Luxury health, fitness and weight loss retreats launched by LHR and ...

(Forimmediaterelease.net) Centara Hotels&Resorts has partnered with Luxury Health Retreats (LHR), a division of Fitcorp Asia, to offer a range of inspiring educational and recreational retreats for those wanting to combine health, fitness and weight loss with an enjoyable getaway break or holiday experience.

The program will include daily seminars delivered by motivational wellness specialists along with structured movement and exercise sessions, and instruction on how to design meal plans and adjust lifestyles at home.

The inaugural retreat in this new initiative will be held at Away Suansawan Chiang Mai, Centara Boutique Collection between March 2 to 8 and 8 to 10.

Founder of Fitcorp Asia and LHR Daniel Remon said that health and fitness has huge potential for hotels with their own spa and fitness center facilities when they partner with wellness specialists.

?Health savvy consumers are aware of the difference in quality of services and are looking for credible programs delivered by industry experts,? he said.

Operations manager of Centara Hotels&Resorts Paul Snow said that spa, fitness and other leisure activities that promote wellness have always been a core part of the Centara brand.

?In today?s competitive and ever stressful environment in which we all work and live, it is satisfying that we are able to offer our guests an opportunity to improve their health, wellness and quality of life,? he said.

?This partnership is a perfect match, allowing guests the dynamics of luxury and travel to destinations both within Thailand and internationally while at the same time reaping the rewards of a solid and structured educational program.?

Emphasis is placed on the four essentials, namely education, motivation, planning and implementation, leading to the achieving of early results in a comfortable, relaxed and encouraging environment.

?The growing need of consumers to not only experience fantastic destinations in luxury and be pampered is now shifting,? said Mr. Remon.

?Those who have already achieved certain goals and financial status in life are turning to education and knowledge with specific ways to improve their quality of life, increase their longevity, have more energy and perform better physically and mentally.?

Mr. Snow said that the response from the tourism, hotel and travel industry has been very positive.

?Centara is Thailand?s largest operator of hotels and resorts, and is also fast expanding overseas,? he said, ?In conjunction with LHR we can offer retreats and programs that are both unique and rewarding.?
Full details may be had by emailing info@lhretreats.com or visiting www.lhretreats.com or www.centarahotelsresorts.com

PHOTO: Daniel Remon (left), Founder of Fitcorp Asia and LHR is training Paul Snow (right), Corporate Operation Manager of Centara Hotels and Resorts to combine health, fitness and weight loss during Paul?s break time at Fitness Center, Centara Grand at CentralWorld. / Image via centarahotelsresorts.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Centara Hotels & Resorts, 999/99 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Tel: +66 (0) 2 769 1234, Fax: +66 (0) 2 769 1235, Email: centara@chr.co.th

Source: http://www.forimmediaterelease.net/pm/8424.html

kirby sarah palin cbi the shins atomic clock daylight savings time john mccain

Nut-cracking monkeys use tools skillfully

Barth Wright

A bearded capuchin monkey uses a rock to crack open a nut placed on a stone "anvil."

By Stephanie Pappas
LiveScience

Nut-cracking monkeys don't just use tools. They use tools with skill.

That's the conclusion of a new study that finds similar tool-use strategies between humans and Brazil's bearded capuchin monkeys, which use rocks to smash nuts for snacks. Both monkeys and humans given the nut-smashing task take the time to place the nuts in their most stable position on a stone "anvil," the study found, keeping the tasty morsels from rolling away.

That means the monkeys are able to not only use tools, but to use them with finesse. This ability may be a precursor to humans' ability to adapt tools to different circumstances and to use them smoothly under varying conditions.

"Any one individual can accommodate stones of different sizes, anvils of different angles and material and nuts of different shapes and sizes," said study leader Dorothy Fragaszy, a primate researcher at the University of Georgia, adding, "In fact, some of these nuts people can't crack."

Nut-crackers
Bearded capuchin monkeys were the first non-ape primates to be discovered using tools in the wild. They crack tough nuts by placing them on pitted stone anvils and then hitting them hard with other large rocks. [8 Humanlike Behaviors of Primates]

Barth Wright

Bearded capuchin monkeys place nuts in their most stable positions before cracking them.

"They are slamming (the rock) on that nut," Fragaszy told LiveScience. "It's very impressive when you see it."

Fragaszy and her colleagues wanted to get a better idea of how skilled capuchins are at nut-cracking. In particular, they noticed the monkeys have an odd habit of tapping the nuts multiple times against the stone pits before putting them down. Perhaps, they thought, the tapping was a way to tell how stable the nut might be.

To find out, the researchers brought palm nuts to a population of capuchin monkeys in Fazenda Boa Vista in Brazil. The monkeys are wild, but habituated to human presence. Ten of the monkeys "volunteered" for the study by gathering the nuts and cracking them with stones as big as their heads as the researchers videotaped.

Before handing over the nuts, however, the scientists rolled them along the floor to find their flat sides, which they marked with a line. They also marked the other axis of the nut with color-coded pens so they could identify how the monkeys placed the nuts in the video.

Savvy tool use
The results revealed that the monkeys consistently placed the nuts in the most stable position. Out of 302 nut-cracking attempts, 253 started with the line marking the nut's stable axis facing up. Monkeys varied only slightly in their ability to ideally place the nut, doing so between 71 percent and 94 percent of the time depending on the individual. [See Video of the Monkey Attempts]

Next, the researchers ran an identical test with humans. Seven male and seven female volunteers were given nuts and told to crack them with stones, just as the capuchin monkeys do. The humans were blindfolded during the task, because the researchers suspected that the monkeys could place the nuts by feel and wanted to find out if humans could, too.

On average, the humans also placed the nuts in the most stable position, doing so on about 71 percent of tries. Unlike capuchins, however, they didn't knock the nuts against the stone very frequently. Instead, humans tended to roll the nuts around in their hands, feeling their shape. Humans have much larger hands than bearded capuchins, the researchers wrote Wednesday?in the journal PLOS ONE, which could explain the different strategies.

The results suggest that humans and monkeys share the ability to use tools skillfully, with minimal effort for maximum effect, the researchers wrote.

"It's skill in the way that we use that word to talk about human skills," Fragaszy said. "It's a goal-directed activity. It's done fluidly. It's done flexibly."

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas?or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook?and Google+.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17122532-those-nut-cracking-monkeys-they-use-tools-with-finesse?lite

New Years Eve new years washington redskins New Year Outback Bowl Carly Rae Jepsen dallas cowboys

Rosa Parks statue set to be unveiled at Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Rosa Parks is famous for her 1955 refusal to give up her seat on a city bus in Alabama to a white man, but there's plenty about the rest of her experiences that she deliberately withheld from her family.

While Parks and her husband, Raymond, were childless, her brother, the late Sylvester McCauley, had 13 children. They decided Parks' nieces and nephews didn't need to know the horrible details surrounding her civil rights activism, said Rhea McCauley, Parks' niece.

"They didn't talk about the lynchings and the Jim Crow laws," said McCauley, 61, of Orlando, Fla. "They didn't talk about that stuff to us kids. Everyone wanted to forget about it and sweep it under the rug."

Parks' descendants now have a chance to be first-hand witnesses as their late matriarch makes more history, this time becoming the first black woman to be honored with a full-length statue in the Capitol's Statuary Hall. The statue of Parks joins a bust of another black woman, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, which sits in the Capitol Visitors Center.

President Barack Obama, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner are among the dignitaries taking part in the unveiling Wednesday. McCauley said more than 50 of Parks' relatives traveled to Washington for the ceremony.

In a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus in segregated Montgomery, Ala. She was arrested, touching off a bus boycott that stretched over a year.

Jeanne Theoharis, author of the new biography "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks," said Parks was very much a full-fledged civil rights activist, yet her contributions have not been treated like those of other movement leaders, such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Rosa Parks is typically honored as a woman of courage, but that honor focuses on the one act she made on the bus on Dec. 5, 1955," said Theoharis, a political science professor at Brooklyn College-City University of New York.

"That courage, that night was the product of decades of political work before that and continued ... decades after" in Detroit, she said.

Parks died Oct. 24, 2005, at age 92. The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor on Feb. 4, which would have been her 100th birthday.

Parks was raised by her mother and grandparents who taught her that part of being respected was to demand respect, said Theoharis, who spent six years researching and writing the Parks biography.

She was an educated woman who recalled seeing her grandfather sitting on the porch steps with a gun during the height of white violence against blacks in post-World War I Alabama.

After she married Raymond Parks, she joined him in his work in trying to help nine young black men, ages 12 to 19, who were accused of raping two white women in 1931. The nine were later convicted by an all-white jury in Scottsboro, Ala., part of a long legal odyssey for the so-called Scottsboro Boys.

In the 1940s, Parks joined the NAACP and was elected secretary of its Montgomery, Ala., branch, working with civil rights activist Edgar Nixon to fight barriers to voting for blacks and investigate sexual violence against women, Theoharis said.

Just five months before refusing to give up her seat, Parks attended Highlander Folk School, which trained community organizers on issues of poverty but had begun turning its attention to civil rights.

After the bus boycott, Parks and her husband lost their jobs and were threatened. They left for Detroit, where Parks was an activist against the war in Vietnam and worked on poverty, housing and racial justice issues, Theoharis said.

Theoharis said that while she considers the 9-foot-statue of Parks in the Capitol an "incredible honor" for Parks, "I worry about putting this history in the past when the actual Rosa Parks was working on and calling on us to continue to work on racial injustice."

Parks has been honored previously in Washington with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, both during the Clinton administration.

But McCauley said the Statuary Hall honor is different.

"The medal you could take it, put it on a mantel," McCauley said. "But her being in the hall itself is permanent and children will be able to tour the (Capitol) and look up and see my aunt's face."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rosa-parks-statue-set-unveiled-capitol-085442523--politics.html

aaron rodgers Joe Webb Fiesta Bowl Jeanie Buss NFL playoff schedule 2013 biggest loser Bronson Pelletier

Kerry hopes Iran aiming for diplomatic solution in nuclear talks

It began as a seemingly awkward Jack Nicholson introduction of the very long list on nominees, but the Best Picture denouement?at a very long Oscars ceremony on Sunday turned into a surprise appearance by Michelle Obama, via satellite from the Governors' Ball in Washington, D.C.?where earlier she had sat next to Chris Christie?to introduce and announce the winner,?Argo.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-hopes-iran-aiming-diplomatic-solution-nuclear-talks-120857547.html

dr seuss the temptations rush limbaugh sandra fluke green book some like it hot duke university whale shark

The Most Stylish iPhone Cables You Can Get Now Work with the iPhone 5

When we first saw Eastern Collective's super snazzy cloth iPhone cables, we lusted after them but didn't buy any because they were about to become outdated by the Lightning adapter. Now? We're buying as many as we can because the swirly cloth is covering both lightning cables and micro USB cables. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Rcu-9Z562tU/the-most-stylish-iphone-cables-you-can-get-now-work-with-the-iphone-5

after christmas sales case mccoy case mccoy UFC 155 Jack Klugman merry Christmas a christmas story

Swiss Red Cross cuts blood supply to broke Greece

BERLIN (AP) ? The Swiss Red Cross is slashing its supply of donor blood to Greece because the financially stricken country has failed to pay its bills on time, the head of the group's transfusion service said Tuesday.

Rudolf Schwabe confirmed Swiss media reports that Greece had run up debts of several million Swiss francs (dollars) in the past. While those debts have since been repaid, the nonprofit SRC has decided to halve its blood shipments to Greece in the coming years in order to limit its financial risk, he said.

Greece's international creditors have demanded the government cut spending on pharmaceutical products as part of bailout agreements.

The Swiss blood sent to Greece comes from unused emergency stockpiles and is designated for humanitarian use. In the past, the SRC charged Greece 5 million Swiss francs ($5.4 million) to cover its costs for supplying 28,000 blood packets a year.

The Swiss blood shipped to Greece helps meet demand from the country's thalassemia sufferers. An estimated 3,000 people in Greece with a severe form of this genetic disorder ? also known as Mediterranean anemia ? need regular transfusions amounting to some 130,000 packets a year.

"That's why we had long talks with the Greek Health Ministry," Schwabe said. The Swiss will gradually reduce their shipments to Greece to 14,000 packets a year by 2020, while at the same time providing the country with expertise to develop its own blood donor system, he said. "That way there will be no humanitarian problem."

Greek Health Ministry officials insisted that Greece had always fulfilled its side of the deal with the Swiss, and the reduction of imports was part of a plan to boost domestic donations, which currently amount to some 670,000 packets every year.

___

Nicholas Paphitis in Athens contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-02-26-Switzerland-Greece-Blood%20Supply/id-2cc793c1e6b5435b84c311b0439eed95

temperance world bank kim kardashian flour bomb hunger games box office xavier joan crawford joan crawford

seyfert starkness: 501(c) and LLC notes : Law Office of Trish Newman

February 24, 2013

The two entities requested most for roller derby leagues are 501(c)s and LLCs.? There ARE other entity forms out there but these two are the ones I am most contacted about.? I have provided my raw notes from the talk I gave at Rollercon in 2011 about the two entities. I cannot go every year because of time and budget constraints but I think a basic understanding helps.? This should in no way substitute for the actual retaining of a lawyer for your organization because everyone has different organizational needs including administration constraints and how much time you can devote to maintaining your entity status (translation: devotion to the paperwork and meetings that goes along with these entities) and making sure your Articles and Bylaws match how your organization actually operates.

**This is informational only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice and does not confer attorney-client privilege nor create any attorney-client relationship.**

?Limited Liability Company (LLC) form

LLC is a non-corporate form of business. Owners are called ?Members?.? Combines the benefits of limited liability and continuity of business like a corporation with the ?pass through? taxation on profit like a partnership.

LLC laws vary widely from state to state.? There are restrictions on the types of business that can be LLCs based on the state. (eg. California does not allow professional services LLCs, doctors, lawyers)

Important to have:
-?????? Adequate capitalization
-?????? Separate bank account
-?????? An Operating Agreement

• Member managed v. Manager managed
  • Members are owners; if chose Manager managed: Members do not participate in management or risk losing LL aspect
• Always have dissolution provisions, preferably written.

Organizing document is the Operating Agreement. Defines the basic structure of the LLC such as setting up:

-?????? Managerial responsibilities
-?????? Governance
-?????? Compensation
-?????? Distribution
-?????? Admission/Withdrawal of Members
-?????? Dissolution provisions

Flexible management and operational structure.

Limited liability is not absolute.? Members can still be personal liable if they:
-?????? Personally guarantee debts of the LLC
-?????? Participate in tortious conduct
-?????? Receive improper distributions
-?????? Commingling personal assets with the LLCs

LLCs are not subject to federal or state income taxes because of the pass through taxation to members unless it elects to be taxed as a corporation.
-?????? There may be state and local taxes specific to LLCs that must be paid.

?501cs

Nonprofits are not allowed to operate to the benefit of any specific individual.

***Prior to deciding to become a tax exempt organization get a good CPA who understands TEOs. They will be able to strategically assess whether it is worth it for your league.***

Nonprofits have to be some form of entity before applying for tax exempt status.? There must be en entity because you have to be able to make contracts, own property, exercise legal rights, etc., and because no one owns a non profit, but it still needs management function. The common types are:
-?????? Unincorporated associations ? established by mutual consent of parties involved (social clubs, lodges, athletic orgs)
-?????? Trusts
-?????? Non Profit Corporations (Most Common)
-?????? LLCs***(not really ? the members/owners of a non profit LLC must be exempt organizations; non ownership of a not for profit and LLC ownership are contradictory so there may be resulting confusion from your state and federal agencies if you go this route)

Corporations are creatures of statute and so close attention has to be paid to what it is you are forming.
-?????? Voting provisions ? quorums
-?????? Board requirements (eg. 3 outside independent board members; officer requirements)
-?????? Paperwork and filing requirements -? minutes, bylaws, articles of incorporation, SEPARATE BANK ACCOUNT with EIN.

To become a 501(c)(3) must be one of the following: Public Benefit, Mutual Benefit, Religious

-?????? Public benefit: charitable or public purpose, may not make any distribution of corporate assets to members at any time, and are subject to extensive governmental regulation and supervision
-?????? Mutual benefit: (frats, social clubs, homeowners assoc.) may be formed for any lawful purpose, may make distributions of corporate assets to members on dissolution, and are subject to less stringent state regulation and supervision
-?????? Religious: primarily or exclusively for religious purposes, may not make any distribution of corporate assets to members at any time, and are subject to less stringent governmental regulation and supervision.

Being not for profit is not the same as being tax exempt. You must apply for them separately. It is not automatic.
-?????? Tax exempt = exempt from income tax and donors can give tax deductible donations
-?????? No money to political campaigns; lobbying has restrictions
-?????? There is no reason not to apply for tax exemption if you are a not for profit unless you are not eligible.

Federal Tax Status
-?????? Incorporating at the state level is separate from getting and maintaining your federal tax status ? must include in your articles of incorporation your non profit purpose for the federal purposes

• 27 months from incorporating.? Can go back during that time to get the tax exemption and refund for the 2 years.? You must pay taxes until granted exemption.
• lots of different categories under section 501(c); not just amateur athletics.
• the application to get tax exempt status will cost you some money.

Nonprofits and Dissolution: No one technically owns a non-profit or its assets, and therefore if dissolved, there is no distribution of assets.? Must pay off all debts and the assets must go to another tax exempt not for profit.? Technically running a business for the benefit of society which is why you are given exemption. This also means there is oversight by the state ? usually by the State Attorney General and additionally by the IRS.? There are filing requirements and you must pay attention to the notices sent.? Make sure the agent for service of process actually gets her mail and pays attention to the oversight agencies.

?

Comments

Source: http://www.lotenlaw.com/roller-derby-notes/501c-and-llc-notes/

petrino arkansas roy williams matt lauer divine mercy chaplet albert pujols the shining mariano rivera

Source: http://seyfert-starkness.blogspot.com/2013/02/501c-and-llc-notes-law-office-of-trish.html

key largo arnold palmer invitational ryan madson louisiana primary syracuse basketball chipper jones chipper jones

Ronda Rousey was more worried about her sports bra staying on than being submitted

During their main event bout at UFC 157, Liz Carmouche took Ronda Rousey's back and had her in a neck crank. The crank was so deep that Rousey inadvertently bit Carmouche's arm. But Rousey told the Fuel TV aftershow that she was never worried about submitting to Carmouche. Instead, she was concerned about a wardrobe malfunction.

?On the ground I feel so comfortable in every position, so I never feel in danger and I take a lot of risks. I felt fine with her on my back. I was more concerned with my sports bra staying on while she was choking me because I felt safe and in control," Rousey said.

Rousey won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics in judo, so submissions have been part of her life for a long time. In fact, Rousey has spoken often about how her mother taught her judo by waking her up with an armbar. While the neck crank was uncomfortable, it wasn't new.

What is new is having to worry about a sports bra not doing its job. Come on, sports bra. You had one job. Thankfully, it did stay in place, and Rousey went on to submit Carmouche seconds before the end of the first round.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ronda-rousey-more-worried-her-sports-bra-staying-204248185--mma.html

daughtry lakers trade ann arbor news ides of march elizabeth smart nick young south dakota state

Stocks decline as investors follow Italian vote

NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks turned lower Monday following signs that Italy could be headed for political gridlock, potentially undermining the country's efforts to reform its economy and rekindling the region's debt crisis.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 74 points, or 0.5 percent, to 13,926 as of 2:18 p.m. EST. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 10 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,505 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 14 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,148.

Stocks had rallied in the early going as exit polls showed that a center-left coalition in Italy that favored economic reforms in the euro region's third-largest economy was leading in the polls. That gain evaporated after another poll showed that the elections could result in a stalemate in the country's legislature.

"The Italian elections have implications for the credit markets," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential. "The ultimate worry is that the credit markets start reacting."

Investors sold Italian government bonds and erased most of an early rally in Italy's stock market as the camp led by former premier Silvio Berlusconi appeared more likely to take control of Italy's Senate, threatening the country's reform efforts.

The yield on Italy's 10-year government bond edged up to 4.43 percent from 4.40 percent. The country's benchmark stock index, the FSTE MIB, rose 0.7 percent, giving up an early gain of 4 percent.

Investors worry about the outcome of Italy's election because it could set off another crisis of confidence in the region's shared currency, the euro. Financial markets in both Europe and the U.S. have swooned at the prospect of Italy or Spain being dragged into the region's government debt troubles, which have led to bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

On the New York Stock Exchange, Barnes & Noble rose $1.39, or 10 percent, to $14.90 after founder and chairman Leonard Riggio told the bookseller he is going to try to buy the company's retail business. Hertz advanced $1.12 to $19.85, despite posting a fourth-quarter loss, after the rental car company said that pricing improved, volume rose and it cut costs.

The Standard & Poor's 500 had its first weekly decline of the year last week. Investors sent stocks plunging after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting revealed disagreement over how long to keep buying bonds in an effort to boost the economy.

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke will testify before the U.S. Senate's banking committee Tuesday and again before Congress on Wednesday. Investors will watch to see if he gives any further indications about how long the central bank intends to keep providing stimulus to the economy.

Several reports about consumer confidence and the housing market, scheduled to be published Tuesday, will give investors more information about the state of the economy. Optimism that the housing market is maintaining its recovery have helped underpin a rally in stocks this year.

Many analysts say the Fed's bond-buying program and the resulting low interest rates have been a big driver behind this year's stock rally. The Dow has gained 6.3 percent this year and the S&P 500 5.6 percent, pushing both near record levels. The Dow's record close is 14,164, reaching in October 2007 and the S&P closed as high as 1,565 in the same month.

European stocks also advanced, but gave back much of their early gains. Benchmark indexes rose 0.4 percent in France, 1.5 percent in Germany and 0.8 percent in Spain. Britain's index was up just 0.3 percent after Moody's stripped the country late Friday of its triple-A credit rating.

The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, fell five basis points to 1.91 percent.

Among other stocks making big moves:

? Southwestern Energy rose 51 cents to $34 after Goldman Sachs added the company to its conviction buy list, saying that the company's shale returns are poised to improve.

? Drugmaker Affymax plunged $14, or 85 percent, to $2.49 after the company recalled its anemia drug following severe allergic reactions and the deaths of some kidney dialysis patients.

?Mead Johnson fell $2.60 to $76.33 after the company said that a new regulation in Hong Kong could affect the company's sales there as well as in mainland China.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-decline-investors-italian-vote-192133256--finance.html

NFL scores week 3 kat dennings Steve Sabol Yom Kippur 2012 Aaron Paul packers Dancing With The Stars All Stars

Cuba's new heir apparent has work cut out for him

Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel Diaz-Canel, center, Commander of the Cuban Revolution Ramiro Valdes, right, and Ricardo Alarcon, outgoing parliamentary president, attend the opening session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba?s President Raul Castro tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as the country's vice-president Sunday. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel Diaz-Canel, center, Commander of the Cuban Revolution Ramiro Valdes, right, and Ricardo Alarcon, outgoing parliamentary president, attend the opening session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba?s President Raul Castro tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as the country's vice-president Sunday. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's new Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, right, smiles at Cuba's President Raul Castro, during the closing session at the National Assemby in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice president and first in the line of succession. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's new Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, right, and Cuba's President Raul Castro, talk during the closing session at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

Cuba's newly named Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, right, looks at a sheet of paper as Cuba's President Raul Castro speaks during the closing session at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Castro tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as the country's vice-president Sunday. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

HAVANA (AP) ? Miguel Diaz-Canel has five years to get started and a lot of work to do.

The man tapped as Cuban President Raul Castro's chief lieutenant and likely successor must quietly fend off any challenges from within the Communist-run island's secretive citadel of power.

He must gain legitimacy with young, and even middle-aged, Cubans who have never known a leader not named Castro. And he must deal with an exiled diaspora and American officials who were already making clear on Monday they will not be mollified by a new, younger face.

"There's going to be a huge charisma deficit," said Ann Louise Bardach, author of "Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington." ''You go from Fidel to Raul who at least had some of the shine of the Castro mantle, somebody who fought in the revolution."

She said Cuba faces "massive" problems including a large public debt, dependence on Venezuela, an aging population, decades of brain drain and one of the world's slowest Internet connections.

Whether Diaz-Canel is the man to fix all that is very much open to debate. Will Cubans accept another leader who was hand-picked from above and whose ascension ? if it happens ? will not come through multiparty democratic elections?

And will those passed over for the top job fall in line? If Fidel and Raul Castro are still alive, will the 52-year-old electrical engineer and former minister of higher education be able to set his own course?

On the streets of Havana, a day after Castro accepted a new term and said he would step down when it ends, many had their doubts about the future.

"Change? Was there a change?" asked Ernesto Silva, a 25-year-old student who scoffed at the idea that the country must wait another five years for new leadership, and said he hopes to emigrate to the United States in the meantime. "I find it hard to believe that he will be able to do, say or truly change anything."

Others were more enthusiastic, but still unsure how Diaz-Canel will establish control.

"I think it is good. He is a new and young figure. But he was trained by the old guys," said Maria Quesada, a 45-year-old office worker. "We still can't talk about a government without Castro because he's still going to be there, and I think the true test for Diaz-Canel will be when his vision differs from Raul's."

Raul himself faced a similar challenge when he took over from the ailing Fidel in 2006. The younger Castro was seen as a bland and unassuming figure who had always operated in the shadow of his larger-than-life older brother.

But he has overseen a series of sweeping changes since then in an effort to right the country's ever-weak Marxist economy, expanding private enterprise, legalizing a real estate market and eliminating most travel restrictions.

Behind the scenes, Raul has led an anti-corruption campaign and replaced many of Fidel's confidantes with loyal military officials who earned his trust during his four plus decades as the nation's armed forces chief.

Observers say it is those men, who have been put in charge of important state-owned enterprises like the phone company, the enormous holding company Cimex and virtually the entire tourism industry, who Diaz-Canel must persuade to follow him.

"I'm sure he's shown himself to be acceptable to the military already, otherwise this would never have happened," said Paul Webster Hare, the British ambassador to Cuba from 2001 to 2004 and now a lecturer in international relations at Boston University. "He has to be acceptable to them."

In Washington on Monday, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the U.S. remained "hopeful for the day that the Cuban people get democracy, when they can have the opportunity to freely pick their own leaders."

"We're clearly not there yet," he added.

Ventrell said Cuba needed to do more to open up if it wants repaired relations with the United States.

Still, observers said the naming of a successor, along with the economic and social changes Castro has instituted, could eventually lead to detente, or at least an easing of bad blood.

"There is a psychological and political benefit to naming somebody now," said Julia Sweig, a Cuba expert at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations. "It can demonstrate to the United States that there is an opportunity to change how we relate to this new Cuba."

Reaction to Diaz-Canel's promotion was met with a shrug by Cuban-American politicians who said that changing the nameplate outside the presidential office won't alter a system they see as repressive and undemocratic. And some analysts and exiles in South Florida questioned whether he will survive politically long enough to ever take control.

Little is known of Diaz-Canel's relationship with Cuba's other political or military elites, or his own personal ideology.

He is said to be a fan of the Beatles who in his youth wore his hair long at a time when both acts were considered anti-revolutionary. And a former colleague says he is a private jokester despite his somber public demeanor.

Like almost all Cuban politicians who earned their stripes by mastering the art of backroom party maneuvering, Diaz-Canel seems to have learned long ago that there was no benefit to putting himself in front of the cameras.

It was a lesson he probably learned back in 2002, when fellow young turk Roberto Robaina was dumped as foreign minister after being accused of "political and ethical errors."

Diaz-Canel, who was part of Robaina's circle, not only survived the purge and a subsequent one that took down the next foreign minister and a prominent young vice president ? but he appears to have thrived behind the scenes.

Robaina, who now paints pictures and runs a private restaurant in Havana, would not comment Monday on Diaz-Canel's rise. But a former colleague who has known Diaz-Canel since the 1980s said his career really began to take off after the purge.

In 2003, he was named head of the Communist Party in Holguin, a role he had held previously in his native Santa Clara. The same year, Raul Castro helped get him a seat on the Political Bureau, the island's equivalent of a Politburo.

The experience in Holguin was a trial by fire for Diaz-Canel, who had been popular in Santa Clara but met resistance in his new role.

"People didn't like him in Holguin," said the former colleague, who would speak only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. But he caught Castro's eye, and earned his praise.

"He has demonstrated a solid ideological firmness," Castro, who was then vice president himself, said of his protege, perhaps presaging his future rise.

Cuban officials insist that a post-Castro era will be no different and that the nation's institutions will unquestionably back the new prince. They point to a long history of exiles wrongly predicting the collapse of the revolution, which has so far survived the demise of the Soviet Union and retirement of Fidel Castro, not to mention Washington's 51-year economic embargo.

But Hare, the former ambassador, says it would be a mistake to underestimate the challenges Diaz-Canel would face getting state machinery and political rivals to fall in line.

"Does he have rivals in the 50-something generation in Cuba who perhaps resent what happened?" Hare asked. "There is a scenario where other people will be sensing ... that Diaz-Canel doesn't have all the attributes of the Castros and therefore (will ask) 'Why shouldn't I have a chance at it?'"

___

Peter Orsi and Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana, Bradley Klapper in Washington and Christine Armario in Miami contributed.

___

Follow Paul Haven on Twitter: www.twitter.com/paulhaven

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-25-CB-Cuba-The-Heir-Apparent/id-7108e63b2252417896f1b1ab05dda3bc

st louis news utah jazz lawrence of arabia denver nuggets correspondents dinner i am legend san antonio spurs

5 Minute Eats: Chilled Cucumber Soup ?The-Hungry-Australian ...

Hello!

Welcome to the first post in my new 5 Minute Eats series. I want to demonstrate that eating well doesn?t take a lot of time or effort so recipes in this series can all be made in five minutes or less.

This Chilled Cucumber Soup is inspired by a dish my American friend Sara once made for me in Shanghai. It?s perfect for hot weather as it?s amazingly cooling and refreshing. It packs quite a protein punch, too, containing 300 grams of soft tofu, which gives it a soft, natural set yoghurt texture.

For dinner I?d serve it as a first course but for lunch I?d eat it as is with a salad and piece of fruit.?Enjoy!

Dietary Notes: Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free,?Nut-Free,?Low Carbs, Low Fat,?Vegetarian, Vegan.

Do you like chilled soups? What?s your favourite?

5 Minute Eats: Chilled Cucumber Soup

?

Author:?Christina Soong-Kroeger

Recipe type:?Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine:?Australian

Prep time:? 5 mins

Total time:? 5 mins

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• 300 grams soft tofu
• 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
• ? teaspoon hot cayanne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Blend all ingredients and chill until required.

3.2.1226

?

You might also like:

Tagged as: chilled soup, cold soup, cucumber recipes, cucumber soup, spicy cucumber soup, summer soup, tofu recipes, tofu soup, vegan soup, vegan tofu, vegetarian soup

Source: http://hungryaustralian.com/2013/02/26/5-minute-eats-chilled-cucumber-soup/

stacy keibler oscar red carpet daytona 500 start time ryan zimmerman oscars red carpet jennifer lopez wardrobe malfunction hugo

J&J sees 4 cent per share Q1 charge for Venezuela devaluation

DEAR ABBY: "Harold" and I have been married for more than 20 years and have three children ranging in age from teen to toddler. We are both college graduates and held middle-management jobs until recently.Two years ago, Harold was offered a temporary job in an exotic location in another country. We jumped at the chance. I can't work due to the regulations here, but the money is good.Now that I'm not working, Harold suddenly believes he has the right to tell me what to do, how to manage daily activities, how to care for the children, etc. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/j-j-sees-4-cent-per-share-q1-132417502--finance.html

battlestar galactica blood and chrome my morning jacket roger goodell psychosis dianna agron million hoodie march tebow trade

PFT: Raiders want to chop down Palmer's pay

AP

Last year, the NFL stripped $36 million in cap space from the Redskins, who along with the Cowboys apparently took the term ?uncapped year? too literally in 2010.

In response, the Redskins employed half-measures to recover the cap dollars, filing a grievance under the labor deal that did nothing other than stir up a cockeyed collusion claim from the NFLPA.

This year, with half of the penalty due to hit the 2013 salary cap, the Redskins could be opting for a more complete assault on the league?s position.? Or at least threatening it.

According to Mark Maske and Mike Jones of the Washington Post, the Redskins are spreading the word in Indianapolis that they?re considering legal action aimed at delaying the start of free agency while litigation proceeds regarding the question of whether the Redskins? legal rights were violated.? The Redskins are telling agents that any contract talks will be delayed until the situation is resolved.

If the Redskins proceed, it would be a big deal.? And if they delay the start of free agency until their claims are resolved, it would be a huge deal.

We addressed the situation a couple of weeks ago, reporting that the Redskins were still upset about the situation but explaining that their options are limited.? They could bebluffing about going to court in order to get, for example, half of their cap money back (i.e., the $18 million that would apply to this year?s cap).? But the NFL could choose to call their bluff and go to court.

Either way, Daniel Snyder could be inching toward ground previously occupied by the late Al Davis:? Snyder could soon be suing his partners.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/25/raiders-to-try-to-chop-down-carson-palmers-salary/related/

mike trout ryan broyles jerel worthy alshon jeffery miami heat bulls california earthquake

Celebs, Kimmel join forces in faux movie trailer

ABC

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

What do you do after the trailer for a movie you never made gets 20 million hits on YouTube? That's a question Jimmy Kimmel had to answer after his "Movie: The Movie" star-studded parody racked up huge numbers of clicks following its post-2012 Oscars premiere.

But he knew what had to be done: Make another one!

"When you have a big success in Hollywood, there's only one reasonable thing you can do, and that is is cheapen it with a sequel," he told his "Live!" audience Sunday night after the 2013 awards fest. Then he premiered ... "Movie: The Movie: 2V."

Yet again the world is in danger, and it's up to Kimmel to organize the forces of good to save everybody. But this time there's no meteor hurtling toward the planet -- instead, sexy, deadly vampires, mummies and leprechauns have unleashed the "sexpocalypse," and no one is safe. Kimmel plays the double-eyepatch-wearing leader of an "Avengers"-esque task force that is the Earth's only hope.

Here's what you can expect from the 7-minute-plus trailer:

• Jessica Chastain, watching the carnage, noting "Teenage girls and their weird moms don't stand a chance."
• Gerard Butler imitating Liam Neeson's fierce, family-saving character from "Taken."
• Brian Cranston playing the piano with his face.
• John Krasinski morphing into a crime-fighting crustacean. "It's shrimpin' time," he gloats.
• President Oprah Winfrey.
• Kimmel's nemesis Matt Damon, in a full-body motion-capture suit eating a sandwich, kind of.
• Amanda Seyfried singing and breakdancing in a "Les Miserables" dress.
• A giant Channing Tatum saving the world.
• Samuel L. Jackson toppling over an even more enormous Jenga game, also to save the world.

Yes, there's some swearing, but it's bleeped out. And, as Kimmel promises at the end of the video, Monday night's show will feature "a special behind-the-scenes look at the making of 'Movie: The Movie: 2V' for film buffs."

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on ABC.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/02/25/17087344-jimmy-kimmel-returns-with-star-studded-movie-the-movie-parody-sequel?lite

allure jane goodall saturday night fever glamping forgetting sarah marshall taraji p. henson shuttle discovery

Michelle Obama surprises Oscars by presenting Best Picture award

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Michelle Obama made a surprise and unprecedented appearance on Sunday's Oscars telecast when she presented the award for Best Picture, the first time a president or first lady has ever presented an Academy Award.

Appearing live on screen from the White House in Washington, almost 3,000 miles from the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, Obama praised the work of the movie industry before announcing the Iran hostage drama "Argo" the Best Picture winner.

Wearing a silver evening dress, Obama said this year's nominated films had "made us laugh, made us weep and grip our armrests just a little bit tighter."

Obama added: "They reminded us we can overcome any obstacles if we dig deep enough and hard enough. They are especially important for young people. Everyday they engage in the arts, they learn to open their imaginations ... and strive to reach those dreams."

"Argo" director and co-producer Ben Affleck said he felt like he was "sort of hallucinating" when Obama presented the award.

"The fact that it was the first lady was an enormous honor ... it was very cool," Affleck said backstage after collecting the Best Picture trophy.

(Reporting By Tim Reid and Nichola Groom; editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michelle-obama-surprises-oscars-presenting-best-picture-award-053625676.html

mitch daniels shirataki noodles prince fielder state of the union address 2012 obama state of the union 2012 2012 state of the union address jorge posada

Odinga Maintains Strategy in Tight Kenyan Election (Voice Of America)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287251417?client_source=feed&format=rss

mpaa south carolina debate lauren scruggs william shatner seattle weather skier sarah burke gingrich wife

Italian turnout drops in key national election

ROME (AP) ? Italians voted for a second day Monday in a national election that will determine whether they are prepared to stay the course of painful economic reform or send a message of discontinuity to the political class that led the country to the brink of disaster by rallying around a protest party.

Polls close at 3 p.m. (1400 GMT), ending two days of voting in an election being closely watched by Italy's eurozone partners as well as international investors trying to decide if they consider the eurozone's third-largest economy a good bet.

Interest rates on 24-month bonds rose to 1.65 percent from 1.45 percent in the previous month, a sign of softening investor sentiment even as voting continued. The Treasury failed to reach its ?3 billion target, instead selling ?2.82 billion worth of paper.

Turnout was 55 percent when polls closed Monday night, 7 percentage points below the turnout rate in the last national election in 2008 . Experts say a low turnout will hurt the mainstream parties. Usually around 80 percent of the 50 million eligible voters go to the polls.

Leading the electoral field is Pier Luigi Bersani, a former communist who drafted liberalization reforms under previous center-left governments and supported tough measures pushed by incumbent Premier Mario Monti. Silvio Berlusconi, who was forced from office in November 2011 by the debt crisis, has sought to close the gap by promising to reimburse an unpopular tax ? a tactic that brought him within a hair's breadth of winning the 2006 election.

Monti, respected abroad for his measures that helped stave off Italy's debt crisis, has widely been blamed for financial suffering caused by austerity cuts and was trailing in fourth place.

The great unknown is comic-turned-political agitator Beppe Grillo, whose protest movement against the entrenched political class has gained in strength following a series of corporate scandals that only seemed to confirm the worst about Italy's establishment. If his self-styled political "tsunami," which was polling third, sweeps into Parliament with a big chunk of seats, Italy could be in store for a prolonged period of political confusion that would spook the markets.

Bersani's lead in opinion polls ? around 33 percent to Berlusconi's 28 before a blackout on polls took effect 15 days ago ? would give him enough to control the lower house thanks to a widely contested electoral law that awards a premium to the leading party. But it will be more difficult for him to gain control also of the Senate, which is decided by regional votes with Lombardy, the nation's wealthiest state and longtime Berlusconi stronghold, playing a critical role.

Most analysts believe Bersani would seek an alliance with center-right Monti to secure a stable government, assuming parties gathered under Monti's centrist banner gain enough votes. While left-leaning Bersani has found much in common with Monti, much of his party's base is considerably further to the left and could rebel.

Given the uncertainty of possible alliances, a clear picture of prospects for a new Italian government could take days.

___

Barry reported from Milan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italian-turnout-drops-key-national-election-072256459--finance.html

country music awards 2012 wrestlemania 28 results earl scruggs game of thrones wrestlemania 28 game of thrones season 2 dierks bentley

Nic Cage Whiteboard Somehow Makes Nic Cage More Insane

Sure, you probably already have photos of Nicolas Cage hanging in most if not every room of your home. But Nic is so much more than a single shot can convey, and even a hundred of these approximations is an insult to the depth of his character. The Nicolas Cage Hairstyle Whiteboard, however, finally offers the flexibility you need to feel like Nicolas Cage is right there in the room with you—watching, furrowing his brow, and screaming incoherently at only the most appropriate times. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/89GQIyDoa8E/nic-cage-whiteboard-somehow-makes-nic-cage-more-insane

Warm Bodies Colin Kaepernick cbs sports 30 rock Chris Culliver Atlanta school shooting Superbowl Kickoff Time 2013

Not just cars, but living organisms need antifreeze to survive

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

If you thought antifreeze was only something that was necessary to keep your car from freezing up in the winter, think again. Plants and animals living in cold climates have natural antifreeze proteins (AFPs) which prevent ice growth and crystallization of organic fluid matter. Without such antifreeze, living matter would suffer from frost damage and even death.

Production of such antifreeze proteins is one of the major evolutionary routes taken by a variety of organisms, including fish, insects, bacteria, plants and fungi. Understanding how this mechanism works is not only significant in itself, but also has important implications for improving the world's food and medicinal production, believe researchers from Israel, Canada and the US who investigated how the process works.

Working on unraveling the AFP enigma were scientists from the lab of Dr. Ido Braslavsky of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and from Ohio University in the US, in collaboration with Prof. Peter L. Davies from Queens University (Ontario, Canada) and Prof. Alex Groisman from the University of California (San Diego, CA).

Despite half a century of research, the mechanism underlying the activity of the natural antifreeze proteins is still unclear. One of the debates in the academic community regards the chemistry and physics behind the interactions of antifreeze proteins and ice. In particular, there is an ongoing argument over whether the binding of the proteins to ice is reversible and whether continued presence of these proteins in solution is necessary for prevention of ice growth.

The challenge in unraveling these questions stems from a variety of technical problems associated with the growth and tracking of tiny ice crystals in an environment that mimics the surroundings of the antifreeze proteins in nature.

The Hebrew University researchers studied the antifreeze protein of the yellow mealworm. This protein is a hyperactive AFP with a potency to arrest ice growth that is hundreds of times greater than the potency of fish and plant AFPs.

In their study, published in the American journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), the international team of researchers biochemically created a fluorescent marker version of the AFP that allowed for direct observation under a microscope lens. They injected this protein into custom-designed microfluidic devices with minute diameter channels.

The microfluidic devices were placed in cooling units engineered with a temperature control at the level of a few thousandth of a degree, so that ice crystals of 20 to 50 micrometers could be grown and melted controllably, all under microscopic observation.

Using their specialized system, the researchers were able to show that ice grown and incubated in an antifreeze solution remains coated with protein and therefore protected. They further showed that the AFPs bind ice directly and strongly enough so as to prevent the ice from growth even after there is no longer any further presence of protein in the solution.

The significance of the findings published in this study is not only on the scientific level but also practical. For example, fish AFPs are already used in low-fat ice cream to prevent ice recrystallization, thereby maintaining a soft, creamy texture. These proteins could be used in other frozen foods for maintaining the desired texture without additional fats, say the researchers.

In medicine, AFPs can be used to improve the quality of sperm, ovules and embryos stored in a frozen state, and for cold or cyropreservation of organs (freezing at extremely low temperatures) for transplantation. They can also be used in cryosurgery and in agriculture.

Other studies on AFPs focus on preparation of recombinant plants and fish with improved survival rates under cold and dehydration conditions. Such recombinant crops may improve food dispersion over the world, the researchers believe.

###

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: http://www.huji.ac.il

Thanks to The Hebrew University of Jerusalem for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 12 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126877/Not_just_cars__but_living_organisms_need_antifreeze_to_survive

modeselektor gran torino gloria steinem war of the worlds rock and roll hall of fame severe weather wichita

Boston College for Firefox 0.7.1.0

This is a Firefox and Google Chrome theme especially designed for serious Boston fans. It brings all the latest news from Boston College athletics and it integrates with Twitter and Facebook.

The Boston College add-on is designed to work with the Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer web browsers.

This add-on does not require a browser restart.

Product's homepage

Requirements:

? Mozilla Firefox

Source: http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Firefox-Extensions/Boston-College-Firefox-96931.shtml

josh powell madonna halftime show linsanity the alamo anencephaly tesla model x lou gehrig

Building Your Business on Referrals Part 1 - Sales and Sales ...

At first glance, a referral is a pretty simple thing. ?For most sellers, managers, and trainers, a referral is just a name and phone number that a client has given once the seller has completed the sale, has done a good job for the client, and then asks a general question such as, ?do you know of anyone else that I might be able to help?,? or, ?do you know of anyone else that might benefit from my products and services??.

Once a seller has received a referral, contacting the referred party is just as simple. ?The seller will call the referred party mentioning to him or her that the client, which the prospect knows, referred the seller to them, or on occasion they will ask the client to write a referral letter to the prospect and then the seller will call the prospect after they have received the letter. ?A very simple, straightforward process.

Unfortunately, this ?do a good job and ask for a referral? process is totally and completely wrong, and has been proven by millions of sellers to not work worth a darn. ?Nevertheless, this is what is taught in almost every sales course that mentions referrals. ?And not only is it a waste of time and effort, it deceives the seller who don?t succeed when using it into believing that the fault lies with him or her, not with a ?system? that doesn?t work.

Generating a large number of high quality referrals requires far more than ?doing a good job and asking for a referral.?

If you want to generate a large number of high quality referrals from your clients, you must understand what creates a quality referral.

A high quality referral is built on a foundation that has four solid pillars?and as the seller; you have control over three of them:

1. Your relationship with your client: ?Most clients don?t give referrals because they like you or even because you did a good job. ?Certainly there are a few clients that will give referrals at the drop of a hat, but most clients hate to give referrals and unless they have a deep trust that you will not embarrass them and that you?ll deal honestly and competently with the prospect they refer, they won?t be willing to give quality referrals.Most clients believe that when they give a referral they?re not just suggesting that someone they know speak to the person they are referring, they believe that they are endorsing the seller, in essence telling the person they refer to the seller that they don?t need to do any research because the referrer has already done it and this person they?re referring is the best choice. ?To get clients to take this step doesn?t come without having built a strong bond of trust.
2. Your client?s purchasing experience: Discover what your client?s purchasing expectations and priorities are, then meet and, hopefully, exceed them.Few sellers ever exceed their client?s expectations because even though they think they know what the client?s expectations are, they never really try to find out, they never ask. ?You cannot afford to guess or ?think? you know what your client?s expectations are?you must know exactly, and you can only do that by discussing them with your client and then making sure you meet or exceed them?nothing less will do.If you don?t specifically ask your client what their expectations are, the best you can do is meet or exceed what you think your client?s expectations should be.Clients assume that anyone they refer you to will have a similar or WORSE purchasing?experience than they had. ?The further away from their desired purchasing experience they have, the less likely they will be to give a quality referral.
3. The relationship between your client and the prospect: ?This is the one pillar you have no control over. ?Clients will refer you to people they have very strong, positive relationships with?and people they have very negative relationships with.? If the prospect trusts and respects your client, some of that trust and respect will be automatically imbued to you and you start your relationship with them from a position of strength. ?On the other hand, if the prospect distrusts or doesn?t respect your client, some of that distrust or disrespect will also be imbued to you and you will start your relationship with them from a position of weakness. ?Your job is to find out exactly what the relationship between client and prospect is and then plan you introduction approach to them accordingly.
4. Your initial contact with the prospect: ?To this point you?ve invested a great deal time and effort in establishing your relationship with your client, making sure they have exactly the purchasing experience they want, and finding out what the relationship is between your client and the prospect they are referring. ?After investing so much time and attention to get this far, the last thing you want is just a name and phone number.? Instead of getting a traditional ?referral? consisting of the name and phone number of the prospect and permission to use your client?s name, get a direct introduction from your client to the prospect.There are three primary methods of getting a direct introduction:

   Letter of introduction from your client to the prospect: ?Ask your client to write a letter introducing you to the prospect. ?However, once you?ve asked your client to write the letter, let them know that you know how busy they are and then offer to take the burden off of them by writing the letter for their signature. ?If you allow them to write the letter it won?t communicate a reason for the prospect to meet with you and it will be written on their schedule?which could be never.The letter you write should give a brief overview of what you?ve done for your client and why the client believes it would be beneficial for the prospect to meet with you, as well as the time and date to expect a call from you. ?Have your client sign it. Phone the prospect at the exact time your client indicated you?d be calling.

   Introductory phone call from your client to the prospect: ?An even stronger introduction is a phone call from your client to the prospect to introduce you. ?This method puts additional pressure on the prospect to agree to set an appointment with you as it is difficult for the prospect to say ?no? to your meeting request when they know that their friend, co-worker, or associate is standing next to you when you ask.The downside to a phone call is it gives the prospect the opportunity to ask questions of your client. If there were aspects to the sale that didn?t go well there is a good chance they will surface during the phone call.

   Lunch meeting with your client, the prospect, and yourself: ?A tremendously strong introduction method. ?Have your client invite the prospect to lunch or coffee with the three of you. Encourage your client to let the prospect know this is NOT a sales meeting, just an opportunity for the two of you to meet one another.

   One of the strange things that often happens during the meeting is the client ends up being your salesperson and you are there simply as the consultant. ?And, again, it is very difficult for the prospect to say ?no? when you request a meeting.

As seen above, you have control of the majority of the pillars upon which a referral is based. ?If any of the above is weak, your likelihood of generating quality referrals will decline and the weakness must be made up elsewhere. ?In actuality, if one of the first two segments is weak, you will not be getting quality referrals?period. ?However, you can mitigate the third one by using a strong method of introduction.

Generating a large number of quality sales isn?t done by chance or luck, and neither is generating a large number of high quality referrals.?? Just as you need a well thought out process to consistently sell, you need a well thought out process to generate quality referrals. ?You can significantly increase the volume and the success of your referrals if you understand the dynamics that generate quality referrals and then control those dynamics.

Like this:

Like Loading...

Source: http://salesandmanagementblog.com/2013/02/19/building-your-business-on-referrals-part-1-understanding-the-4-pillars-of-a-successful-referral/

Colorado shooting suspect accuweather Finding Nemo 2 Provigil dez bryant Kitty Wells Marissa Mayer

India a Better Play for Investors than Japan?

This transcript is automatically generated

Stirs are keeping a very close eye on Japan no wonder look at the Nikkei 225 this is the good Japan version of the Dow Jones industrial shooting up.

To new highs although down today now.

Conversely the yen has dropped about 13%.

Against the dollar in the past three months it did rebound slightly today after Japan's finance minister denied a report.

Saying the Bank of Japan was considering purchasing foreign bonds forget all about it doesn't matter the fact is the trend is in place right now.

But are these signals to continue buying Japan.

Or maybe get in if you haven't or to stay far away.

Have a street fighter battling it out are bullish -- -- -- Chiapas circus on how he's wisdom tree chief investment strategist.

And weighing in as -- bear on Japan his column -- or camp financial group founder let's get to a gentlemen.

-- -- -- get you straight first you've got to Japan hedged equity fund DE XJ that has obviously done well.

One year it's up 19%.

Let's get right to -- -- on the bullish side why.

Well Japan's one of the equity markets in the world in fact that's one of the few where the equity market is negatively correlated to the currency market.

So -- the Japanese yen weakens.

It's not unusual to see the equity market rally because you have some of these large exporters to benefit from that which -- And right now the basic dynamic in the Japan as the people in control of that government.

Want to see the currency weakened and they're gonna continue to put pressure on the Bank of Japan to get those results so much you wanna fight the -- in Japan.

You probably want to hedge out there the currency impact of the Japanese equity exposure.

-- it sounds very rational and yet you're not buying into this what is your concern why are you bearish on Japan.

Well -- Worried about these forms of monetary policy because I worry that in essence it's putting the cart before the horse what the BOJ is really trying to do the Bank of Japan.

Is really trying to do -- they're trying to bid up stock prices.

Without actually impact in the underlying fundamentals of the stocks that make up in essence the corporations that make up the industry so I get concerned.

When I see these sorts of monetary policies.

Enacted that target what is really nominal wealth what is stock prices.

That doesn't necessarily have an impact on the underlying corporation -- Fighting I think -- -- column let me just play devil's advocate here are you fighting the so called Japanese spent the fact is.

The yen will continue at least in the short term to go lower does that not automatically mean a direct correlation inverse correlation to -- these higher stocks.

Yes I mean.

And Giles right you know that you've got this situation in Japan where there's the inverse correlation between the currency in the stock market -- you know we're ultimately all trying to devalue and so.

You know these sorts of policies can work in the currency markets in the short term but ultimately.

You've got the Fed.

You've got the BE CB you've got all the major central banks of the world trying to drive their currencies down so.

You know the yen making gold -- I think in the in the short term but ultimately you're you're fighting against you know not movable object here because here.

You're all the central banks can't drive down their currencies at the same time so I think there's limited to what's going on on.

Election on outlook the II I'm I'm with column on one point and that is that that you just don't know what it's eventually gonna happen that the yen could just.

Collapse at some point and then what does that really mean to equities there.

But anything could happen well I know is that since the Fed has been doing this -- US you know since march of 2009.

You've -- you see -- 100% movement in in US stocks.

So I I'm not arguing whether or not this is a good thing or bad thing.

-- saying as long as -- central banks are out there doing it he need to be mindful what is the impact on asset prices what is the impact on equity markets.

And when this kind of thing happens in Japan.

Japanese stocks react in a very unique way which.

They have I mean we just saw the Nikkei 225 but but -- on how does it is that the good money already made in.

Well the Nikkei fell hearing on the Nikkei peaked at 39000 in 1989 -- cut all the way down 80000 so.

People were looking 125%.

Rally of the last few months need to be mindful that this is an equity market that we know was down 75%.

From -- -- And over the last ten years if you -- underweight Japan that was a good strategy.

But now you're gonna period with -- Japanese equity market is beating -- and -- the S&P 500 and there's some risk to being underweight Japan.

Colin usually you will not invest.

In Japan if not there got to make somebody what's -- better by.

Yeah I just think that you know Japan is you know of that -- in them.

Good neighborhood really I mean it.

You're gonna invest you don't allocate money towards Asia I just think there's much better options -- you know ultimately the big thing that's troubling Japan over the long term.

Is really the demographic problems in these there's enormous headwinds that make Japan's future you know.

Really difficult in essence so.

I think if you're gonna move.

You know money towards the Asian economies is as much better choices -- that India is a great example of an economy would much better demographics.

You know much better long term trends in place that.

It just it makes it -- a better house in a good neighborhood is essentially what it comes down to.

Lucci on how do you do you have -- get out.

While the getting -- -- point is there any point that you're looking at where you say this may turn in this may reverse.

Well if you get to the point where the Bank of Japan wants to have its own policy independent prime minister.

And doesn't take its cue from the prime minister I think that's where you would get a reset -- these markets.

But until that happens.

I think you should you know make a distinction between what's happening the Japanese economy and what's happening in the Japanese equity market don't forget these are exporters tied to the global economy.

Come and you don't have to be bullish on Japanese economy to be bullish on the near term on Japanese.

Exactly what's happening here in the US is a bit -- you -- we've got a very tentative economy but our equity markets have looked absolutely in the pink over the past year.

My concern you just made the point -- are these are global exporters like this Sony's of the world but.

There's an informal boycott.

In in China of Japanese equities -- kind of informal but they're having this this dispute over an island somewhere I mean.

That does that concern you that there goes up market.

Well you know they've had a recession in Japan had three quarters and -- the economy is contracted.

But did the equity markets to look 25% of the last three months even with the problems with China.

So if you get any kind of reconciliation of stabilization on that point that I can potentially be a negative that gets removed from -- equation going forward.

Which -- says yes to Japan that column says no but yes to India are able have you guys back thank you so much for joining us switching out of -- -- out -- -- chief investment strategist you're welcome and Collin Roche.

Or camp financial group founder in port street fight bulls bears we love that closing.

Source: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2176278499001/india-a-better-play-for-investors-than-japan

Olivia Black the voice World Ending 2012 gossip girl channing tatum Ink Master Jenni Rivera Funeral