installs, repairs maintains and rents plumbed in water coolers and dispensers across the UK

water cooler UK

About UK Aqua:
UK Aqua installs, repairs maintains and rents plumbed in water coolers and dispensers across the UK
Click HERE: Mineral Water

UK Aqua Ltd was formerly part of the Office Champions group which was established by breakaway senior management from one of the UKs largest employers and facilities management businesses a recognised plc. By October 2006 UK Aqua Ltd reached a size where separation from the parent group was a logical step to allow management to focus on continued increasing growth rates.

The office drinking water cooler maintains its popularity simply because of its convenience. Living healthy starts with eating right and using clean clear water for all of your daily needs. The fact is drinking pure water can be the cure-all for many common ailments.

The dangerous chemicals present in the tap water will enter the human body through the skin and may also be drawn in while breathing in showers. Now that you know the benefits of drinking water it becomes obvious that the water we consume has to be pure and 100% safe. The filter mechanism in these bottles will take care of purifying it and providing you with fresh and clean water.

Water purifiers are not only the most affordable and convenient but also the best way to ensure purity in the water that you are drinking. Chlorine in drinking water samples need to be tested immediately. Another benefit to drinking water is that it aides in weight management.

water filter UK
Company Name UK Aqua Ltd
Registered Office,7 Park Road, Egham, Surrey,TW20 9BJ
Registered In England no 0596736

Website: ukaqua.com

Phone Number: 01784 300 134
Email: enquiries@ukaqua.com

V.A.T. Registration No.: 822 1697 34
Company Registration No.: 4746342

Use Chair Covers at Your Event
Chair covers can be used to make boring banquet chairs look lots more stylish.

Chair covers can be used to make boring banquet chairs look lots more stylish. It’s easy to find one that will perfectly fit your chairs because chair covers are available in several fabrics, styles and colors.

Chair covers are more often than not known for their use at a wedding reception or company function. Banquet stacking chairs and folding chairs constructed of wood, metal or plastic are the most common types of chairs used in places that host big functions. You can personalize an event by masking plain chairs with chair covers.

When it comes to a wedding reception, chair covers could be used by the bride-to-be to set the feel of the event. Take for instance spun polyester chair covers. It is easy to create a wedding centered around a particular color theme because spun polyester is for sale in a wide choice of colors.

If a romantic setting is what you are looking for then choose satin chair covers or a fanciful fabric such as twinkle, contessa, pintuck or monique. By all means, don’t leave out the table decorations. Add table skirting, tablecloths and table napkins to the occasion and you will surely create a wedding reception that will not be forgotten.

It’s essential to have a supply of chair covers available for use if you own a business that offers rental space for large gatherings. This will afford you an advantage over your competitor because you’ll be able to offer something that they do not. You can complement virtually any party theme by simply making available woven polyester chair covers in white or ivory. Patrons can add their own personal touch to an occasion by buying or even renting coordinating bagels, elastic chair bows or sashes.

Chair covers provide a finished look to any event. Creating a truly one-of-a-kind look is quite easy because there is such a variety of complementary materials and colors to pick from. Use chair covers and you’ll never have to settle for the cold, hard look of banquet or folding chairs ever again.

Risk Aversion rules…so far today!
The theme of the day today so far is “risk aversion”. The dollar is doing quite well, especially against the emerging market currencies (South African rand, Turkish lira, etc.). Also, a pair that tends to do good when the financial markets to bad (GBP/AUD) is towards the top of the list too.However, USD/CAD beats them [...]

The theme of the day today so far is “risk aversion”. The dollar is doing quite well, especially against the emerging market currencies (South African rand, Turkish lira, etc.). Also, a pair that tends to do good when the financial markets to bad (GBP/AUD) is towards the top of the list too.However, USD/CAD beats them all this morning…up 1.5% on the day so far. Traders could be looking for a correction in oil since it’s traveled so far, so fast. Oil is at $68.25 as of this writing…down from a peak of around $73 so far, yet still far off of the $33 lows.

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Building Permits & Housing Starts improve for the 3rd month in a row!
Building Permits and Housing Starts improved for the 3rd month in a row. This is the first “breath of fresh air” that the housing market has gotten in a while. The weird thing is…as things improve economically in the U.S. it improves the sentiment for the larger, global economy…since the U.S. is such a big part [...]

Building Permits and Housing Starts improved for the 3rd month in a row. This is the first “breath of fresh air” that the housing market has gotten in a while.

The weird thing is…as things improve economically in the U.S. it improves the sentiment for the larger, global economy…since the U.S. is such a big part of that. So in the end, the positive U.S. data will help foreign currencies even more than it does the U.S. dollar. In fact, I’d expect the dollar to stay in its “well defined” downtrend even as the U.S. economy continues to improve for that very reason.

Canadian Core CPI came in at 0%. So there was literally no inflationary or deflationary pressures. Given the neutrality of that report, it probably won’t affect the CAD that much. So any moves on it today, from this point on are likely to be “technical” in nature. The USD/CAD trend has been down. That trend is likely to continue (with periods of corrective upswings along the way).

Sean Hyman

www.forextradingblog.com

Tags: blog, cad, currencies, data, dollar, dow, downtrend, economic, economy, forex, forextrading, housing market, Hyman, Sean, Sean Hyman, sentiment, technical, time, U.S., USD

Tell Me What Tuesday: Do You Work from Home During Holy Week?
This might not apply to other religions, but for many Roman Catholics, the Holy Week (March 19-23) is a big deal and it should be observed properly. So if you are a work-from-home entrepreneur in the Philippines or even in other countries, how do you observe the Holy Week? My family’s usually extremely busy during the Holy [...]

Technically trade the best “fundamental” currencies. Which one’s on top?
Australia…why? It has the highest interest rate of any major industrialized nation (3%…next highest, New Zealand @ 2.5%). It has the next to highest inflation rate which will help ensure high rates that go higher over time (2.5% year over year (New Zealand is on top, with 3%)). Australia really stands out on this next [...]

Australia…why? It has the highest interest rate of any major industrialized nation (3%…next highest, New Zealand @ 2.5%). It has the next to highest inflation rate which will help ensure high rates that go higher over time (2.5% year over year (New Zealand is on top, with 3%)). Australia really stands out on this next one…they are the ONLY major industrialized nation to have a positivie year over year GDP (0.8%). All others are negative right now. And they still have one of the lower unemployment rates out there (5.4%).So put all of this together and this gives the Aussie dollar the best overall fundamentals followed by the New Zealand dollar, next. Therefore, you may want to technically trade AUD/USD, AUD/JPY and secondarily NZD/USD and NZD/JPY as your “focus currencies” to trade…no matter what time frame you trade upon.(As an added note, the Aussie consumer sentiment jumped to a +12.7% vs. a -4.3% last time. This is one of the highest readings in a long time.)Also…China just had an acquisition deal go bad that would have netted them a ton of iron ore that they badly need for their expansion. Since that fell through, they will greatly step up their purchases from Australia, which again helps the Aussie dollar, especially vs. the U.S. dollar (buying AUD/USD, in other words).Get a FREE, REAL TIME demo account to trade, here: http://www.fxedu.com/practice-forex-account

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Google Voice app for Blackberry kills GVDialer
Google Voice is "one number to rule them all". I’ve known all along that Google would create "clients" for the Blackberry and the iPhone eventually. In the mean time, I wanted to do everything I could to make GV as usable as possible. I tried the free version of GV Mobile for the iPhone (iPod [...]

Google Voice is "one number to rule them all". I’ve known all along that Google would create "clients" for the Blackberry and the iPhone eventually. In the mean time, I wanted to do everything I could to make GV as usable as possible. I tried the free version of GV Mobile for the iPhone (iPod Touch) and liked it so much, I paid for the full version, knowing that at some point, Google would give me something for free. Still, at $2.99, the iPhone app was worth it.

The Blackberry has the GV Dialer app. I gave the 30 day trial a test run and was so underwhelmed, there was no way I would pay $7.99 for the real app. Thankfully, Google saved me.

Google Voice for Blackberry is free and quite usable. It does what it needs to; doesn’t try to do too much, and doesn’t get all wrapped around the axle when it comes to integrating into the Blackberry. My one complaint from initial testing is that it needs to do more caching and reduce the amount of effort and bandwidth it puts into my data connection when what I really want is to place a phone call. It needs a small amount of data to signal the servers for the call but otherwise, it should be less heavy in this department.

One complaint I’ve read but don’t echo is; "you can’t simply open your BlackBerry phonebook and dial via Google Voice". Personally, it was a pain to get my address book sync’d but I had to do that for the iPhone so now it’s a non issue. Besides, Google Voice remembers most recent dialed numbers so more often than not, I am dialing from my history and not from my address book.

So, for now it’s Google’s own app for the Blackberry and GV Mobile for the iPhone. I look forward to comparing Google’s own iPhone app when they launch it.

Central Banker Bollard gives the “Green Light” to New Zealand’s Economic Recovery!
Last night, New Zealand’s central banker stated that “early signs of a global recovery have emerged” and that “New Zealand looks likely to start recovering ahead of the pack”. How’s that for an “economic green light”? Pretty good, huh… More specifically, he stated that their economy will start growing in the final quarter of this [...]

Last night, New Zealand’s central banker stated that “early signs of a global recovery have emerged” and that “New Zealand looks likely to start recovering ahead of the pack”.

How’s that for an “economic green light”? Pretty good, huh…

More specifically, he stated that their economy will start growing in the final quarter of this year. He’s still likely to keep their interest rates low until late 2010 though (because the economy needs further stimulus).

Bollard also expressed his interest in a weaker NZD dollar, however, I’m not so sure he’s going to get that wish granted with a speech like last night’s speech.

Sentiment improves when economic growth resumes. On top of that, New Zealand still has the 2^nd highest interest rate of any industrialized nation, so the “carry traders” may still bid up his currency while at the same time selling the U.S. buck or yen!

A recent Westpac report expects that their economy will grow 2.6% next year (more than twice the pace it forecast in April). Again, another “big plus” for the carry traders that live the Kiwi dollar (NZD).

So far, the New Zealand dollar has gained a whopping 17% on the U.S. dollar in the past 6 months. With reports like this from Westpac and Bollard, that trend is more likely to continue than to abate!

So while Bollard calls recent gains in the New Zealand dollar “unhelpful”…he may find that it becomes even more “unhelpful” in the weeks/months to come!

As things get “booming” again, it looks like he could increase the minimum capital requirements of banks to reign in excessive lending by making them hold more money in reserves. So he will be able to pull in the reigns a bit when the time comes…but possibly not enough to deter more Kiwi buying!

Sean Hyman

www.forextradingblog.com

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Being a Fundamental trader no matter what your time frame.
The fallacy that traders usually get into is that fundamental analysis is only “news event trading”. However, the biggest traders out there aren’t so much “news event traders” and yet they are still fundamental traders. How? Because they keep in mind where interest rates and CPI are heading in the given countries. They watch the GDP growth [...]

The fallacy that traders usually get into is that fundamental analysis is only “news event trading”.

However, the biggest traders out there aren’t so much “news event traders” and yet they are still fundamental traders.

How? Because they keep in mind where interest rates and CPI are heading in the given countries. They watch the GDP growth to see how the country is growing, etc. They rank the ones that perform the best fundamentally and pair them vs. some of the worst fundamentally.

That gives them their pairings, no matter what time frames they look for entries into that fundamental direction.

So let’s say that they think the Aussie is one of the best fundamentally sound countries out there (and thus its currency too). And let’s say that they think that the U.S. is very fundamentally flawed and is one of the worst performers when it comes to their fundamental data overall. Then they’d want to look for buy technical entries into the AUD/USD pair. That could be on a one hour chart, 4 hour, daily, 5 minute chart, etc.

No matter their holding time length…they buy the best and sell the worst. That’s how many big institutions look at fundamentals and technicals. They technically trade in the right fundamental direction on the best pairings.

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Business Week Fifty Tech Startups You Should Know

I'm pleased to announce that Business Week has named FON to it's list of "Fifty Tech Startups You Should Know"!

Fonera 2.0 New Firmware!

We've reached a major milestone and have a new firmware with plugins available for the Fonera 2.0!
Please visit the Fonosfera blog for details and downloads!

Good Ideas Lurking In Cartoons
It's no secret to my friends and family that I think Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, is a genius. In addition to being an accomplished cartoonist, he has a very popular blog where he writes about any and everything. He recently posted about banks, and though it was a somewhat uninspired rant, he did offer an interesting product idea: "If consumers mattered, your bank would offer one retail product. It would be part checking account and part credit card. And...

It's no secret to my friends and family that I think Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, is a genius. In addition to being an accomplished cartoonist, he has a very popular blog where he writes about any and everything. He recently posted about banks, and though it was a somewhat uninspired rant, he did offer an interesting product idea:

"If consumers mattered, your bank would offer one retail product. It would be part checking account and part credit card. And by that I mean your balance could either be above zero or below zero at any given point. When your balance is below zero, you pay interest to the bank. When it is above zero, the bank pays you interest. You'd have one plastic card that does what your ATM and your credit card does now.

If you needed more credit, you could secure your account with your home equity. That way you wouldn't have multiple types of credit with the same bank, where the bank hopes you misplace at least one of their bills so they get the late fee."

Does this exist anywhere? Is it even allowed by regulators? Maybe, maybe not. But I thought it was an interesting and fresh take on the most basic product offered by a bank.

Stephen Murray

Fonera 2.0 Now Available!

The Fonera 2.0 is now available in Europe!

WIRELESS NETWORK ACCESS
Hook up hard drives and access them and other home network devices via WiFi.

INDEPENDENT DOWNLOADER
Download* torrents, movies and TV series with your computer shut down.

INDEPENDENT UPLOADER
Upload directly to YouTube, Facebook, Picasa and Flickr from your USB device or camera with your computer shut down

GREEN ON THE INSIDE
Save money on energy and reduce your CO2 output by turning off your PC.

CUSTOMIZABLE AND OPEN SOURCE
Add new features with a single click or create your own apps.

FREE WIFI
Of course! Access FON Spots for free worldwide.

*You should not download copyrighted material unless you have permission from the copyright holder to do so.

Fonera 2 vs the Competition; Asus, Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, NetGear, Planex

I've known for a while the Fonera 2 is packed with features other more expensive wifi routers don't have. It really didn't sink in until I saw the comparison below. The Fonera 2 will be released in Europe in April. All prices below are in Euros since U.S. pricing isn't official yet. I'll revisit this comparison, and convert to dollars, when the Fonera 2 is released in the U.S.

Is There A Culture Fit? New Approaches To Hiring...
Here is a simple/smart/humanistic approach to hiring. Specialized has a position for a graphic director that needs to be filled. Instead of just posting the position with copy the creative director added a video of himself talking about the position and who their looking for (a rock star of course). With just a quick watch, the viewer is able to understand the attitude, style, and lifestyle the company houses (wasn't over done, glitzy, or too corporate). Most hiring managers...

Here is a simple/smart/humanistic approach to hiring. Specialized has a position for a graphic director that needs to be filled. Instead of just posting the position with copy the creative director added a video of himself talking about the position and who their looking for (a rock star of course). With just a quick watch, the viewer is able to understand the attitude, style, and lifestyle the company houses (wasn't over done, glitzy, or too corporate).

Most hiring managers and companies forget: half of the interview process is selling a candidate on the culture, the opportunity and the people they'll be working with. This video takes a proactive approach to culture pre-sell before the interview even takes place and is likely to attract high-quality candidates.

Many more companies were making the effort to create culture videos when the economy was strong and a talent shortage made it harder to attract high-quality people. A chees-ey but impactful video - created by Micrsoft interns - documents an employee taking advantage of 30 Microsoft perks during one day at work. Keep in mind, this video was posted in early 2008, so these perks may no longer be offered - but it certainly makes a compelling case of everything Microsoft does for their employees.

Video could have many other applications during the interview process. Many candidates are starting to use video resumes as a "warm" introduction of themselves - as opposed to a near-anonymous resume or phone call. And many companies (including Organic) are currently considering the pros and cons of pre-screen video interviews - asking candidates to answer a pre-determined set of questions to get a sense of whether they're a fit for a position - and allowing the hiring managers to view on their own. This allows for both scheduling flexibility and time savings.

All of these techniques help give a clearer impression - for both the hiring manager and the candidate - of not just whether there is a qualification fit... but is there a culture fit.

Casey Riggleman
Traci Armstrong

Mesa Verde National Park
On our way to Utah last month, we went through Southern Colorado to get to Mesa Verde National Park. The beauty of travel field trips is that you get to walk around and crawl into awesome spots that you’d otherwise only see in books. Mesa Verde is a perfect example of this. [...]

Outdoor Fonera Prototype

Thought you might enjoy seeing a prototype of an outdoor Fonera we're working on. There have been lots of requests for a device like this and we're working on it! No price or release date, just a working model at this point.

Sony COM-2 mylo

I've blogged about the mylo before and now the second generation COM-2 mylo is $100 off at the Sony Style store through January 31 2009. Great device at a great price!

Do We Need Social Media Fishing Nets?
Ever since Crispin Porter + Bogusky launched their new website, they have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the blogs and twittersphere. Their move away from the branded portfolio and to a social aggregation has been praised as a step in the right direction. kaseymarcum: Impressive! -- Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new site that puts social media ahead of their work MattFiedler: Out with traditional websites, in with social media terminals But I struggle with whether or not...

Ever since Crispin Porter + Bogusky launched their new website, they have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the blogs and twittersphere. Their move away from the branded portfolio and to a social aggregation has been praised as a step in the right direction.

kaseymarcum: Impressive! -- Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new site that puts social media ahead of their work

MattFiedler: Out with traditional websites, in with social media terminals

But I struggle with whether or not these are actual compliments. Do we want agency and brand websites to be "social media terminals"? Is CP+B losing something by doing it this way? And to be honest, is it really as social as it seems?

Craig Ritchie, a strategist at Organic Toronto, had this take:

This "digital uhm... fishing net," as Alex Bogusky describes it in his "candid" video, doesn't allow for any context or brand definition. Some are saying this move is good for all of us. "No matter what you think of it, just be glad they did it. It's one step toward making a lot of what several of us have been pushing for a whole lot easier," says Paul Isakson. But there's no move here.

As "the social web" becomes just "the web," brands will need to, yes, monitor and engage with all channels and not take themselves so seriously. But, there's no brand if everything anyone says about your company becomes your brand promise. You don't need a "uhm... fishing net," you need a big ol' crab boat, and a good crew that's in it for the long haul.

I agree with Craig's assessment. But my real problem is that the new CP+B site doesn't live up to the promise of being social. It should be about conversation, not aggregation.

The site pulls in bits and pieces of what people are saying from the social web, but doesn't actually allow people to comment or engage in dialogue on their site. Sure, they can tweet, and it's unfiltered, but it's also disconnected and not very meaningful. It's a lot of noise for noise sake, and it certainly doesn't show how CP+B is part of that conversation. Instead, it feels a lot more like they are spying on the party, rather than hosting it.

Marta Strickland
Craig Ritchie

Los Angeles stages a fast food intervention
The yearlong moratorium on new fast food restaurants in Los Angeles raises questions about when eating stops being a personal choice and becomes a public health concern.

Ill and in pain, detainee dies in U.S. hands
Lawyers say their client was denied adequate medical care while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and demanded a criminal investigation.

Amid ruined New Orleans neighborhoods, a gadfly buzzes
Karen Gadbois, a New Orleans activist, has helped expose corruption in the federally financed program to gut and repair storm-damaged homes.

Attorney general rejects calls for criminal charges over hirings
Michael Mukasey said he had already taken strong internal steps in response to an episode involving former Justice Department employees who used political litmus tests in hiring decisions.

Book on Obama hopes to repeat anti-Kerry feat
A conservative gadfly who attacked John Kerry's Vietnam record in 2004 has released a new book painting Barack Obama as a stealth radical liberal.

A Swift-boating of Obama shoots up the charts
Jerome Corsi, co-author of a book on John Kerry's war record, has released a book painting Barack Obama as a radical that will make its debut Sunday on The New York Times best-seller list at No. 1.

After mixed U.S. messages, a war erupted in Georgia
Bush administration officials say they cautioned Georgia not to let Russia provoke it into a fight, but the warnings may have fallen on deaf ears.

U.S. analyst depicts Al Qaeda as secure in Pakistan and more potent than last year
Al Qaeda's success in forging close ties to Pakistani militant groups has given the terrorist network an increasingly secure haven in parts of Pakistan, an analyst said.

Health benefits inspire a rush to the altar, or to divorce court
A poll and anecdotal data suggest more people are making major life decisions on the basis of health care concerns.

Vote for IPC CEO at http://www.cnelect.com.cn/2008/

Latest Good News from IPC !

IPC CEO Professor Dr. Steven Leow has been nominated as the Candidate for the 2008 China's Top 10 Brilliant Person (Finance and Economics) ! You may go and vote for IPC CEO at http://www.cnelect.com.cn/2008/ now !

More good news will be published at this Blog soon !

All the best !

SLV UPay Card at Oriental Daily News !

Latest Good News about SLV UPay Card !

The above picture depicted the Launching of SLV UPay Card reported at Oriental Daily News on 21/12/2008 !

IPC Related Videos

Hello ! You can now watch all the IPC related Videos at http://home.ipcshoppingb2b.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99

For all the IPC Photos, you may visit www.ipcshopping.com

More good news will be updated soon !

IPC Success Reported by Yahoo Finance !

IPC's success was reported in Yahoo Finance, you may go to http://biz.cn.yahoo.com/09-02-/124/su45.html for the details.

Good luck to you !

UPay Virtual Payment System

Latest Good News about UPay Card published in The Star Online and My Metro for your information !

The details of the news are as follows :-

KUALA LUMPUR : Koperasi Persatuan Pengguna Islam Bhd has teamed up with SLV Solutions Sdn Bhd to launch a virtual payment system called UPay.

KOPPIM chief executive officer Mohd Noor Ibrahim said UPay was a transaction facilitator services to accommodate trust and security for online e-commerce payment transactions.
“UPay is the entity than ensures that merchants and buyers have a trusted entity to securely perform an online transaction,” he said at the preview of the product on Tuesday.
The product will be officially launched on 13 Dec.

He said that KOPPIM will charge a service fee to facilitate the transaction and charges would depend on the UPay issuer.

Mohd Noor said the product was developed locally for the world market and was an instrument of payment through the internet. He said to use UPay services, users would buy UPay in the transacted currency. “Upon agreeable transaction, Upay ownership is transferred to the seller/merchant. Upay will charge the service fee for this process,” he said.

He said SLV Solutions, which is an Internet solutions company was its first customer and had 3 million members.

Meanwhile SLV solutions director Ivan Lee said the company planned to launch the product in China and Taiwan as well. “It is a new era of the payment system. We are confident that within a year, UPay will become a brand to be reckoned with,” he said.

For the news online, you may visit the following websites :-

1. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/25/business/20081125200816&sec=business

2. http://www.hmetro.com.my/Current_News/myMetro/Monday/Bisnes/20081201085128/Article/index_html

IPC CEO Latest Achievement

The above picture depicted the latest achievements of IPC CEO published in the Global Business Magazine !

Congratulations !

IPC China will Visit IPC Head Office in August 2008 (Latest)

The above pictures depicted that the IPC Members from China will be visiting IPC Head Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 16/08/2008 to 21/08/2008 !

According to a reliable source, more IPC News and announcements will be made from August 2008 onwards !

Good luck to you !

IPC Members from Chongqing China !

According to a very reliable source, a group of IPC Members from Chongqing, China will be visiting IPC Malaysia from 19/04/2008 onwards !

The city of Chongqing can be best described as southwest China’s commercial capital. Since 1997, the city has become the fourth municipality, independent from Sichuan Province, to be under the direct control of the central government. The major port of the upper Yangzi River and gateway to the famous “Three Gorges,” Chongqing now includes most of the former eastern Sichuan Province, with a population of 30 million. It is a major center of iron and steel production, motorcycle manufacturing and shipbuilding, as well as chemical and pharmaceutical production. The religious cliff sculptures of Dazu and Baodingshan and the Three Gorges scenic region of the Yangzi River are all nearby, making Chongqing an important center for tourism despite the scarcity of notable sights within the city proper.

Chongqing lies at the confluence of the Yangzi and Jialingjiang Rivers, centered on a hilly peninsula encircled by the rivers, in what was formerly the eastern part of Sichuan Province. Also known as the Mountain City, Chongqing is 1,025 km (640 miles) northwest of Hong Kong, and 1,800 km (1,120 miles) southwest of Beijing. It is one of the four “furnace cities” of China, with blazingly hot and humid summers and cold, foggy winters.

Tips for making your small business marketing more successful
Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your small business. A successful marketing campaign will help you get more business and ultimately improve your bottom line. The following are some tips for making your small business marketing...

Which tool i can use to check the broken links?
Does the broken links could affect the keyword position? You know the indexed page of our site have decreased more than 1000 pages last week,so i wan

Facebook dicussions getting indexed in Google
HI, Have you seen your Facebook dicussions getting indexed in Google and can be seen in SERPs? Do you think it will be good from users perspecti

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My site keyword in top 4 in google.For that keyword i added alt tag now that keyword left from SERP. What can i do get back my keyword in SERP same

No follow and "link juice" etc
Can someone explain about the significance of whether a link is a dofollow or nofollow etc As I understand it, no follow means that PR will not b

Anonymous TechCrunch Author Slams SEO
An anonymous "executive" on (URL="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/13/the-time-has-come-to-regulate-search-engine-marketing-and-seo/")TechCrunch(/URL

Google announcement - Improved flash search and indexing
Hey Guys Google has just released a couple of days back that now their crawlers are much of capable to crawl adobe flash files with its embedded cont

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I have been studying different meta titles. Noticed that most sites that use & in the title display as & in the page source. First question: d

Build a directory for SEO purposes - Huge site
(B)Scenario(/B) Lets say you work for the most recognized brand/website in Germany and you get more than 20 million page views per month but you re

Facebook gesperrt
Jetzt hat es Facebook in China erwischt, derzeit ist die beliebte Social Community Plattform in China nicht zu erreichen. In letzter Zeit hatten viele Webseiten in China Probleme mit der Zensur, unter anderem Google, da Google anscheinend nach Angaben der Zensurbehörden Zugang zu unmoralischen Inhalten erlaubte. Twitter It!

Las Rocas Resort - Rosarito, Mexico
A Picture Submited of Las Rocas Resort - Rosarito, Mexico part of Baja California.

A Picture Submited of Las Rocas Resort - Rosarito, Mexico part of Baja California.

Deals must obtain competition OK
The slowing South African economy poses significant challenges for competition authorities who have to deal with the implications in both the substance and timing of merger reviews.

Jabil to build SunPower solar panels in Mexico
*Jabil to build SunPower solar panels at Mexican plant *First step in implementing regional panel assembly *Financial terms not disclosed LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Reuters) - Solar power company SunPower Corp (SPWRA.O) said on Monday it had signed a contract with electronics maker Jabil Circuit Inc (JBL.N) to build solar panels in Mexico beginning in the second half [...]

*Jabil to build SunPower solar panels at Mexican plant

*First step in implementing regional panel assembly

*Financial terms not disclosed

LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Reuters) - Solar power company SunPower Corp (SPWRA.O) said on Monday it had signed a contract with electronics maker Jabil Circuit Inc (JBL.N) to build solar panels in Mexico beginning in the second half of 2009.

Jabil will start making solar panels for SunPower’s North American solar customers in the second half of 2009, SunPower said in a statement. The San Jose, California, company said the deal was the first step in its long-term strategy to implement regional panel assembly to reduce costs.

SunPower currently produces its solar panels in the Philippines and has a partnership with SunEnergy in China. It is also looking at establishing manufacturing in large solar markets in the United States, the company said. - [reuters.com]

Are you Active or Pending?
If you have been waiting to buy a home, NOW is the time to be active. Here is a chart showing the ratio of Active listing to Pending listings in the East Bay. Orange is Pending Blue is Active The Black line is the ratio The total height of each bar shows the number of homes on the market. You can [...]

If you have been waiting to buy a home,

NOW is the time to be active.

Here is a chart showing the ratio of Active listing to Pending listings in the East Bay.

Orange is Pending

Blue is Active

The Black line is the ratio

Active/Pending Raio for East Bay Area

The total height of each bar shows the number of homes on the market. You can see that today we are at a very low over-all number for sale.

More importantly is the relatively small number of active listings compared to pendings.

This looks like a SELLER’s market.

Eric Haggin

925 336-6462

Eric@EastBayPlus.com

Posted in Alameda, Alamo, Concord, Contra Costa, Danville, Dublin, East Bay area, Livermore, NOD NOT REO, Pleasanton, real estate, Real estate investing, Real estate market stats, San Ramon Tagged: Active/Pending, Real estate charts

‘That will do’ never does.
Do you ever find yourself thinking ‘That will do’? I do and have learned to accept it as a warning sign. ‘That will do’ means you are about to deliver something below par. If you find yourself about to walk away from a job that seems just good enough you should stop yourself and think about what [...]

quick_fix Do you ever find yourself thinking ‘That will do’?

I do and have learned to accept it as a warning sign.

‘That will do’ means you are about to deliver something below par. If you find yourself about to walk away from a job that seems just good enough you should stop yourself and think about what you could add to turn your job from ‘That will do’ into ‘This is it!’.

The ‘quick fix’ is seldon a real fix, the ‘Good enough’ solution is never good enough and ‘that will do’ never does.

Note on gubernatorial fundraising numbers

The numbers being posted here are for contributions made in the first half of 2009 through Jun. 30 and do not include prior year contributions. Cash on hand is the ending balance as of Jun. 30 net of all contributions and expenditures.

You can look them up here and see details with names of contributors for all itemized contributions and a list of payees for itemized expenses.

Still waiting for Kyle, Cammack, Ramsey, and Herron.

Recap for 2009 through Jun. 30:

Haslam: Contributions: $3,606,862.53; On hand: $3,474,468.82
Wamp: Contributions: $1,253,190.36; On hand: $1,054,195.70
McWherter: Contributions: $650,305.00; On hand: $619,483.47
Gibbons: Contributions: $416,765.41; On hand: $301,214.49
McMillan: Contributions: $179,661.42; On hand: $144,617.77

KnoxViews

Danville condo near San Ramon Valley High
52 Danville Oak Pl.—Westside Danville This is a beautiful, large condo walking distance to San Ramon Valley High School. MAP of 52 Danville Oak Pl, Danville More photos MLS Listing 3 bed, 2.5 bath home. Over 1600 sq ft. Garage plus an assigned parking spot. Nice patio. Near Iron Horse trail and downtown Danville. Great value at $525,000 ! Please call or email [...]

52 Danville Oak Pl.—Westside Danville

This is a beautiful, large condo walking distance to San Ramon Valley High School.

MAP of 52 Danville Oak Pl, Danville

More photos

MLS Listing

3 bed, 2.5 bath home.
Over 1600 sq ft.
Garage plus an assigned parking spot.
Nice patio.
Near Iron Horse trail and downtown Danville.

Great value at $525,000 !

Please call or email for a private showing anytime.

Eric Haggin

925 336-6462

52DanvilleOak@EastBayPlus.com

Posted in Danville, East Bay area, Keller Williams, New Listing, real estate, Real estate investing, San Ramon Tagged: 52 Danville Oak, Danville Oaks, Iron Horse Trail, San Ramon Valley High

HR3200: The House plan for health care reform

Here is the 1000+ page bill, and here is a summary. Here is the House combined committee overview page with lots of links and discussion.

Reading through the first 200 or so pages related to health insurance coverage, following are some highlights as I understood them:

continued...

Affordable coverage and consumer protections:

• Sets medical loss ratios for insurance companies and plans, provides rebates to policyholders if not met.

• Prohibits rescission except in provable cases of fraud, provides for independent appeals process.

• Prohibits exclusions for pre-existing conditions or limitations of benefits based on health-related factors.

• Standardized electronic claims filing

• Standardized electronic eligibility determination at point of service

• Requires timely payment of claims.

• Disclosure of plan terms and conditions, financial disclosures, enrollment data, claims denials, rating practices, and cost-sharing in "plain language."

• Guarantees issue and renewability

Guaranteed essential benefits:

• Hospitalization, outpatient, and emergency room services

• Professional services of physicians and other health professionals

• Related equipment and supplies

• Rehabilitative services

• Mental health and substance use disorder services

• Preventive services

• Maternity care

• Infant and children care, oral, health, vision, and hearing for under 21

• Sets annual limits for out of pocket cost sharing

• No annual or lifetime limits

• No cost sharing for preventive services

• Premiums may vary by age

• Premiums may vary by premium rating area (geographic?)

• Provider networks must meet standards of adequacy

• Must provide 70% of full actuarial value of benefits

• Additional provisions for "enhanced" and "premium" plans

Health Insurance Exchange:

• Individuals eligible to obtain coverage unless enrolled in another plan or have other acceptable coverage or are eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or VA.

• Employers eligible to enroll employees if certain requirements are met.

• Provides affordability credits for individuals up to 400% of poverty, with tiered cost-sharing for those with employer provided plans with premiums exceeding 11% of income.

• Automatic Medicaid enrollment if exchange determines individuals are eligible.

• Plans must provide essential benefits package, participating insurance companies may also offer enhanced and premium plans if they are already provided in their service area.

• Available only to individuals and smallest employers (10 employees or fewer) the first year. Phased in for larger employers over three years or more.

• States may opt out of federal program and operate their own exchange.

• Participating insurance plans must meet certain requirements, such as providing information for risk pooling and providing for implementation of affordability credits.

• Consumers pay premiums directly to insurance companies, exchange commission will provide consumer assistance with choosing plans.

• Participating insurance companies regulated by federal and state government.

Public Option:

• Available only through the exchange.

• Meets requirements of exchange basic, enhanced and premium plans.

• Government may outsource administration, but not risk.

• Geographically adjusted premiums that fully finance health benefits and administrative costs.

• Provider payment rates same as Medicare plus 5% for the first three years.

• Payment rates for prescription drugs will be negotiated.

• Provider network is the same as Medicare unless provider opts out of public option.

Shared Responsibility:

• Individuals required to obtain acceptable coverage or pay penalty equal to 2.5% of income into the exchange.

• Employers must provide insurance and pay a substantial part of the premium or pay penalty of 8% of payroll into the exchange.

• Employers must automatically enroll employees unless employee opts out, in which case employers must pay 8% of employees wages into the exchange.

• Employers with payroll under $250,000 are exempt from the 8% rule, graduated percentage up to $400,000 in payroll.

• Employers prohibited from "steering" employees away from employer plan into individual exchange plan.

• A small business tax credit is available for businesses who provide employee insurance.

• Additional tax surcharge on high income individuals (1% if over $350,000, 1.5% if over $500,000, 5.4% if over $1,000,000). The 1% and 1.5% surcharges double after two years if federal health care savings targets are not met.

There are 800 more pages dealing with changes to Medicare and Medicaid that I have not studied.

On the whole, these are pretty good changes. My main objection is the focus on employer provided insurance. Health insurance must be divorced from employment.

It is not clear if individual plans available through the exchange are portable from state to state. It is also not clear whether lower income individuals who are self-employed or underemployed will be able to afford the basic essentials plan, which is pretty good insurance and presumably won't be cheap, even with affordability credits. And if they work for someone who doesn't provide insurance or they opt out of their employer's plan, it does not appear that they directly benefit from the 8% employer penalty in terms of premium reduction.

On the plus side, employers who are providing insurance and paying more than 8% will likely opt out and pay the 8% instead. This means more people end up in the exchange pool with individual policies, which is where everyone should be whether it's the public option or some other plan.

I don't understand why new taxes on high-income individuals (or the employer penalties) are needed to pay for this. If most individual and group insurance is provided through the exchange and the exchange is managed as a single risk pool, the premiums should pay for the coverage including the affordability credits.

At any rate, after looking at some of the details it's not a bad start. It addresses exclusion and rescission, provides other consumer protections and efficiencies, and includes a public option. It does not appear to address portability, and it does not remove employment from the equation. Allowing states to opt out of the exchange dilutes the purpose of the exchange and could lead to a whole new set of problems. It's ridiculously complicated, and it's certainly not single payer or anything close to it. But maybe it's better than nothing, assuming it can be done.

KnoxViews

Cammack: $156,067.00

On hand: $14,392.53

KnoxViews

$25,000 price reduction- Near San Ramon Valley High
We have made a significant price reduction on my listing at 52 Danville Oak Pl in Danville. 52 Danville Oak Pl.—Westside Danville This is a beautiful, large condo walking distance to San Ramon Valley High School. MAP of 52 Danville Oak Pl, Danville More photos MLS Listing 3 bed, 2.5 bath home. Over 1600 sq ft. Garage plus an assigned [...]

We have made a significant price reduction on my listing at 52 Danville Oak Pl in Danville.

52 Danville Oak Pl.—Westside Danville

This is a beautiful, large condo walking distance to San Ramon Valley High School.

MAP of 52 Danville Oak Pl, Danville

More photos

MLS Listing

3 bed, 2.5 bath home.
Over 1600 sq ft.
Garage plus an assigned parking spot.
Nice patio.
Near Iron Horse trail and downtown Danville.

Great value at only $525,000 !

OPEN HOUSE:

Sunday 1/22/09 from 1pm~4pm

Please call or email for a private showing anytime.

Eric Haggin

925 336-6462

52DanvilleOak@EastBayPlus.com

Posted in real estate

Gibbons: $416,765.41

$301,214.49 on hand.

KnoxViews

まち合わせ

待ち合わせは恵比寿渋谷橋の松元で。
TVで有名人が言ったか否かは分かんないけれど、
ここのソバは変わった品がきが多いようです。

既に食べてしまい奥のお皿にはガリとライムしかありませんが、
塩で食う白身寿司は旨い！
手前の茄子焼きは薄味で焼酎との相性は
バツグン。

そばは珍しい白色をしています。
あ～美しいぜこのお蕎麦は。
そしてコシが強いもんで、チュルって感じではなく
ずるずる～です。

マイコー追悼@

生い立ち
1958.8.29 生まれ
1971.10 ソロデビュー
2009.6.25 没
ギネスワールドレコーズでは
史上最も成功したエンターテイナーの認定。
茅場町で飲んで来ました。
珍しい場所ですが、意外にも素敵でオシャレなお店があって驚き。
千葉の牛をメーンに食材として出しているお店なんです。
これがまた美味い！
美味い＝高い\はなくて
立地も含め、結構リーズナブルでした。
(マイコーのご馳走でしたが・（笑）)
日本橋川沿で屋上テラスは最高です。
焼きを楽しむ方は1階の厨房カウンターが良いかな。

Script Writing
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The management changes include the promotion of the bank?s chief financial officer, Edward Kelly, to the position of vice chairman.

A wave of cyberattacks aimed at American and South Korean government agencies and commercial Web sites continued on Thursday.

The Pepsi Bottling Group reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit.

Business Ideas
G.M.?s new Camaro, a throwback to another era, is creating a buzz in otherwise quiet showrooms. A former lawyer for the collapsed commodities broker Refco Finance Holdings was found guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy in a partial verdict.

G.M.?s new Camaro, a throwback to another era, is creating a buzz in otherwise quiet showrooms.

The chief of the bank said in a memorandum that it would not comply with the I.R.S. because doing so would violate Swiss law.

A former lawyer for the collapsed commodities broker Refco Finance Holdings was found guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy in a partial verdict.

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Marketing Strategy
The embattled insurer has been quietly seeking approval to pay $2.4 million in bonuses to its senior executives. The federal government is taking the largest mortgage servicers to the woodshed on their efforts to modify shaky loans.

The embattled insurer has been quietly seeking approval to pay $2.4 million in bonuses to its senior executives.

A Congressional oversight committee says taxpayers could lose money in banks? payments to reclaim their shares.

The federal government is taking the largest mortgage servicers to the woodshed on their efforts to modify shaky loans.

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Innovation
The World Wide Web can be a busy and crowded place when you are looking for good information on innovation . We have created a great shortcut. Just click here and instantly find a world of accurate and thorough information about innovation , including public relations, Ideafisher, and many other topics. Beginning to [...]

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The bank kept its benchmark interest rate at 0.5 percent and stuck to its plan of buying bonds with newly printed money after recent data quashed earlier hopes of a recovery.

The antitrust regulator of the European Union wants cheaper generic drugs to reach people needing them quicker.

Federal prosecutors recommended a 145-year sentence for Marc S. Dreier, the prominent New York lawyer who pleaded guilty to a scheme in which investors lost more than $400 million.

Mind Mapping
The automotive-parts supplier filed for bankruptcy protection after receiving support it needed from lenders and bondholders to reorganize its struggling business. BT Group, the British telecommunications company, decided not to use a controversial technology that targets advertising based on consumers? Internet use.

The automotive-parts supplier filed for bankruptcy protection after receiving support it needed from lenders and bondholders to reorganize its struggling business.

Sergey Aleynikov masterminded a dazzling bank theft, the authorities say, and he did it without brandishing a gun or cracking a vault.

BT Group, the British telecommunications company, decided not to use a controversial technology that targets advertising based on consumers? Internet use.

Why is it that some people never have problems mind mapping ? It’s most likely because they knew in advance that they would need brainstorming techniques and marketing ideas. You can too, by browsing through our website for the most practical info and essential steps to take. Visit us today, and turn your pipe dreams into reality.

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Welcome to the Business ideas blog!
window.document.getElementById('post-1').parentNode.className += ' adhesive_post';So you finally decided to get involved in your own business. First off congratulations! Second the question which will always come up will be what type of business are you planning on getting involved in? This is a little more complicated and the business ideas you start with will often times dictate your [...]

So you finally decided to get involved in your own business. First off congratulations!

Second the question which will always come up will be what type of business are you planning on getting involved in? This is a little more complicated and the business ideas you start with will often times dictate your success so this becomes a critical decision.

Don’t leave the success of your business to your brainstorming efforts! Checkout http://www.ideacenter.com/ and get a free trail of the Ultimate Innovation Software which will change the way you think about starting your business today!

brainstorming, business ideas, marketing strategy

Creativity
As consumers cut spending, Japan?s robots, the world?s largest fleet of mechanized workers, are falling still. Beginning to creativity can be challenging - even scary. Fortunately for you, our website can help prepare you as you embark on this important transition. You will need creative writing in addition to marketing plan. Find both and [...]

As consumers cut spending, Japan?s robots, the world?s largest fleet of mechanized workers, are falling still.

Findings suggested traditional news sites were typically ahead of blogs by two and a half hours when a story line spread.

Beginning to creativity can be challenging - even scary. Fortunately for you, our website can help prepare you as you embark on this important transition. You will need creative writing in addition to marketing plan. Find both and much more by visiting our website and successfully creativity .

Learn about creativity and its significance in past years and what it may mean to you today. It is very business consulting and will help increase your advertising ideas in many ways. Find out how creativity has shaped the lives of people for generations and how it can for you, too.

You need information on creativity but internet marketing tool or innovation is preventing you from finding the best data. No need to worry. Our website contains an abundance of up-to-date information and resources on creativity . We have done the hard part by researching and compiling data to bring all of this information to your desktop.

Business Plan Software
Now that you have your business plan software , it is now time for you to take the next step? There are countless opportunities available to you including business plan and problem solving. Getting your business plan software was hard work. Now, come visit our website to learn what lies ahead for [...]

Now that you have your business plan software , it is now time for you to take the next step? There are countless opportunities available to you including business plan and problem solving. Getting your business plan software was hard work. Now, come visit our website to learn what lies ahead for you. We have current information and market analysis that can put you on the right track.

Our website contains the most current data on business plan software , with a complete compilation of informative articles and reviews. We have articles and commentary about business plan software and related topics. Come read a variety of viewpoints, and make a decision for yourself.

Why should you have to worry about business plan software when you can get all the resources you need at our website? We can offer you a complete package of information and tools to help you avoid business plan software . We have a wealth of information that would otherwise take weeks to research. We’ve done the hard part. Now all you have to do is click here and arm yourself with brainstorming techniques and inspiration software.

U.S. regulators will examine whether the government should impose limits on the number of futures contracts in oil and other energy commodities held by speculative traders.

Public Relations
Stop wasting your time sifting through websites that offer false promises of public relations . There are many realistic and viable ways of achieving public relations , and our website will give you all of the essential creativity, strategic planning, and resources necessary for success. You may think you knew everything there is [...]

Stop wasting your time sifting through websites that offer false promises of public relations . There are many realistic and viable ways of achieving public relations , and our website will give you all of the essential creativity, strategic planning, and resources necessary for success.

You may think you knew everything there is to know about public relations , but think again. Get Ideafisher and presentation software with comprehensive information about public relations . Anything you could possibly think of, we’ve already conveniently compiled the data right here in our website. There’s always something new, and we always have it right here. Visit us, and learn more.

Learn about public relations and its significance in past years and what it may mean to you today. It is very business marketing and will help increase your marketing ideas in many ways. Find out how public relations has shaped the lives of people for generations and how it can for you, too.

Business Planning
Public relations gurus are courting influential voices on services like Twitter to endorse new companies, Web sites or gadgets, perhaps forever altering their roles. The Terranea Resort, a $480 million hotel, opened last month in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., after the city agreed to a tax rebate plan.

Public relations gurus are courting influential voices on services like Twitter to endorse new companies, Web sites or gadgets, perhaps forever altering their roles.

The nonconforming ?jumbo? mortgage, which exceeds the conventional ?conforming? loan limit of $729,750 set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is becoming more difficult to obtain.

The Terranea Resort, a $480 million hotel, opened last month in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., after the city agreed to a tax rebate plan.

You’re a fan of business planning , and you have just arrived at the one website that offers the best business planning creative writing and mind mapping available. Browse through our website and get the most current and informative content. After your first visit, you are sure to add us to your Favorites.

Our website covers all the basics of business planning - from beginning to end. We have gathered these resources to help you home business ideas as soon as possible. You can even find executive coaching and other tools to help you plan, get started, execute, and successfully complete your business planning .

You may think you knew everything there is to know about business planning , but think again. Get strategic planning and business consulting with comprehensive information about business planning . Anything you could possibly think of, we’ve already conveniently compiled the data right here in our website. There’s always something new, and we always have it right here. Visit us, and learn more.

Monthly twice changing of meta description any effects in SERP
Monthly twice changing of meta description any effects in SERP.help me.

Explorer 8 update website problems
I noticed that my site has been effected by the latest update to explorer 8. Is there something I can do as a webmaster to alter my pages so they do n

Any changes in adCenter PPC Results?
Now that Bing has been live for a couple weeks and the novelty has worn off some, I'm wondering if anyone is seeing any different results in their adC

Swine Flu in Mexico
Mexico’s Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova, center, speaks during a news conference in Mexico City Saturday April 25, 2009. Federal authorities have extended school closures in the capital and two other states with swine flu outbreaks for 10 more days and he said in the news conference that the new strain has killed as many [...]

Mexico’s Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova, center, speaks during a news conference in Mexico City Saturday April 25, 2009. Federal authorities have extended school closures in the capital and two other states with swine flu outbreaks for 10 more days and he said in the news conference that the new strain has killed as many as 81 people in Mexico, though only 20 deaths have been confirmed. At left is Mexico’s Secretary of Education, Alonso Lujambio, second from left, is the Secretary of Economy, Gerardo Ruiz, second from right, is the Secretary of Labor, Javier Lozano and at right, is the presidential spokesman, Maximiliano Cortazar.

Using & in Meta Title
I have been studying different meta titles. Noticed that most sites that use & in the title display as & in the page source. First question: d

What is the best - Google/ Bing/ Yahoo
Hey Guys. I just came upon this website blindsearch.fejus.com/?q=Type+your+text+here It provides search results for all three search engines

Free Webinar on new AdWords user interface - this Friday, June 26th
Here it is folks - perhaps the third or forth thread I have ever started here on SEW. ;) As has been mentioned on the (I)Inside AdWords(/I) blogs a

Angel Investors – Doing your Homework First.
One way of securing investment for your company is by finding and using an Angel Investor. These are people (usually entrepreneurs and successful businesspeople) who have money to invest. The funding these angels provide can range from a few thousand to millions. In another post we will look at how to find an Angel, and how [...]

One way of securing investment for your company is by finding and using an Angel Investor. These are people (usually entrepreneurs and successful businesspeople) who have money to invest. The funding these angels provide can range from a few thousand to millions.

In another post we will look at how to find an Angel, and how to impress them so much that they will make an investment in your company. But before we do any of that, it is perhaps worth ensuring that you are not laughed out of the room when you approach this particular source of funding.

These guys are serious about money, and having the perfect package will give you confidence when it is time to step up and tell your story. So this post is all about making sure it is worth your while approaching an Angel.

If you can say yes to all of these questions about your company, then you have a strong case for investment from an Angel.

Is your product selling, right now? If it isn’t, why would they invest?
Have you got a rock solid management team? Even if it is just you?
Can you sell? Sales make bottom line.
Does your company compel people to buy? In other words, do your customers buy from you for strong reasons? Is there an angle that people can’t resist?
Is your product so different that it will take sales from your competitors? In other words, will your product or service be so different that it will potentially disrupt the industry?
Is your business likely to make millions one day? Don’t forget that Angels are using their money. ROI is more than important, it’s necessary.
Have people already invested in your company? If they have, you have earned credibility.
Is there a clear exit strategy? Can you see an IPO in the future, or an acquisition?
Can you offer transparency? In other words, can you demonstrate how you will communicate regular updates to investors?
Have you or anyone on your team made successful companies before?

I think that last point hammers home how Angels really want to be able to invest serious money into serious prospects. If you don’t quite understand this concept, think Dragons’ Den, or any of the other shows where people try and gain investment.

You don’t have to answer ‘yes’ to all of these to be successful. However, the more boxes you can tick, metaphorically speaking, the better the chances you have.

Angels can and do invest, but only if they see a realistic company with real potential. Spend some time on these questions and see if they work for your company. If they don’t, make them work, or find plausible reasons why not (after all, this may be your first company). But it is pointless to try and ‘find an Angel Investor’ without doing this kind of homework.

We’ll look at finding your Angel in a future post.

This is a guest post by Sahail Ashraf, a freelance writer living in Devon, England. His blog can be found at http://www.smarthomeworker.com.

Related posts at Business Opportunities And Ideas:

Can You Make Money Selling Ebooks?
A reader asks: Can you be blunt and tell me if its possible to make some money publishing e-books? It appeals to me it could be interesting and it sounds as though it could run its self for short spells. Yes, it’s perfectly possible to make money publishing ebooks. For example the company 37signals claims to have [...]

A reader asks:

Can you be blunt and tell me if its possible to make some money publishing e-books? It appeals to me it could be interesting and it sounds as though it could run its self for short spells.

Yes, it’s perfectly possible to make money publishing ebooks. For example the company 37signals claims to have sold over 20,000 copies of of their ebook Getting Real. At $19 per copy that’s made them at least $380,000.

However 37signals are very well know in their niche and have an excellent reputation, so don’t expect to be able to duplicate that level of income without putting in a lot of work. At the other end of the scale I do know of several authors who sell a modest 10-50 copies of their ebooks per month with books priced between $10 and $100 each making them between $100 and $5,000 per month. I suspect that most ebook authors are earning between $1 and $2,000 per month for each ebook they’ve published.

How much money you can make will be determined by two main factors:

your ability to market your ebooks - without access to customers you won’t make a penny, no matter how good your ebook is;
how many ebooks you write - many authors make the mistake of only publishing one.

and several other factors, such as the payment options you offer and price you charge for it.

As the reader rightly points out, one of the benefits of selling ebooks over the Internet is that once you have written the book (and put some effort into marketing it) the business can be left to run itself whilst you take a short break or (better yet) spend time writing the next ebook.

If you’re interested in starting a business selling ebooks, check out my free guide to starting an ebook business and post any questions in the forum.

Asking John:
Do you have a business question you would like me to answer? If so you can Ask John or or you can ask on the forums where you’ll get both my input and that of your fellow entrepreneurs.

Related posts at Business Opportunities And Ideas:

The Credible Causes of Hair Loss
The main causes of hairlessness are a few and often are enriched by fallacy. On the other hand nearly all of the top five reasons of baldness have been fully established. Age can be for sure the major reason that activates hair loss because it affects the human glands and reduces the immune structure. Illness [...]

The main causes of hairlessness are a few and often are enriched by fallacy. On the other hand nearly all of the top five reasons of baldness have been fully established. Age can be for sure the major reason that activates hair loss because it affects the human glands and reduces the immune structure. Illness and precisely fungus infectivity or cancer of the head-skin tissues, undeniably hurt hair, even if this is not irrevocable. Inheritance is a source of hair loss in a tiny quantity of folks as tight braiding, or deficient diet. Hair beauty products if not checked or if tremendously full of chemical elements, may badly harm the sculp.
Journals are full of myths about the potential reason of hairlessness and its affiliation with sex performance, genetically materials, intelligence, tension, food habits and hats. A quantity of these folklore have a fraction of scientific accuracy. Most are solely element of the bald-headedness legends that change from territories.
Bald-headedness can be innate from your mother’s father. Enquiries emphasize that the gene for the body receptor, which is major in initiating hair damage is positioned on the mum’s gene information and therefore is inherited from the mother’s family side. In truth is a 50 % probability that a person shares the similar X chromosome as their mother’s father - this means there are 50 % of chances that these is delivered to the masculine children. If you are looking into hair replacement treatments then ask an expert - the sooner the better.
However, study has also highlighted that any person with a bald father has as well a greater probability of having issues with bald-headedness. Intellectual activity or psychological issues may well start baldness. This may well be linked to the fact that in the very old cultures if a someone was balding it was likely that he was accustomed to an adequate amount of food in his daily diet. Emotive stress has been revealed to activate bald-headedness in people.
Nervous tension due to sleep deprivation reduce testosterone levels, however is not distinguished to have set off directly baldness. Balding blokes are more virile’ than others and that recurrent ejaculation initiates baldness. Tight caps start balding; While this can be a saga, caps do origin split ends.Read more about Advanced Hair Studio, or if you are in London you can find Advanced Hair Studio here.

Dating Farmers Can Fall in Love Online
The countryside is a great place to look for love. There are loads of country singles and yes, even loads of single farmers and dating farmers. They are all looking for that special someone to settle down with. The Online dating sites that specialise in countryside dating are the best place to look. Afterall there is no point in [...]

The countryside is a great place to look for love. There are loads of
country singles and yes, even loads of single farmers and dating farmers. They are all
looking for that special someone to settle down with. The Online dating
sites that specialise in countryside dating are the best place to look.
Afterall there is no point in dating farmers searching for love on the
more general dating sites if they don’t want to hook up with city
singles. Specialised sites are the way to go and you don’t even have to
get muddy feet whilst you’re looking!

Some people can be very aprehensive about joining on online dating service, at least
to begin with, but reputable websites like Countryside Love makes it so
easy to join online. The chat rooms are moderated for members safety and
they also offer a free trial so people can see what countryside dating
can do for them, without having to commit themselves from the outset.

Countryside Love is a great online dating service for both city dwellers
and dating farmers. It helps people who live in the city who want to
find a little bit of country love and those already living in the
country.

Now that spring is finally here and you can looking forward to getting
out and about a bit more without having to wear winter woollies all the
time, take a look at countrysidelove.co.uk and find out more. Happy
hunting!

[statistieken] Slachtingen van dieren (november en december 2008)
Aantallen geslachte dieren die geschikt werden verklaard voor de menselijke consumptie. Downloadbaar Excel-bestand

[studie] Europe Logs On. European Internet Trends of Today and Tomorrow
Volgens deze studie zal het internet vanaf juni 2010 televisie overtreffen als belangrijkste medium. Een Europeaan kijkt in 2009 gemiddeld 11,5 uur per week naar tv en brengt 11,2 uur per week door op het internet. Microsoft voorspelt dat die volgorde vanaf 2010 omgekeerd zal zijn. Microsoft telt in België 7.006.400 internetgebruikers, hetgeen goed is voor een penetratiepercentage van 67,3 procent; Nederland is met 13.791.800 surfers goed voor een internetpenetratiegraad van 82,9 procent (cijfers december 2008).

quick_fix Do you ever find yourself thinking ‘That will do’?

I do and have learned to accept it as a warning sign.

The ‘quick fix’ is seldon a real fix, the ‘Good enough’ solution is never good enough and ‘that will do’ never does.

GURUS #9 with Ronnie Overgoor
This is GURUS #9 with Ronnie Overgoor:

This is GURUS #9 with Ronnie Overgoor:

Technology Development: Trains & Hitchhiking
Most people think software development is like traveling to a certain destination by train: You set a goal, pack your bags, board the train, and the only variable between you and your goal is the speed of the train. Unless the whole thing derails, you end up where you were planning on going. Unfortunately software development is [...]

Most people think software development is like traveling to a certain destination by train:

You set a goal, pack your bags, board the train, and the only variable between you and your goal is the speed of the train. Unless the whole thing derails, you end up where you were planning on going.

Unfortunately software development is more like hitchhiking:

You set some general goals (somewhere sunny), pack your bags and after that where you end up depends on a whole lot of variables: who will pick you up and where will they be heading too? Along the ride your goals can change at every turn. You might end up pretty close to your goal but the further you are planning on traveling the greater the chances that you won’t.

Multiple Personality Disorder
Thijs Wolzak made this portrait of me for [xtra], the XS4ALL magazine for business clients, which gets distributed to 60.000+ clients. They published an article about The Next Web Conference titled The Next Web Thing in which I talk about the future of the web and what people can expect from the conference: The original article [...]

Thijs Wolzak made this portrait of me for [xtra], the XS4ALL magazine for business clients, which gets distributed to 60.000+ clients. They published an article about The Next Web Conference titled The Next Web Thing in which I talk about the future of the web and what people can expect from the conference:

The original article can be read here, in Dutch.

Gurus #11: Twitter Special with Francisco van Jole
Yesterday I was interviewed by Francisco van Jole in my own show. We talked about Twitter. Enjoy:

Yesterday I was interviewed by Francisco van Jole in my own show. We talked about Twitter. Enjoy:

Hiatuses Increasing Aversion Effect
Most blogs die after a few months. Its a fact of life. Some people think it is a matter of writers block - or Bloggers Block in this case - and you can find a lot of great articles on how to find inspiration for your blog and battle BlogBlock. My guess (and experience) isn’t that [...]

writers-block-blog Most blogs die after a few months. Its a fact of life. Some people think it is a matter of writers block - or Bloggers Block in this case - and you can find a lot of great articles on how to find inspiration for your blog and battle BlogBlock.

My guess (and experience) isn’t that people run out of inspiration or things to write about. I think the reason they stop blogging is because of the Hiatuses Increasing Aversion Effect.

This is how it works; let assume you post 3 articles, every day. Then you miss a day or two. Instinctively you feel that your next post should make up for the lost posts and better be pretty interesting. This raises the bar for your next post so you decide to think about it for an extra day. The next day you want to post something again but this time you have an even greater responsibility to write a good post! And the longer you wait, the higher you feel the expectations will be. In other words: The Hiatuses Increasing Aversion Effect.

Guess I overcame that one…

Only XXX days left!
I’m getting nervous. And for a good reason. Right now we are preparing ourselves for the 4th edition of The Next Web Conference. We expect close to a 1000 participants this year which means we will have to work harder than ever before. We have a great line-up of international speakers and great events planned. Now all [...]

I’m getting nervous. And for a good reason.

Right now we are preparing ourselves for the 4th edition of The Next Web Conference. We expect close to a 1000 participants this year which means we will have to work harder than ever before. We have a great line-up of international speakers and great events planned. Now all we have to do is make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be when the time (April 15, 16 and 17) comes.

To promote the event I used the technology we developed for TwitterCounter to design a few buttons that show a countdown until the event. Displayed on the right here is one example:

This one shows a different background color each time you reload it and counts down until the conference. They are very visible and attract a lot of visitors from the blogs where they are displayed.

Feel free to copy this button (or any of the other ones) and show it on your blog too. All marketing efforts help!

If you haven’t reserved your ticket yet now might be a good time. Hope to see you all in Amsterdam soon!

Bowlr interview @ AT5
More information at Bowlr.nl

More information at Bowlr.nl

Talk About Inept...
Thinking about some of the books I've read this year, I'm shocked (shocked I tell you!) by how badly so many of them are written. Talk about inept:

John O'Hara gives away the ending to Appointment in Samarra in the introductory matter.

Herman Melville keeps interrupting Captain Ahab's hunt for the great white whale with Moby Dick size info-dumps about whales and whaling.

In Silas Marner George Eliot blatantly relies on coincidences, particularly having Marner just happen to leave the cottage door open at exactly the right time.

Albert Camus' The Stranger lacks sufficent motivation for his actions.

At no point in her rather slow moving To the Lighthouse does Virginia Woolf have a man enter with a gun.

Kafka's The Trial doesn't make a lick of sense.

These poor souls paid no attention to the advice of editors, agents, and all the writers who are willing to explain how it has to be done. I guess they didn't care about being rejected by publishers. (Well, okay, maybe Virginia Woolf didn't have to care since she and her husband published To the Lighthouse through their own Hogarth Press).

Still, they all did pretty well for themselves. I'm sure I could think of a lot of other classic novels which violate all of today's requirements for publishable books. It could make a good parlor game.

Diseñadores… de espejos curvados
A fines de mayo, recibí a través de Twitter el aviso de alguien que había descubierto uno de esos casos de 2 sitios web mortalmente parecidos. Otro que fácilmente pudo engrosar el listado de empresas chantas usurpando la creatividad ajena, de no ser por un pequeño detalle: sus protagonistas. Así, en un extremo del ring teníamos [...]

Espejo

A fines de mayo, recibí a través de Twitter el aviso de alguien que había descubierto uno de esos casos de 2 sitios web mortalmente parecidos. Otro que fácilmente pudo engrosar el listado de empresas chantas usurpando la creatividad ajena, de no ser por un pequeño detalle: sus protagonistas.

Así, en un extremo del ring teníamos a Akay Akagunduz, el diseñador turco tras el impresionante portafolio de Tavshan, y en el otro a AyerViernes que -ámenla u ódienla- es una de las empresas de diseño web de mayor renombre en Chile.

Caramba. Esto prometía.

Ansioso por descubrir quién miró la hoja del otro durante el examen, envié correos a ambos solicitando explicaciones. Prontamente, Jorge Barahona de AyerViernes me hizo llegar pruebas claras: las primeras referencias de su sitio corporativo estaban publicadas desde septiembre y octubre de 2008, mientras que en Tavshan el diseño aparecía en venta sólo desde marzo de este año.

Por su parte Akagunduz se tomó su tiempo en responder y, sólo tras advertirle que era mi última insistencia, me confió un escueto mensaje:

Hi Christian,

I didnt get your email which you say you sent me sometime ago, but yes i got some inspire from this website for slider, but there are millions of websites whichs are using fullpage background image, they are tottaly diffrent exept the slider.

Thanks for information.

Desde luego, ustedes mismos podrán juzgar hasta dónde llegan los límites de lo que consideramos… ‘inspiration’.

Para no perder el impulso, Jorge aprovechó de sacar pecho contándome que uno de sus desarrolladores -el inefable Felipe Lavín- fue mencionado en la prestigiosa revista Smashing Magazine como autor de uno de los mejores 100 temas de WordPress de 2009 (¡kudos!).

Y es que más allá de este u otros casos cada vez menos puntuales, tengo la impresión de que mientras los diseñadores chilenos crecen cada día más en talento, pierden más su propio respeto.

Descontando periodismo, diseño debe ser una (sino la) carrera más vilipendiada del país. Puedes estudiar en una universidad, en un instituto profesional, 3 meses en un CFT o incluso leer un curso en revistas por entregas y todos los caminos pueden conducir a una suerte de título autoproclamado de “diseñador”.

(Hey, incluso cuando yo hago algunas labores de diseño en mi empresa me convierto en “el diseñador”).

No es fácil culparlos… cuando tu profesión es ejercida por cualquiera que sepa aplicar filtros de Photoshop, no se puede exigir mucho amor propio. Menos si tus clientes tampoco parecen proporcionarlo.

Tengo amigos diseñadores talentosísimos, tanto que ni siquiera ellos mismos saben que lo son. Cada semana descubro trabajos notables en Inconciente Colectivo, pero sigo con la sensación de que -tal como dice el nombre- como nación aún no recuperamos la conciencia de lo que alguna vez fuimos capaces.

De hecho y si no les dijera, ¿ustedes podrían creer que esta revista es chilena? (y sin ir más lejos, se hace en la Región del Bio-Bio).

Mientras ello no ocurra -mientras no creamos en lo que somos capaces de hacer y exportar- otros seguirán lucrando con lo que es nuestra verdadera riqueza.

BetaZeta: derecho a réplica
A JF10 no le gustaron algunas cosas que escribí sobre BZ (no lo culpo), por lo que me envió una aclaración que publico íntegra, como derecho a réplica. Le agradezco la franqueza y la capacidad de diálogo, a veces tan escasa en estas tierras digitales. Mis intervenciones están señaladas en cursiva. » Porque su forma de administración [...]

A JF10 no le gustaron algunas cosas que escribí sobre BZ (no lo culpo), por lo que me envió una aclaración que publico íntegra, como derecho a réplica.

Le agradezco la franqueza y la capacidad de diálogo, a veces tan escasa en estas tierras digitales. Mis intervenciones están señaladas en cursiva.

» Porque su forma de administración genera roces con muchas personas, al punto de provocar “despidos” y renuncias masivas de editores el año pasado.

JF: En toda la historia de FayerWayer, solo se ha despedido a una persona y nunca ha habido tal cosa como renuncias masivas*

[Nota: Sé de al menos 6 personas que salieron de FW en situaciones "poco placenteras", principalmente por la mala actitud de uno de los directivos de BZ (que no es JF ni LP). No me entiendo autorizado a publicar sus nombres salvo que ellos mismos lo expresen].

» Además un sector importante de la comunidad se siente traicionada por la nueva dirección comercial de los sitios. Sólo hace momentos conversaba con un usuario antiguo de CHW que se quejaba en torno a la displicencia administrativa de BZ, la baja calidad de las noticias o los problemas con la migración a FreeBSD que tienen a muchos disconformes.

JF: La baja calidad de las noticias breves en CHW es algo en que estamos trabajando, sin embargo el líder del equipo de noticias de CHW es el mismo que esta hace muchísimo tiempo (de hecho la estructura editorial pre-Betazeta y post.-Betazeta se mantiene intacta).

Los problemas de estabilidad es algo en lo que estamos trabajando y que ha sido bastante difícil. Por último, somos una startup y los recursos son limitados. No olvidemos que los sitios de Betazeta atraen muchísimo trafico y esto así mismo, trae compejidades propias de carga.

» La sola salida de 4 sitios de los que originalmente conformaban BZ (Zancada, The Clinic, Bligoo y Dale Albo) es evidencia per sé de problemas internos.

JF: Zancada decidió salir de Betazeta por decisión propia, estaban vendiendo muy bien con nosotros, sin embargo quieren seguir un camino independiente. Si hablas con la Paty, dueña de Zancada, te puede confirmar esto.

La salida de The Clinic, también fue por decisión de ellos y la razón es sencilla, no tiene sentido que estemos juntos, son dos escuelas muy distintas y no hay beneficio alguno para ninguno de los dos en que estemos juntos. Nuevamente, esta información puedes corroborarla con la gente de The Clinic, con quienes somos y seguimos siendo muy amigos.

Tu asumes que los sitios salieron por malos tratos, sin embargo con Paolo [Bligoo], TC y la Paty tenemos excelentes relaciones y de hecho a TC los seguiremos ayudando por un tiempo. Nuestro equipo comercial sigue haciendo cosas con la Paty y Zancada, y con Paolo, siempre hemos tenido una excelente relación y es un gran amigo, lo cual, nuevamente, puedes confirmar con él.

Saludos,

3 CEOs y un videojuego
Hace tiempo no comentabamos sobre videojuegos y estas semanas hubo un par de noticias que me llamaron la atención. Sony sigue entre la espada y la pared con su PS3: si baja el precio de la consola aumentan las ventas pero bajan sus (ya exiguas) ganancias; mientras que si mantiene el costo se estancan las ventas. Por [...]

PlayStation Hace tiempo no comentabamos sobre videojuegos y estas semanas hubo un par de noticias que me llamaron la atención.

Sony sigue entre la espada y la pared con su PS3: si baja el precio de la consola aumentan las ventas pero bajan sus (ya exiguas) ganancias; mientras que si mantiene el costo se estancan las ventas.

Por eso cuando Reuters le preguntó al CEO de Sony, Howard Stringer, si eran ciertos los rumores sobre un descuento en la PlayStation su respuesta fue contundente: “Perderíamos dinero con cada consola que fabricamos. ¿Qué lógica tiene eso?”.

Pues… una que al menos al CEO de Activision Blizzard le hace sentido, considerando que tras 2 años en el mercado la PS3 aún no logra una base de usuarios suficiente para justificar sus altos costos de desarrollo.

“Tienen que bajar el precio de la consola. Si no lo hacen las ventas de títulos seguirán estando flojas y -siendo realistas- puede que dejemos de apoyar a Sony“, advirtió Bobby Kotik.

Claro, su empresa no es muy generosa en dar opciones. En una entrevista a IncGamers, el jefe de diseño de Blizzard sorprendió al afirmar que la esperadisimísima secuela de StarCraft NO incluirá soporte para LAN. Es decir, eliminarán la función que ha permitido a la franquicia mantenerse como uno de los juegos más populares de cibercafés y tarreos a 10 años de su lanzamiento.

La razón: converger todo el tráfico multijugador a través de Battle.net, los servidores de Blizzard, lo que obviamente exigirá conexión a Internet (y una bastante buena si son partidas masivas), junto con reducir la piratería.

Vaya diferencia con el CEO de Stardock, Brad Wardell, que pese a lanzar su último título -Demigod- sin ningún sistema de control, se ha convertido en uno de los más vendidos de la temporada.

¿Quién dijo que los jugadores merecían respeto? Ah, sí… los sujetos que quieren hacer una película de Asteroids.

La creatividad hollywoodense nos tiene al borde de la saga épica de Tetris.

Cracker
This is the common term used to describe a malicious hacker, though it also can refer to code breakers. Crackers get into all kinds of mischief, including breaking or “cracking” copy protection on software programs, breaking into systems and causing harm, changing data, or stealing. Hackers largely regard crackers as a less educated group of [...]

This is the common term used to describe a malicious hacker, though it also can refer to code breakers. Crackers get into all kinds of mischief, including breaking or “cracking” copy protection on software programs, breaking into systems and causing harm, changing data, or stealing. Hackers largely regard crackers as a less educated group of individuals who cannot truly create their own work, and simply steal other people’s work to cause mischief or for personal gain, not to promote understanding.
(Geek.com Technical Dictionary).

Como quizá ya habrán leído o escuchado, a medianoche la red de Betazeta -FayerWayer, CHW, The Clinic, entre otros- sufrió un serio ataque que además de dejarla fuera de servicio, expuso información sensible de sus editores.

Esta vez no fue la típica ‘travesura’ a que algunos grupos de hackers nos tienen acostumbrados. Esto fue una acción maliciosa, con el fin evidente no sólo de hacer daño, sino de menoscabar la dignididad de quienes trabajan en ella.

Y sí, puede que en muchos sentidos Betazeta sea una empresa de mierda. También puede que sus muchachos hayan consentido gafes de seguridad considerables. Sin embargo cuando alguien deja la puerta de su casa abierta se le advierte -con sorna si se quiere- pero no entrando a robar.

Claro, salvo que seas un delincuente.

Desde aquí mi solidaridad con Betazeta. Nos agraden o no sus actitudes, estos chicos están poniendo el nombre del país en las lides digitales y no comprender eso o peor aún, tratar de sabotearlo, es sólo reflejo de pobreza mental.

Actualización: Leo Prieto ha publicado algunos detalles de la intrusión en su blog. Tiendo a no creerle mucho cuando minimiza los alcances del incidente, pero la solidaridad de la comunidad que describe realmente merece kudos.

3 pasos hacia contraseñas más seguras
Si algo positivo tuvo el incidente del fin de semana, fue precisamente la paranoia por la seguridad que dejó en muchos internautas, renovando sus claves esa misma noche. Sin embargo no basta cambiarlas: para sernos útil, una contraseña debe cumplir requisitos mínimos de extensión, calidad, y uso. De hecho los expertos aconsejan tener una por sitio [...]

Alambre

Si algo positivo tuvo el incidente del fin de semana, fue precisamente la paranoia por la seguridad que dejó en muchos internautas, renovando sus claves esa misma noche.

Sin embargo no basta cambiarlas: para sernos útil, una contraseña debe cumplir requisitos mínimos de extensión, calidad, y uso. De hecho los expertos aconsejan tener una por sitio web, de 14 intrincados caracteres como mínimo y rotarlas cada 2 meses… claro, precauciones tan efectivas como poco realistas.

¿Qué hacer? A continuación les doy 3 simples pasos a seguir para crear un entorno seguro alrededor de sus casillas de correo, redes sociales, blogs, tiendas y sitios financieros, sin devanarse los sesos.

Tomen acción ahora… antes de que alguien lo haga por ustedes (y si buscan datos para webmasters, Eduardo también propone algunos tips interesantes).

1) Divide tus sitios web en (al menos) 3 grupos

Usar un password por cada sitio sería demencial, sin embargo podemos definir grupos a los que confiar una clave, lo que nos permitirá limitar el daño en caso de que sea vulnerada.

Por ejemplo, usa una contraseña masiva para tus sitios más prescindibles (suscripciones a boletines, foros, registros, etc). Otra para los sitios que portan tu identidad (redes sociales, comunidades, blogs, etc) y una tercera acotada a tus sitios más críticos (correo, tiendas, servicios, etc).

Adicionalmente, deberías crear una 4º contraseña única para tu banco. No sólo porque una intrusión tendría las peores consecuencias, sino porque en Chile muchos de ellos -irónicamente- sólo aceptan contraseñas de baja calidad (hasta 8 caracteres, sólo letras y números).

2) Crea contraseñas fuertes

Una buena clave debe evitar al máximo 2 situaciones: poder ser adivinada por alguien o poder ser descifrada (crackeada) por un programa especializado.

Esto depende directamente de la longitud y tipo de caracteres que utilicemos: una clave numérica de 7 dígitos puede ser vulnerada en sólo 5 minutos, mientras que una de igual extensión pero con letras y números puede tardar entre 6 a 18 días. Hace una diferencia, ¿eh?

Así, una contraseña fuerte debe:

» Tener un mínimo de 8 caracteres (el ideal es sobre 10).
» Usar letras, números y símbolos (cuando son admitidos).
» Alternar entre mayúsculas y minúsculas.
» JAMAS basarse en fechas de cumpleaños, nombres, direcciones, teléfonos, secuencias de teclas o cualquier otro dato ‘adivinable’.

Microsoft ofrece una herramienta en línea bastante útil para probar la fortaleza de tus passwords (y no, no se queda con ellos). Como comprobarán, es muy exigente en cuanto a extensión y caracteres utilizados, por lo que parece imposible satisfacerla sin ingresar una sencuencia ininteligible de teclas.

Entonces, ¿cómo creamos una contraseña tan difícil que no pueda adivinarse pero lo suficientemente sencilla para recordarla? Vamos a eso…

3) Usa la mnemotecnia

No. No es un concepto de Robotech ni del maestro Yoda, sino una técnica para recordar largas secuencias como fórmulas, siglas y por supuesto, contraseñas.

Se basa en tomar los primeros caracteres de una frase -a veces adaptándolos- para crear un acrónimo del que sólo su inventor pueda comprender (y recordar) el significado.

Por ejemplo pensemos en la estrofa de la canción de un artista al azar como… eh… uh… Laura Pausini:

Culpa de un verano, del perfume de una noche de un momento que

Si dejamos sólo los primeros caracteres, pasamos a digitos los números y conservamos la coma, podemos tener algo así:

Cd1v,dpd1nd1mq

Listo. Una clave de fortaleza máxima creada en base al poder del amor ♥

Desde luego no es necesario usar siempre canciones. Piensa en libros, lugares e incluso en otros sistemas como invertir números de teléfono, reemplazar letras por números (L0sTr3s) o cualquiera que te acomode.

Y una última advertencia: una contraseña JAMÁS debe ser apuntada (ni el PC ni en papel), ni menos develada por correo o teléfono. Si necesitas una forma segura de conservarlas, existen programas de administración de claves como SplashID o el sistema de almacenamiento de passwords de Firefox (pero sólo si estableces una contraseña maestra como línea de resguardo).

PEKING MAN
Peking Man — a batch of Homo erectus fossils found in the 1920s — are 200,000 years older than previously calculated. What’s important about that date, about 770,000 years ago, is that this was a glacial period on Earth, and Peking Man was found in far northern China. That suggests he was probably the the [...]

Peking Man — a batch of Homo erectus fossils found in the 1920s — are 200,000 years older than previously calculated. What’s important about that date, about 770,000 years ago, is that this was a glacial period on Earth, and Peking Man was found in far northern China. That suggests he was probably the the oldest cold weather inhabitant in human ancestry, said Darryl Granger, whose research appears in the journal Nature. (Science/Medical Briefs, BFP, 3/12/09)

FLU PANDEMICS
The H1N1 virus known as Swine Flu has produced the first flu pandemic since the Hong Kong flu of 1968. Swine flu emerged in Mexico and North America in April 2009. As of June 10, 2009 it had spread to 74 countries around the globe, with reports of 27,737 cases and 141 deaths. (”U.N. to [...]

The H1N1 virus known as Swine Flu has produced the first flu pandemic since the Hong Kong flu of 1968. Swine flu emerged in Mexico and North America in April 2009. As of June 10, 2009 it had spread to 74 countries around the globe, with reports of 27,737 cases and 141 deaths. (”U.N. to declare pandemic,” Maria Cheng and Frank Jordans, AP, 6/11/09)

BIGGEST ROCK SALT MINE
The American Rock Salt Company in Hampton Corners, New York is the single biggest-producing rock salt mine in the United States. The salt bed, an elevated section of a 600,000-square-mile field, was first exploited in 1885. Since 2000, a thousand acres have been mined of up to 4.4 million tons a year. About 50 million [...]

The American Rock Salt Company in Hampton Corners, New York is the single biggest-producing rock salt mine in the United States. The salt bed, an elevated section of a 600,000-square-mile field, was first exploited in 1885. Since 2000, a thousand acres have been mined of up to 4.4 million tons a year. About 50 million tons of salt are produced in the U.S. each year, and about 2,500 people work rock salt mines in Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, Michigan, and New York. (”Salt mining is thriving amid economic gloom,” Ben Dobbin, AP, 3/15/09)

GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The Great Wall of China is longer than once thought. A two-year government mapping study has uncovered new sections of the ancient Chinese monument that total about 180 miles, increasing the wall’s length to 3,900 miles, according to a report posted on the State Bureau of Surverying and Mapping Web site. Experts used infrared range [...]

The Great Wall of China is longer than once thought. A two-year government mapping study has uncovered new sections of the ancient Chinese monument that total about 180 miles, increasing the wall’s length to 3,900 miles, according to a report posted on the State Bureau of Surverying and Mapping Web site. Experts used infrared range finders and GPS devices to find portions of the wall that had been concealed by hills, trenches and rivers. (Reported by the official China Daily April 20, 2009)

CHAKRAS
Base of spine: Safety and security Just below navel: Creativity and sexuality Solar plexus: Personal power Heart: Unconditional love Throat: communication Brow (between the eyes): Intuition and dreams Top of the head: Connection to spirit and higher self (Kate Laxner, BFP, 4/15/09)

Base of spine: Safety and security

Just below navel: Creativity and sexuality

Solar plexus: Personal power

Heart: Unconditional love

Throat: communication

Brow (between the eyes): Intuition and dreams

Top of the head: Connection to spirit and higher self

(Kate Laxner, BFP, 4/15/09)

DUBAI’S CLONED CAMEL
Dubai’s Camel Reproduction center says it has created the world’s first cloned camel, a 6-day-old, one-humped female called Achievement, or Injaz in Arabic. (AP, 4/15/09)

Dubai’s Camel Reproduction center says it has created the world’s first cloned camel, a 6-day-old, one-humped female called Achievement, or Injaz in Arabic. (AP, 4/15/09)

THE GOLD STANDARD
In the United States the gold standard was 23.22 grains of gold to the dollar; in the United Kingdom, it was 113 grains to the pound sterling. A grain is based on the notional weight of a grain of wheat: 1/7,000 of a pound. (”Heroes and Zeroes” by John Lanchester, The New Yorker, February 2, [...]

In the United States the gold standard was 23.22 grains of gold to the dollar; in the United Kingdom, it was 113 grains to the pound sterling. A grain is based on the notional weight of a grain of wheat: 1/7,000 of a pound. (”Heroes and Zeroes” by John Lanchester, The New Yorker, February 2, 2009)

WORLD WIDE WEB
The World Wide Web was invented March 13, 1989 by a particle physicist named Tim Berners-Lee, who was working at a physics lab in Switzerland at the time. The World Wide Web began with Berners-Lee’s idea of using the Internet to allow physicists to browse from page to page, share images and click on links [...]

The World Wide Web was invented March 13, 1989 by a particle physicist named Tim Berners-Lee, who was working at a physics lab in Switzerland at the time. The World Wide Web began with Berners-Lee’s idea of using the Internet to allow physicists to browse from page to page, share images and click on links to access other sites. Once it was introduced, it expanded rapidly, taking advantage of the Internet, which had already been running more than 15 years. (”Web has its 20th birthday,” AP, 3/13/09)

HUMANOID ROBOT
Humanoid robot KOBIAN displayed a surprised expression during a June 23, 2009 demonstration at Waseda University in Tokyo. KOBIAN can express seven programmed emotions by using its entire body including facial expressions. It was developed by researchers at Waseda’a Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering and a robot manufacturer based in Kitakyushu, Japan. (Associated [...]

Humanoid robot KOBIAN displayed a surprised expression during a June 23, 2009 demonstration at Waseda University in Tokyo. KOBIAN can express seven programmed emotions by using its entire body including facial expressions. It was developed by researchers at Waseda’a Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering and a robot manufacturer based in Kitakyushu, Japan. (Associated Press, 6/24/09)

Quote of the Day: Vernon Wells
In a NYT article about a supposedly new method of quantifying defensive value: “It’ll be neat to find out what the numbers are,” said Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells, who is known for smoothly tracking down deep fly balls.” Umm, Vernon? You had a -24.0 UZR/150 last year and are at -33.3 this year. Chances [...]

In a NYT article about a supposedly new method of quantifying defensive value:

“It’ll be neat to find out what the numbers are,” said Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells, who is known for smoothly tracking down deep fly balls.”

Umm, Vernon? You had a -24.0 UZR/150 last year and are at -33.3 this year. Chances are, you ain’t gonna like what you … [visit site to read more]

Tagged:� defense, Vernon-Wells

Who’s gonna replace Beltran on the NL All-Star team?
Now that the fans have voted Shane Victorino on to the all-star team, manager Charlie Manuel has just one more roster decision to make. He’s got to decide who will replace injured Carlos Beltran, and he’s got to make his decision by this afternoon. The addition of Victorino means the NL team already has its starting [...]

Now that the fans have voted Shane Victorino on to the all-star team, manager Charlie Manuel has just one more roster decision to make. He’s got to decide who will replace injured Carlos Beltran, and he’s got to make his decision by this afternoon.

The addition of Victorino means the NL team already has its starting CF. But … [visit site to read more]

Tagged:� All-Star, Jayson Werth, Matt Kemp

Chase Utley has turned the corner from star to superstar
With as good as Chase Utley has been these past five years, many people have been assuming that he can’t really get much better. After all, this is a player who did not break through to become a full-time starter until he was already 26 years old, and is currently playing in his age-30 season. However, [...]

With as good as Chase Utley has been these past five years, many people have been assuming that he can’t really get much better. After all, this is a player who did not break through to become a full-time starter until he was already 26 years old, and is currently playing in his age-30 season.

chase-utley However, so … [visit site to read more]

Tagged:� Chase Utley, Phillies

Quote of the Day: Wandy Rodriguez
“It feels delicious in the ninth inning.” – Wandy … [visit site to read more] Tagged:� Wandy Rodriguez

“It feels delicious in the ninth inning.” – Wandy … [visit site to read more]

Tagged:� Wandy Rodriguez

Free Nelson Cruz (Again)!
As of this writing, there are 19 players in baseball who have hit at least 20HRs this season. One of these guys has sat out the last three games. Is he hurt? No. He’s just fine, thank you. Is he being punished? Not to my or the media’s knowledge, no. Then why is

Nelson Cruz As of this writing, there are 19 players in baseball who have hit at least 20HRs this season. One of these guys has sat out the last three games. Is he hurt? No. He’s just fine, thank you. Is he being punished? Not to my or the media’s knowledge, no. Then why is visit site to read more]

Tagged:� David-Murphy, Nelson Cruz, Rangers, Ron Washington

Is Kemp significantly better than Werth?
In a post reacting to Jayson Werth’s appointment to the NL all-star team, ESPN.com’s Rob Neyer says, “based on performance, Matt Kemp would have been a significantly better choice.” And of course, Rob, you’re entitled to your opinion. But I’d like a little bit more explanation, because I just don’t see it. I mean, I see [...]

In a post reacting to Jayson Werth’s appointment to the NL all-star team, ESPN.com’s Rob Neyer says, “based on performance, Matt Kemp would have been a significantly better choice.”

And of course, Rob, you’re entitled to your opinion. But I’d like a little bit more explanation, because I just don’t see it. I mean, I see that … [visit site to read more]

Tagged:� Jayson Werth, Matt Kemp, Rob Neyer

Jeff Francoeur is a Met and I’m in Hell
Metsblog.com is reporting that the Mets and Braves are swapping outfielders. Jeff Francoeur is Queens-bound while Ryan Church is heading down to Dixie. Now, there aren’t too many times when I’ve lost my head while writing a post. But let’s add this one to that short list. HOW IN HOLY HELL IS THIS GOING TO MAKE THE [...]

Metsblog.com is reporting that the Mets and Braves are swapping outfielders. Jeff Francoeur is Queens-bound while Ryan Church is heading down to Dixie.

Now, there aren’t too many times when I’ve lost my head while writing a post. But let’s add this one to that short list.

HOW IN HOLY HELL IS THIS GOING TO MAKE THE TEAM BETTER??????????????

HOW IS JEFF FRANCOEUR BETTER THAN RYAN CHURCH? IN WHAT WAY? FRENCHY’S … [visit site to read more]

Tagged:� Braves, Jeff Francoeur, Mets, Ryan Church, trade

Joe Sakic and Claude Lemieux Retirement Thoughts
The following is a compilation of links gathered on the NHL Digest Twitter feed today. If you want to see these stories and much more in real time, please follow NHL Digest at www.twitter.com/nhldigest. Claude Lemieux and the Hall of Fame Should Claude Lemieux make the hockey hall of fame? Is 4 Cups and a [...]

Post from: NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews

Joe Sakic and Claude Lemieux Retirement Thoughts

The following is a compilation of links gathered on the NHL Digest Twitter feed today. If you want to see these stories and much more in real time, please follow NHL Digest at www.twitter.com/nhldigest.

Claude Lemieux and the Hall of Fame

Should Claude Lemieux make the hockey hall of fame? Is 4 Cups and a Conn Smythe enough? http://ff.im/-519vo

RT @joereiter Claude wasn’t an elite player. Butch Goring has 4 cups 1 Conn Smythe and 100 more points in his career and isn’t a Hall Of Fame player.

Your Thoughts:

What are your thoughts on inducting Claude Lemieux into the Hockey Hall of Fame? Is he worthy, or not?

The Joe Sakic Retirement Press Conference

A touching moment from Avalanche fan @voteforgrant “Get your hankies ready… Sakic’s announcement starts in less than 10 minutes.”

We talked a lot about Joe Sakic Statistics yesterday, but one we didn’t mention was that Joe Sakic ended his career at +30 after registering a combined -102 over his first 3 seasons in Quebec.

ESPN is known for giving hockey the cold shoulder so @TheProspectpark said “STOP THE PRESSES ESPNews just did 15 seconds on Sakic’s retirement”

A great link from @MileHighHockey : Joe Sakic Retirement Press Conference Thread (Plus lots of Sakic related links) http://sbnation.com/e/707553

A touching comment by Gary Bettman quoted from the retirement ceremony by @voteforgrant : Bettman on Sakic-”While the ‘C’ on his jersey stood for captain, it also stood for courage, character, class, Canada & Colorado.”

Your Thoughts:

Speaking of the Hall of Fame – Do you think there is any chance that Joe Sakic gets inducted before the mandatory waiting period?

Free Agency Links

Globe and Mail staffer @mirtle “Doug Wilson announced today that the Sharks have re-signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Kent Huskins to a two-year contract”

According to Sportsnet, the Maple Leafs have lured the Swedish teammate of Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, Rickard Wallin http://ff.im/-51NPH

@kyleroussel heard this quote referencing the Canadiens decision to let go of their Captain Saku Koivu (who signed with Anaheim) on the radio and decided to share:
Mark Recchi live on @theteam990 : “I’d take Saku Koivu on my team over Scott Gomez any day, and that’s not to knock Gomez”.

LegendsofHockey.net chronicles each player’s day with the Stanley Cup over the summer months. @Sean_Leahy linked us up to Phillippe Boucher’s day with the Stanley Cup http://bit.ly/5Rz6J

I won a book today from @hockeyplayermag and they say they’ve got more giveaways coming. Follow them on Twitter if you want to win some cool hockey prizes.

Sponsor: Custom Reebok EDGE Jerseys - Get the best deal on your new RBK Edge Jersey here!

Post from: NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews

Joe Sakic and Claude Lemieux Retirement Thoughts

Joe Sakic Versus Steve Yzerman
The following is a compilation of hockey links from the NHL Digest Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/nhldigest. I’ve added some additional comments around these links. I hope you enjoy them! Joe Sakic’s Retirement With Joe Sakic expected to officially retire on Thursday, Adrian Dater wants to know who was better – Sakic or Yzerman? http://ff.im/-4Yxzr That’s a tough [...]

Post from: NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews

Joe Sakic Versus Steve Yzerman

The following is a compilation of hockey links from the NHL Digest Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/nhldigest. I’ve added some additional comments around these links. I hope you enjoy them!

Joe Sakic’s Retirement

With Joe Sakic expected to officially retire on Thursday, Adrian Dater wants to know who was better – Sakic or Yzerman? http://ff.im/-4Yxzr

That’s a tough call. Both had the intangible qualities of leadership and both are certainly in the best class of people both on and off the ice.

Adrian outlines some statistics in his article- They are eerily similar!

Stanley Cups Yzerman 3, Sakic 2.
Career pointsYzerman 1,755, Sakic 1,641.
Career playoff points: Sakic 188, Yzerman 185.
Postseason goals: Sakic 84, Yzerman 70.
Conn Smythe trophies: Sakic 1, Yzerman 1.
Olympic MVP awards: Sakic 1, Yzerman 0.

Sakic’s retirement and the turnover rate of Avalanche coaches got me thinking. How cool would it be if Joe Sakic pulled a “Gerry Cheevers” becoming the team’s coach the following season after his retirement?

According to @weeklyslapshot the name even (kinda) works: “Easy to confuse Joe Sakic with Joe Sacco… LOL”

Both players were very influential to me as a young hockey player and their careers so close statistically, it comes down to just Stanley Cups. That said, if I had to choose, I choose Steve Yzerman.

Free Agent Signings

@dchesnokov reported that former Detroit Red Wing and free agent, Jiri Hudler, will play for Dynamo Moscow of the KHL (per Sovetsky Sport).

Kuklas Korner had a translation of Hudler speaking on why he signed in Moscow http://ff.im/-4YxWa

The article at Kuklas Korner has some great speculation as to the actual advantages to this signing for the Detroit Red Wings. In particular, Detroit doesn’t have to give up anything in the form of money or draft picks and they retain Hudler’s NHL rights. It is possible that when Detroit clears some salary cap space, in a year or two, that Hudler could be lured back to the Red Wings.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed Saku Koivu to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. via TSN http://ff.im/-4XYB4

There was much speculation that Koivu would go to Anaheim to play with Teemu Selanne for one season prior to Selanne’s retirement. That speculation came true and Koivu stated for the record that Selanne did influence his decision to join the Ducks.

According to @TBLightning http://twitpic.com/9pn47 – The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms with former Minnesota Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster.

Joe Sakic To Retire

Joe Sakic is set to announce he’s retiring on Thursday according to Sportsnet.ca http://ff.im/-4VyQZ
Sakic turned 40 years old today and despite having the Winter Olympics in his home town of Vancouver next year, he has decided to hang up the blades. Sakic will retire as one of the game’s most classy players, leaders and competitors.

Joe Sakic is the current leader in career points per game (1.19) among active NHLers with more than 500 points (Guess who will be the leader after Sakic retires?)
You know I had to get Dany Heatley into the conversation somehow! Heatley will be the league’s leader in points per game (minimum 500 career points) once Sakic retires on Thursday.

Kovalev Speaks Out On Ottawa

@kylerousselreports a nice farewell to Montreal from Alex Kovalev’s official site: http://www.ak27.com/

Kovalev says Stanley Cup within reach in Ottawa. http://ff.im/-4Vg7g
Kovalev believes that he can bring more offense to Ottawa in the form of a second line scoring presence that they didn’t have previously. He believes that is what is holding the Senators back from success in the playoffs. I agree with him to a point, but the Senators also need defense and a goaltender. I didn’t expect Alex to bash his new team off the bat, but something more realistic wouldn’t have hurt.

@fatheaddesign Also thinks Kovalev is as close to the Stanley Cup in Ottawa as he will ever get saying- “Ottawa is a short train ride away from the HHOF, they can visit it there easily”.

Bonus NHL Goodness

If you are a Penguins fan in Ohio or Pennsylvania, visit your local Giant Eagle store. @Kicksavetwenty and @Brian_Metzer say the Penguins newly released Stanley Cup Championship DVD is only $12 there with your Giant Eagle advantage card.

@HabsIO says Scott Gomez will wear #91 and Mike Cammalleri will wear #13 in Montreal next season http://snipurl.com/maycc . According to Habs fan Michael Kuyaz, they will form part of the Montreal Canadiens new “Smurf Line” next season as seen here.

Chris Pronger signs 7-year extension in Philadelphia -… http://ff.im/-4Vn6Y
Pronger stated a few days ago that he would like to finish his career in Philadelphia. This 7-year extension will do just that for the 35 year old rearguard. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that Pronger retires in 5 years.

@hosea24hoursWhat’s so exciting about Jonas Gustavsson? It’s Burke’s way of giving Leafs fans false hope. Remember Fabian Brunnstrom?
He’s right, and as Kyle Roussel said: “If Gustavsson is so great, then why did it take him so long to get to the NHL, and If he’s so great, why did he only get a 1-year deal?” This highly touted “Monster” has a lot to prove and he will be asked to prove it under the bright lights and pressure of the cynical and fickle Toronto spotlight.

NHL Trivia:Which active NHL player has the best plus/minus rating at +409

Answer: N. Lidstrom

The good folks over at the Pensburgh blog have taken some lessons from this down economy and posted an article today about defending a championship on a budget. http://bit.ly/11gTvj

Post from: NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews

NHL Hockey Twitter Links July 7 2009

Historical NHL Free Agent Signings on July 6
July 6th has typically been a busy day over the course of history. With some quality free agents still available, is there any reason to believe that this season will be any different? If history is any indicator, we might see some of those available free agents signing contracts today! Historical July 6 NHL Free Agent Signings July 6, [...]

Post from: NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews

Historical NHL Free Agent Signings on July 6

July 6th has typically been a busy day over the course of history. With some quality free agents still available, is there any reason to believe that this season will be any different?

If history is any indicator, we might see some of those available free agents signing contracts today!

Historical July 6 NHL Free Agent Signings

July 6, 2004 – Phoenix Coyotes signed free agent defenseman Sean O’Donnell, who had been with the Boston Bruins.

July 6, 2004 – Ottawa Senators signed free agent goaltender Dominik Hasek.

July 6, 2004 – Los Angeles Kings signed free agent Craig Conroy, who had been with the Calgary Flames.

July 6, 2001 – Minnesota Wild signed free agent Andrew Brunette. Brunette went on to lead all 2001 Free Agents – in scoring, with 69 points in 2001-02.

July 6, 2001 – Boston Bruins signed free agent left wing Rob Zamuner.

July 6, 2000 – Philadelphia Flyers signed free agent Michal Sykora.

July 6, 2000 – Los Angeles Kings signed free agent Stu Grimson.

July 6, 1999 – New York Rangers signed free agents Valeri Kamensky and Stephane Quintal.

July 6, 1998 – Nashville Predators signed free agent Tom Fitzgerald, and named him the first Captain in team history.

July 6, 1994 – Philadelphia Flyers signed free agent Craig MacTavish

July 6, 1983 – Detroit signed free agent goaltender Ken Holland, who went on to play 3 games with the Red Wings in 1983-84, finishing with a 4.11 GAA.

*Incidentally, Holland was named the Red Wings General Manager in 1997.

July 6, 1983 – Boston Bruins signed free agent Geoff Courtnall

July 6, 1978 – The Islanders signed John Tonelli as a free agent. Tonelli went on to star with the Islanders’ four Stanley Cup Winners.

Post from: NHL Digest- Hockey News and Equipment Reviews

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Historical July 6 NHL Free Agent Signings