CNBC's Brian Sullivan reports on multiple real estate investment trusts that are up this year, including Weingarten Realty Investors. The company's president and CEO Andrew Alexander shares perspective on the state of the U.S. economy.
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Anybody who has been following the housing market in Tallahassee knows that sales are down, but did you know that Tallahassee condominium sales are down over 75% since the peak of the housing market?
Another shocking statistic for Tallahassee condominium sales is that the sale of new construction condominiums and townhouses are down 94%!
For the purpose of this article, condominium sales includes the sales of condominium and townhouses (attached units).
At the peak of the housing market (for condominium and townhouses), there were 65 new construction units selling each month on average. That number has dropped to an average of just two per month now, meaning new construction townhouses and condos are down 97% since the beginning of 2007.
Overall, condominium and townhouses have been hit harder than single family detached homes due to the gross overbuilding of condominium and townhouse units.
The following real estate graph shows new condominium and townhouse units (green) and existing condominium and townhouse units (red), as well as the average price trend.
There will be great deals on condominiums and townhouses in Tallahassee for many more years. The developments that can arrange the best financing will win the day, as even great deals require financing in a market where the majority of Tallahassee condominium sales are for students and young families which require a loan to make a purchase.
Even with the glut of condominiums and townhouses on the market, there are effective techniques for selling these units in a timely manner. Do not despair, talk to an expert at selling condominiums and townhouses.
If you are trying to sell a condominium or townhouse in Tallahassee, you should know the techniques that are working best in this brutal housing market. If you would like more information on how a progressive home selling plan is having great success with Tallahassee condominium sales, just drop me a note and we can schedule a time to demonstrate our industry leading plan for you.
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By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
Associated Press Sports
updated 3:24 a.m. ET May 31, 2012
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - Brazil had its way with the U.S. soccer team, with the stars in the famous yellow jerseys dribbling past the Americans and generally pushing them around for the first half-hour.
Neymar had another dazzling night against the United States, scoring one goal and setting up two more to lead the five-time World Cup champions to a 4-1 victory in an exhibition Wednesday.
"We need to get an edge more nastier," said U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the former German star and coach. "Maybe we're a little bit still too naive. Maybe we don't want to hurt people. But that's what we've got to do. You've got to do that at the end of the day. So we've got to step on their toes more and get them more frustrated and make a case with the referee maybe as well, for us, not only the opponent."
Thiago Silva, Marcelo and Alexandre Pato also scored for Brazil, playing the opener of a three-game U.S. tour.
Herculez Gomez, in his first start since the 2010 World Cup, scored for the U.S., which is preparing for its opening qualifier for the 2014 World Cup on June 8.
"Four-one was maybe not a scoreline that was indicative of the overall game. I think for long stretches of that game we kind of imposed our will on them," Gomez said. "I think the main difference was they were clinical in front of goal and we weren't."
Neymar, the 20-year-old Santos sensation, put Brazil ahead in the 12th minute after a hand ball on Oguchi Onyewu on Leandro Damiao's shot, a call the Americans disputed with referee Jeffrey Calderon of Costa Rica. Neymar then took a corner kick that Thiago Silva headed in for his first international goal in the 26th.
Gomez cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 45th following a fine run by Michael Bradley and cross by Fabian Johnson. But before an enthusiastic crowd of 67,619 at FedEx Field, Marcelo restored the two-goal lead in the 52nd as Jermaine Jones, Onyewu and American captain Carlos Bocanegra left him unmarked in front of the net. Pato entered in the 64th and added a goal in the 87th that the U.S. claimed was offside.
"We're the only team in the world that gets homered at home. It's unbelievable sometimes," Bocanegra said.
Klinsmann, a German who move to California with his American-born wife after retiring as a player in 1998, said the U.S. team has to be more assertive with officials.
"You watch big teams in the world, what they do, and there's a call going against them - Barcelona is one of them - they come with 10 guys towards the referee," he said. "The referee is confused. He doesn't know even know who to show a yellow card."
Landon Donovan said "that's not really in our character as Americans."
"We try to play the game fair," Donovan said. "We don't really dive. We don't do those kind of things."
Brazil, which receives an automatic berth as the 2014 World Cup host, improved to 16-1 against the U.S. with a 35-11 goal difference.
Neymar, coveted by many European clubs, called it an efficient win.
"It's not every day that one can come and apply all sorts of dribbles, between the legs, over the head," he said through a translator. "It was a good test to play with a tough team like the U.S."
Brazil coach Mano Menezes used mostly a roster than can go to the Olympics - limited primarily to players under 23
"Since the beginning, I knew we could trust them, building with this team, blending them with more experienced players," he said, also using a translator. "We blended to try to well balance the different sectors, and their response was very good."
Following a 1-4-1 start under Klinsmann, the Americans had won five in a row, including an impressive 1-0 victory at Italy and a 5-1 win last weekend over a Scotland team that already appeared to be on summer vacation.
Against sixth-ranked Brazil, the No. 29 Americans played more offensively than in the 2-0 loss at the Meadowlands two years ago, when they were outshot 20-7. This time the U.S. had a 15-12 advantage in shots.
Klinsmann continued to tinker with his front line because Jozy Altidore didn't arrive until Monday, and Clint Dempsey is recovering from a groin strain. Dempsey entered in the 57th minute, marking the first time he played with Donovan since Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley as coach last July.
Gomez almost got another goal in the 64th, but his header off Johnson's cross was cleared off the goal line by Romula. Three minutes later, Neymar found a streaking Pato in front of the goal, but his shot bounced off goalkeeper Tim Howard's near post.
Brazil goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, making his Brazil national team debut, had a fine double save in the 76th, stopping Gomez with his left hand, then kicking away Terrence Boyd's effort. Cabral leaped to palm Bradley's header over the crossbar in the 85th, and Onyewu headed the ball off the crossbar on Donovan's free kick.
U.S. players were angry - but not that much, given it wasn't a game that counted.
"At the end of the day, we got caught a couple times, and that's what happens," Howard said. "The second half we mixed it up a little bit. We probably need to try to impose that will and try to turn it into a scrap earlier than we did."
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsPST: Getting beat by three at home by Brazil isn't something to celebrate, but to look at the 180-minute body of work over five days for Jurgen Klinsmann?s team, I can't get too twisted up about it.
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/', ' ', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg', '550', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
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This is an addition to my first XanGo review. I am somebody who is serious about network marketing, and home based business. This industry has truly been remarkable for me over the last 9 years.
As I said in my initial XanGo review, I think the company and product are both terrific, and I still do. However, a recent personal encounter has brought me to post this addition.
Back in 2004 to 2006 I was an active XanGo distributor, and I built a team well over 1200 active distributors there. Not a ton compared to what I?ve done since, but still a respectable network that paid me a decent passive income for several years after.
I?m sure many other companies have done this also, but this is my first experience and truly feel anybody considering joining and building a XanGo business needs to know this up front prior to putting in their time and energy.
It seems XanGo is starting to actually ?restrain? their distributors to the point they cannot do much of anything outside of XanGo without getting into trouble with the company.
I?m not sure about yourself, but I personally got into this specific industry for freedom, and I believe that most other networkers would probably agree, we HATE being controlled. If that wasn?t the case we?d simply just stay at our jobs and do everything our supervisor tells us, right?
Well, over the past year or so I?ve really begun to build out the following blog to help other folks make much more money and make better decisions on joining certain companies they are considering.
At first XanGo informed me that my review was making medical claims which were against their policies. Even though I have not been actively building for over 5 years, I was still an active rep earning a check every month from what I built in the past.
I was happy to remove the few lines that were making claims, and I responded to their request so maybe they?d unsespend my distributorship. Nope?
They responded that in order for me to comply with their policies I could not have ANY other company reviews or mentions on my blog. In other words I could NOT tell people anything about any other company if I wanted to be a XanGo distributor. I also could not be a part of any other program that offers an affiliate program, even if it was a program like My Lead System Pro that actually helps individuals build their network marketing business, no matter which one it is.
Here is an exact copy of those policies:
=============================
Section 2 Obligations of a Distributor and Managing a Distributorship
D. Offerings. A Distributor may not offer or promote any non-Company plans, incentives, opportunities, or non-approved Sales Tools in conjunction with the promotion of Products.
=============================
In other words, if you want to be a XanGo distributor, you cannot market anything else, while or even after you stop actively building. I know and understand many companies have these policies, but it appears that XanGo is enforcing them very heavily.
Even though NONE of my company reviews are actually ?promoting? those companies as a distributor, they don?t care. For example, I wrote reviews on ACN, MonaVie, and other companies which I?m not, and never have been a rep for. But that doesn?t matter, in order for me to remain a XanGo rep and keep earning the residual revenue I worked hard to build, they require me to eliminate EVERYTHING that mentions other companies.
Overall I still believe that XanGo is a sound company and a great business for those looking for a nutritional business to build locally doing home meetings or face to face meetings. But for those who want to build online, utilizing the power of the internet, and using third party training platforms like My Lead System Pro, be extremely careful what you do and say online, XanGo is watching and policing you.
Visit XanGo Review if you?re ready to see how the top leaders build their network marketing business. Our goal with this XanGo Review is to help you succeed.
It was written off as a glitch in the Matrix and quickly fixed when Apple's Siri proclaimed that the Lumia 900 Windows Phone was the best smartphone available. Now, just a few weeks later, Samsung's S Voice digital assistant points to HTC's Trophy Windows Phone as the top smartphone. Coincidence? Perhaps. But it's also possible that the computers are trying to tell us something...
Yercaud is a beautiful hills station set in Shevaroy hills of north central Tamil Nadu. The place is very quite calm and full of natural charm.? The place is blessed with various scenic beauty and panoramic views that will never disappoint you on your trip. You can witness exotic flowers like sunflower, roses and dahlias that add to the beauty of the place. The place also an ideal place to witness coffee plantation and orange groves on the way. Yercaud is one of the cheapest hill station destinations of India.
Yercaud offers sufficient hotels for accommodation options. You can select government approved hotels as they offer numerous choices to the tourists. Hotels in Yercaud offer you comforts making you feel at home even way from home. The hotels range from 5 star hotels to economical budget hotels. In most of the hotels Guests are also provided with 24 hours hot and cold water supply, with restaurants, conference hall, ayurvedic center, library, recreational facilities etc.? These hotels offer unbeatable affordability in Yercaud to suit the pocket of all the customers as the destination is known as "poor man's Ooty".
When you step through the doors of these hotels one can experience the warm hospitality of the staff. Whether you are travelling for leisure or for business these Hotels in Yercaud offers easy and convenient access to all the major attractions of the city. All the hotels in this area take pride in serving a variety of guests with our well trained staff who try their level best to cater to your needs and requirements.These mesmerizing accommodations in Yercaud with its well trained staff are deeply committed in achieving your satisfaction by providing you with the best accommodation and hospitality. Whether you are travelling for your business or on a vacation with your family and friends hotels in Yercaud tourism takes proper measures to make you feel at home. Each of our tastefully decorated room's guest rooms with world class amenities has been specially designed to keep you engaged and entertained at very economical prices. You can also avail various deals and discounts offered time to time to make your stay pocket friendly for all class of the society.
So if you are planning for a break away from the hustle bustle of city life than one must visit this economical place Yercaud and opt for the hotels as they will offer you comfortable stay on your trip.
Tivoli Audio is known for its expensive speakers and sound systems designed with a minimalist retro vibe that often utilizes pretty wood or brightly colored plastic. The company is not known for headphones, for the simple reason that, until now, it had never released a pair. The Audio Radio Silenz is the debut headphone model from the audio and design icon, and at $159.99 (list), it's surprisingly more affordable than most Tivoli products. As the name implies, this is an active noise-cancellation pair, which seems like a gutsy move for a company that has never even attempted a standard pair of headphones. In short, the Radio Silenz suffers from some rookie mistakes, like a superfluous volume knob that can lead to distortion issues and noise-cancellation that, while effective, also adds some noticeable high pitch hiss to the equation. Luckily, at moderate volumes, the headphones sound great?and like all things Tivoli, they're good looking, too.
Design
The Radio Silenz uses wood for the housings of its earpieces, offered in three different finishes: black ash, walnut, or cherry. On each earpiece, the Tivoli logo is etched into the wood, just above the visible microphones used for detecting ambient room noise as well as amplifying room noise (all part of the noise-cancellation process). The black pads on the earcups are not the most plush we've felt, but they are not uncomfortable?they could be described as firm. The metallic headband adjusters recede into or expand from a black plastic covering, and the headband is covered in black leather that provides a bit of cushion over your scalp.
A black cable connects with the left ear, with the shirt-clip compartment that houses the noise-cancellation circuitry and the single AA battery (one is included, and Tivoli estimates a battery life of about 50 hours). The compartment also has a "Defeat" button, which mutes audio playback and boosts the ambient microphone feed so you can better hear your surroundings without needing to remove the headphones. Also on the compartment are a Power switch that engages the noise-cancellation (the Radio Silenz can output audio when in passive mode), and a volume knob. You get no mobile phone controls or microphone for calls.?The headphones ship with a not-so-protective, unpadded carrying pouch that they can fold down flat into, along with an airplane jack adapter.?
Performance
Unfortunately, the volume knob is an unnecessary addition that has the potential to cause distortion if your sound source's volume and the headphone volume are both too loud. Most headphones don't include an independent volume control, for this very reason. Some do offer volume controls that actually adjust the sound source's volume, as is the case with many iPhone-friendly models. If you were to max out both your sound source's volume and your headphone volume, you'd likely be in for an ugly (and painful) surprise.
The best sound I got out of my iPhone source was acheived by putting it close to maximum volume, and slowly adding volume on the headphones. Other combinations can work as well, such as maxing out the headphones (or coming close) and lowering your source volume significantly. In these two cases, I found the Radio Silenz to have a beautiful, crisp, articulate response?not bass-heavy in the slightest, but armed with subtle low-end. It's a sound signature that, oddly, reminded me of the in-canal? Etymotic ER-4PT ($299, 4.5 stars), but with a bit more bass boost.
Deep bass tracks like The Knife's "Silent Shout" have plenty of low-end presence, but this is not a subwoofer-like Beats by Dr. Dre ($349.95, 4 stars) bass response?it's much more of an audiophile-friendly flat response. Unfortunately, these deep bass tracks can get a bit distorted at top volumes, but you shouldn't be listening at those levels anyway. At moderate volumes, deep bass tracks sound more balanced than they do on a booming pair of headphones.
In my tests, John Adams' modern classical piece "The Chairman Dances" sounded bright and beautiful, though it sometimes felt like it was missing a hint of deeper resonance on the lower register strings and percussion, and very occasionally, usually with stringed instruments, some notes sounded a bit harsh at higher volumes. For the most part, however, the sound signature suits orchestral music very well, and many bass-heavy genres benefit from the Radio Silenz's more refined, articulate response.
That said, the noise-cancellation is not the best we've tried. It immediately reminded me of the Sony XBA-NC85D ($499.99, 3 stars), a in-ear pair with some audible noise-cancellation hiss issues. The hiss, no matter how much low and middle frequency ambient droning it can eliminate, is quite noticeable, and even audible over the music. The industry standard Bose QuietComfort15 ($299.95, 4 stars) does not have this problem. Of course, it is also almost twice the price.
The best-sounding, most affordably priced pair we've tested recently is the AKG K 490 NC ($249.95, 4.5 stars). Unlike the Radio Silenz, the K 490 NC does not suffer from hiss issues. But below $200, your options are limited. The in-ear Phiaton PS 20 NC ($149, 4 stars) is a bit less expensive than the Radio Silenz, and it doesn't distort at high volumes, though it does have a bit of a hiss issue, too. Overall, I like the Radio Silenz as a straight-up headphone pair?I wish that it didn?t have any noise-cancellation circuitry, bulky shirt-clip, or added volume control. If you're a fan of crisp audio and looking for a pair that offers a certain degree of noise-cancellation at a reasonable price, the Radio Silenz is a good-looking option worth checking out, but it's far from flawless.
More Headphone Reviews:
??? Tivoli Audio Radio Silenz
??? Bowers & Wilkins P3
??? MEElectronics A161P
??? Samsung EHS70
??? SMS Audio Sync by 50
?? more
Ancient Indus civilization shaped by seasonal rains
Web edition : 1:03 pm
Climate change may have determined the fate of the ancient world?s most expansive civilization. A new study suggests that the waning of monsoons spurred both the rise and fall of the Harappans, who flourished in the floodplains of the Indus Valley thousands of years ago. ?
Small floods driven by the rains nourished the crops of early cities but proved unreliable generations later, researchers report online the week of May 28 in the?Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
?The Indus people were a Goldilocks civilization,? says Liviu Giosan, a geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. ?They settled when the floods were just right, and then they disappeared when that window of opportunity disappeared.?
Giosan and his colleagues mapped the parts of western Asia inhabited by the Harappans using measurements made by the space shuttle Endeavour in 2000. An instrument onboard bounced radar signals off Earth?s surface and revealed subtle valleys, mounds and channels difficult to see from the ground, including the long-dry bed of a monsoon-fed river in desert that was once the heart of the Indus civilization.
Sediments unearthed and dated by the researchers showed a remodeling of the landscape over time. About 10,000 years ago, flooding rivers in parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan changed behavior as monsoon rains weakened. Instead of dumping loads of sediment that built up the land, the rivers began to cut out valleys.
New valleys next to increasingly mild rivers would have been fertile ground for human settlement. Starting about 5,200 years ago, cities sprang up in spots where small, regular floods would have watered farmlands.
?They were smart in picking sites with just enough water,? says Peter Clift, a sedimentologist at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and coauthor of the new study.
Conditions continued to dry, though, which would have made floods less frequent and therefore less reliable. That could explain why cities began declining about 3,900 years ago, says Clift. He and his colleagues report a trend toward smaller settlements developing after this time farther east, where monsoons are stronger.
But archaeologist Rita Wright of New York University cautions that blaming monsoons for the decline of the Harappans leaves out a very important element: the Harappans themselves.
?The Harappan farmers were well aware that the climate fluctuated,? Wright says. ?Over time, they developed a variety of ways to cope with their environment.?
Farmers in some cities might have found ways to deal with changing climate. Though the Indus people didn?t build irrigation systems like their contemporaries in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, they did cultivate a variety of different crops, some of which were more resistant to drought. They also raised animals for food and built massive water reservoirs.
To really understand how climate change played out in each city, says Wright, archaeologists will need to move beyond the big picture and dig up new clues.
The X PRIZE Foundation and Nokia have announced the launch of the Nokia Sensing X CHALLENGE ? a $2.25 million global competition aimed at developing a new generation of health sensors and sensing technologies that can drastically improve the quality, accuracy and ease of monitoring a person?s health.
Improvements in these technologies will empower individuals to effortlessly monitor and collect their own real-time health data, providing both consumers and healthcare providers convenient access to critical information whenever and wherever they need it.
The announcement was made by X PRIZE Foundation Chairman and CEO Dr. Peter Diamandis and Nokia Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Henry Tirri during their keynote address at the Wireless Health Convergence Summit in San Diego.
?Partnering with Nokia is a natural fit for this competition. Health sensing technologies enabled by artificial intelligence, lab-on-a-chip, and digital imaging are advancing exponentially and will ultimately integrate with your phone. We need to expand sensor and sensing technology beyond disease management to areas such as public health and fitness,? said Dr. Diamandis.
?The Nokia Sensing X CHALLENGE will bring about radical innovation in health sensors and sensing technologies, which paves the way for better choices in when, where, and how individuals receive care. Ultimately, healthcare will be more convenient, affordable, and accessible to consumers worldwide through these integrated digital health solutions.?
The inefficiencies and total cost of the U.S. healthcare system (and healthcare systems around the globe) has been a pressing social and political issue for many years. In the U.S., the total spent annually on the healthcare system is more than $2 trillion, which accounts for more than 15 percent of the nation?s GDP. Health sensors have the capacity to stem this trend. Consumer use of sensors and sensing solutions has the potential to improve, extend and ease delivery of healthcare services, as well as reduce costs to the benefit of health providers and patients.
?Nokia engages in Open Innovation on many different levels; this type of ?grand challenge? is not only a unique method of driving significant progress in a short space of time, but one which can also help to create an entire ecosystem,? said Dr. Tirri.
?This competition will enable us to realize the full potential of mobile sensing devices, leading to advances in sensing technology which can play a major role in transforming the lives of billions of people around the world.?
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The Vedic Astrology of love and relationships is sure and declarative. It is a great blessing and help to have this information.
Vedic Love Astrology compares the Moon Sign the man?s Moon falls in in his natal chart with the Moon sign the woman?s Moon falls in in her natal chart. It uses an ancient, magical and powerful 27-sign Lunar Zodiac to make this comparison.
In this YouTube video, Ilkley Happiness Centre Astrologer, Michael Conneely, presents the fifteen basic factors which are assessed to give this clear statement.
It is far superior to the western astrology of relationships which tends to be long lists of aspects between planets where no one can see the wood for the trees.
See this four-part Video:
Part 1: Introduction ??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1YYmO2mGeo
Part 2: The Relationship Assessment Points: ??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5gMCPnVTlo
Part 3: Case Study? ?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqJAJpga8qA
Part 4: Case Study contd. ??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJGNVA49wlQ
Here?s a summary of the Factors used:
The Vedic Astrology Relationship Assessment Criteria:
?1. RESPECT? Strii Diirgha??? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Yes/No
?2. EXCESS? Nadi Kuta??? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 8
?3. CONSTRUCTIVISM Bha Kuta ??????????????????????????????????????????? 7
?4. TEMPERAMENT? Gana Kuta ???????????????????????????????????????????? 6
?5. FRIENDLINESS? Graha Mitram Kuta? ???????????????????? 6
?6. INSTINCTIVE COMPATIBILITY? Yoni Kuta ????????????????? 4
?7. COMFORT? Tara Kuta ??????????????????????????????????????????????? 3
?8. INNATE GIVING? Vasya Kuta ???????????????????????????????????????????? 2
?9. MUTATION? Varna Kuta ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 1
?10. TOTAL WAVELENGTH? ASHTA KUTA ?????????????????????? 36
?BENEFICIAL SUPPLEMENTS
?11. INNATE SENSE OF PURPOSE? Mahendra ????????? Yes/No
?12. MAGNETIC ATTRACTION? Vasya? ???????????????????????????????? Yes/No
?DOWNFALLS:
?13. OBSTACLES? Vedha Dosha? ????????????????????????????????????????????? Yes/No
?14. MISFORTUNES? Rajju Dosha?? ????????????????????????????????????????? Yes/No
?15. ASSERTIVE PRESSURE? Kuja Dosha ??????????????????????????? Assess
Contact Michael for astrology readings: birth chart, prediction and relationship, and to enrol on Michael?s courses at www.starwheel.co.uk, email?Michael@starwheel.co.uk??or? phone: 07799296821.
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Public mistrust of the "big six" energy firms may undermine the UK government's planned Green Deal, according to the International Energy Agency.
The energy firms are supposed to deliver a mass programme of home insulation under the Deal.
The IEA warns that customers could be deterred by high prices and instances of poor service and mis-selling.
It says the government needs to tell people more about the benefits of insulating their homes.
This international attention on the Green Deal may prove uncomfortable for ministers who have already been facing complaints that The Green Deal does not do enough to help the 8.5 million people heading for fuel poverty, and has not been publicised enough.
The Prime Minister recently discussed problems with the Green Deal after Cabinet Office officials took evidence from critics.
Andrew Warren from the Association for Conservation of Energy told BBC News: "The IEA report echoes what we have been saying. Allowing the energy companies to lead on the Green Deal would be a mistake given the lack of public confidence.
"It can only succeed with new policy incentives and potentially trusted firms doing the work."
Under the spotlightThe IEA's special report on UK energy is generally complimentary about the ambition of UK energy policy, though sceptical on some key details.
It praises the government for setting long-term targets to combat climate change then imposing policies to achieve them.
The IEA points out that energy experts worldwide will be scrutinising the outcome of the UK's Draft Energy Bill which attempts to rig the power market to ensure a balance of low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear.
But it warns that the proposed reforms are complex and untested, and that policies supporting low-carbon energy may be in conflict with each other.
If it goes wrong, the report says, the reform could lead to higher prices for consumers and greater inefficiency as firms try to wreak the biggest concessions from government and regulators instead of competing to drive down costs.
It also raises an alert over consumer attitudes in the future: "Currently, it appears that there is support for the need to diversify generation sources so as to provide increased energy security and reduced emissions," the report said.
"Investors are likely to ask themselves how enduring the new policies will be if resistance to rising costs is to increase in the future." The report also says support for government policies will wane unless there is more international commitment to cut carbon.
Power switchFor all its admiration of UK ambition, the report notes that, so far, CO2 cuts have come at little expense.
"Since 1990, CO2 emissions from the energy supply sector have decreased by 15% and business emissions by 41%. However, emissions from households have increased by 8% and from road transport by 4%.
"Emissions reductions are primarily explained by switching from coal and oil to natural gas in power generation in the 1990s, reductions in energy-intensive industry output and improvements in energy efficiency."
It outlines other major challenges to the UK energy system - vehicles and heating - and commends the UK for being a leader in renewable heat. But the IEA warns that the 12% renewable heat target is a tough target, especially given the on-going struggle to improve insulation in UK homes.
On vehicles, the report urges the UK to press Europe for tougher standards on trucks and warns that the UK's 10% target for renewable energy use in the transport sector represents a "major challenge".
It says that up to 2030 the government's focus appears to be on biofuels, but it expresses concern that cheaper imported biofuels are dodging rules on sustainability.
The report urges the UK to make new laws quickly outlining its future policy for the use of fuel from waste, advanced biofuels, hydrogen-fuelled and electric vehicles.
The energy agency also recommends a greater role for DECC in promoting these policies.
The first time we saw Sony's PlayStation Move, it didn't even have a name: we only knew it as the PS3 motion controller. The newfangled prototype was Sony's response to the success Nintendo found in the Wii, a motion-sensitive "me-too" that hoped to one up the competition with better tracking, more "core" games and a curious glowing ball perched on its top. Its first outing showed a handful of tech demos, flaunting gameplay concepts that we'd eventually see in Sports Champions and Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest. Since then, the Move has seen its fair share of exclusive and compatible titles, but none quite engaging enough to make the peripheral a must-have accessory. With the next generation just around the corner and Sony's portable cards already on the table, E3 2012 is looking a little light on the hardware front. If Sony's going to give the Move one final push, now is the time.
Continue reading Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move
Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsTOKYO (AP) ? Olympus Corp. has reached a settlement with whistleblower Michael Woodford who had been suing over his dismissal as chief executive of the Japanese camera maker.
Woodford, a Briton, was fired in October after he blew the whistle on dubious accounting at Olympus. The Tokyo-based company has acknowledged it hid 117.7 billion yen ($1.5 billion) in investment losses dating back to the 1990s.
Terms of the deal reached Tuesday were not disclosed as a condition of the settlement, both sides said. The company said Wednesday its board must also sign off on the settlement.
"Hopefully today is a closer. A line has been drawn, and the company can move on and I can," Woodford told reporters in London.
The case had been set to go before a British employment court Monday, but that got delayed.
Woodford said a board meeting was set for June 8, but Olympus declined to confirm that. Woodford said he could not give details of the agreement.
Woodford, a rare foreigner to lead a major Japanese company and the first at Olympus, has conceded he has given up on any comeback at the camera and medical equipment maker.
Three former Olympus executives, including the company's ex-chairman, were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of orchestrating the cover-up. The company has carried out its own investigation and is suing some executives for damages.
Woodford has been praised by some Japanese as courageous in bringing dubious old-guard company practices to light. Others have criticized his methods as too confrontational. He has appeared often on Japanese media, and the public response has been overwhelmingly warm.
Associated Press
WRITER'S NOTE: This post engendered a lot of empassioned responses. Some of the responses were directed at the question I posed; Others were directed at me.
I normally don't shy away from passionate responses: In fact, I feel that part of my job is to write about topics people care about enough to respond passionately to. And when I saw the response to the British test question I described below--the same question I posed here--I thought that this would be a question our readers might want to respond to as well.
(I had actually been thinking of asking this question for a while. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about Goldman Sachs that led to the arrival of some of the anti-Semitic commenters who seem to be prevalent online. As I was deleting their comments, I thought, as I had before, "Where on earth does this stuff come from?")
As I said, the post was greeted with an empassioned response. Lots of the feedback, believe it or not, was positive: I was praised for starting a discussion on a topic that a lot of people won't talk about. But lots of the response was also negative--as in, "What kind of an insensitive rockhead would ever ask a question like that?"
Some readers also felt that, if I was going to ask why some people hate Jews, I should also ask why some people hate blacks, Mormons, Christians, Muslims, and every other group that is occasionally subjected to hate. And I certainly could have asked those questions, too (If the commenters on my Goldman post and the British religious-studies exam had focused on Muslims, I might have asked that question first). One smart reader suggested that I just summarize all those questions by asking "Why do people hate?" And that was a reasonable question.
And then I got the feedback that clued me into the fact that I had crossed a line I hadn't intended to cross. Some people I like and respect told me they felt insulted by and uncomfortable with the post.
That did it.
Whatever interesting responses came from the post, I now regret writing it. (I'm okay making people feel uncomfortable about some topics, but not this one.)
I am very sorry to anyone I offended. I sincerely apologize.
ORIGINAL POST:
Citizens in Britain were startled recently when a religious-studies exam featured the question, "why do some people hate Jews?"
The question was immediately blasted as inappropriate and quickly withdrawn.
But it's an interesting and important question.
Along with many other sites, this site is occasionally visited by people whose mission in life appears to be to express hatred of Jews. (We delete these comments as quickly as we can, but they're always startling in their venom, meanness, and stupidity.)
And hatred of Jews has obviously been an ongoing theme worldwide for centuries.
Hitler, for example, hated the Jews so much that he murdered 6 million of them.
Why?
What is the source of this animosity? Why does it perpetuate itself? Where did this prejudice come from?
I'm asking this question seriously, and I'm going to Bleacher any comments that don't answer it seriously. As usual, I'm also going to ban any anti-Semitic commenters. And I'm only going to keep the comments open for 24 hours, because I know what will happen once I stop checking back in and reading them.
In the meantime, I'm genuinely mystified and curious, and I look forward to reading your responses.
Why do some people hate Jews?
Or, put in a more delicate fashion, what are the sources of the anti-Semitism that seem to play such a central role in many people's lives?
?
NOTE: The original photo in this post was of a couple of jovial Orthodox Jews, one of whom was wearing a traditional hat. Some readers found that needlessly provocative. One suggested I replace it with a picture of Natalie Portman, who, I guess, is Jewish (I don't know). So I have.
NOTE 2: The original title of this post was "Why Do People Hate Jews?" That made a lot of people angry. Folks seem more comfortable with the current title, which, admittedly, is less direct. So I changed it.
UPDATE: Now I see why Britain was startled when this question appeared on that religious-studies exam. Apparently, it's not a question you're supposed to ask.
UPDATE 2: Readers would also now like me to ask the following questions:
Those are all good questions, too. Feel free to add your answers to those below, too.
UPDATE 3: John Podhoretz has been kind enough to send along a list of books on this topic, written by professor Robert Wistrich. It's available here. Please let me know which is the best, and I'll read it and summarize it in a future post.
NOTE 4: Wow! Thank you. Lots of interesting comments mixed in with some more predictable ones (along with a lot of frustration with me for even posing the question). I'm going to close the comments now, because I can't keep scanning them. I'll read Mr. Podhoretz's book recommendation above and come back with the scholarly answers.
If you're new to Wave, you may have asked yourself how we manage to bring this awesome app to you for free.
The answer? Wave's Business Savings page! Consider it a marketplace, full of the best offers around to help your small business grow big!
Want to know more? Here's what you need to know about the our Business Savings page:
Do you need business cards? A new credit card? How about some new marketing tools for your business? Searching for the company that best suits your needs can be daunting.
Here at Wave, we'll do the searching for you. We only feature companies on our Business Savings page if we think they're awesome. That means nothing but great companies, featuring great products that help small business owners succeed.?
There are a whole lot of tools out there to help you run your business, all designed to streamline processes and help you succeed. Some, like Wave, are free. But some tools cost money, which can get expensive for a small business owner.
We want you to be equipped with all the tools you need to succeed, no matter what. So, we've found great deals on tools that'll help you run a great business, and we highlight them all on our Business Savings page.?Focus on your passion. Let the apps take care of the rest.
Depending on where you are located, you'll see offers like:
Don't see what you're looking for? Not to fear, we add new offers every week.?
Next time you need a tool for your business, make the Wave Business Savings page your first stop. You never know what you'll find.?
Our great Business Savings deals are how we keep Wave free for you.?Any time you choose to purchase one of these deals, Wave gets paid by the supplier.?In other words, you save money, we get paid, and Wave Accounting stays free. Pretty neat, huh?
So what are you waiting for? Log in and check out the Wave Business Savings page today!
NEW YORK/BANGALORE (Reuters) - The crippled law firm Dewey & Leboeuf LLP filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday night and will seek approval to liquidate its business after failing to find a merger partner, marking the biggest collapse of a law firm in U.S. history.
Once one of the largest law firms in the U.S., Dewey has been hit by the loss of the vast majority of its roughly 300 partners to other firms amid concerns about compensation and a heavy debt load.
Dewey had warned employees earlier this month of the possibility the firm may shut down, and a person familiar with the matter had told Reuters that the firm was considering a bankruptcy filing.
"Dewey's failure is rocking the industry in the sense that most firms are saying to themselves, if Dewey could go down, could we?" Kent Zimmermann, a legal consultant at the Zeughauser Group, said in an email Monday night.
Dewey said in a filing it had decided to wind down its business following unsuccessful negotiations with other law firms to strike a deal. It said it would ask about 90 employees to remain on staff to assist in the liquidation, which it expects to be completed in the next few months.
Negative economic conditions, along with the firm's partnership compensation arrangements, created a situation where its cash flow was insufficient to cover capital expenses and full compensation expectations, Dewey said.
"During the first quarter of 2012, the firm was confronted with liquidity constraints that led to the precipitous resignation of over 160 of the firm's 300 partners by May 11," the New-York based firm said.
Dewey listed liabilities in the range of $100 million to $500 million, according to the filing. It had already terminated 433 of its 533 New York employees earlier this month, according to the state's labor department.
MONTHS OF TURBULENCE
The firm's collapse is expected to be the subject of years of court proceedings, and a number of former partners have already retained lawyers to represent them.
Monday's filing follows months of turbulence, as wave after wave of partner defections shattered the high-profile firm from within. In April, the Manhattan District Attorney's office launched a criminal probe of former firm chairman Steven Davis. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The result of a 2007 merger between Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green & MacRae, Dewey & LeBoeuf had about 1,450 attorneys at its peak, according to The National Law Journal.
But the firm was eventually undone by a combination of the economic downturn, excessive compensation and governance problems, according to former partners and others in the industry. In particular, Dewey's management promised millions in packages to about 100 partners, according to the court filing, leaving it strapped for cash when revenues fell during the recession.
Dewey has retained Joff Mitchell of Zolfo Cooper LLC as Chief Restructuring Officer and Albert Togut of Togut Segal & Segal LLP as bankruptcy counsel.
"The full extent of the partner compensation arrangements is subject of continuing investigation," Mitchell said in the filing.
Dewey is one of a handful of major law firms to declare bankruptcy since the recession that began in 2007. They include Coudert Brothers, Heller Ehrman and Howrey.
PENSION PLANS
As of the petition date, Dewey's assets consisted of about $13 million in cash, accounts receivable of about $255 million, various pieces of artwork, and about $11 million invested in an insurance consortium, among other potential claims, according to the filing.
In the interim, Dewey said the firm will be operating on a budget to be determined by the court. The firm has petitioned the court for permission to continue to pay salaries, benefits and paid time-off for current employees.
Dewey said that the 401(k) plans and qualified pension plans of its current and former employees and partners are held in trust and cannot be accessed by the firm's creditors.
The U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation filed suit this month to take control of three of the firm's pension plans, which the agency said were underfunded by $80 million.
The London and Paris offices of the firm are operated through a separately incorporated UK entity, which was placed into administration on Monday.
Administration is a UK legal process under court supervision, broadly similar to Chapter 11. The UK partnership is following broadly the same approach as that of Dewey in the United States, the firm said.
The firm had two dozen offices worldwide, including in Washington, Los Angeles and London. Some of the firm's biggest clients included General Motors Corp, eBay, Novartis, Ambac and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Division.
The case is Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, Case No. 12-12321, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore and by Joseph Ax and Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Chris Gallagher)
A review of Flatweaves
Carpets and also floor coverings can be found in various shades, types, also various components and also textures today. They?re also for sale in many different types regarding weaving strategies at the same time just like made by hand, hand-tufted and also flatweaves, each and every possessing their particular diverse end and also result.
Turkish carpets and also Turkish floor coverings certainly are a fantastic illustration regarding the location where the flatweaves approach could possibly be identified. The particular old Turkish tribes regarding Oushak have been popular for carpets and rugs inside the early on area of the 15th millennium together with several making use of flatweaves since their particular desired selection of weaving.
Flatweaves could have usually recently been useful for neighborhood tribes and also found in their particular each day lifestyles. Their particular tents and also properties could have recently been produced in this way, since would certainly their particular foods totes, garments as well as other forms of bed linens as an example. That is if they started out while using the flatweaves strategies inside carpets and rugs since flooring treatments started to be accessible. These kinds of strategies can easily nevertheless be identified nowadays in which neighborhood communities continue to exist.
Flatweaves have become a lot more popularly known as their particular simple identify which can be kilims. In the kilim, the particular weft (the particular weft getting the particular side to side yarn) moves below and also above each and every warp (the particular warp getting the particular top to bottom yarn) before the side with the theme used is finished. It then earnings to make another weft. This kind of flatweaves approach results in an empty slit involving the motifs, nevertheless the resultant weaving is very done about equally factors.
You can find other styles regarding flatweaves strategies also. Inside Cicim weaving, the particular weft will be twisted about a few warps. Next as opposed to the weft getting flipped again about alone just like in the kilim, the particular made of wool will be still left clinging behind the particular bit even though the weft will be continuing in the fresh coloring. The particular clinging made of wool just isn?t lost or perhaps discarded; the particular tribal individuals were really cheap folks, because it will be next reused over a future weft if the coloring is necessary once more, maybe about one more theme as an example. This kind of final results in the rear of the particular bit possessing strings regarding made of wool bridging among motifs.
The particular flatweaves carpets who have lasted coming from yeas in the past have become beneficial items of older binoculars while they have become unusual. The harder modern day carpets that exist nowadays are getting to be popular together with developers and also homeowners while they have become versifier goods. Folks are not merely employing their carpets since carpets both as much today have used them since elegant punches and also comforters, along with showing these around the surfaces of these residence.
Flatweaves are usually carpets that will produce a assertion exactly where they may be exhibited. You?ll probably decide a single within your cooking area or perhaps conservatory because the new kinds have become strong and also adaptable goods, and they?re if at all possible worthy of these kinds of bedrooms while they can easily stand up to a top use. You will want to have a look at what exactly is accessible. You?re sure to discover a ideal flatweaves carpet to your residence.
This is being categorized within Bed Linens matter plus Turkish Tribes matter and Oushak subject and Floor Coverings subject also Hand Tufted matter .
There are 1 pics in the A Look At Flatweaves of this excellent Uncategorized area of interest coupled with . Forget-Not to checkout the complete 1 pics to not miss anything.
Green real estate appertains to buildings that are beneficial in saving on utilities, which makes your life more eco-freindly and eco-friendly, and which sometimes contributes to a greener lifestyle. Nowadays , there are many green solutions that can make a contribution, including building materials, green supplies, household products, energy sources solutions, conservation, and substance reclamation. Green property is one of the top trends of current architecture, and various special awards are given to the projects of the highest excellence.
The Nation's Association of Home Builders (NAHB), one of the most influential trade associations in the U. S. , honoured 13 projects at the 13th Annual Countrywide Green Building Conference in Salt Lake. Among them were 5 single-family home projects awarded for ?pushing the envelope of what we can achieve with energy and resource potency. ?
The Institute for Energy and Transport (IET) of the ECU recognized one or two associations with its Green Building Award 2011 . Award factors included creativity and energy conservation.
Excellence in reconstructing projects all around the globe was reflected by the Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards. Last year?s awards were also partnered by the John H. Daniels Faculty of Design, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto. The Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Awards 2011 found their winners in the classes of commercial, prescribed, and home solutions.
Holcim, a Swiss-based global supplier of cement and other building aggregates, contributed to the support of breakthrough ideas in viable constructions as well. The most innovative projects of 2011 were awarded the Holcim Awards in a few categories according to their location.
The Canadian Green Building Awards (SAB Awards) are arbitrated based on the standards of tolerable design, architectural excellence, and technical invention. A jury recognizes the professional quality of both Canadian home and non-residential buildings of all kinds. Selected projects of the 2011 SAB Awards included a community centre, an environmental education centre, a marine bay station, and a college.
Jay Banks is Vancouver Realtor with interest in Vancouver homes.
?Mail this postPosted under Local Real Estate News
In the discussion of why small businesses are not creating as many jobs in the current recovery as they have in past economic expansions, one simple fact has been missed by many observers: small businesses create jobs when they need more employees. And companies need more employees when they sell more products and services.
Data from the recent Wells Fargo Small Business Survey, a quarterly survey of small businesses with no more than $20 million in annual sales, illustrates this pattern clearly. Since Wells Fargo began collecting their data quarterly in the second three months of 2007, the correlation between the percentage of owners who indicated that their business?s revenue increased over the previous 12 months and the percentage who indicated that their business?s employment went up over the same period, has been 0.9. (A correlation of 1.0 means that two numbers move together perfectly, while a correlation of 0.0 means that there is no relationship in the movement of the two numbers.)
While fewer small companies decrease employment than suffer revenue declines and fewer small businesses increase employment than experience revenue increases, the two numbers clearly move in concert. Therefore, if we want small businesses to hire more, we need to help them boost their revenues.
Share of Small Businesses with Rising Revenue and Employment:
Source: Created from data from the Wells Fargo Small Business Survey
Scott Shane is A. Malachi Mixon III, Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Case Western Reserve University. He is the author of nine books, including Fool's Gold: The Truth Behind Angel Investing in America ; Illusions of Entrepreneurship: and The Costly Myths that Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By. ?
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A Chinese computer programmer on Tuesday pleaded guilty to stealing software code from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in a case that raised cyber-security concerns when he was arrested five months ago.
Bo Zhang, 33, admitted last August that he illegally copied the software code to an external hard drive and took it home. The FBI questioned him when he admitted the theft but did not arrest him until January.
Congressional investigators became concerned that the New York Fed was vulnerable to cyber attacks after the arrest.
Zhang has been cooperating and has been free on bail and prosecutors have recommended that he be sentenced to no more than 1-to-1-1/2 years in prison. He faces deportation after he serves his prison sentence.
Instead of prosecuting Zhang under trade secrets or computer fraud and abuse statutes, U.S. authorities charged him with theft of government property.
The New York Federal Reserve was given the task of moving the Government Wide Accounting program, developed to help track the billions of dollars the United States government transfers daily, from an antiquated IBM mainframe computer to the Internet, according to a person familiar with the project.
Zhang was hired in May 2011 as a contractor to help with the project. Three months later, he copied part of the software code for the Treasury program onto a New York Fed-owned portable drive, took it home and made more copies of it, according to the criminal complaint.
A month later, Zhang told a colleague he had lost one of the drives holding the code and the bank's officials alerted the FBI, the complaint said.
When FBI investigators questioned Zhang on Aug. 11, Zhang admitted taking the code "for private use and in order to ensure that it was available to him in the event that he lost his job," the complaint said.
Details about how the Fed came to hire Zhang and whether he was subject to any kind of security clearance are unclear. The New York Fed, unlike federal agencies, has no obligation to reveal how it hires outside contractors.
A spokesman for the New York Fed declined to discuss how it conducts background checks or what systems it has in place to prevent theft. The spokesman did say that security checks were strengthened after Zhang stole the software, but declined to give details.
Along with the FBI, the inspector general for the Treasury Department has reviewed the alleged theft. The incident also drew scrutiny from two Congressional panels, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. A spokesman for the Treasury's inspector general declined comment on the inquiry.
The Congressional panels ? the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee ? contacted the Federal Reserve in Washington after committee members read about the arrest in news reports, according to Treasury and Federal Reserve email correspondence. Spokesmen for both committees declined to comment.
Zhang also pleaded guilty to one charge of immigration fraud. He is currently free on $200,000 bail and is due to be sentenced on October 1.
According to an April plea agreement with Zhang, prosecutors recommended he be sentenced to one to 1-1/2 years in prison, much less than the potential 10-year maximum term the theft charge carries.
The case is USA v. Bo Zhang, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 12-0390.
Additional reporting by Emily Flitter and Carrick Mollenkamp.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
Online marketing has become an important part of the small business toolbox. In order to reach consumers and grow your business, there are a variety of tactics and tools you can use ? from online advertising to social media marketing to reputation management and more. Managing all the ins and outs of running a small business is complex, and juggling all the different aspects of online marketing is a responsibility in and of itself.
So, take a minute to make sure you?re not committing any of these seven deadly sins when marketing your small business:
1.)?Not Tracking Your Online Advertising?
One of the incredible benefits of online advertising is the ability to track it. If you?re advertising your small business online, it?s important to track not just the clicks you?re getting to your website or landing page, but also what happens after the click. Are customers calling your business, filling out a form, or leaving your page after they click? If you don?t know, how will you know if your advertising is actually working to help your business get more customers? Many sophisticated online marketing products will allow you to track all this and more, so you can not only learn the effectiveness of your campaigns, but also optimize them around what?s working as well. So, start tracking your online advertising to make sure you?re getting the most out of your investment.
2.)?Not Locally Targeting Your Online Marketing
As a small business, there?s a good chance a large majority of your client base is made up of local consumers. If so and you?re investing in online marketing and not targeting it locally, it could cost you. Not only will you pay more to target national keywords and spend more to compete on these terms, but you may also be missing consumers who are searching for a local business just like yours.
By locally targeting your online marketing, you can get a better return on your investment and more effectively reach consumers who are looking for local businesses. Even if you want to invest some of your online marketingon broader efforts, it?s critical to make sure to include localization as well. And, by tracking the success of each strategy, you can find out what works best to help you get more customers and shift more of your investment there.
3.)?Not Claiming Your Google Place Page
You may already be investing in SEO to help your website rank well in organic search. A Google Place Page is another valuable tool that can help your small business show up in desktop and mobile search to local consumers searching for a business like yours ? and it?s free to use.
If you haven?t claimed your Google Place Page, make sure to do so immediately. By claiming and optimizing your page, you not only gain more control over what?s listed about your business, you can also gain valuable shelf space on Google for important business keywords in organic search.
4.)?Failing to Optimize Your Landing Page for Conversions
Most forms of online marketing include a goal of getting people to visit your website or a specific landing page on it. But if it?s not optimized for conversions, you may be losing a lot of potential customers despite all of your efforts to get people to that page.
Is your contact information prominently displayed and easy to locate at the top of your page? Do you have a clear call to action directing visitors to perform a specific action ? like calling your business or filling out a form? Is the most important information clearly visible above the fold, or do visitors have to scroll down to find what they really need? Contact your web developer to talk about changes you could implement to make your website more effective at converting customers, which will boost the effectiveness of your online marketing.
5.)?Not Training Staff on Lead Handling
Many small businesses spend so much time and effort focusing on the front end of the marketing funnel that they neglect one of the most important components of the marketing process. What happens to a lead once they express interest in your business? For most small businesses, one of the most costly aspects of the marketing equation is how your staff handle the leads that come to you ? whether by phone, email, fax, or in person. You?re investing a lot in generating leads, and every lead counts! That?s why training all your staff on how to properly answer the phone, respond to a customer request, and handle leads is so critical.
6.) Poor Customer Service
Did you know that the service your customers receive at your small business is a critical component of your online marketing? That?s because word of mouth is still one of the most powerful influencers on consumers. And in today?s digital world, what your customers say online about how your business treats them is a part of your business Web presence, whether you like it or not.
If you?re guilty of bad customer service, chances are that this news will spread fast online.?The good news is, word about great customer experiences spreads as well. That?s why it?s important to make sure your team is well versed on how to provide world-class customer service.
That?s why it?s important to make sure your team is well versed on how to provide world-class customer service.
7.)?Letting Your Online Reputation Go Unchecked
What exactly are people saying about your small business online? Letting your online reputation go unchecked can be a huge mistake ? especially if there are unaddressed negative reviews about your business that are ranking well in search engines or gaining a lot of attention on review sites. A negative online reputation can cost you customers.
So, instead of wondering what people are saying about your business online, make sure to conduct a regular online reputation analysis so you can discover the negative and address it while focusing regular efforts on asking happy customers to share reviews about your business to build the positive buzz about your business.
Are you guilty of committing any of these deadly sins of small business online marketing? Do you have any to add to this list? Share your thoughts in a comment!
Business Devil Photo via Shutterstock
Tiffany Monhollon is an award-winning content, community and social media marketing strategist who is passionate about helping businesses and professionals succeed online. As the lead blogger for ReachCast, a web presence optimization service for small businesses, she is also a resource for local online marketing advice. ?
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) ?
Japan?s Ryosuke Irie (back), pictured here after finishing 2nd in the men?s 200m backstroke final of the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, in July 2011. Irie had to be satisfied with the silver medal behind Ryan Lochte (front), who clocked one minute 52.96 seconds to win the gold.
Japan?s Ryosuke Irie is looking forward to the London Olympics for an opportunity to avenge his loss to American Ryan Lochte in the men?s 200 metre backstroke last year.
At the world championships in Shanghai, Irie had to be satisfied with the silver medal behind Lochte, who clocked one minute 52.96 seconds to win the gold.
On Saturday at the Japan Open swimming championships, he was faster than Lochte at the 100m point before slowing down in the last 50m to win in 1:54.80, beating Kazuki Watanabe into second.
?I was finally able to set a new national lap time at the 100-metre mark. I swam very well until the 150-metre mark. I tried to spurt in the last 50 metres, but I couldn?t,? said Irie, 22.
?I think I proved that I improved a lot. I?m really looking forward to the future.
?If I?m slower than Lochte in the first half of the race, I?ll be beaten. So I must take the lead at the 100-metre mark. I want to race at my pace, not his,? added Irie, who also won the bronze in the 100m at the world championships.
Coach Taketoshi Michiura said: ?I saw him tired for the first time in eight years. He is all right until the 130-metre mark. He just needs to continue till the end.?
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Bieber pays homage to Motown soul with new Believe single.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a>'s new single "Die in Your Arms" is full of funky beats, Motown harmonies and good old-fashioned romantic longing. In the song, produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Bieber just wants to make the apple of his eye <i>believe</i> he loves her so much that he'd rather die in her arms than be away from her for too long.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Justin Bieber Strives For Perfection" id="vid:765701.id:1684329" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>The song's vintage swing, finger snaps and melodies certainly recall the heyday of feel-good R&B from the 1960s, which is mirrored in the song's sentiment. On the chorus, Bieber sings, "Honestly, the truth is, if I could just die in your arms/ I wouldn't mind/ 'Cause every time you touch me/ I just die in your arms/ It feels so right/ So baby, baby, baby, please don't stop girl."</P><P>In keeping with the song's vintage feel, at one point, he breaks from singing to say, "Oh, baby, I know loving you ain't easy, but it sure is worth a try."</P><P>"Die" is the follow-up to the more pop-'n'-b-leaning <a href="/news/articles/1684454/justin-bieber-boyfriend-mature-video.jhtml">"Boyfriend,"</a> which he dropped back in March. Last week he dropped a <a href="http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/05/25/justin-bieber-mac-miller-2-chainz-and-asher-roth-for-boyfriend-remix/">remix to the song</a>, featuring 2 Chainz, Mac Miller and Asher Roth, which certainly ups the song's hip-hop ante quite a bit. "And we can be like Selena and Biebs/ Wild and free, a couple disobedient teens/ Sneaking out to meet like two o' clock in the eve/ Paparazzi ain't a problem, we just hide on the beach," Roth spits on the track.</P><P>Bieber is currently abroad promoting his June 19 album release, <a href="/news/articles/1685471/justin-bieber-believe-track-list.jhtml"><i>Believe</a>,</i> amid allegations he got into a <a href="/news/articles/1685942/justin-bieber-paparazzo-criminal-battery.jhtml">scuffle with a paparazzo</a> over the weekend while out in Los Angeles with girlfriend Selena Gomez.</P><P>"i hope when you guys hear #BELIEVE you finally understand how i feel about you. I appreciate and love you. this is about us. thank you," he <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/justinbieber" target="_blank">tweeted</a> over the weekend about the album release, shortly after news broke of the fray with the photographer.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Justin Bieber Talks Working With Kanye West" id="vid:765692.id:1684329" width="415" height="255"></div><p></p>
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