You'll want to "#FF" ?- that's "follow Friday" for the non-Twitter crowd - the first family today as they fly off for a frenzy of fundraisers, with First Lady Michelle Obama landing in Minneapolis and President Obama in Chicago and Atlanta.
The six events combined should net at least $5.6 million for Democrats and the president's re-election campaign, according to estimates provided by an Obama campaign official.
Mrs. Obama will host an afternoon reception with 350 supporters in Minneapolis at the Walker Art Center. The invitation for the event lists tickets starting at $250 to attend and up to $10,000 to mingle with Obama and take a photo with her.
Meanwhile, the president will start his day in Chicago, headlining reception at the Palmer House Hilton with more than 600 guests. Tickets for the event start at $2,500, a campaign official said. Obama will then head behind closed doors for an intimate roundtable discussion with 60 supporters who have each cut checks for $10,000.
Flying south to Atlanta, Obama will then hobnob with donors into the evening at three fundraisers tailored to the African-American community.
Seventy-five supporters will mingle with the president at an as yet undisclosed private Atlanta residence, where tickets were $10,000 apiece.?Then he'll join a star-studded concert featuring CeeLo Green at the Tyler Perry Studios, where at least 1,000 Obama fans are expected in the crowd, an official said. Each paid $500 or more.
Before returning to Washington, Obama will visit the home of actor and director Tyler Perry, who's hosting the ritziest party of the night at $35,800 per head.?At least 60 people are expected to attend to toast the president.
All proceeds from the six events benefit the Obama Victory Fund, a joint account that funnels cash to the Obama campaign and Democratic National Committee, the official said. The first $5,000 of an individual's contribution goes to Obama while the remainder - up to $30,800 - goes to the DNC.
The president's events raise to 40 his total attended for the year and 107 his total for the cycle.?The first lady's event is her 17 th fundraiser of the year.
If you?ve previously dealt with an online business or even subscribed to an newsletter or other service on the Internet before, you?ve more than likely received an email from an auto responder. Although you might not have recognized it during the time, it was probably an e-mail letting you know that the person you were attempting to reach isn?t available. Even though it looks that someone else sent the message, it was without a doubt sent from the auto responder.
Although auto-responders are fantastic for letting other individuals know that you are away, they are a lot more useful when used like a marketing tool. If you?ve considered selling products or services on-line or if you already own your own business, you could greatly take advantage of autoresponders. In the world of Online marketing ? few tools and programs can easily contend with an email autoresponder.
As many Internet marketers know, autoresponders are an effortless way to put your business on autopilot and also multiply yourself. With an autoresponder, just simply create your preset messages, and select the schedule that each individual communication will go out. When messages go out is totally up to you, you can send them out on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. You can also use as many messages as you desire, and also know without a shadow of a doubt that they will go out to those on your customer list when they are supposed to.
Best of all, you don?t even need to touch it. This can help you save a lot of time, as your autoresponder will handle virtually all of your email tasks. It will follow up with your clients also, helping you save lots of time. If you needed to follow up with each one of your customers on your own, it could cost a lot of your time that you could easily be making use of for other things; even spending time with your family.
Even if your business doesn?t have a lot of site visitors currently, an autoresponder can still help you out. Even though you might not exactly think so, it could do a world of magic. No matter how many website visitors you have, it is wise to strive to collect all the opt-ins that you can. The most effective way to do this is as simple as providing high quality services that will keep the guests interested. If you keep all of them intrigued, they?ll gladly sign up to your list with their email along with their name, so you can make contact with them with future offers. Although, you may be beginning small, your opt-in list may get really huge before long.
After your list has grown, it?ll easily be probably the most valued assets of your entire company. In order for the list to grow, you?ll should answer emails regarding your products, services, company, and what you can do for your customers. You don?t need to spend all day doing this any more, as you can leave every thing to your email autoresponder. Your auto responder can answer all your email inquiries and provide customers what they want ? which can help your company develop.
Practically all autoresponders allows you to send broadcast mail messages to your whole customer list. They will also let you stay in touch with your visitors and create connections that can keep your consumers coming back. No matter how big is or how modest your company may be: an autoresponder is certainly one investment that is worth your hard earned money.
Turnkeypages can build a fantastic turnkey website that?s filled up with content, user friendly and maintain! You?ll find numerous niche websites to select from or we can create one for you.
Internet Marketing resources for you:
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Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws are undergoing their biggest overhaul in a generation with the introduction of nationally harmonised legislation in 2012. Here?s what you need to do to get your business ready.
The new model Work Health and Safety Acts (WHS) came into effect on 1 January 2012 (with the exception of Victoria and Western Australia who are likely to defer implementation until later this year.) It is crucial that organisations recognise the changes that will be made and start reviewing all practices and documentation such as contracts, policies and procedures now.
Essentially, what this all means is that each of the current state and territory OHS laws will be replaced by national laws based on a model WHS Act. Previously, there were eight jurisdictions with different sets of laws, so the most obvious advantage is consistency of laws across Australia and a more streamlined approach to the way OHS is regulated here.
The changes are reflected through:
the WHS Act, which sets out legal obligations
WHS regulations, which provide detail on how certain sections of the Act should be implemented
Codes of Practice, which are practical guides for businesses and workers to achieve the necessary standard of work health and safety.
Codes of Practice provide detailed information on particular areas of the Act or regulations, and may outline activities, actions, technical requirements, responsibilities and responses to events or conditions within a workplace to assist organisations ensure they are upholding their responsibilities and obligations under the Act.
Basic facts about the new model WHS:
there are new roles and responsibilities for employers
there are new wording and definition changes under the new WHS
there are critical changes under the new Act in regards to consultation
there are changes to union rights of entry
there is protection from discrimination, coercion and? misrepresentation under the new WHS which is new to some states
there will be new penalties for breaches of the WHS
new roles and responsibilities will be created for health and safety representatives (HSRs)under the new WHS.
What is changing for workers?
The traditional relationship between the employer and employee under the current OHS Act is broadened to cover the range of differing employment relationships.
The new WHS Act applies the overriding principle that workers and other persons should, so far as is reasonably practical, be given the highest level of protection against harm to their health, safety and welfare from hazards and risks arising from work.
New wording and definition changes under the new WHS
The term employer will be replaced with the acronym PCBU. A PCBU is a person conducting a business or undertaking alone or with others. A PCBU can be a corporation, an association, a partnership or sole trader.
The duty of a PCBU is to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of workers whose activities in carrying out work are influenced or directed by the PCBU.
The concept of reasonable practicality, in particular with risk mitigation is of upmost importance. The model regulations ensure PCBUs eliminate, as far as is practicable, all risk to the safety of workers. The logic being, there is no better way to ensure the health and safety of workers than to eliminate risk entirely. This is of course not always possible, but elimination should always be considered as the first course of action, and then ruled out if not practicable.
Worker replaces the term employee. This is anyone who carries out work for a PCBU and includes an employee, a contractor or sub contractor, an employee of a contractor or sub contractor, an employee of a labour hire company, apprentice or trainee, student on work experience, outworker and volunteer.
A worker has the duty to take care for his/her own safety, the safety of others, comply with any reasonable instruction from the PCBU, so far as reasonably able and cooperate with all reasonable policies and procedures of the PCBU.
An officer is a person who makes decisions or participates in making decisions that affect the whole or a substantial part of a business. A person responsible only for implementing, not making decisions will not be an officer.
Directors and officers were previously liable for OHS offences committed by the corporation. Under the new legislation, this provision has been replaced with a positive duty on officers to exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBU complies with its duties under the model legislation.
For anyone that falls under this category of officer the key requirements are that they must:
acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge on OHS matters within the business undertaking
gain an understanding of the nature of the business and the risks and hazards that occur within that business unit
ensure appropriate resources and processes are available to people working in this business unit to eliminate or minimise risk
ensure the business unit has appropriate processes in place for receiving and reviewing information about incidents, hazards and risks that apply in a timely way
ensure that the business unit has all necessary resources to comply with their duties under the new Act
put in place a mechanism to verify that the resources and processes put in place are working.
10 tips for small business owners to comply
1. Identify changes between the existing OHS Act and the model WHS Act to understand what needs to change, and what can stay the same in order to achieve compliance.
2. Review organisational structure to determine where responsibility for WHS lies.
3. Review policies, procedures and consultation processes to ensure that not only are they compliant, but that terminology used is consistent with the new Act.
4. Identify the stakeholders within your organisation. For example, workers, which again must go back to the expanded definition, officers and those responsible for the implementation of safety initiatives.
5. Review contracts with relevant third parties such as suppliers of plant equipment or labour to address and to clarify respective obligations.
6. Review your consultation arrangements to determine:
- If you are consulting with all required parties, again coming back to the expanded definition of workers
-? And to establish whether you need to elect health and safety representatives (HSRs) for identified workgroups, or if existing alternative arrangements are practicable.
7. Review your procedures to ensure that you protect against engaging in discriminatory conduct against a worker who raises a health and safety issue.
8. Review the new regulations and codes of practice to determine what changes will need to be made to your safety systems.
9. Check for transitional arrangements in your state or territory. Transition will cover such things training requirements for health and safety representatives.
10. If you are unsure of anything seek legal advice to avoid non-compliance.
???Patricia Ryan is the practice manager of EI Legal and a solicitor with more than 30 years? experience.
Every cell is enclosed by a thin double layer of lipids that separates the distinct internal environment of the cell from the extracellular space. Damage to this lipid bilayer, also referred to as plasma membrane, disturbs the cellular functions and may lead to the death of the cell. For example, downhill walking tears many little holes into the plasma membranes of the muscle cells in our legs. To prevent irreparable damage, muscle cells have efficient systems to seal these holes again. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Heidelberg University have succeeded for the first time in observing membrane repair in real-time in a living organism.
The results were published in the recent issue of the journal Developmental Cell. Using a novel high-resolution imaging method, Prof. Uwe Str?hle and Dr. Urmas Roostalu for the first time observed membrane repair in real time in a living animal. They tagged repair proteins with fluorescent proteins in muscle of the transparent zebrafish larvae. With a laser, the researchers burned tiny holes into the plasma membrane of muscle cells and followed the repair of the holes under the microscope. They showed that membrane vesicles together with two proteins Dysferlin and Annexin A6 rapidly form a repair patch. Other Annexins accumulate subsequently on the injured membrane. These studies by Karlsruhe and Heidelberg researchers suggest that the cell assembles a multilayered repair patch from the inside that seals off the cell's interior from the extracellular environment. Moreover, it was found that there is a specialized membrane area that supplies rapidly the membrane that is needed for sealing the plasma membrane hole.
This animal model for membrane repair will contribute to the identification of new proteins in this sealing process and will help elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results may contribute to the development of therapies for human myopathies and open up new possibilities in biotechnology.
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Urmas Roostalu, Uwe Str?hle: In Vivo Imaging of Molecular Interactions at Damaged Sarcolemma; Developmental Cell, 13 March 2012, Volume 22, Issue 3. http://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/current
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres: http://www.helmholtz.de/en/index.html
Thanks to Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres 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.
New study shines light on barriers to diabetes care in NYC Bangladeshi communityPublic release date: 14-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christopher Rucas Christopher.Rucas@nyumc.org 212-404-3525 NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine
NEW YORK, March 14, 2012 A new research survey conducted by the Center for the Study of Asian American Health at NYU Langone Medical Center shows the Bangladeshi community in New York City experiences numerous barriers to diabetes care because of limited English proficiency and lack of diabetes awareness. The study, published in the March 2012 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, also found the Bangladeshi community has an interest in participating in community health programs for diabetes prevention and care.
"We need to improve diabetes prevention, and disease management through community-level, culturally tailored interventions among Bangladeshi patients in New York City," said lead author Nadia Islam, PhD, and principal investigator of the NIH-funded study. "Our new study provides important insight into health disparities in the Bangladeshi community. This study represents the first attempt to document diabetes prevalence and disease management in this population."
New York City is home to the largest Bangladeshi population in the United States with 28,000 community members. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Bangladeshi community is the fastest growing Asian American subgroup in the U.S. High rates of diabetes have been documented in the Bangladeshi populations located in England and Canada but current health data about the U.S. Bangladeshi population has been limited.
To gain an in-depth understanding of barriers to diabetes care researchers conducted focus groups with 47 Bangladeshi women and men living in New York City and surveys with 169 Bangladeshi community members. In the study, researchers found 26 percent of respondents had diabetes. Of those with diabetes, 95 percent of respondents did not know about an important blood test used to determine how well a person's diabetes is controlled. In addition, "one-third of respondents reported never reading calorie labels to choose more nutritious food, and the majority of study participants did not report consuming the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day or engaging in structured physical exercise." The study identified the majority of responders had low rates of English proficiency, annual income less than $25,000, sedentary occupations and difficulty navigating the health care system. Additional barriers include the overconsumption of traditional Bengali meals high in fat and red meat and the lack of time to cook healthy meals at home. However, study results show a high willingness among survey responders to participate in community health programs.
"We need to reduce healthcare disparities in the Bangladeshi community," said Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DrPH, co-principal investigator for the Center for the Study of Asian American Health at NYU Langone. "There are many challenges the Bangladeshi community faces and we need to address these barriers and increase awareness about diabetes and the importance of practicing a healthy lifestyle. Community health programs and workers can help play a diverse role in improving this community's health to engage the community with necessary health information, social support and assistance navigating the health care system to improve care among this population of Asian Americans."
###
This study was supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About NYU Langone Medical Center
NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class patient-centered integrated academic medical center, is one of the nation's premier centers for excellence in health care, biomedical research, and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is comprised of three hospitalsTisch Hospital, a 705-bed acute-care tertiary facility, Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first rehabilitation hospital in the world, with 174 beds and extensive outpatient rehabilitation programs, and the 190-bed Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the world dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatologyplus the NYU School of Medicine, one of the nation's preeminent academic institutions. For more information, visit http://www.med.nyu.edu/.
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New study shines light on barriers to diabetes care in NYC Bangladeshi communityPublic release date: 14-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christopher Rucas Christopher.Rucas@nyumc.org 212-404-3525 NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine
NEW YORK, March 14, 2012 A new research survey conducted by the Center for the Study of Asian American Health at NYU Langone Medical Center shows the Bangladeshi community in New York City experiences numerous barriers to diabetes care because of limited English proficiency and lack of diabetes awareness. The study, published in the March 2012 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, also found the Bangladeshi community has an interest in participating in community health programs for diabetes prevention and care.
"We need to improve diabetes prevention, and disease management through community-level, culturally tailored interventions among Bangladeshi patients in New York City," said lead author Nadia Islam, PhD, and principal investigator of the NIH-funded study. "Our new study provides important insight into health disparities in the Bangladeshi community. This study represents the first attempt to document diabetes prevalence and disease management in this population."
New York City is home to the largest Bangladeshi population in the United States with 28,000 community members. According to the United States Census Bureau, the Bangladeshi community is the fastest growing Asian American subgroup in the U.S. High rates of diabetes have been documented in the Bangladeshi populations located in England and Canada but current health data about the U.S. Bangladeshi population has been limited.
To gain an in-depth understanding of barriers to diabetes care researchers conducted focus groups with 47 Bangladeshi women and men living in New York City and surveys with 169 Bangladeshi community members. In the study, researchers found 26 percent of respondents had diabetes. Of those with diabetes, 95 percent of respondents did not know about an important blood test used to determine how well a person's diabetes is controlled. In addition, "one-third of respondents reported never reading calorie labels to choose more nutritious food, and the majority of study participants did not report consuming the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day or engaging in structured physical exercise." The study identified the majority of responders had low rates of English proficiency, annual income less than $25,000, sedentary occupations and difficulty navigating the health care system. Additional barriers include the overconsumption of traditional Bengali meals high in fat and red meat and the lack of time to cook healthy meals at home. However, study results show a high willingness among survey responders to participate in community health programs.
"We need to reduce healthcare disparities in the Bangladeshi community," said Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DrPH, co-principal investigator for the Center for the Study of Asian American Health at NYU Langone. "There are many challenges the Bangladeshi community faces and we need to address these barriers and increase awareness about diabetes and the importance of practicing a healthy lifestyle. Community health programs and workers can help play a diverse role in improving this community's health to engage the community with necessary health information, social support and assistance navigating the health care system to improve care among this population of Asian Americans."
###
This study was supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About NYU Langone Medical Center
NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class patient-centered integrated academic medical center, is one of the nation's premier centers for excellence in health care, biomedical research, and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is comprised of three hospitalsTisch Hospital, a 705-bed acute-care tertiary facility, Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first rehabilitation hospital in the world, with 174 beds and extensive outpatient rehabilitation programs, and the 190-bed Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the world dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatologyplus the NYU School of Medicine, one of the nation's preeminent academic institutions. For more information, visit http://www.med.nyu.edu/.
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
What we don?t know is why Ravi acted so badly. In the prosecution?s version of the story, he is a criminal gay-basher. In the defense?s version, he is stupid and immature, a newbie freshman reacting to the ?shocking experience? of his gay roommate?s hook-up with a ?scruffy and homeless-looking and suspicious-looking? date. Not helpful for the defense was the testimony of M.B., the man in question, who was calm, clean cut, and entirely unsuspicious seeming on the stand (though at 30, M.B. was significantly older than Ravi and his friends). Ravi?s friends testified that he didn?t regularly make homophobic statements, but one student said he seemed ?uncomfortable? about gay people, and before M.B.?s return trip to the dorm, Ravi texted about wanting to ?keep the gays away.?
CroppMetcalfe is currently seeking experienced Dispatchers to join our call center in Fairfax. The dispatcher is responsible for scheduling and dispatching co-workers on jobs, answering incoming phone calls, providing exceptional customer service and making sure all ticket information is entered in the computer correctly.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
? Dispatching service technicians according to the schedule. ? Scheduling and monitoring of technicians service schedule. ? Providing exceptional customer service, making sure all ticket information is entered in the computer correctly. ? Answering incoming service calls and adjusting technician?s schedule as needed ? Resolving customer issues in a prompt and courteous manner. Maintain customer satisfaction by investigating concerns, routing them to the proper staff and responding to special requirements. ? Match type of service required with a technicians ability, zone location and duration of call, to maximize productivity, profitability and accuracy. ? Coordinate and verify technician?s weekend and on-call assignments. ? Alternating work on Saturday?s.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
? MUST have ONE YEAR of experience as a high volume Dispatcher ? Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with all types of customers ? Strong logistical skills ? Knowledge of the service area (Maryland, Virginia and DC)
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS CroppMetcalfe offers an attractive compensation plan along with a comprehensive benefit plan offering: Medical Insurance, Vision Insurance, Dental Insurance, company-paid Life Insurance, and 401k Plan with company match, Holidays, Vacation, and paid Training.
ABOUT CROPPMETCALFE We have exceeded our customer?s expectations since 1979. We are one of the largest home services contractors in the country. We offer a wide range of services to both the residential and commercial markets including Heating, Air Conditioning, Home Performance, Plumbing, Pest Control, and Security/Home Theater. CroppMetcalfe was recognized as one of the top companies to work for in the Washington area.
Location: Fairfax, VA
Principals only. Recruiters, please don?t contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
If you enumerate you'd favor apt become a plus size model merely you're not sure whether it's right for you,or even now you're right for the plus side modelling industry we have profiled here a few of the basics apt assistance you obtain a feel as plus size modelling. If you absence to transformed a plus size model obviously the 1st entity that you absence apt detain is namely you fall among the criteria namely modelling agencies want be seeing as A plus size model namely commonly a size 14 apt 16,ugg ??,although some modelling agencies aspiration likewise use plus size models who are size 12 plus possibly even one 18,prada 2011,however this is distinctive A plus size prototype ambition likewise be anticipated apt have a healthy body is namely well proportioned. You ought have a agreeable ratio between your vital statistics milk waist, hips), you'll absence apt be relatively tall,nearly 5' 9"alternatively ashore - plus great legs are definitely a bonus as plus size models,ugg boots!
Children of different age groups love to play in playground equipment as it gives them immense pleasure. Playing in good equipment will stimulate the mind of children, which would further help in keeping them active and agile.
Only reading books and gaining knowledge will not develop the minds of children in an adequate manner. Playing and physical exercise is also a pre requisite as it will help in developing the powers of concentration and improving the dexterity of children. Playing in the outdoors on swings, slides, seesaws and merry go rounds will enable your kid to develop his/her sensory needs, mobility and motor control. Playing on the equipment will definitely allow your little ones to explore, interact with other children and experience many new things in society.
To enhance the physical and mental discipline of the kids, outdoor activities are one of the best avenues.
When children are on the ground they love to join their friends and pass the time in an enjoyable manner by playing with each other. No matter the community, caste or culture that the children belong to they will always try to exchange thoughts, love and affection with their fellow mates.
A Playground that is installed with safe equipment will reduce the worry of the parents for their children. This safe equipment is facilitated at parks, schools, resorts, child care facilities, institutions and recreational developments, where children can play and experience the nuances of life. Apart from the much adored swing set, slide, sand-box, jungle gym, mazes and trapeze, a playground should also have five types of equipment for sliding, spinning, hanging, balancing and climbing.
Children playing on this equipment will have utmost fun and enjoyment. Talking about sliding equipment, small kids up to age seven can play on this and enjoy their leisure time with full entertainment. The second is the spinning equipment, where kids can sit on the chairs that are fixed on the edge of the rod attached to the central pole and spin round it. A group of at least 10 to 12 children can spin at a time and have real fun playing on this equipment. The third is the climbing equipment, which is one of the most popular and preferred equipment for the kids. These are available in different designs and heights, which helps the children to enjoy the game and get a good dose of exercise. The next is the balancing playground equipment, which is available in different forms including rope bridges, balance beams etc. Children need to stand on the beams by balancing themselves with the help of a rope that is fixed from one end to another. The last type is the hanging equipment, which is also known as monkey bar. These are available in innovative designs such as solid bars, parallel bars, swinging trapeze, up bars and over bars. Running, jumping and playing on this equipment will make your little ones physically fit and mentally strong.
Broadly speaking, now days, you will not find any timber playground equipment in any playground. Today, plastic equipment is the preferred medium being used by the manufacturers, keeping in mind the safety of the kids. These types of equipment are durable and strong enough, to withstand the weight of the children. Thus, playing in the outdoors with this equipment, your kid will be able to enhance his/her physical fitness to a greater extent. In addition, playing on this equipment will also enhance the overall development of your children.
NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ? As part of National Flood Safety Awareness Week and in advance of the spring storm season, Allstate Insurance Company reminds Americans that now is the time to prepare for floods and consider their flood insurance needs. The average flood loss cost is $48,000 for homeowners and $85,000 on commercial property according to the National Flood Insurance Program. And, according to FEMA, higher than expected drought and fire conditions increase the risk of flash floods, especially as the spring storm season approaches.
?Unfortunately, floods can happen anywhere, even in low risk flood zones. But there are a few simple things property owners can do to help prepare and protect their home and business,? said Mark Green, senior vice president, Allstate. ?Insurance coverage is critical. Some consumers mistakenly believe that flood damage is covered by most standard home, renters or commercial insurance policies. National Flood Safety Awareness Week is a reminder for everyone to talk to their local insurance agent before the spring storm season to get information about flood coverage.?
National Flood Insurance Program policies can take up to 30 days to go into effect. Contact your local Allstate agency to talk about your flood insurance needs.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety offer these tips to prepare for floods.
Keep drains, gutters and downspouts clear of debris.
Prepare an evacuation plan with a kit that includes insurance documents, medications and critical items in case you need to leave your home for a few days.
Inspect sump pumps and drains regularly to ensure proper operation.
Have a licensed electrician raise electric components at least 12 inches above the expected flood levels for your area.
To prevent sewage backup, have a licensed plumber install an interior or exterior backflow valve. Make sure your yard?s grading (slope) directs water away from the building.
Have the installation of your furnace, water heater and other permanent equipment modified so that they are elevated above the expected flood levels for your area.
The tips provided here are guidelines. Please use your best judgment when evaluating your flood preparation needs. For more ways to prepare, respond and recover from a flood, visit the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety website.
The Allstate Corporation
/quotes/zigman/128498/quotes/nls/allALL +1.34%
is the nation?s largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the ?You?re In Good Hands With Allstate?? slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate?. As part of Allstate?s commitment to strengthen local communities, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate employees, agency owners and the corporation provided $28 million in 2011 to thousands of nonprofit organizations and important causes across the United States.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
The Texas Storytelling Festival runs from Thursday evening, March 8, until Sunday afternoon, March 11, at the City of Denton Civic Center. Prices for individual story concerts, and day and weekend passes are also available. Family concerts are offered all four days, and evening storytelling concerts for adults will be presented both Friday and Saturday night. Click here to see the complete schedule.
West Valley City Homes Sale Numbers for February 2012!
Home selling and buying numbers drawn new curves in West Valley City Utah Real Estate market last month. There were 67 homes sold in the market.? Year over year change of sale went up 28.36 percent from 48 sold homes of February last year. Monthly change of sale slightly drifted up 1.5 percent from 66 sold homes of January this year.
There's a balance market in West Valley City Utah Homes due ...
West Jordan Home Sale Stat improved during February 2012!
Home sale? numbers had improved in West Jordan Utah Real Estate last month.? This time, a total of 84 homes sold in the?? market. Year over year change of sale went up 7.14 percent from 78 homes sold? during February last year. Also, monthly change of sale increased 13.1 percent from 73 sold homes of? January 2012.
West Jordan Utah Homes had a seller's market due to 4.74 months of invento...
Viewing South Jordan?s Home Sale Numbers for February 2012!
The number of sold homes in South Jordan Utah? Real Estate had drawn new curves in the market last month.? According to MLS, there were 43 homes sold . Year over year slightly increased 2.33 percent from 42 sold homes of February last year. Meanwhile, monthly change of sale dropped 24.6 percent from 57 sold homes of January 2012.
Its median sold price went down 6.86 percent from $238,125? to...
Easy Ways to Freshen Up Your Studio Apartment
Decorating a studio type apartment can be a challenging project since the space you have is very limited. By choosing the right decors and colors, you can produce a cozy and inviting ambiance inside your studio apartment. You also have to avoid clutter and get rid of junk items because it can make your space even smaller and confined.
The nice thing about living in a studio apartment is tha...
Home Sale Stat for Taylorsville in February 2012!
Home selling and buying in Taylorsville Utah Real Estate drawn new curves in the market last month. A total of 22 homes have been sold out this time. Year over year change of sale went down 8.33 percent from 24 sold homes of February last year. Monthly change of sale went up 9.1 percent from 20 sold homes of January 2012.
Home sales have been for 202 median days on market. Its median sold price...
Home Sale Numbers in Sandy increased during February 2012!
Sandy Utah Real Estate showed off new home sale record in the market last month. There were 82 homes sold this time. Both yearly and monthly change of sales went up in the market. Its year over year change of sale increased 28.05 percent from 59 homes sold during February last year. Monthly change of sale drifted up 14.6 percent from 70 homes sold during January this year.
The median sold p...
Riverton?s Home Sale Numbers increased in February 2012!
Riverton Utah Real Estate showed off some new home sale numbers in the market last month. According to MLS, there were 32 homes sold in Riverton this time. Year over year change of sale improved and increased 37.5 percent from 20 sold homes of February last year. Also,? monthly change of sale went up 50 percent from 16 sold homes of January this year.
Home sales have been for 78 median day...
Home Sales in Murray improved in February 2012!
The number of sold homes increased in Murray Utah Real Estate last month. There were 28 homes sold in the market. Both yearly and monthly change of sales went up this time.? Year over year change of sale drifted up 14.29 percent from 24 sold homes of February last month. Likewise, monthly change of sale went up 17.9 percent from 23 sold homes of January this year.
Home sales' median sold p...
Condo Sales in Salt Lake City during February 2012!
Condo sales of Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate revealed new curves in the market last month. According to MLS, there were 31 condos sold in Salt Lake City. Monthly change of sale dropped 6.1 percent from 3 sold condos of January this year. So far, there's? no change on its year over year change of sale comparison.
The median sold price went down 30.61 percent from $156,000 to $108,247. Home sa...
Single Family Home Sales went up 32.23% in Salt Lake City during February 2012!
Last month's home sale of? Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate improved in the market. There were 211 homes sold in Salt Lake City this time. This home sale brought new curves for both monthly and yearly change of sales respectively. Year over year change of sale increased 32.23 percent from 143 sold homes of February last year. In terms of monthly change of sale, it drifted up 11.8 percent from 186 ...
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OSSEIKRO, Ghana (Reuters) - In the dusty town of Osseikro just inside Ghana's border with Ivory Coast, the only billboard for miles welcomes visitors with the order: "Stop Smuggling Cocoa".
But the garish sign, put up by Ghana's cocoa sector body during this year's harvest, has done little to deter smuggling through a town which is a hotspot for the illicit trade.
"All of our cocoa is going to Ghana this year because of the prices," said Eric Comoe, head of a cocoa-growers cooperative in the Ivorian town of Abengourou, 30 km (20 miles) over the border.
"For the country it's a problem because when there's smuggling they don't get the tax. But for the farmers it's good," he acknowledged.
West Africa accounts for nearly three-quarters of world cocoa output and Ivory Coast and Ghana are the number one and two producers of the main ingredient of chocolate.
The smuggling is a problem because it deprives Ivory Coast of much-needed revenues as it seeks to rebuild after last year's civil war, and also skews the production data on which the cocoa industry's investment decisions are based.
While it has always gone on, smuggling spiked during the four-month conflict last year as hold-ups at Ivory Coast's two main ports prompted many farmers to funnel beans through Ghana to the east and north to Burkina Faso en route to port in Togo.
Industry estimates put the real size of last year's harvest in Ivory Coast at around 1.7 million tonnes against the some 1.5 million tonnes that were officially declared - suggesting around 200,000 tonnes were smuggled out unrecorded.
Yet even with the war over, the higher prices for cocoa in Ghana mean exporters and analysts forecast up to 145,000 tonnes of Ivory Coast's crop will be smuggled out to the country, and to a lesser extent to Guinea and Liberia, by end-April.
A reform of the Ivorian sector to ensure price guarantees for its farmers may over time change that. But for now, farmers in its eastern region get an average 700-750 CFA francs a kg ($1.40-1.50) compared to Ghana's set price of around 1,000 CFA.
"The price premium in Ghana was almost $900 per tonne at the start of the season but more recently has been close to $500 per tonne," said one commodities fund manager, noting the premium remained despite a recent increase in Ivorian prices.
POLICE LACK RESOURCES
Four trucks brimming with cocoa beans stood confiscated outside the deserted customs office in Abengourou on Sunday.
During a brazen attempt to cross into Ghana at the official border crossing in January, the trucks were stopped by customs, local cocoa dealers said.
This followed the Ivorian government move to step up its efforts to catch smugglers by deploying dozens of extra border patrol agents to eastern cocoa-growing towns late in December.
Local dealers said that while the capture of the four trucks had made smugglers more careful, it had not stopped the activity.
"Comparing the number of lorries they pick up and the number that go through, it's no comparison," said Comoe.
Customs officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they were insufficiently resourced to tackle the problem.
"We don't have cars or communication systems," said an Ivory Coast customs official.
The Ivory Coast cocoa body CGFCC was not available to comment.
Much of the illegal cocoa trade happens away from the official border crossing in the bush on narrow dirt tracks, easily navigated by motorbike, local dealers explained.
Trucks move the cocoa to nearby the border and then motorbikes carry around three 60-kg bags at a time via these tracks into Ghana, where it is re-bagged as Ghanaian cocoa.
Given the border regions share similar soil and weather, the beans should in theory be similar. However, Ghanaian cocoa officials insist their beans benefit from better handling, fertilization and crop spraying and so are far superior to Ivory Coast beans. Ivorian farmers disagree, saying they are capable of growing cocoa that is undistinguishable from Ghana's.
FOR THE MIDDLE-MAN, BUSINESS IS GOOD
In Osseikro, the premises of a middle-man, who said he sells large trade houses beans sourced from Ghanaian cooperatives and farms, is fronted by motorbikes on sale at 400,000 CFA each.
Emmanuel Yeboah says the bikes are merely a good second business and denies the existence of any major cross-border smuggling. But, wherever the beans which he handles originally come from, he confides that business is good.
"This year I get a fridge, freezer, a lot of things with my commissions," said Yeboah, who makes around 100 CFA per kg of cocoa he sources.
As part of its planned cocoa industry reforms, Ivory Coast plans to reintroduce stabilized prices next season, to shield local farmers from price swings and to combat smuggling.
But even then it is not expected that Ivory Coast and Ghana will set identical prices and any gap will still provide an incentive for smuggling.
Ivory Coast's cocoa reform aims to give farmers between 50 and 60 percent of the so-called CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) export price, while Ghana sets prices with the aim of giving farmers up to 70 percent of the CIF price.
Exporters estimate that if you take the Ivorian government proposal of giving farmers 50-60 percent of the price, the farmer is still not going to get much more than 600-700 CFA, based on current prices. ($1 = 495.7170 CFA francs)
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Appealing to power users and Twitter loyalists, Facebook today lets users start creating and subscribing to "Interest Lists". You can view updates from these collections of Pages and public figures in a dedicated news feed. They'll be discoverable through suggestions of popular list and those created by friends. Rolling out over the next few weeks, Interest Lists could give users enough curation ability to follow friends, brands, and thought leaders in the same interface. The release continues Facebook's battle to usurp Twitter's control of the interest graph. The feature combined with Subscribe could be good enough to jeopardize Twitter's long term growth.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]There has at all times been a plethora of data on training younger horses in magazines, books, on-line and from every horse proprietor you've ever met. Nevertheless, like most anecdotal training advice that you just get, it can ...
NASA reports that dual large solar flares erupted from a object on Tuesday that are approaching to strike Earth this morning?and they could impact power, communication and GPS systems.
The flares are a outcome of Coronal Mass Ejections; events where a object spits out outrageous amounts of appetite in a from of plasma. The ensuing flares send clouds of charged particles racing by space and, in this case, we?re in a way. The initial cloud?due to strike a world during around 7am EST?is travelling during over 1,300 miles per second, while a second is roving during about 1,100 miles per second. The video shows footage of a flares available by NASA.
Earth will substantially be bombarded by particles until someday on Friday. But while NASA has warned that a eventuality could interrupt power, communications and GPS services, in existence there?s not too most to worry about. While satellites and wiring competence be temporarily affected, no durability serious repairs should occur.
In fact, there?s one upshot: these events boost a chances of spotting auroras, reports a Telegraph. So while we competence not be means to check-in on Four Square for a while, we competence see something flattering this evening. [EurekAlert! and The Telegraph and Forbes]
Oh, ComScore. Every month you come out with a new market share report for smartphones, and every month it seems to offer the same theme: Android and iOS go up, RIM and Microsoft go down. The latest report, which details the three-month period ending in January, shows an increase in Google's mobile OS of 2.3 percent while Apple jumped 1.4; conversely, RIM dropped 2 percent while Microsoft (which likely encompasses WinMo and Windows Phone) went down a percentage point. Individual OEM market share is even more lackluster: LG and Motorola dipped ever so slightly, while Apple jumped up a couple percentage points. Possibly the most noteworthy item in the report, however, is the fact that the total number of US smartphone subscribers has finally exceeded 100 million. That count appears to be growing at an incredible pace, too, so it may not be terribly long before the coveted 200 million milestone is within reach.
Such as, for each survey, just one usually provides the lower array of the salary stated. Not until you get to are members of surveys online a closely focused band of a few individuals does one receive the second margin of these salary.
Respected Opinion can be a reputed web-site Make Money from Home with Paid Surveys which performs plenty of surveys based on consumer matters. Take it?s surveys and you will purchase an average $2 to be able to $5 for each accomplished survey. Also, sometimes you will get long surveys which really worth up to $50. Respected Opinion communicates payment as a result of Gift cards. Typically, it uses Amazon and also Visa gift cards as its cost method. Top 5 Paid Surveys Online is dedicated to providing informative paid survey reviews.
Most businesses offering money doing opportunities over the internet actually find yourself taking money from those who sign up. Occasionally, they can likewise write good survey questions obtain personal data, which can be accustomed to gain access to private accounts. A genuine survey opportunity make use of an experienced plan to provide reputable surveys for people to perform in exchange for acquiring real cash.
There are various types of internet sites with surveys, nonetheless which of them are the best paid survey sites to participate in online? Many people will just at random sign up to wherever that looks quality, when they could be much better away figuring out the ones fit his or her preferences about how they love to get their money. Allow me to share the 3 largest types of survey internet sites to join so i will also let you know which ones I love the best.
Frequently these surveys likewise require a particular person to sign up for a free trial offer. This can or won?t involve using a credit card. Others simply have somebody fill out survey styles and that is them. Each enterprise will have their own way of delivering surveys and types connected with surveys.
By keeping these matters in mind, you can find the best paid survey sites to suit your needs. Then, start making more income.
Paid surveys may be prepared by the organizations themselves or are located by unique research businesses. You straightforward opinions suggest a lot to these firms and the way people run his or her business. Through paid surveys, the companies will be aware whether their products or services are well-known before people launch an entire scale advertising campaign.
Sites that won?t offer reputable paid surveys can only always be classified as fraud artists who will sell your data to third parties. Many internet sites use your data and that connected with hundreds of people taking surveys to obtain contact listings for various profits gimmicks. Internet sites classified as supplying legitimate surveys will likely not divulge your data, which is safe on the site. An actual site don?t even have the right to market or distribute your personal data without a person?s explicit permission. The only period the site need to contact you is to authenticate your response in the paid surveys.
You?ll be able to make money taking surveys online. I am using online surveys being a revenue stream for over 8 years now. The challenge is that often 99% of the online surveys that you see offered are a full waste of time or maybe can be considered cons. How do you avoid them?
Literature can offer very few thrills that can beat a good short story collection. A short story is about being sharp and specific. Sometimes a short story is the best way an author can assert his artistic powers (John Updike), sometimes it?s the only way (Raymond Carver). And sometimes we are talking about collections like The Dubliners, Heavy Water & Other Stories, May We Borrow You Husband?, etc. These offer a new, different, exciting angle on the greatness of their author. It?s to this latter category that Pulse belongs.
Pulse was published last year, which makes it two classic books in the course of one year for Julian Barnes. The other of course being his masterful Booker Prize-winning novel A Sense Of An Ending. Pulse (which collects the most recent of Barnes? short fiction) is the writer?s third short story collection. And if there?s something that distinguishes it from 1996?s brilliant Cross Channel, it?s a sense of overwhelming, occasionally almost desperate maturity. Maturity that tends to be a trap for the book?s characters, and so rarely an asset. We?ve got sad old ladies not realizing how sad they are, we?ve got people waking up to the world?s commanding cruelty, we?ve got marriages broken or doomed (sometimes, ironically, doomed to longevity). The collection is divided into two parts. The first one has to be my favourite, not least because it contains these four witty, upbeat conversations, breathers to brighten things up a bit. They are called ?At Phil & Joanna?s? and feature a group of house guests discussing random topics ? from sex to politics to philosophy. It?s amusing, and is brimming with ?spontaneous? aphoristic delights, and overall is a welcome refreshment amid densely depressing stories like ?Marriage Lines? and ?East Wind?. These are populated by restless people, haunting pasts and haunted memories. The Chekhovian ?Marriage Lines?, for instance, tells of a man trying to make peace with the loss of his wife by going to a remote Scottish island they had both visited together numerous times. Reliving the memories to try to let go of the past and the gruesome, suffocating feeling of grief and dismay. These stories tickle you with senses, emotions ? they rarely have much of a plot. ?The second part is not necessarily weaker ? it?s different. While the title story and ?Complicity? are more of what we have already seen in the first part, stories like ?The Limner? and ?Harmony? are set in older times. The former is about a portrait-painter who can?t hear, and the latter is about a young piano player who can?t see. It?s interesting that this way or another this second part of the collection revolves around human senses. We?ve got wine tasting in ?Carcassonne?, we?ve got the importance of touching in ?Complicity?, we?ve got smelling problems in ?Pulse?. Coupled with the memories of the first part, Pulse masterfully presents a full, compelling picture of a man?s universe. And, to paraphrase one of the book?s best lines, sometimes life?s clich?s are literature?s astonishments. ?Pulse is a bit like A Sense Of An Ending broken into pieces. With perhaps a little more humour thrown in. Written in Barnes? exquisite yet practical style, Pulse is very adult entertainment ? but that does not necessarily mean that I stress the first word. It?s both.
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Public release date: 14-Mar-2012
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![128f0 medium Huge Solar Flare to Hit Earth Today, Disrupting Power and Communications [Video]](http://www.nashna.com/wp-content/plugins/RSSPoster_PRO/cache/128f0_medium.jpg "Huge Solar Flare to Hit Earth Today, Disrupting Power and Communications [Video]")
NASA reports that dual large solar flares erupted from a object on Tuesday that are approaching to strike Earth this morning?and they could impact power, communication and GPS systems.
