WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers disabled several websites of New Zealand's ruling party on Tuesday, protesting a planned law to widen the surveillance powers of the country's spy agency but the action was criticized by Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom as counter-productive.
The government has proposed a controversial bill that would allow the General Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) to engage in domestic operations. Currently, it spies on foreign targets via electronic listening posts but is barred from spying on New Zealand citizens or residents.
The bill was prompted by disclosures that the Bureau had illegally spied on Kim Dotcom, the founder of online storage company Megaupload. Dotcom is fighting attempts by the U.S. government to extradite him on charges of Internet piracy, copyright infringement, and money laundering.
The self-styled Anonymous New Zealand said it had taken down 14 websites run by the centre-right National Party, including those for Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English.
In a posting on YouTube, the group called the bill, which will allow the GCSB to provide technical support to police and the Security Intelligence Service on operations against terrorism and organized crime, "a despicable piece of legislation".
The law has been strongly opposed by lawyers, Internet and civil society groups, and prompted street protests.
Dotcom, a vocal critic of the law change, came out against the hacking attack.
"Dear Anonymous NZ, hacking National Party websites is just giving John Key a new excuse to pass the #GCSB bill...Please stop it.," he said in a posting on Twitter.
To secure the support of an independent lawmaker to be able to pass the law, Key's minority government has made some concessions, increasing supervision of the GCSB and making provision for reviews of its operations.
(Reporting by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new review of previous research links infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) to a three-fold greater chance of esophageal cancer.
"This doesn't mean it is present in all (esophageal cancers), but it may be a factor in a certain proportion of cases," said Dr. Surabhi Liyanage, the study's lead author.
HPV is a very common sexually transmitted virus that is known to cause cervical cancer, anal cancer and some cancers of the reproductive organs and the upper throat.
Liyanage, a graduate student at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, said there's been a lot of debate among researchers about the role of HPV in cancer of the esophagus because most of the studies to date have been small and used disparate methods that make them hard to compare.
According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 18,000 people - roughly four out of every 100,000 - are diagnosed with esophageal cancer each year in the U.S. and 15,000 Americans die from it annually.
Worldwide, esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer and responsible for some 400,000 deaths a year, according to World Health Organization data.
To get a better handle on the relationship between HPV and esophageal cancer, Liyanage and her colleagues gathered results from all of the studies that have compared patients with the cancer to people without it.
The studies focused on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, one type of esophageal cancer that affects the lining of the esophagus.
In each study, esophageal tissue samples from cancer patients and from patients without the cancer were examined to see if HPV was present.
The 21 studies Liyanage's group analyzed included 1,223 people with esophageal cancer and 1,415 people without cancer.
HPV was found in the esophageal tissue of 35 percent of the cancer patients, compared to 27 percent of the people without esophageal cancer.
Taken together, the studies link HPV infection of esophageal tissue to a three-fold greater risk of esophageal cancer, the researchers report in the online journal PLOS ONE.
If the general population's rate of esophageal cancer is 4.4 out of every 100,000 people, a three-fold risk increase would raise those chances to 13.2 out of every 100,000.
Two vaccines, Cervarix and Gardasil, have been developed to prevent infection with HPV.
Some of Liyanage's co-authors serve on advisory boards for the companies that make these vaccines and have received research funding from them.
If HPV indeed causes esophageal cancer - and that remains to be determined - it's possible that the vaccines could help prevent the cancer, Liyanage said.
"However, this needs to be studied further. The benefits of cancer-preventing vaccines are not seen immediately, but after many years following vaccination," Liyanage wrote in an email to Reuters Health.
U.S. health officials would like for 80 percent of teenage girls to receive the HPV vaccine, but last week they reported that rates of vaccination appear to be lingering closer to 53 percent (see Reuters story of July 25, 2013 here:).
Liyanage said there are also other ways to reduce the risk of developing esophageal cancer, including avoiding smoking and excessive drinking.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/15s7YV8 PLOS ONE, online July 24, 2013.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, WWE pay-per-view returns to Buffalo, N.Y., for the first time in two years with an all-new, landmark event: WWE Battleground!
Taking place at Buffalo's First Niagara Center, tickets for the huge debut go on sale this Saturday, Aug. 3, at 10 a.m. ET and will be available at the box office and Tickets.com.
Featuring all of the top WWE Superstars and Divas ? including WWE Champion John Cena, CM Punk, Rob Van Dam, ?Mr. Money in the Bank? Randy Orton and more ? the inaugural WWE Battleground is sure to be a spectacular that no WWE fan will want to miss.
There?s just no telling what type of action is in store for members of the WWE Universe when the world's top competitors converge on one the United States? true wrestling hotbeds, Buffalo!
Home ? Wrestling ? As always, thanks for your time Mr. Ross, I have recently been reading about the beginnings of pro wrestling and have come across many articles from the 1930's and 40's that basically acknowledged that the contests were exhibitions(that was the term used). Why then was there such energy put into protecting the business?
A view of the driving wheel of a bus which crashed off a highway near Avellino, southern Italy, Monday, July 29, 2013. Rescuers wielding electric saws cut through the twisted wreckage of an Italian tour bus for survivors of a crash in southern Italy that killed at least 37 people after it crashed into traffic and plunged into a ravine on Sunday night. Reports said as many as 49 people, mostly Italians, had been aboard the bus when it ripped through a guardrail, then plunged some 30 meters (100 feet) off a viaduct near a wooded area. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
A view of the driving wheel of a bus which crashed off a highway near Avellino, southern Italy, Monday, July 29, 2013. Rescuers wielding electric saws cut through the twisted wreckage of an Italian tour bus for survivors of a crash in southern Italy that killed at least 37 people after it crashed into traffic and plunged into a ravine on Sunday night. Reports said as many as 49 people, mostly Italians, had been aboard the bus when it ripped through a guardrail, then plunged some 30 meters (100 feet) off a viaduct near a wooded area. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
A man is hugged by a Police officer outside a gym facility of an elementary school turned into a morgue, in Monteforte Irpino southern Italy, Monday, July 29, 2013. An Italian tour bus crushed Sunday night through a sidewall of a highway bridge in southern Italy, and plunged some 30 meters (100 feet) into a wooded ravine, killing at least 38 people, authorities said Monday. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
People comfort each other outside a gym facility of an elementary school turned into a morgue, in Monteforte Irpino southern Italy, Monday, July 29, 2013. An Italian tour bus crushed Sunday night through a sidewall of a highway bridge in southern Italy, and plunged some 30 meters (100 feet) into a wooded ravine, killing at least 38 people, authorities said Monday. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
People comfort each other outside a gym facility of an elementary school turned into a morgue, in Monteforte Irpino southern Italy, Monday, July 29, 2013. An Italian tour bus crushed Sunday night through a sidewall of a highway bridge in southern Italy, and plunged some 30 meters (100 feet) into a wooded ravine, killing at least 38 people, authorities said Monday. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
A police officer looks at in the wreckage of a bus which crashed off a highway near Avellino, southern Italy, Monday, July 29, 2013. Rescuers wielding electric saws cut through the twisted wreckage of an Italian tour bus for survivors of a crash in southern Italy that killed at least 37 people after it crashed into traffic and plunged into a ravine on Sunday night. Reports said as many as 49 people, mostly Italians, had been aboard the bus when it ripped through a guardrail, then plunged some 30 meters (100 feet) off a viaduct near a wooded area. (AP Photo/Salvatore Laporta)
ROME (AP) ? An Italian tour bus plowed through cars, crashed through the side wall of a highway bridge and plunged into a ravine, killing at least 38 people, authorities said Monday.
Rescuers wielding electric saws cut through the twisted wreckage of the bus looking for survivors overnight, and state radio quoted a local police chief as saying the bus driver was among the dead.
The bus lost control near the town of Monteforte Irpino in Irpinia, a largely agricultural area about 60 kilometers (40 miles) inland from Naples and about 250 kilometers (160 miles) south of Rome, hitting several cars before plunging some 30 meters (100 feet) off a viaduct on Sunday night.
It was not immediately clear why the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, but prosecutors were investigating technical problems and had ordered an autopsy on the driver.
Italy's Prime Minister Enrico Letta described the crash as a "dramatic moment" for his entire country.
"We are deeply pained by this tragedy that has touched many families and many children," Letta said from Athens, where he met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
A reporter for Naples daily Il Mattino, Giuseppe Crimaldi, told Sky TG24 TV from the scene that some witnesses told him the bus had been going at a "normal" speed on the downhill stretch of the highway when it suddenly veered and started hitting cars. Some witnesses thought they heard a noise as if the bus had blown a tire.
"All possible causes are under examination. It could be a combination of causes," Avellino Highway Police Chief Salvatore Imparato said on Sky TG24.
The bus was carrying a group of weekend holidaymakers from the town of Pozzuoli, on the coast east of Naples. The group had arrived at a hotel on Friday afternoon, and had spent the weekend visiting the spa and an early home of Padre Pio, a late mystic monk popular among Catholics, Michele Montagna, the manager of the hotel, told Sky TG24.
Relatives visited a makeshift morgue in a middle school to identify the dead on Monday. The bus, meanwhile, was towed from the site to be examined for possible malfunctions.
Firefighters extracted 37 bodies from the wreckage. Most of the dead were found inside the mangled bus, which lay on its side, while a few of the victims were pulled out from underneath the wreckage, state radio and the Italian news agency ANSA reported. One person died at the hospital.
At least 10 people, including five children, remained hospitalized on Monday.
Cars that were hit by the bus stood on the highway. One car's rear was completely crumpled, while another was smashed on its side. It was not immediately known if anyone in those cars had been injured.
___
Salvatore Laporta and Gregorio Borgia contributed to this report from Monteforte Irpino, Italy. Derek Gatopoulos contributed from Athens.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Writing Sample 1 ... ?This week, I was also a special guest at an event called 'Soulpreneurs', and I was asked to speak about how I've built my business based purely on authenticity? I told the audience about how I've been ...
WASHINGTON (AP) ? When is a lunch more than just a midday meal? When the two diners are President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and inquiring minds want to know who, if anyone, the president will endorse in 2016.
A summertime meal shared by Obama and his rival-turned-ally threw the political speculation machine into overdrive Monday, highlighting how closely both are being watched for signs of their intentions in the next presidential race.
For Clinton, it's a question of whether the former first lady will take the plunge, launching another campaign eight years after she lost to Obama in a hard-fought primary. For Obama, it's about dueling loyalties to two of his closest advisers who would both covet his endorsement: Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden, who is also said to be eyeing the Oval Office.
Such questions set the table for a midday powwow over salad, grilled chicken and pasta jambalaya whipped up by the White House chef and served al fresco on the patio just outside the Oval Office.
Will Clinton tip her hand? Will Obama offer his support? Or will the two dive deep into current events ? bloodshed in Egypt, for instance, or a budding new round of Mideast peace that eluded Clinton as secretary of state?
In all likelihood, none of the above.
"The purpose of the lunch was chiefly social," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, calling it a "chance to catch up" and adding that Obama had initiated the invitation. "Secretary Clinton and the president have developed not just a strong working relationship, but also a genuine friendship."
It's not the first time the two have powwowed since Clinton stepped down in February after four years as Obama's top diplomat. They saw each other briefly in Dallas at the opening of former President George W. Bush's presidential library in April. And in March, the Clintons shared a private dinner with Obama that wasn't announced publicly until after the fact.
In the meantime, Clinton has kept up a hectic schedule of speeches and public appearances that has provided further fodder to those urging her to run again. And a super PAC seeking to create a campaign-in-waiting in case she runs, Ready for Hillary, recently picked up support from some of Obama's most prominent former campaign organizers.
So it's no wonder that each Obama-Clinton rendezvous is closely analyzed, elating some and prompting eye rolls from others who lament that barely six months in to Obama's second term, talk about his replacement is already reaching a fever pitch.
"In Democratic circles, it makes people fantasize and engage in all kinds of speculation, when it fact it may just be a tete-a-tete between the leader of the free world and the most important person in the Democratic Party," said Hank Sheinkopf, a New York-based Democratic strategist who worked on President Bill Clinton's 1996 re-election.
So what are the chances that Biden pops in for coffee and desert, a casual reminder that he's still the one with the office closest to Obama's?
"I think the table was set for two," Earnest said.
___
Reach Josh Lederman at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed the books on 2012 with $33.4 million in unallocated cash on hand ? down from $167 million the year before ? while adding to the mountain of debt piled on Chicago taxpayers, year-end audits show.
Last week, Moody?s Investors ordered an unprecedented triple-drop in the city?s bond rating, citing Chicago?s ?very large and growing? pension liabilities, ?significant? debt service payments, ?unrelenting public safety demands? and historic reluctance to raise local taxes that has continued under Emanuel.
The 2012 city audits explain why. They show that an unallocated balance that was $167 million a year ago because of Emanuel?s aggressive cost-cutting efforts has dropped to $33.4 million.
Budget Director Alex Holt blamed the $133.6 million drop on ?honest? budgeting and ending the long-standing practice of carrying ?ghost? vacancies.
?We?re trying to be more transparent about what we?re really spending and taking in ? not just carrying a bunch of people who took up money in the budget and left money on the table at the end of the year,? Holt said.
?Let?s be straightforward about what we?ve got to spend and not pretend we?re gonna hire for a position we haven?t hired for, who know how many years when those resources are need to provide other services. ... This is about matching revenues with expenses. You don?t want to over-tax people.?
In last week?s report, Moody?s noted that the city?s total fund balance at the close of 2012 was $231.3 million and that Chicago has just $625 million in ?leased asset reserves.? Had the city fully funded its $1.5 billion ?actuarially required contribution? to its four under-funded city employee pension funds in 2012 alone, ?these two reserves would have been entirely depleted,? Moody?s said.
The ?unassigned? balance is $33.4 million. Experts recommend a cash cushion of at least $200 million for a budget the size of Chicago?s, according to the Civic Federation. The city ended 2009 with an unallocated checkbook balance of just $2.7 million.
The new round of borrowing brings Chicago?s total long-term debt to nearly $29 billion. That?s $10,780 for every one of the city?s nearly 2.69 million residents. More than a decade ago, the debt load was $9.6 billion or $3,338 per resident.
Last year, now-retiring City Comptroller Amer Ahmad argued that the city?s debt load was not ?troubling? because, ?We still have a very strong bond rating. Our fiscal position is getting better every year and we are aggressively managing our liabilities and obligations.?
He can no longer say that after the triple-drop in Chicago?s bond rating.
The audits by the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche provide a treasure trove of information about city finances and operations.
Interesting nuggets include:
? The number of ?physical arrests? by Chicago Police officers declined again ? from 152,740 in 2011 to 145,390 in 2012. That continues a six-year trend that coincides with the hiring slowdown that caused a dramatic decline in the number of police officers. Police made 227,576 arrests in 2006. The number of arrests has been dropping like a rock ever since.
The Chicago Police Department has long argued that it doesn?t measure the success of crime-fighting strategies simply by the number of arrests.
? Emergency responses continued their steady rise ? to 472,752. That?s up from 300,971 in 2006.
? O?Hare Airport operating revenues were up by $23.2 million, a 3.3 percent increase, thanks to rising terminal rental and use charges. Operating expenses rose $19.1 million because of rising personnel and contracting costs. Airline ticket taxes known as ?passenger facility charges? generated $154.5 million in 2012.
The number of passenger ?enplanements? rose by a modest 37,000 ? to 33.24 million. That?s despite a continued decline by O?Hare?s two largest carriers ? from 8.7 million passenger boardings in 2011 to 7.4 million in 2012 at United Airlines and from 7.6 million to 7.2 million by American.
In 2003, United and American together accounted for 67.7 percent of O?Hare enplanements. Now, it?s just 44 percent.
It?s true that postal volumes are dropping, but the question on our lips today is does direct mail work as part of the marketing mix? Does it have a place in the modern day marketing strategy?
Online marketing strategies and campaigns should be a big part of direct marketing for businesses today. However, you ignore some of the old-school methods, like direct mail, at your peril!
It?s true that sending direct mail and printed marketing materials through the post is more expensive than e-mail, but as with all marketing, we know it should be about ROI ? return on your investment, and time and again surveys show that direct mail performs exceptionally well when thought out and properly designed. Pound for pound, if direct mail gets you more customers and more business, why wouldn?t you?
Some marketing managers think direct mail is old-fashioned ? we?re aware of some fantastic case studies where clients are getting a huge return on their initial outlay because the direct mail itself has been well designed, well written and well produced. We can help you with all of those things.
We like this article over on the KKP blog which lists reasons why direct mail should be part of any self respecting marketing manager?s armoury ? over to them:
Intrusive
While e-mail shares the intrusive nature of direct mail, e-mails can get overlooked in a crowded inbox. Plus, consumers are conditioned not to open e-mails from unknown senders for fear of viruses or other technical catastrophes. And direct mail won?t get caught in a spam filter.
When done properly, a good direct mail piece will stand out even in a crowded mailbox, grab customers? attention and incite them to act. That?s the intrusive nature of direct mail that no other marketing tactic can emulate.
Tactile
There?s something to be said for appealing to the senses. Direct mail delivers a tactile sensation that online activity can?t.
You can feel a mail piece in your hands. You can hear an envelope or tab tear open. You can see the images and key messages on the printed page. You might even be able to smell it! Websites and e-mail cannot compare to this experience.
The physical nature of direct mail forces customers to take note. And if we do our jobs effectively, the piece will pique their interest and encourage them to spend more time with it. (Editor?s note : especially if you use our Really Useful Print Guide to choose your print paper and finishes!)
In bricks-and-mortar retail, the ability to touch and experience the product increases the likelihood of a sale. It?s the same with direct: Even though it?s not the actual product in the recipient?s hands, a mail piece still activates the tactile senses.
Targeted
At its best, direct mail is targeted to the customers most likely to respond. Whether you are speaking to prospects or customers, the best way to reach a specific audience is through direct mail.
But many marketers do not take full advantage of print?s ability to target ? not only with lists, but with customized messages. With simple black plate ink changes, you can tailor your direct mail creative to different lists ? best customers, lapsed customers, even prospects. You can target customers based on specific activities and microsegment prospects.
The more targeted the message and the list, the better the response. In fact, if you?re not customizing your print products, you may be wasting your efforts and creating ?junk mail? that won?t get noticed.
Integrated
Direct mail should not be the only piece of your contact strategy. You should build your mail plan with direct mail as a component, a cog in a larger machine.
Use e-mail to pre-announce mailings or to remind customers of an expiring offer. Push traffic to your Website for convenient ordering. Tie in social media, using your catalogue to promote the online presence.
Get creative with integration by producing an offer requiring a tweet response or that asks recipients to sign up for an offer online ? anything that pushes a response, not just a purchase. Don?t think of it as a ?circulation? strategy but as a ?contact? strategy.
Several channels working together is powerful, and there are remarkable advantages. One channel should never replace the other ? all should work together to form a unified campaign.
5.Effective
Direct mail works ? and that?s a fact. A recent ExactTarget study conducted by Ball State University revealed that while e-mail plays a vital role in marketing communications, direct mail is still a dominant, prominent purchase driver for different types of customers.
In some cases, 70% to 90% of survey respondents made a purchase based on receiving direct mail ? for all age groups.
Every time media influences are studied, direct mail shows tremendous power influencing buyer decisions. Response rates to personalized mail are consistently high. Studies show that especially for certain products (high-end, financial, health, and other categories deemed to be more personal) consumers overwhelmingly prefer marketing by print rather than email. ?
You can read the full article on why direct mail still works at http://charlottetown.kkpcanada.ca/Blog/Does_direct_mail_still_work
Tagged as: does direct mail work, Marketing, marketing lists, really useful print guide, Social Media
Yves here. I wonder whether Black?s pointed analysis still manages to be too charitable. After all, we don?t do torture in the US or elsewhere. It?s ?enhanced interrogation?.
By Bill Black, the author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One and an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Cross posed from New Economic Perspectives
One of the things I never expected to read was a promise by any United States official that a potential defendant in a criminal prosecution by our federal courts ?will not be tortured.?
The idea that the Attorney General of the United States of America would send such a letter to the representative of a foreign government, particularly Russia under the leadership of a former KGB official, was so preposterous that I thought the first news report I read about Attorney General Holder?s letter concerning Edward Snowden was satire. The joke, however, was on me. The Obama and Bush administrations have so disgraced the reputation of the United States? criminal justice system that we are forced to promise KGB alums that we will not torture our own citizens if Russia extradites them for prosecution.
The standard joke that came to mind when I read Holder?s letter was the bartender who brings out glasses to three customers and asks ?which of you ordered his whiskey in a clean glass?? We take it for granted that no restaurant or bar will knowingly serve us our drinks in a dirty glass. I always took it for granted that no U.S. attorney general would knowingly allow a criminal suspect in U.S. custody to be the victim of torture, raped, branded, or a host of other forms of brutality.
It is difficult to conceive of why Holder would humiliate America by promising Russia that we would not torture Snowden were Russia to extradite him. Perhaps it was a clever propaganda ploy by Russia that Holder fell for like a rube (reprising his infamous failure when he was ?played? by the fugitive Marc Rich?s lawyers to deliver via President Clinton one of the most embarrassing pardons in presidential history).
More likely, Holder is under so much pressure from the intelligence ?community? to punish Snowden that he thought he was being clever by promising Russia that we would not torture our own citizens ? in this particular case. Holder phrased his explanation in a manner that suggests he was trying to be clever: ?Torture is unlawful in the United States.? ?Gitmo,? of course, is not ?in the United States.? The locations of the many secret prisons the U.S. established in other nations were chosen so that we could torture suspects. The infamous historical parallel for this is that it was unlawful to hold slaves in England ? but England could dominate the Atlantic slave trade and hold millions of slaves in the Caribbean islands because slavery was unlawful only ?in? England under English law.
More subtly, note that Holder says that torture is ?unlawful? ? not ?illegal.? An act that is merely ?unlawful? cannot be prosecuted as a crime. It may provide the basis for a civil suit. An ?illegal? act can be prosecuted. After World War II, the United States prosecuted members of the Japanese military for torturing U.S. POWs (particularly by ?waterboarding? our men). Those found guilty received severe sentences, often execution by hanging.
The CIA officials who conducted and ordered that we torture suspects through means that included waterboarding?, in at least one case roughly 100 times, are understandably anxious to escape prosecution for acts that the U.S. has taken the position constitute war crimes warranting execution. Holder, therefore, claims that torture is merely ?unlawful? (and only if inflicted ?in the United States?). Torture, of course, is illegal. It involves the intentional infliction of intense pain and terror. It is designed to produce severe physical and psychological trauma. It inherently constitutes aggravated battery. It often leads to death even when the torturer does not desire that the victim die (at least prior to the extraction of additional statements from the victim). These forms of homicide are illegal and range from second degree to first degree murder.
Holder?s letter promising the Russians that we would not torture Snowden also raises a practical question for the defense bar. Is it malpractice for defense counsel not to demand written assurances from the U.S. attorney general in any extradition case that the United States will not torture the suspect ? in any nation? Do defense lawyers need to extract a written promise that the suspect will not be assassinated by the U.S. prior to trial? How about a promise that the United States will not hold the suspect?s family hostage (or worse) if they agree to waive extradition? It is obscene that Holder promised not to torture Snowden, but the underlying obscenity is that the United States did torture suspects and Holder has refused to prosecute those who ordered and conducted the torture. When a nation engages in torture the consequences for its honor are long-standing and lead to a series of disgraces.
On his show, Comedian Rodney Perry covers arts and entertainment, everything from comedy and politics to music and acting, with his signature comedic slant.
MashUp Radio is a 30-minute podcast that discusses the fusion of technology, life, culture and science. Host Peter Biddle, engineer and executive for Intel?s Atom Software, dishes up a thought-provoking discussion.
Joy Keys provides her listeners with insight to improve their lives mentally, physically, monetarily and emotionally. Past guests on the show have included Meshell Nedegeocello, Blair Underwood, in addition to an impressive list of CEOs, humanitarians and authors.
Host Barry Moltz gets small businesses unstuck. He has founded and run small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for more than 15 years. This is a business radio show where he shares all the craziness of small business. It?s that craziness that actually makes it exciting, interesting and totally unpredictable.
The Bottom Line Sports Show is hosted by former NBA stars Penny Hardaway, Charles Oakley, Mateen Cleaves. Tune in to get the inside scoop on what's happening in sports today.
Hits Radio covers basketball, sports culture and entertainment with past guests including Jason Kidd, Robin Lundberg and Chris Herren.
Listeners get an earful on The Halli Casser-Jayne Show, Talk Radio for Fine Minds. Whether it?s the current political cocktail or the latest must-read award-winning book, Halli tackles all topics and likes to stir ? and sometimes shakes ? things up.
Official Internet radio show of forthcoming epic paranormal investigation book by Eric Olsen and "Haunted Housewife" Theresa Argie.
Award-winning World Footprints is a leading voice in socially responsible travel and lifestyle. Hosts Ian & Tonya celebrate culture and heritage and bring a unique voice to the world of travel.
Football Reporters Online is a group of veteran football experts in the fields of coaching, scouting, talent evaluation, and writing/broadcasting/media placement. Combined, the group brings well over 100 years of expertise in sports.
Host John Martin interviews the nation's leading entrepreneurs and small biz experts to educate small business owners on how to be successful. Past guests have included Emeril Lagasse and Guy Kawasaki.
The Movie Geeks share their passion for the art through interviews with the stars of and creative minds behind your favorite flicks and pay tribute to big-screen legends. From James Cameron and Francis Ford Coppola to Ellen Burstyn and Robert Duvall, The Geeks have got'em all.
Sylvia Global presents global conversations pertaining to women, wealth, business, faith and philanthropy. Sylvia has interviewed an eclectic mix from CEOs and musicians to fashion designers and philanthropists including Randolph Duke and Ne-Yo.
Mr. Media host Bob Andelman goes one-on-one with the hottest, most influential minds from the worlds of film, TV, music, comedy, journalism and literature. That means A-listers like Kirk Douglas, Christian Slater, Kathy Ireland, Rick Fox, Chris Hansen and Jackie Collins.
Paula Begoun, best-selling author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, separates fact from fiction on achieving a radiant, youthful complexion at any age. She?s regularly joined by health and beauty experts who offer the latest on keeping your skin in tip-top shape.
ATLANTA, GA - Delta Air Lines has named energy industry veteran Graeme Burnett as Senior Vice President ? Fuel Optimization, effective Aug. 1, 2013. Burnett will oversee all aspects of Delta's fuel program, including maximizing the benefits of its Monroe Energy subsidiary, which owns the refinery in Trainer, Penn.
Burnett also will serve as chair of the Monroe Energy Board of Directors. He will report to Delta President Ed Bastian.
Burnett brings deep experience and skills in the energy industry, with more than 30 years experience in positions worldwide. Prior to joining Delta he spent nearly a decade at Total Petrochemicals working in Texas; Brussels, Belgium; Seoul, South Korea; and Guangzhou, China; and in 2012 was named that firm's president and CEO of Petrochemicals and Refining for the U.S. Previously he worked in various roles at Sincor PLC in Caracas, Venezuela; Fina Oil and Chemical in Texas; Petrofina in Texas, Brussels and the U.K.; and Foster Wheeler in the U.K.
Burnett sits on the Board and is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Chemistry Council, and is a member of the Board of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. Burnett, who grew up in the U.K., has a degree in Chemical Engineering from Teesside University in the U.K.
"At Delta, we have been a leader in finding innovative ways to deal with the No. 1 cost input in our business. Graeme's great expertise and experience will help Delta continue to advance the increasingly critical area of fuel management," Bastian said. "In addition, his character and values are a great match for Delta's unique culture, which is the foundation of our success."
[unable to retrieve full-text content]A striking cosmic whirl is the center of galaxy NGC 524, as seen with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This galaxy is located in the constellation of Pisces, some 90 million light-years from Earth.
NIAMEY, Niger ? Niger's interior minister says a body fell from an Air France plane as it approached the West African country's capital, Niamey, and was discovered lifeless in western suburb.
Abdou Labo said a resident was standing just a few meters from where the body landed at around 5 a.m. Thursday. He said police arrived and found "the lifeless body of a black person, lying in blood."
He also said blood had been spotted on the left wing of the plane.
Labo said the plane was coming from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, and was scheduled to continue to Paris.
Officials were holding the plane in Niamey so crew members and passengers could be interviewed. Investigators in Ouagadougou are also looking into "the conditions in which the passengers boarded."
This thread is just for me to post notifications, events, and other stuff, so.......yeah.
I'm coming up with a rooming list because apparently I've decided to do that.
Also, all characters who are still up as WIPs, I ask that you try to finish them within the next few days.
If I'm a bit spotty in my online presence time in the next week or two, I apologize in advance. We close on the new house on Monday, and after that, I'm going to be busy packing and moving. I'll try to get online as much as possible though. But just in case, I thought I'd tell you.
Turn your phone's lock screen into a potentially life-saving tool by adding important In Case of Emergency (ICE) info to it.
You can do this by adding the ICE info to the "owner info" settings in Android (under Settings > Security) or, as with setting information to get your lost phone back, using a screenshot of the information as your wallpaper. This is an example from Lifehacker reader Alex Hughes, @hughes645:
This way, even if your phone is locked, rescue workers and good samaritans will know who to contact just in case something happens to you.
Author: Johnny Black | Total views: 82 Comments: 0 Word Count: 737 Date:
Some folks who are new to online affiliate marketing they think that there is a magic guide or formula readily available for them use and make them the next online millionaire. In reality, it is a little more complicated than that which is why many online entrepreneurs do need help with affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is one of the most well-known and popular home business modles. It is common to think that you do not need any help with affiliate marketing when you start because all you are doing, in essence, is advertising a vendor's items on the internet. And, when somebody buys the item, you get paid a commission by the vendor. You do not have to worry about developing products, holding any stock, dealing with the fulfilment or any other client issues.
But an online business is no different from starting an offline business. You must be ready to invest some funds to get your business actually working and understand how it is done properly. The difference between a conventional 'bricks and mortar' business opportunity and an internet based business opportunity is that the world wide web offers individuals a lower start up cost. But, like a conventional business, online entrepreneurs will need help when they get started.
Here are some tactics that you can use to help with affiliate marketing:
Use a different website fro each target market. Do not put all your items together on one website just to have lower web hosting costs. This will not help your affiliate marketing business. It is best to have an individual website focusing on each market and nothing more.
Tell your website visitors what the item can do for them and the benefits of your product and service. It also will help with affiliate marketing to include testimonials from users who have already tested out the product or service.
Make your website pages attractive and easy to read. Each headline should attract the visitors to want to read more about the items you are promoting. Highlight your special points as this will help your visitors to learn what the site is about so they will want to find out more.
Offer something for free to your readers. To become a successful internet marketer you need to offer something for free, like a report or ebook, in exchange for a website visitor's e-mail. If possible, position your e-mail opt-in box at the very top of your website web page so it cannot be missed. Create relevant auto responder messages for your product so that will be emailed to those who input their information into your optin box.
When a visitor lands on your website they will either buy the item or leave the site and never return. When they provide their e-mail, you can send useful emails at certain specified periods, that will remind them of the item they thought they wanted when they visited your website. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the item but do not make it sound like a advertisement. Concentrate on details like how your item can make life easier and more enjoyable for the user.
An auto responder is one of the best tools for affiliate marketing because, according to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.
Get the right kind of traffic. Use online publications like ezines that focus on your target customers and create articles for them. Try to create a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300600 words in length. There are ezines online on just about every subject that you can think of so there is going to be one that targets your audience.
Choose your affilate products carefully. Shape your choice of online promotion items and services as per your time and priorities and do not depend on just one income source from one affiliate product
Affiliate promotion is one of the most effective and powerful ways of earning some cash online. It gives everybody a chance to generate income through the internet. On the internet, affiliate programs are easy to join, implement, and pay commissions on a regular basis, so more and more people today are willing to participate in this home business model.
When building an online affiliate marketing business there can seem to be a mountain of obstacles to climb, from understanding SEO to blogging, from PPC advertising to social media marketing, from finding the right products to sell to finding customers to buy them, the list goes on. To learn how to quickly and easily get your online business started visit http://www.jonallo.com
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1: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics
Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."
2: Simple Article Writing: 5 Steps For Beginners Who Are Learning To Write Articles (Try This!)
When you look at an article, you may say, "That article looks great, but I have no idea how I would produce something that good." In this article I am going to help you break your article creation process down into "blocks"--smaller bits of information that when assembled together will form a top quality article submission.
3: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself
Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.
4: Understanding Online Business Success
Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.
5: Back Link Building - 6 Methods You Can Use To Rank Your Blog Posts
Panda and Penquin Google has changed the game with back link building. Here are the backlink strategies I use to get quality backlinks.
The ruling, in the case of parents who wanted their son's US passport to read 'Jerusalem, Israel' as his place of birth, said Congress intruded on the exclusive power of the executive branch in passing a 2002 law.
By Warren Richey,?Staff writer / July 23, 2013
Ari Zivotofsky (r.) stands with his 9-year-old son, Menachem, outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Nov. 7, 2011. Menachem was born in Jerusalem and his parents want his US passport to list his place of birth as Israel.
Evan Vucci/AP
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Congress intruded on the exclusive power of the executive branch when it passed a 2002 law requiring US consular officials to list ?Israel? as the place of birth of American children born in Jerusalem, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
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The decision marks a setback for American-citizen parents whose children were born in Jerusalem and who want their child?s newly-issued US passport to reflect that they were born in Israel.
Despite passage of the law, US consular officials have maintained a long-running policy of neutrality on issues touching on the disputed status of Jerusalem. Israel claims a united Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians want historically Arab East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future state.
Under the long-held policy, newly issued passports for newborns were to reflect simply that the child was born in ?Jerusalem,? with no reference to whether that city is part of Israel, part of Palestine, or some other status.
Tuesday?s decision comes in the case of Ari and Naomi Zivotofsky, who filed suit in 2003 to have their newborn son?s US passport reflect that he was born in ?Jerusalem, Israel.?
Lawyers for Mr. and Mrs. Zivotofsky argued that the State Department was ignoring the law as passed by Congress. They said that allowing the passport designation of ?Jerusalem, Israel? did not interfere with the president?s power to recognize the sovereignty of foreign nations, and was no different than allowing Americans born in Tel Aviv the choice of designating the place of birth as simply Tel Aviv or Tel Aviv, Israel.
The law did not require that all US citizens born in Jerusalem be listed as having been born in Israel ? only those who desired that designation.
Government lawyers countered that the executive branch has exclusive power to decide which countries to recognize and when to do so. That constitutional authority trumps the power of Congress to pass a statute under its authority to regulate passports, they said. ?
A federal judge in Washington threw the case out, ruling that the issue involved a political question best resolved by the president and Congress. That decision was upheld by the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
The case then went to the US Supreme Court. The high court ruled in March 2012 that the underlying issue was not a political question, but a constitutional dispute that the courts are empowered to resolve. The justices sent the case back to the appeals court to tackle the underlying constitutional issue.
A WESH-TV news crew was recently attacked by an irate woman in Orlando, Florida.
On the video (below), the unidentified woman chases the reporter and shouts, ?You want some news??
The reporter tells her: ?Uh, yeah, I?d like news like, uh, me running away" and runs for the news van. Moments later, the woman encounters the TV cameraman and hits him in the face.
However, a police officer witnessed the entire incident, maced and arrested her, notes FTVLive.com.
The reporter was doing a story on the shooting of Orlando police officer Jason Hajek.
Carl Weathers played Apollo Creed in "Rocky." Now the franchise reportedly will tackle a film where Rocky trains Creed's grandson.
Yo, Adrian! Rocky Balboa remains unstoppable. A seventh "Rocky" movie is in the works, according to Deadline, and this time Rocky will be training one-time opponent Apollo Creed's grandson to duke it out in the ring.
No date has been announced for the new film, titled "Creed," but Deadline has a plot summary. Fans will recall Apollo Creed was Rocky's title opponent in the original "Rocky," which came out in 1976. In the upcoming film, Creed's grandson was raised rich thanks to grandpa's boxing winnings, and doesn't plan to become a fighter despite his natural talents. When he does decide to get in the ring, of course it's Rocky who steps in to train him in the family sport.
Deadline says that Michael B. Jordan, who plays Oscar Grant in the based-on-true-events "Fruitvale Station" and played Wallace on "The Wire," is in talks to play Creed's grandson. Naturally, Sylvester Stallone, 67, will return as Rocky -- who else could possibly take over that role?
There's another "Fruitvale Station" connection: Ryan Coogler, who directed that film, is set to direct, Deadline says.
Stallone last played Rocky in the 2006 reprise film "Rocky Balboa," in which he comes out of retirement for one final fight. He'll also play a boxer later this year in "Grudge Match," which also stars Robert De Niro -- himself famed for playing a fighter in 1980's "Raging Bull."
July 22 (Reuters) - Quarterback Robert Griffin III, who had surgery on his right knee in January, gave Washington Redskins fans a massive pre-season boost on Monday when he said he had been cleared by team doctors to return to the practice field. One of the top first-year players in the National Football League last season, Griffin had reconstructive surgery to repair torn lateral and anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) suffered in a wildcard playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. "Doctors cleared me to practice. Coach is going to ease me in. ...
KANE COUNTY ? A 27-year-old Arizona woman passed away while hiking to a popular and exclusive tourist spot in Southern Utah Monday. She was celebrating her fifth wedding anniversary with her husband.
Hikes to "The Wave", a delicate natural phenomenon carved out of sandstone by wind, are based on a lottery system. Elisabeth Ann Bevel, of Mesa, Ariz., and her husband Anthony won tickets to "The Wave" in the lottery about seven months ago, according to a release from the Kane County Emergency Services.
They began at about 8 a.m. By about 2 p.m., Bevel had collapsed. While on the hike, the couple apparently got lost and spend several extra hours trying to find their way back to their vehicle, hiking though sand in very high heat.
Possibly due to that extra time in the heat, Bevel collapsed on the hike back. Her husband kept going in order get a cell phone signal and call for help, according to the release. A medical helicopter was dispatched, as well as an ambulance and a sheriff's deputy.
When they arrived, Bevel was already in cardiac arrest. CPR was performed, but emergency responders were unable to revive Bevel, officials said.
The cause of death is still under investigation. Bevel's body was transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office in Salt Lake City.
Officials said they spent several months preparing for the trip and were familiar with the Bureau of Land Management information outlining how to be prepared for the hike.
Bevel is survived by her husband and two sons, aged 4 and 5.
"This event once again demonstrates the inherent risks associated with hiking in southern Utah's desert country this time of year," the release stated. "Even though the Bervels had tried to make sure they were prepared for this hike, the elements proved to be stronger."
Four deaths related to hiking have occurred so far this year in Kane County, including another couple hiking to "The Wave" on July 4. Ulrich Wahli, 70, and Patricia Wahli, 69, died on the trail. They were hiking in 100-degree weather and apparently succumbed to the heat.
Access to information and coaching opportunities is not an issue. The issue is filtering the good from bad, and the athlete getting on a long-term journey of progression that is effective for them. What does an athlete really need from a coaching programme? This is a good question and one that I have spent a great deal of time thinking about. It would be easy to create a massive laundry list of components of a good programme, but I think we can bucket together the key components of a coaching programme that make for successful performance evolution. No matter the level of competition, athletes are typically successful if they can access what I list below.
Smart training plan: This is typically the cornerstone of any coaching programme but unfortunately this is where it often ends. This ?bucket? should include a long-term vision or roadmap for the athlete, a seasonal roadmap of training progression and ongoing review of this progression. The actual daily training plan should facilitate consistent application of training load and a smart progression throughout the racing season. This plan also needs to be flexible and specific enough to allow training to integrate into an athlete?s life and create positive training and performance adaptations. It all sounds pretty simple.
Education and guidance: All of the above is pretty useless without a strong element of ongoing education and guidance. Coaching is as much about mentoring and tutoring, as it is about planning and workouts. Athletes need to be armed with the knowledge and tools to allow them to evolve their ?athletic IQ? and begin to make their own smart decisions. This is a never-ending process of guidance around all aspects of performance including season planning, nutrition, skills, mental approaches, race strategy, sleep and travel. The list is endless.
The depth of education and guidance increases as the relationship with the individual or group evolves. If a coach commits to this, the result is that athletes begin to develop a stronger ?filter? for the great amount of information available in the endurance space, especially since much of it has potential to harm progression and performance. It actually makes the coach?s job easier in the long run because athletes become smarter and more self-sufficient in the supporting components of performance.
Feedback and support: A smart plan and all the education in the world doesn?t automatically create great athletes. As an athlete takes their journey there is a great need for ongoing feedback, support, guidance and mentorship to help them learn, make smart decisions and apply the training plan as intended. This is the tough part for athletes who are self-coached. Without a strong mentor or guide who can maintain an objective lens and help make smart decisions, it is challenging to create an ongoing successful career. Athletes need mentors and support, and a coach is a good option for many.
Community: The final element is the X-factor but some form of community, belonging and camaraderie is a powerful addition for many athletes. Whether it is being part of a club, a swim programme or simply having training buddies, community and belonging creates a great sense of accountability, enjoyment, reward and support. ?Suffer together, succeed together?, should be the mantra. Few can live in a bubble and thrive. It takes a unique character and some form of community can help accelerate an athlete?s progression.
If you are reflecting on your progression as an athlete, or thinking about seeking outside advice or guidance, the above elements should act as a framework to look for a successful set up for yourself.
To apply these elements of coaching there is little doubt that the optimal environment is daily interaction and ?on-deck? guidance from your coach. In San Francisco we have a series of daily swim, bike and run sessions for our training group. So much can be gained for the local athletes from the daily interaction, feedback and guidance. This is not always possible and many of my elite athletes are geographically dispersed around the world. This makes communication all the more important, and for the elite athletes we bridge the periods of separation with frequent training camps to allow ?real coaching? to occur. For amateur athletes, it is not always possible to find a quality coach that delivers the above elements (at least well) close to home, so the athlete needs to make small compromises and understand how to help themselves within a longer-distance relationship. There are a few things that athletes can do to make a longer distance relationship more effective:
Own their sport: It sounds simple but creating ownership around your own training and progression is both empowering and beneficial. Rather than viewing the coach or programme as simply spoon-feeding a plan to success, athletes can succeed if they shift their lens to using the coach as a strong resource and technical guide for programming and information. Collaboration is better than a dictatorship, and so I would urge athletes to be wary of coaches who use terms such as ?because I said so? or ?because it worked with X?. Own your sport and become an active participant in your own process.
Commit to a path: Understand that the coaching process is a journey and can often take a while, so committing to the path and maintaining a ?healthy skepticism? throughout is likely a good thing. Of course, while it is good to question sometimes, a certain level of belief and trust is essential.
Do your homework: To truly commit to the above points it is key that you first find a coach that is the right fit for you. We all have different personalities, needs and approaches. I have turned down world-class athletes, not because I didn?t like them, but I felt I was not the best coach for them. Take time to consider the approach of the coach, talk to some of their athletes if possible and look at more than one option. Like buying a car, you don?t simply buy the first one you find. Instead, you test-drive a few, look at the reviews and choose one that fits your needs. Do the same with a coach.
To follow on from the last point I guess this begs the question, ?what makes a good coach??. The easy answer to this would be someone who creates champions, but I am not sure if I agree with something this simple. When I think about great coaches, I think they succeed in (note, I am using examples of more elite coaches below, but the lessons and components relate to all coaches who help athletes of any level) in the following:
Making ?champions?: If you have a history of developing athletes who become world-class this is a strong indication of coaching success. With this comes a word of warning and a story. If a coach leads a group of 25 athletes in their careers, and one of their athletes has massive success, but the story of the other 24 is injury, deep fatigue, short careers and destruction, are they are great coach? Did they make a champion or did they destroy the many other potential champions? I think it is important to look beyond any single athlete results, and look for the trends and history of all the athletes the coach develops.
The art of development: True coaching includes taking an athlete with potential and developing them throughout a career toward their own excellence. This journey is complex and shows the coach?s ability to not only provide a plan, but create vision, a career roadmap, be a strong teacher and mentor, and empower athletes to success. Most coaches agree that stories of development are the ones that provide the biggest source of pride and satisfaction.
Range of assistance: While some coaches have, understandably, types of athletes they specialise in, great coaches have the ability to lead, develop and improve a wide range of athletes. This is less about gender or race distance, and more about the coach being dynamic in leading different personalities, body types and athletes who respond to different training approaches in different manners. A ?one size fits all? approach seldom leads to a great coach, rather, it often leads to ?one size fits some, and the others fall to the side?.
Sharing: The last one is an X-factor, but I think it is worth inclusion. Any coach who is willing to open their book of coaching approach is normally one who is confident and has thought through their approach and reasoning. For me, it is a sign of confidence, and something that should be embraced by more coaches. There are exceptions, but many coaches who claim secrecy or refuse to share that training, often lack the confidence in what they are doing, or perhaps even the substance and understanding of what they are actually prescribing. Good coaches understand that coaching success is not about the workouts. Sure, workout design is important, but a good coach could give a year?s worth of workouts to any other hopeful, and the chances of the hopeful achieving similar results would be slim. It is the recipe, and the execution of that recipe, that makes a coach or programme successful.
As you go on your journey of self-improvement, take note of the lesson of great athletic success. Whether it is from trusted friends, a local coach with all the tools or a coach from further away that feels like a good fit, ensure that you set up your training and performance approach to suit you and your needs. Take ownership of your journey, and don?t simply look for the ?flavour of the month? and think that they are the right coach for you.
