SKoreans: NKorea test-fired short-range missiles

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Bon Rappetite: Inside joke goes viral, becomes a cookbook | Food ...

Back in late January, rumblings and blog posts began to appear about what appeared to be the most ridiculous ? and most genius ? new restaurant concept Atlanta had ever seen: Bon Rappetite, the world?s first hip-hop restaurant. Opened in East Atlanta, the website included contact information, restaurant hours, a list of upcoming events, and a menu comprised of hip-hop themed puns, like the Wu-Tang Clams or Lil? Kimchi. This looked too good to be true.

And, in fact, it was.

Bon Rappetite is the brain child of social media marketing firm Baby Robot Industries co-founders Everett Steele and wife Bunny Mcintosh. The website began as an inside joke a year earlier, the result of round(s) of beers and a list of rap-themed puns scribbled onto a bar napkin. Steele and Mcintosh emailed the joke site out to a few friends and then forgot about it.

Next thing they know, Scoutmob stumbles onto the site and posts about it, then Creative Loafing picks it up. Within days, CNN and The Huffington Post have run stories on them, their server is crashing from thousands of hits per day, phone ringing off the hook with diners asking if they take reservations, and their inside joke has its own Urbanspoon page.

Well, what was once only a joke-gone-viral has gotten a little more rizzle. Building off of the interest generated by the faux-site, Steele teamed up with co-writer Chris Hassiotis to turn the puns into real recipes and launch Bon Rappetite: The Cookbook. Now, you can whip up dishes like the Too $hort Rib Tacos or Queen LaPizza at home.

This Saturday, March 31st, Baby Robot is hosting the official Bon Rappetite launch party at the Graveyard Tavern, including free drinks from 9 p.m.-10 p.m. and performances from frequent The Roots guest MC, Greg Porn, Atlanta?s BNMC, Deuce Ducartier, Small Eyez, Stealth, Rogue, Blonju and Ina Escobar, with DJ Mudfish.

The cookbook is available for purchase online for $19.99 and 10% of the proceeds go to benefit the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. So, pick up a copy, learn how to make some Pone Thugs and Hominy or a batch of Ol? Dirty Custard, and show your support for creative hilarity.

- By Jon Watson, Food and More blog

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Dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that make them hungrier

Friday, March 30, 2012

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have, for the first time, shown that infection with dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that makes them hungrier and better feeders, and therefore possibly more likely to spread the disease to humans. Specifically, they found that dengue virus infection of the mosquito's salivary gland triggered a response that involved genes of the insect's immune system, feeding behavior and the mosquito's ability to sense odors. The researchers findings are published in the March 29 edition of PLoS Pathogens.

Dengue virus is primarily spread to people by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Over 2.5 billion people live in areas where dengue fever is endemic. The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 50 million and 100 million dengue infections each year.

"Our study shows that the dengue virus infects mosquito organs, the salivary glands and antennae that are essential for finding and feeding on a human host. This infection induces odorant-binding protein genes, which enable the mosquito to sense odors. The virus may, therefore, facilitate the mosquito's host-seeking ability, and could?at least theoretically?increase transmission efficiency, although we don't fully understand the relationships between feeding efficiency and virus transmission," said George Dimopoulus, PhD, senior author of the study and professor with the Bloomberg School's Malaria Research Institute. "In other words, a hungrier mosquito with a better ability to sense food is more likely to spread dengue virus."

For the study, researchers performed a genome-wide microarray gene expression analysis of dengue-infected mosquitoes. Infection regulated 147 genes with predicted functions in various processes including virus transmission, immunity, blood-feeding and host-seeking. Further analysis of infected mosquitoes showed that silencing, or "switching off," two odorant-binding protein genes resulted in an overall reduction in the mosquito's blood-acquisition capacity from a single host by increasing the time it took the for mosquito to probe for a meal.

"We have, for the first time shown, that a human pathogen can modulate feeding-related genes and behavior of its vector mosquito, and the impact of this on transmission of disease could be significant," said Dimopoulos.

"Dengue virus infection of the Aedes aegypti salivary gland and chemosensory apparatus induces genes that modulate infection and blood-feeding behavior" was written by Shuzhen Sim, Jose L. Ramirez and George Dimopoulos.

###

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: http://www.jhsph.edu

Thanks to Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health 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 72 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/118858/Dengue_virus_turns_on_mosquito_genes_that_make_them_hungrier

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?Prom For Hope?/City Of Hope's Music And Entertainment ...

DATE:? MARCH 27, 2012

?

?

CITY OF?HOPE?S MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GROUP &

FUTURE HOPE PRESENT:

PROM FOR HOPE

AT LOS ANGELES? CLUB NOKIA

?

LOS ANGELES??This year, over 1 million people will be diagnosed with cancer. In an effort to support cancer research and raise awareness among young adults, CITY OF HOPE?S MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GROUP and FUTURE HOPE are proud to present their first ever Prom for Hope?a fun-filled night of music, dancing, photos, auctions, prizes and a chance to redo Prom. The Prom for Hope is set for Thursday, April 5 (doors open at 8:00 PM) at Los Angeles? Club Nokia.? Tickets are on sale now and available at?www.ticketmaster.com.? Proceeds from auctions and ticket sales will benefit City of Hope. Prom attire is strongly encouraged.

?

The event features a full line-up of musical guests including Nat & Sean (3OH!3) who will have a special DJ set influenced their favorite dance hits from the 90?s plus Semi Precious Weapons will also be performing a live set.?And to keep the party going, there will be DJ sets by:? Black Cards (Pete Wentz & Spencer Peterson), Kevin Baird (Two Door Cinema Club), Penguin Prison, DJ Reflex (POWER 106) and DJ Drew (KIIS-FM) that are sure to keep the dance floor packed.? TV?s favorite principal, ?Saved by the Bell?s? Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) is one of Prom for Hope?s hosts and chaperones.

?

General Admission tickets are $38.50 and VIP Balcony & PIT tickets are $99.50 (21+, includes access to VIP Lounge and sponsor hosted food & beverage).?Tickets for Club Nokia events are available at all Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.ticketmaster.com?and from 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri at the?STAPLES?Center?Box Office located at?1111 S. Figueroa St.?No fees are charged at the?STAPLES?Center?box office or at the Club Nokia box office on show days (open after 5 PM).

?

Event sponsors include:?ONEHOPE Wine, Tito?s Handmade Vodka, Viacom and Wolfgang Puck Catering.

?

City of Hope is a leading research, treatment and education center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope?s research and treatment protocols advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, and is ranked as one of ?America?s Best Hospitals? in cancer by U.S.News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org or follow City of Hope on facebook, twitter, youtube or flickr.

?

The Music and Entertainment Industry group has raised over $98 million in support of City of Hope?s dedicated efforts to prevent and cure cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. The MEI Group is comprised of over 120 top executives from major record labels, music publishing, entertainment law, artist management companies, distribution, concert promoting/touring, film studios, production companies, digital and new media, broadcasting, advertising and fashion.

?

Future Hope is a division of the MEI group, dedicated to raising awareness and supporting cancer research at City of Hope through an engaged network of young entertainment industry professionals.

?

About Club Nokia: Club Nokia, a multi-use concert and entertainment venue?located in the heart of the acclaimed L.A. LIVE sports, residential and entertainment district?accommodates over 2,300 guests.?Featuring state-of-the-art acoustics designed for live entertainment, Club Nokia opened in November 2009 and is the perfect venue for emerging music acts, iconic artists, cultural shows and special events while also providing excellent space for corporate events and private parties.? The theatre brings the latest technology to music enthusiasts including an innovative interactive experience embedded in foot-controlled floor interfaces, touchscreens, and a large LED installation within the lobby of the Club Nokia space.?This interactive experience allows users to scroll through the history and the future of Club Nokia events and interact with pictures, video and text messages submitted by fellow concert fans. Since its opening, Club Nokia has hosted a massive array of eclectic events: packed concerts of every musical genre (Band of Horses, Motorhead, Adam Lambert, Drake, Matisyahu, Queens of the Stone Age, Vince Gill, The Specials, La Roux, to name but a few); comedians (Lisa Lampanelli, Sarah Silverman, Jim Jefferies and more); special month-long residencies (The Pee-wee Herman Show, Cirque Berzerk); awards shows (Grammy nominations concert, Revolver Golden Gods Awards) and private events.

?

Club Nokia was awarded ?Best New Major Concert Venue? in 2009 at the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards and won ?Nightclub of the Year? at the 2010 Pollstar Awards.

?

http://www.clubnokia.com/

http://www.facebook.com/promforhope

www.cityofhope.org

EVENT PR CONTACT:? ?

Maria Gonzales

917.941.9906

mariatheresagonzales@gmail.com

?

CLUB NOKIA PR CONTACTS:

MSO

818-380-0400

Marcee Rondan

marcee@msopr.com

Todd Brodginski

toddb@msopr.com

Aaron Feterl

aaron@msopr.com

Source: http://www.msopr.com/client-roster/prom-for-hopecity-of-hopes-music-and-entertainment-industry-group-future-hope-present-april-5-club-nokia-fundraiser/

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Source: http://nugovu.posterous.com/prom-for-hopecity-of-hope39s-music-and-entert

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Top Ten Real Estate Markets for Investors (Part 2) | REALTOR.com ...

Yesterday, we announced towns 5 ? 10 that made our Top Ten Real Estate Markets for Investors list. Today, we are releasing the top 5 towns that made our list.

5. Fort Worth, TX.

One word?jobs?is the key to Fort Worth?s housing mark. With unemployment at 7.1 percent in December[vi], compared to 8.3 percent nationally[vii], demand is driving home sales. Its inventory of listings is down 26.54 percent compared with a year ago and homes are selling nearly 20 percent faster than last year. Median list price is currently $160,000 ? 8 percent higher than a year ago. Investors should move now while bargains are available.

?Fort Worth and Tarrant counties are on fire ? huge growth has taken place over the past 10 years and will likely continue to outpace the country,? said Bruce Lynn of Metroplex Home Sales.??The rental market is very hot?with demand easily outpacing supply. Good rentals with reasonable prices move quickly and investors are coming on strong.?

4. Baltimore, MD.

Baltimore?s home values are 15.6 percent below the peak and should reach bottom within the year[v]. Median list price, at $239,500, is up more than 3 percent from last year and the age of its inventory is stabilizing, suggesting that this is the time for investors to buy if they want to achieve maximum gains. Inventory is down nearly 26 percent from a year ago and flat compared to the month prior even as we head into the home buying season.

?Fort Meade, and Annapolis offer a steady- and growing- radius of employment for buyers and tenants, alike,? said Jennifer Chaney, MBA at Champion Realty, Inc. ?Recent military programs have brought more personnel to the ?Fort Meade? area, in particular, helping to fuel demand.?The healthy, steady level of employment in our area has, in my opinion, propelled us to a faster recovery than others in our nation.?

3. Kansas City, MO.

Kansas City prices fell 8.4 percent from their peak[iii], but now they are starting to recover as low unemployment (7.3 percent[iv]) stimulates demand. The age of its inventory is down nearly 15 percent and list prices in the Kansas City market are at $134,950 up nearly 4 percent year-over-year, suggesting prices are recovering and investors should act now.? Inventory is down almost 21 percent on a year-over-year basis.

?In some parts of the metro area, agents are reporting a lack of inventory to meet their buyers? needs,? said Mary Hutchison, ABR, SRES.? ?I?ve seen several new listings sell within the first few days and some have attracted multiple offers.? Buyers are willing to pay for updated, well maintained, move in ready properties in?desirable locations.? I?ve also seen first time investors enter the market for rental properties.?

2. Austin, TX.

Though Austin?s home values didn?t fall as far as those in many other markets, its potential for price growth is one of the best in the nation. High employment (6.3 percent unemployment rate in December 2011[ii]) is driving demand for housing. Homes are selling at over two times the national rate and its median list price is $229,500, about 12 percent higher than a year ago. Median age of inventory in Austin is down almost 19 percent from last year.

?Conditions in Austin are perfect for investors, and most REALTORS are now working this part of the market from at least one angle,? said Julie Holden of JB Goodwin Realtors. ?I?m working with quite a few investors ? some new to the business, others seasoned pros ? across all property types. More than once I?ve seen a carefully selected property lease within a week following an investor?s purchase.?

1. Tucson, AZ.

Tucson is a foreclosure market where prices plunged 31 percent during the housing bust. But now, foreclosure opportunities are declining. The REO inventory is down 8.19 percent from 2011, and the number of foreclosures scheduled for sale is down 40 percent from a year ago.[i] The median list price was $170,000 in February 2012 which is 3.03 percent higher than a year ago and homes are selling 12 percent faster than they were a year ago. Investors who wait will have fewer choices and will pay higher prices.

?Tucson and most of Southern Arizona are experiencing 2012 as the Year of the Short Sale,? said Sue Cartun, designated broker at Keller Williams. ?Recent pressures in financial circles are streamlining the process of the short sale and increasing the success rate of closings. To sum it up ? in Tucson, Buyers are busy!?

Read More Expert Analysis on REALTOR.com Blogs

Related posts:

1. Top Ten Real Estate Markets for Investors (Part 1)
2. REALTOR Data: Market Continues to Stabilize
3. Florida Markets Dominate REALTOR.com Top Ten Turnaround Report
4. Top Ten Turnaround Towns: Midwest/West Edition
5. More Experts On The Top Ten Real Estate Markets for Investors

Source: http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2012/03/29/top-ten-real-estate-markets-for-investors-part-2/

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Q & A: How well will raising taxes during a ... - Finance information

Question by Me : How well will raising taxes during a recession work for the American economy
Will the economy get even worse in 2011 after taxes go up? Best answer:

Answer by Ryan LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Give your answer to this question below!

Add a comment ?6 comments to this article

1. Pubs let Fox think fer dem March 30, 2012 at 3:25 am

   

   when Bush and the Repubs lied to us to invade Iraq,
   and told us ?we won?t raise your taxes?,

   was it BETTER that they instead added the $ 3 TRILLION cost to the US debt?

   Thanks to Bush and the Repubs,
   we now owe over $ 12 TRILLION!
   That?s about $ 40,000 PER PERSON.

2. thecharleslloyd March 30, 2012 at 3:40 am

   

   It will not work, people need the money to spend to keep the economy going. Once the economy is in good shape then it is time to tax.

3. mesham March 30, 2012 at 3:44 am

   

   I cannot see how it can be a good thing. Even Democrats in Washington are saying raising taxes now is not a good thing.
   It is hard to imagine things getting worse but, already this summer unemployment is up last month the stock market took a hit last week.

4. Liz March 30, 2012 at 4:18 am

   

   He?s trying to take the country down. Vote the progressives out!

5. Peter Killian March 30, 2012 at 5:07 am

   

   The periods of prosperity in our history were preceded by very high taxes. Supply-side conservatism and anti-tax groups are liars, at best.

6. Frank is Back March 30, 2012 at 5:44 am

   

   This is a depression, not a recession. And yes things will get worse. You think it?s bad now just give it another couple years.

Source: http://www.lovefinanceinfo.com/2012/03/q-a-how-well-will-raising-taxes-during-a-recession-work-for-the-american-economy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=q-a-how-well-will-raising-taxes-during-a-recession-work-for-the-american-economy

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Will Ferrell confirms 'Anchorman' sequel

By Access Hollywood

Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy in "Anchorman."

Will Ferrell donned his Ron Burgundy persona on Wednesday night, hitting the set of ?Conan? to reveal an ?Anchorman? sequel is on the way.

Playing a flute and dressed in his classic cardinal ?Anchorman? jacket, Will walked on stage to loud cheers from the studio audience, before revealing the news.

AH photos: The many men of Kim Kardashian

?I want to announce this to everyone here in the Americas, to my friends in Spain, Turkey and the UK, including England, that as of 0900 Mountain time, Paramount Pictures and myself, Ronald Joseph Burgundy, have come to terms on a sequel to ?Anchor Man,?? he said.

?It is official,? Will ? as Ron ? added, ?There will be a sequel to ?Anchorman.? There will be a sequel!?

AH photos: 'Hunger Games' hunk Liam Hemsworth

But he also offered a bit of advice to Conan.

?I?ve got one small criticism, and it?s probably something only a professional like me would notice, but Conan, you look awful,? he said, adding, ?Just go under the knife.?

More in msnbc Entertainment:

Source: http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/28/10910714-will-ferrells-ron-burgundy-confirms-anchorman-sequel

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Noahpinion: Behavioral finance people are doing experiments!

Experimental finance, like all experimental studies of complex systems, suffers from a problem of "external validity" - it is not clear that a few inexperienced undergrads trading $20 worth of made-up assets in a lab is anything like a real-world market with thousands of supercomputer-armed professionals trading trillions of actual assets over the course of years. This doesn't mean that finance experiments are useless for studying market outcomes, but it does put a limit on their use.

This problem, however, is much less severe if what you are studying is not market outcomes, but individual behavior. An individual is easy to stick in a lab. The person sitting in the lab is probably pretty similar to the person sitting in front of eTrade buying stocks at home. This weakens the "external validity" critique; it's a lot easier to claim that individual trader behavior in a lab is similar to individual trader behavior in the real world.

There has long been a strain of behavioral finance that studies the mistakes that individual investors make. The most famous example is the work of Terrance Odean, who has shown in a number of empirical studies that small investors (a.k.a. you and I) trade too much, make dumb choices, and eventually lose money. This may or may not result in the overall market being efficient (so keep your pants on, EMHers!), but it is certainly bad for the average American household, which often ends up throwing its money in a toilet. Figuring out exactly?why?people are throwing their money in a toilet is a major goal of finance research. There are a number of hypotheses - Odean has suggested overconfidence and the disposition effect. One idea in my job market paper was that people over-rely on prices as signals of fundamental value.

But anyway, these aren't just theoretical questions that people can bandy about for fun. We can actually stick people in a lab and find out! Thus, it made me quite happy last Friday when I got to see Terry Odean present a paper in which he does exactly that. In "Bubbling with Excitement: An Experiment" (Lin, Odean, and Andrade 2012), the authors show their lab subjects videos designed to evoke various emotions - excitement, fear, boredom. The subjects then trade in small groups, in the classic market setup of Vernon Smith. They found that excited groups of traders give rise to bigger bubbles and longer-lasting bubbles. Unlike most papers in this literature, Odean makes sure to use a large number of trading groups (48, compared to the typical 5-20), allowing him to statistically test his hypothesis (naturally, this was more expensive than the typical experiment).

This is an important result, because it opens up avenues for more research. We need to find out why excitement makes people overpay for assets! This means more experiments, of course, but that's how science progresses. Compared to particle physics, experimental finance is incredibly cheap, and has potentially enormous consequences for human welfare (and for your pocketbook).

Of course, even though the "external validity" problem is reduced when asking about individual behavior, it is not eliminated. Real-world traders, even if they lack experience and sophisticated tools, often have huge amounts of time at their disposal and are playing for big stakes. These are critiques that future experiments will partially address, and eventually the results of experiments will have to make testable predictions about large empirical datasets. But the future for this sort of work looks bright. I think that one thing we need to do is to move beyond the simple setup pioneered by Vernon Smith, and create laboratory markets that can capture a wider array of phenomena (a view shared by Jorg Oechssler?of the University of Heidelberg). This is one thing that I plan to work on while at Stony Brook next year.

Source: http://noahpinionblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/behavioral-finance-people-are-doing.html

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Have a go with Trilegiant corporation after which you can reveal ...

March 26th, 2012 | admin

Right consequently, I want to talk with a small amount in regards to this easily may perhaps. Maybe there is things being done. Certainly, we do look like they?re coaching potential fans and patrons, and tend to be not any longer can be na?ve related to a lot of the fraudulence on the market web based. As well, my computer software businesses can be superior available at shielding you and me as well. Then why not these Federal trade commission you may. Positive, they can several Authority, as they are often telling united states the important things these are generally apparently conducting to halt identity theft. Continue to, I truly do have trouble with these Federal trade commission producing an article upon Nat Lipman the fact that affirms the fact that shortage of finance inside their business will result in additional identity theft, knowning that with out the finance this challenge will increase. The particular Federal trade commission hasn?t already become your tackle for this evidently given that the trouble still exist. The moment they went after Junk, made it happen halt.

Would it be straight to settle on over the Federal trade commission and solitary individuals out. Positive, they?re going approximately conducting the fact that to the business community regularly, sometime they should be stroll their particular connect, yet they do not, practically all many of us might be puffery, and fake and unreliable advertising products, this is their explanation expect an increased amount of my taxpayer?s finances not are you presently really serious. There? erinarians peanuts you could do in regards to this, with the exception that to help restriction the businesses to you personally deal with to the most effective. Maintain ones range of business anyone write about ones own economic details to the smallest. In no way answer to phishing e mail messages. It is really an message seems very like that you could without breaking the law acquire from a organization you?ve got or even may perhaps sell to. Please don?t answer to these kinds of e mail messages. Please don?t select the backlinks to your site. If you believe it is valid arehorrified to find that these information belonging to the bank separately and become face to face individuals on your own.

You ought to have your whole personal space surroundings set to the the majority independent. Naturally, it?s not necassary to offer years, address and phone number details in the least unless amusing and trivial very important that you? t love to perform with that. For example, your animal?s name or even family tree mother initial name, for example. Avoid the use of ones own message I . d . for just about any additional important data. In some situations, where a powerful bank currently has ones own range, and wishes to test it all, you can often simply just provide the ultimate several digits, and that is certainly adequate. Or simply been expected ones own postal code to make sure a charge card choose. If someone has ones own start in your handle, and they also acquire ones own mastercard on your own, they are able fraudulently go shopping.

They can could not are already allowed to free of ones own handle. It is really an instance of information on how crooks could processor away from you and your identity details as a result of several facets, and unite several products to help acquire away from you. Trying to keep ones own important papers in a very attach field just for trilegiant identity theft is a superb place to start, there are currently done this. To consider the fact that out of date owner?s licenses, while ineffective to you personally in a very traffic flight issue, will be exceedingly important in an identity thief, this means you have to be attempting to keep these kinds of on your own attach field as well. Recent and out of date papers that is while in the attach field can be Societal Protection homemade cards, us passports, any papers related to citizenship or even post degree residency standing, start and demise certifications, and anything else that could possibly have ones own Ss #, birthday, an additional vulnerable details. They often use the information you have to open up different data and obtain credit card on your own name. The particular problematic item related to use theft is it is hard conscious what has came about given that the every month payments phrases move in which these imposter would love. Identity theft became one really standard villain accidents throughout North america. This kind of theft mostly is the place somebody normally requires having private information for instance your own name, handle, ss #, credit card and/or driving license and other info. Credit ratings identity theft is the place somebody employs the information you have to put together credit, services or goods and won?t settle the debts.

Being credit throughout somebody else?s name can be another method that identity crooks could achieve finances. With the collection about charges these victim?s loan can often be in a harmful way damaged. This particular identity theft one among the high risk manner mainly because of the thief?s capability shift prevailing health related court records that will sometimes wind up being debilitating for any casualty, as well as regretably the most challenging theft to follow, halt and repair. They use these victim?s details so that your transgression will not be visible on their particular listing and rather over the victim?s. In this case should get might granted for a court, you may be detained and result spending some throughout arrest for that transgression anyone did not devote.

Within this you piece of i . d ., your false specific can obtain additional private information to help truth these identity. Usually your thief takes details as a result of distinct afflicted people and unite it all to brew a different identity. Usually practically all afflicted people exactly where details may be collected and used in the recent identity will probably in a harmful way suffer, however some even more than other folks. Synthetic personal information will be fully manufactured for some patients nevertheless a typical device is for the legitimate Social security number range. This particular theft is a lot more tough to find given that the perpetrators credit profile is hard to follow and have. Identity theft is getting a well known transgression nationwide. Cases mostly focus on titles, address, bank account details, mastercard details, etc ..

The moment somebody has lost ones own identity, they can take on ones own economic identity. Normally, this consists of expending finances free of anyone finding out. It?s tricky to help commit to memory mobile, bank account figures, bookmarks and personal reliability figures the fact that generally discover elect to come up with individuals regarding certificates. Life style slack and ill advised to go out of ones own message membership wide open after you get out of. That isn?t consequently an act about paranoia nevertheless about precaution. Seen of individuals who could possibly not any longer connection their unique e mail messages basically because they mistakenly left individuals wide open. There have been quite a few scenarios in addition to these rather more serious could happen.

Have more computer virus software applications as well. This will likely help you evade online symptoms. Be mindful of each time saving documents or even setting up plans, simply because a number of them could possibly include spywares. When your budget should get lost, you might want to terminate all your credit and debit cards straightaway. Canceling individuals could be fast should you provide the expected details with out a trouble. A lot of these occurrences you can do ages following on from the baby?s identity might be lost. Loan creditors haven?t any means for having the day of whomever applying for credit scores. The knowledge over the use upon trilegiant identity theft protection is usually popular due to virtually nothing examination right into the country?s clarity. It is vital that dad and mom stay in meticulous throughout shielding their unique childrens identity. Dads and moms should likewise submit your criminal arrest report guaranteeing that you can find a lot of listing helping these dad?s or mom?s assertion that the baby?s identity may be lost.

A lot of these papers have to be held at your home in a very safe and sound spot possibly in a good downpayment field. Ultimately, look out just for indicators that you?ve a condition, for instance taking mastercard software on your own baby?s name while in the send. If you?ve identified one self requiring identity theft protection, it is vital that anyone function fast and become a legal practitioner due to encounter and skill set in this region belonging to the legal. A legal counsel worried about identity theft protection scenarios will see several movement concerning an individual?s potential clients. Naturally much like of all sorts about villain legal a lot of potential clients will likely be angelic but some will likely not. Naturally, this won?t sometimes start to think about the a variety of different types of identity theft so there are really. This is due to a variety of varieties the fact that information joining up to keep up with these prohibits. No matter how dreary it might seem your state style, signing on with a wonderful legal practitioner could liven these stones. There is little or nothing you could do to avoid jail time.

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Source: http://alarmhungary.com/have-a-go-with-trilegiant-corporation-after-which-you-can-reveal-consequences-along-with-us.dhtml

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Video: Wife: Shooter ?loves children?

U.S. officials paid $50,000 to the Afghan families of the dead. Meantime, Karilyn Bales tells Today?s Matt Lauer that her husband ?is like a big kid.? NBC?s John Yang reports.

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46850323/

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How Come Over 87% Of Businesses Not Succeed? No Strategic ...

Web-based-sales-and-marketing-service

How Come Over 87% Of Businesses Not Succeed? No Strategic Planning Is Most Likely The Answer

Article by Lynda Moore

A businessman who was rushed off his feet said, ?Strategic planning? No time for that.? How true ? he was overwhelmed and the reason that he was so busy is precisely that he had chosen not to undertake a strategic planning process. It is like the chicken and the egg ? business owners are too busy to consider any planning yet without planning they will stay overwhelmed. To be clear; busy is not the same as successful or profitable.

Does your company stand out from the competition?Many business people are action-takers who just desire to get on with the job. They commonly feel that ?planning? is something that big corporations are able to do as lots of people who can do it. They know who to sell to ? ?everyone? and why people buy from them ? ?quality and low price?. With those two ideas, the business is just like the vast majority of the competitors in the market which means they do not stand out.

Without a well developed strategic or business plan, that company will rarely be more anything other than a job. There may be some staff but the firm is likely to have lower sales than it could, be less profitable than it should be and be less efficient than is necessary.

Put simply, a good strategic planning framework will identify the ideal market to target (not ?everyone?), how to position your company in the market so that you are not cheap and the key, the systems to make it more effective.

What is business strategic planningA large problem for company execs in starting a planning process is not fully understanding what they should do or how to go about developing the strategic plan. Usually they went into business based on a profession they had learned. However business planning is not taught in schools therefore most managers have very little understanding of the principles or business models they can use.

Other issues are that most owners are too close to their company and have an emotional attachment to it to take an objective view of the market and the way of providing the product to that market. So the ideal approach is to invest in a strategic planning consulting service.

What can a strategic planning consultant do?Good business consultants will help the owners and executives through a strategy planning process employing proven planning tools and models.

These can show the core skills of the company and how you can be different from the other players in your market. Bear in mind that there are many other firms that provide a almost the same product or service so simply claiming you are the best at plumbing, financial planner or tyre fitter does not make you stand out.

The planning tools will help narrow down your market from ?everyone? to one where you can stand out as the specialist in that market for example a plumber for office blocks, a financial planner for owners of businesses with sales less than m or a tyre shop for performance cars. Suddenly, your potential customers will recognise you as the go-to business for that service and you are competing in a much less crowded market place.

The final element to a successful strategic plan and this is what the action-taking business owners want to hear, is the execution plan.

It is no point having a brilliant plan if no-one implements it.

A mediocre plan well executed will outweigh an excellent plan poorly implemented.

Therefore a critical component of a business planning process is to assess resources to see if they can fulfill the goals and objectives.? Is there sufficient plant?? Are your staff trained properly?? Do you have enough funding?? Does the plan make a good rate of return?

The last part of the plan is measurement? With no measuring you have no idea of your advancement.

Effective businesses have one feature in commonAll of those factors ? discovering your target market, positioning the business as the first option in that market and a well resourced action plan ? are the bedrock to a profitable business.

A great strategic plan will not guarantee you a profitable business. But without a strategic plan, you are certain to fail.

About the Author

Lynda Moore helps business owners get more from life by getting more from their business and their relationships. She qualified and practiced as an accountant in New Zealand and in recent times she has studied psychology at Auckland University and uses both skills for better strategic planning and succession planning. For more information, visit http://quantumsolutions.co.nz

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Officials Say Arctic Nations Not Prepared for Oil Spill

Story Created: Mar 23, 2012 at 10:22 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Mar 23, 2012 at 10:22 AM AKDT

GIRDWOOD - Representatives from the eight countries of the Arctic Council met in Girdwood for three days this week to work on an oil spill response plan.

The U.S. co-chairman and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, Ambassador David Balton, says, as a group, Arctic nations are not as prepared as they should be to respond to a spill.

?The large likelihood is major spills will occur within areas under the jurisdiction of one country or another, but there could also be spills that span a border between countries," said Balton.

Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States are discussing the details of an agreement ? including whether it will be legally binding.

Having an international agreement on how to jointly respond to an oil spill in the Arctic is becoming all the more important with increased shipping, especially through the Bering Strait.

But it?s not just a spill from a vessel that countries are planning for.

"[It?s] oil spills from any source that could affect the marine environment,? said Balton.

?So shipping and drilling certainly will be covered. If there is a spill from a pipeline on land that is heading towards the ocean that would be covered too."

The agreement will also cover oil-holding facilities.

Lessons learned from the BP oil disaster of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico are being addressed.

?One of the challenges we faced in that spill was the ability to bring in equipment from other nations,? said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Cari Thomas.

The U.S. delegation says it?s learning from other nations about how to better prepare for a spill.

?Norway and Russia are probably further along than the United States in dealing with prospects of serious oil spills in the north,? said Ambassador Balton.

Alaska?s? Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell says he hopes joint exercises with the Arctic nations will expose the gaps and deficiencies the U.S. has in its ability to respond to an oil spill.

?In terms of getting the tug equipment there [to a spill in the Arctic] or in the Aleutians, we are naked in the north.?
?

Source: http://www.ktva.com/home/outbound-xml-feeds/Officials-Say-Arctic-Nations-Not-Prepared-for-Oil-Spill-144000876.html

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Dairy cows have individual temperaments

ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2012) ? From a young age, dairy cows react differently from each other to stimuli from their surroundings. An animal's temperament determines how it reacts in stressful situations, but may also influence its general health. In the future, temperament could be bred as a selective trait to improve the robustness and wellbeing of dairy cows.

This is the conclusion reached by zootechnician Kees van Reenen, who will receive a PhD from the University of Groningen on 30 March 2012.

Van Reenen studied black-and-white Holstein-Friesian cows as they developed from calf to cow. He carried out behavioural tests and physiological examinations in order to determine how the animals react to external stimuli. He focused on the following, among others: fear responses, lowing (vocalization), stamping, pulse and the release of cortisol as the external characteristics of underlying traits -- including timidity, the need for social contact and movement -- that, taken together, determine the temperament.

Jerry can

In order to study the differences in the reactions, Van Reenen subjected the animals to potentially stressful situations, namely securing them with a halter for a short period, separating them from the rest of the herd, and confronting them with a person or unfamiliar object. The unfamiliar object he used was a jerry can. 'In this test, the calf or cow enters an empty room in which, after a few minutes, a coloured jerry can appears using a pulley', Van Reenen explains. The differences between the animals' responses were very clear: some of them made contact with the jerry can after just a few seconds, while others didn't dare to approach it at all during the ten-minute test.'

Anxiolytic drug

Van Reenen was also able to measure the fear response physiologically: the animals that investigated the jerry can thoroughly and for the longest time had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood than the animals that were more cautious. In order to prove that the caution was indeed a fear response, Van Reenen administered an anxiolytic drug (Brotizolam) to the animals. Van Reenen: 'The length of contact with the jerry can increased considerably in the animals that had been given an anti-anxiety drug, and the cortisol levels fell more quickly after the test.

Lowing

Although lowing could be easily interpreted as a fear response in the first instance, this was not the case. Van Reenen: 'The frequency of the lowing did not change when the Brotizolam was administered. Apart from that, calves that lowed a great deal when separated from others in the herd had a higher milk yield when they were milked for the first time later, as heifers, than the animals that were less vocal. Therefore, lowing is not a fear response, but probably a form of social behaviour: a sign that they like to be near other cows. Animals that exhibit this behaviour could benefit from social contact with other animals in stressful situations -- when they are being milked, for example.

Robustness

Notably, the differences in temperament in individual animals proved consistent throughout the research period. Van Reenen: 'This shows that temperament is a stable underlying trait in the animal. We know from research into other species, such as coal tits and rats, that temperament can influence an animal's health and wellbeing. If that also applies to dairy cows, temperament could be bred as a selective trait to produce robust animals, in the same way as traits such as good bone structure, fertility and low susceptibility to mastitis.'

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120323134531.htm

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FDA Mulls Expanding Patients' Access to Certain Drugs

THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Americans troubled by a range of ailments might someday more easily obtain medications that are now only available by prescription.

On Thursday and Friday, experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are holding hearings on whether to expand the availability of certain prescription drugs by giving them "conditional" over-the-counter, or OTC, status.

The details of the new plan are sketchy, but certain drugs used to treat such conditions as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma and migraine may no longer require a prescription.

Dispensing of these drugs would vary on a case-by-case basis and would include "conditions of safe use," possibly to be determined by the consumer with the help of a pharmacist.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions right now but we're advocating that the pharmacist would be involved with the patient as they . . . determine if the product is right for them," explained pharmacist Ronna Hauser, vice president of policy and regulatory affairs at the National Community Pharmacists Association. "The information would be relayed back to a physician if necessary."

According to Brian Gallagher, senior vice president of government affairs at the American Pharmacists Association, many of the discussions that have taken place with the FDA on the issue so far have involved emergency medications, such as asthma inhalers.

For example, he said, "if someone had already had an inhaler [prescribed] and they had it confiscated at the airport, they could go in, talk to their pharmacist who has access to medical records and get a refill on their inhaler," he said.

Farther down the road, the plan might give pharmacists the ability to screen a person who has already been diagnosed with high blood pressure by their doctor and restart them on medication if needed.

"The pharmacist could urge them to go see a physician before they get into a really bad situation," Gallagher added.

The idea behind the plan is to get millions of untreated or undertreated Americans back into the health care system, experts said.

The move is being driven partly by computer technology, such as the touch-screen kiosks found in pharmacies that help patients self-diagnose common diseases, an idea that has raised inevitable concerns about patient safety.

But the kiosks, said Gallagher, would be less for self-diagnosing than for making decisions in conjunction with a pharmacist in the drug store.

"It might say 'You need to see a doctor right away' rather than 'I've made a diagnosis. Here's some medication,'" Gallagher said.

In particular, concerns about drug interactions, specifically interactions that would lessen the effectiveness of certain cancer drugs, have been voiced.

Without knowing details of the new initiative, Diane Pinakiewicz, president of the National Patient Safety Foundation, said the intent of making it easier for patients to obtain certain types of medications for certain types of conditions is "reasonable."

"Patients today are better informed and want to play a more active role and that's what we're trying to encourage patients to do," she said. "Patient engagement is a key piece of patient care."

But coordination of care with a physician is still critical, she added.

Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, chair-elect of the American Medical Association's Council on Science and Public Health, testified at the hearing Thursday and expressed concern about the potential lack of physician involvement.

"A patient's confidence in their physician and the prescriber's emphasis on the need to take the medicine as prescribed is one of the most motivating influences in promoting medication adherence," she explained in a statement. "For a program to be successful on this front, it must be delivered by a trusted source, be personalized to the patient's situation, reinforce medical need and expected outcomes, segment and target at-risk populations and reinforce and reward initiation and maintenance of treatment," Fryhofer added.

"We also have concerns about patients taking certain drugs without physician involvement, especially for patients with chronic disease," she continued.

"While the increased availability of certain prescription-based antidotes, such as Epi-Pens [which administer adrenaline for severe allergic reaction], appear to have few if any safety concerns, the FDA has not offered evidence that patients with hypertension [high blood pressure], hyperlipidemia [high cholesterol], asthma or migraine headaches can self-diagnose and manage these serious chronic medical conditions safely on their own," Fryhofer stated.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fda-mulls-expanding-patients-access-certain-drugs-200242640.html

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car auction - STLsell St Louis Buying

How do we sort through the hundreds of car insurance quotes online? When all of them offer similar discounts, prices, and features, it seems as if your search for the cheapest quote is endless.

The solution that Aussie drivers have found when comparing car insurance quotes online is to rank them for the savings they can make on their maximum no claim bonus, excess fees, and premiums. This not only allows them to understand the large range of prices in the market, but it also helps them discover new competitors who are offering groundbreaking rates.

Insurers have caught on to this trend, and are offering further discounts for customers who purchase policies online. However, before you get that far, you need to make sure that your car insurance quote is meeting your expectations by reading their online product disclosure statements and fees guides.

Some gems that you will discover when you take the extra time and effort include extra discounts for being a safe driver, or even simply living in a certain state.

For example, the safest drivers often find no claim bonuses of up to 70 per cent on their premiums, while others may be stuck with 40 or 50 per cent. The more populated states tend to attract higher excess fees, placing New South Wales and Victoria amongst the most expensive in Australia.

Drivers looking for car insurance quotes online can use RateCity to compare features such as roadside assistance, emergency repairs, and whether there are extra costs for paying the premium monthly instead of annually.

Better yet are the national star ratings which can help you find the some of the best car insurance offers approved by experts and customers from all over Australia. These cream of the crop deals often have the lowest fees and largest range of features, and will save you hours of trawling through websites and call centres in your search for the best.

Finding the lowest car insurance quote shouldnt take you weeks or days. A few minutes online can give you a golden list of insurers that is sure to save you hundreds a year.

Source: http://stlsell.com/auction-news/car-auction-can-you-get-a-2000-mercedes-s430-or-s500-at-a-dealer-auction-for-7-8k/

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Online Donations Bring the Middle East and Africa Closer to ...

Last year, over US$290 billion in America was donated to charities, but surprisingly, less than 10% was donated online. With 240 million Internet users in the U.S., accounting for approximately 77% of the American population, the amount of online donations is surprisingly small. The good news is this figure has also been steadily increasing in the last few years. The knock-on effect is that regions far away from the U.S., such as the Middle East and Africa, could potentially benefit if the Internet can help bring international causes closer to American donors.
?Reaching large numbers of potential donors is easier and less expensive using the Internet, whether through charity websites, social networking sites, or middleware platforms, such as Causes and Crowdrise,? said Jason Wingard, vice dean of Wharton Executive Education, which now has a special team dedicated to outreach in the nonprofit, economic development and foundation sector.
Katherina M. Rosqueta, Executive Director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania, agrees, adding, ?The Internet, mobile technology, and social media have made it easier and faster for potential donors to understand the needs of communities faraway and to give to organizations serving those communities. However, the success of these tools in unlocking philanthropic capital will only be as great as their ability to give donors confidence that their funds are really making a difference.?
Social Media?s Role in Online Giving
Social media has greatly altered the landscape of online giving. The number of creative ways to harness the Internet to ?do good? is infinite. When the earthquake in Haiti hit in January 2010, text messages became an instantaneous way to donate, leading to an unusual spike in donations early on in the year when most people tend to donate toward the end of the year. The American Red Cross raised US$32 million through text messages. Roger Lowe, Red Cross spokesman said in USA Today, explained, ?It takes less time to click. You feel like you?ve made a difference immediately.?
The flamboyant, pretzel-shaped hat worn by Princess Beatrice to the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middletown was sold on eBay for an impressive US$131,652 and the money was donated to UNICEF and Children in Crisis, a British charity. The Napa Valley Vintners in California opened up their premier charity wine auction to online bidders for the first time in 31 years. The global e-auction raised nearly US$360,000 from oenophiles in China, Japan, Mexico and Europe for local charities.
GlobalGiving, a website organization, and Causes, a Facebook application, have also played major roles in using the Internet to raise funds. ?Through Facebook, Twitter, and middleware platforms, [donors] can connect with one another online, discuss the merits of a cause, rally others to donate, and see how many other people are supporting their cause,? explained Wingard.
In 2010, GlobalGiving raised US$7.1 million online, more than double what they raised online in 2009, according to Alison Carlman, spokesperson for GlobalGiving Foundation. The foundation works with 1,414 organizations around the world, using multimedia platforms to connect donors directly with charities.
?We?ve found that people feel connected to faraway projects and organizations if they understand how their contribution is valuable and will have an impact,? Carlman says. ?We enable individuals to search for projects on the site that match with their interests. When they donate to a project that resonates with them, they frequently receive a ?thank you? email sent personally by the project leaders themselves. Every three months or so, donors receive quarterly project updates that inform them how their donations have been used. Updates frequently include personal stories and photographs of the beneficiaries.?
Professor Leonard Lodish, Wharton?s Vice Dean for the Program for Social Impact, agrees that the future of online giving has some real benefits. ?The real potential is to make personal connections so people can see the result of their giving in very human terms, such as the Sponsor-a-Child campaigns. Internet can achieve that personal aspect and do it less expensively. The money can be going directly to the people who need it versus administrators, thereby reducing the operating costs,? said Lodish.
He warns, ?It?s not easy to do and there will be a lot of challenges logistically. Getting people in rural Africa to develop relationships with people in the U.S. won?t be simple. A lot of people can?t read, can?t write, or sometimes don?t have any electricity. They?ve got to do some creative stuff.?
Carlman agrees that ?basic things such as Internet connectivity and social networks in the country all play a part in whether or not projects are active on [GlobalGiving], and whether or not project leaders are successful in soliciting donations.?
However, Lodish remains optimistic. ?Technology will change. It?ll get cheaper to get connected. Wireless will become more ubiquitous in that part of the world. Maybe there will be one iPhone or iPad in the village and people can take turns doing things on the Internet.?
Digital Giving Grows
Online fundraising rose an average of 35% in 2010, according to Blackbaud, a software company for nonprofits that published the 2010 Online Giving Report. International affairs organizations experienced the biggest jump of 131% in online giving, compared to 2009, partly due to the successful campaign to solicit donations for Haiti?s earthquake recovery in early 2010.
Digital giving is also more common with college graduates under the age of 40 who have higher household incomes, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. In the wake of Japan?s disaster relief campaign in 2011, college graduates were almost equally split between donating electronically or traditionally. This is an increase from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster, where 33 % of college graduates donated traditionally while 10% donated digitally.
Almost 75% of charitable organizations used online fundraising, and 58% of those groups saw an increase in donations. Una Osili, director of research at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, explained in USA Today, ?It does take some time for organizations to make the investment in online fundraising and to learn how best to integrate that? into their donor strategy.
Integrating Online and Offline
Due to the recent economic recession, the years 2008 and 2009 saw the lowest amount of donations in more than 40 years, according to Giving USA. That figure is slowly starting to climb though. In 2010, the amount rose 3.5% and that figure is expected to rise for 2011. ?But the sobering reality is that many nonprofits are still hurting, and if giving continues to grow at that rate, it will take five to six more years just to return to the level of giving we saw before the Great Recession,? said Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, in a press release.
Personal giving accounts for the majority of donations last year, with USUS$212 billion contributed from individuals. That showed a 2.7% increase from the previous year. The statistic also exemplifies the huge, untapped potential of Internet giving since the bulk of donations come from the proverbial wallets of ordinary people.
The Nonprofit Research Collaborative, of which the Center on Philanthropy is a member, found that there wasn?t a single fundraising vehicle more effective than another. Typical methods to raise money are telephone, direct mail or email, foundation grants, special events, board members, corporate gifts, payroll contributions, planned gifts, and online.
While there is an increase in online donors, research has found that direct mail is the best method to retain donors. ?The Internet is becoming an increasingly important acquisition channel but has not proven to be as effective for retention. It is the ability of online-acquired donors to use another channel?? that is, to start giving through direct mail ? that significantly boosts the long-term value of this group of donators. The most successful organizations have integrated online and offline marketing teams and CRM systems to develop effective multichannel communication strategies that can maximize donor value,? said Rob Harris, director of analytic products at Blackbaud, in a press release.
However, the Internet is also valuable for donors to acquire information even if they don?t directly donate online. More than 65 % of donors used online or offline Internet information to research charities, according to the Kintera Luth Nonprofit Trend Report.
Carlman at GlobalGiving also found that though they were a website, some donations, especially if they were high amounts, were sent in by check. Last year, they received an additional US$3.7 million through traditional means.
Global Charity Flows
Giving to international affairs, which encompasses aid, relief, development and public policy projects, reached almost US$16 billion in 2010, according to Giving USA, a research foundation that studies philanthropy. That figure was only 5 % of the total in U.S. charitable donations, though that number has increased 15.3% from the previous year.
In spite of the rise of online giving, the Internet may never becoming the primary vehicle for fundraising in the U.S. Wingard notes that ?about half of the US$290 billion raised last year was given to religious and educational institutions, which are less likely to take donations online.? Religious contributions comprise of less than 5 % of all online donations. ?Electronic tithing and offerings are relatively new. Colleges and universities also continue to direct the majority of their development efforts through traditional means,? said Wingard. ?Until churches and schools increase online giving, that gap will remain,? he added.
Before the Great Recession, from 1987 to 2006, donations to international affairs organizations were steadily increasing at a rate of 9.1% annually. On average, households gave approximately US$18 annually to international affairs in 1988. Ten years later in 2008, the average household contribution rose to US$114 annually, according to Giving USA?s estimate. The recent financial recession shook that trend to the core.
In the international affairs sector, organizations devoted to ending global poverty seem to be benefitting the most. This initiative is carried out through causes that support agriculture, microfinance, as well as women?s health and education. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a public-private partnership organization in Africa devoted to helping small farmers increase their yield and adapt to climate change, has received a substantial amount of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Recent conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan have spurred celebrities like George Clooney, Ben Affleck and Mick Jagger to create media campaigns to raise money for people affected by the violence.
GlobalGiving found that approximately a quarter of their online donations went to projects in Africa in the last three years. Though the percentage has stayed roughly the same, the amount of dollars has grown from US$530,000 in 2008 to US$1.6 million in 2010, illustrating that more and more funds can be funneled directly to Africa as digital giving becomes more accepted.
The Middle East received only 1% of the online donations through GlobalGiving as charities in Israel and Palestine were the three most popular charities, according to Carlman.
That was the same in the case of corporate giving where the Middle East was the region least likely to benefit, according to the 2008 Corporate Contributions Report. Only 1% was donated to that region, while Europe benefitted the most, receiving 26% of corporate international giving.
However, Carlman cautions that GlobalGiving?s statistics may not be a ?solid indicator of global or philanthropic trends. They could be attributed to changes in our business model.? For instance, their chief project officer is in Nigeria, signing up new organizations to GlobalGiving. So in 2012, there might be more donations going to Africa but ?it wouldn?t necessarily be accurate to say that there are changes in donor attitudes toward Nigerian projects because the change would actually be attributed to a change in the number of projects available on our site,? explained Carlman.
Continued Growth Expected
?Transparency and individual empowerment are two key factors in building and maintaining meaningful relationships via the Internet,? said Wingard. Both of these aspects could increase online giving to Africa and the Middle East. ?Whether online donations will ever account for the majority of donations remains to be seen, but evidence points to continued, robust growth,? said Wingard.
Though the Center on Philanthropy notes that 80% of American donations go to local communities and churches, Wingard notes that the response to foreign disasters, such as the Japan tsunami and the Haitian earthquake, ?reflect American generosity in the face of international crises.?
He added, ?The keys to tapping into that generosity are the same as they are for any other Internet fundraising effort: appealing to values and beliefs, and providing a relationship between the donor and the cause.?
This article was initially published November, 2011 on Arabic Knowledge@Wharton.

from Wamda http://www.wamda.com/2012/03/online-donations-bring-the-middle-east-and-africa-closer-to-american-donors

Source: http://rakan.me/2012/03/22/online-donations-bring-the-middle-east-and-africa-closer-to-american-donors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=online-donations-bring-the-middle-east-and-africa-closer-to-american-donors

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Verizon updates Revolution with Remote Diagnostics, HTC turns to LogMeIn

Both Verizon and HTC are experimenting with remote diagnostics and tech support. Big Red will be offering the tool to owners of the LG Revolution first. The VS910ZV8 update delivers a number of changes, but the most notable new feature is the integration of Verizon Remote Diagnostics. Now, when a customer calls support, the technician (or script follower, as the case may be) on the other side can take control of the user's device to troubleshoot or demo apps. And, just in case you're paranoid about handing over the keys to your handset, the tool only collects info such as battery temp, OS version and what apps are installed -- your contacts and other personal data are safe from prying eyes. HTC plans to offer similar capabilities on its phones, but through LogMeIn Rescue. Future handsets from the company will come with the app preinstalled so that HTC's own technicians can diagnose issues and tweak settings. For more details on the Revolution update hit up the source link and check out the PR after the break for the low down on HTC's initiative.

Continue reading Verizon updates Revolution with Remote Diagnostics, HTC turns to LogMeIn

Verizon updates Revolution with Remote Diagnostics, HTC turns to LogMeIn originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/20/verizon-updates-revolution-with-remote-diagnostics-htc-turns-to/

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Facebook's dark side

ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2012) ? When Darth Vader was introduced as the dark side of the Force in the first installment of the original trilogy, "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" (1977), Christopher Carpenter, the 30-year old assistant professor of communication at Western Illinois University, was not yet born.

Now, Carpenter is getting worldwide news coverage for his study of the "dark side," but on the timely subject of Facebook.

Carpenter's study, "Narcissism on Facebook: Self-promotional and Anti-social Behavior," is published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

Narcissism is defined in this study as "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration and an exaggerated sense of self-importance," Carpenter said.

For the average narcissist, Facebook "offers a gateway for hundreds of shallow relationships and emotionally detached communication." More importantly, for this study, social networking in general allows the user a great deal of control over how he or she is presented to and perceived by peers and other users, he added.

The narcissistic personality inventory (NPI) survey sample included 292 individuals, which measured self-promoting Facebook behaviors, such as posting status updates, photos of oneself and updating profile information; and several anti-social behaviors, including seeking social support more than providing it, getting angry when others do not comment on status updates and retaliating against negative comments.

Carpenter's research methods class emailed people they knew and asked them to complete the survey. Approximately 75 percent of respondents were college students, he said.

He hypothesized the grandiose exhibitionism (GE) subscale of the NPI would predict the self-promoting behaviors. The entitlement/exploitativeness (EE) subscale was hypothesized to predict the anti-social behaviors. GE includes vanity, superiority, self-absorption and exhibitionistic tendencies. EE includes a sense of deserving respect and a willingness to manipulate and take advantage of others, Carpenter explained.

Results showed grandiose exhibitionism correlated with self-promotion and entitlement/exploitativeness correlated with anti-social behaviors on Facebook. Self-esteem was unrelated to self-promotion behaviors and it was negatively associated with some anti-social behaviors (i.e. self-esteem was related to less of these anti-social behaviors).

"If Facebook is to be a place where people go to repair their damaged ego and seek social support, it is vitally important to discover the potentially negative communication one might find on Facebook and the kinds of people likely to engage in them. Ideally, people will engage in pro-social Facebooking rather than anti-social me-booking.

"In general, the 'dark side' of Facebook requires more research in order to better understand Facebook's socially beneficial and harmful aspects in order to enhance the former and curtail the latter," added Carpenter, who joined the Western Illinois University communication department in Fall 2010.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Western Illinois University, via Newswise.

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Journal Reference:

1. Christopher J. Carpenter. Narcissism on Facebook: Self-promotional and anti-social behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 2012; 52 (4): 482 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.011

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120319194046.htm

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