Stock exchange's backup: Twitter, Facebook

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By Derek du Preez | Computerworld UK | Published 11:18, 28 September 12

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has said that it plans to use Twitter and Facebook for finding buyers and sellers to close daily trading, following a technical glitch that saw its usual method of email fail.

At the end of trading last week an email notification was meant to alert investors to a stock with an outsize number of unfilled buy orders, according to the Wall Street Journal. However, this email was delayed by seven minutes.

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Such delays at close could have caused the stock to leap higher or drop lower than its final trading level. This led to NYSE sending traders a notification on Thursday, which said that if email alerts fail again it will use social media distribution channels to help address buy and sell imbalances.

The move reflects a growing trend where traditional exchanges are being forced to embrace digital technologies.

NYSE recently announced Jon Robson, a former Thomson Rueters chief, as its new head of NYSE Technologies. The position had been left vacant since Stanley Young left NYSE for a role at Bloomberg In May.

Source: http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/it-business/3401078/nyse-will-use-twitter-facebook-if-email-fails/

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Saturday's sports briefs

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Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120930/SPORTS/309300004/1002/rss

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RolePlayGateway?

You've been created for this moment. Created for this specific purpose. You have the potential to continue a person's life, to give them another chance. Allow them the honour of going further. The cost?
Your life.

Okay, so I have four spots open (both male and female) in my new roleplay "Cultured"
Please note, this is a literate, and advanced rp, so you need to be thinking of this as you make your character profiles.

Plotline:
Clones have now been legalised. And almost every person able to afford them has at least one. They are nothing special. Simple cells taken from an embryo implanted with an identical nucleus to the baby that was wanted. The cultured embryo's grow into an exact replica of their accepted human. They are kept in a Cultured Village, and most of them live there happily until the end of their life span. That is if they aren't needed. If something goes wrong with the Accepted Human, then there are always spare parts on hand. Since technically the clone has the same cells, and due to their intensive care, are normally healthier, the organs or tissue are much less likely to be rejected by the body as foreign material. Thus the human race now will never have to live in fear of waiting for an organ donor. And it isn't as though the clones are human. They were created, their not born. And technically speaking the embryo's would have been discarded, so really we have given them a better life. Not only that, but not all are needed, not everyone gets sick.
Your characters are the clones. They live in the Cultured Village. They don't know there purpose, or that there are people outside their dome that are identical to themselves. They live in complete ignorance until one particular error...One escapes.
Not to fear, he was recaptured and for a while he was held under the intensive care unit to make sure he wouldn't endanger the whole project. After months of good behaviour he was released back into his original village, though he is under careful watch and is not permitted to speak of his discoveries.
He now wants to get out (obviously), however
Now that he knows what dangers the others are in, he also may wish to get others out. The problem is he will have to be fairly discreet, as the Carers are watching.

If you are still interested in joining please look at the available slots and read through the full information Here

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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New US Jobs Report Alters Presidential Campaigns (Voice Of America)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251951097?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Slovenia debt to rise but no bailout needed: PM

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Slovenia's economy, saddled by a banking crisis, does not need a financial bailout, even though public debt levels will likely breach European Union rules in two years, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Friday.

Jansa expects government reform programs, such as increased public-sector wage cuts, job cuts, an increase in the retirement age and consolidation of a privatization program, if executed in time, will boost economic growth and make a bailout unnecessary.

"If we do what we planned, we won't need a bailout," Jansa told Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Slovenia is struggling to avoid becoming the sixth euro zone member to need some form of financial aid. Jansa said he hopes that all of the reform programs will become law within the next 45 days. He said that if there was a call for a referendum by opposition politicians, it would only serve to delay the process by two months, not stop it.

"Of course, if we run the same debt next year, the bailout is the only solution. But we are determined not to do it. This is why we had early elections and why we changed course," he said.

Slovenia's public debt to gross domestic product ratio rose to 47.7 percent in the first quarter of 2012, but it could cross above the 60 percent threshold set by European Union rules in 2014, Jansa said.

"2014 maybe," he said on the debt threshold, adding: "2014 is also the year when we count on all these measures to start growth will also have some impacts."

The overall public debt to GDP ratio for the 17-member euro zone rose to 88.2 percent in the second quarter, up from 87.3 percent in the prior period.

Jansa said Slovenia's budget deficit stood at 3.4 percent, and required smaller cuts, despite plans to place bad loans in the banking sector - equal to 17.5 percent of economic output - into a so-called "bad bank."

That move would require more government spending, but Jansa said it would not just be bad loans that are transferred.

"We will also transfer the shares of the companies," he said, referring to loans, the majority of which are tied to corporate assets.

"But with all of the other measures we are implementing, the value of those shares after two or three years will rise," Jansa said, referring to plans for more sales of state assets to raise revenues and reduce Ljubljana's ownership of enterprises.

He rejected criticism that consolidating the five agencies in charge of privatizations into one overseen by the government was a recipe for increased political influence and selling of assets on the cheap.

"We have five different agencies which are dealing with this and the transparency is very low. Now we are creating a system with 100 percent transparency," he said.

Jansa reiterated plans to start the process of selling a $1.5 billion Eurobond in October with the aim of finishing the sale before the end of the year to help finance the reform programs.

Slovenia postponed a similar issue in euros in April because the yield demanded was above 5 percent.

Slovenia's bond issuing plans were helped dramatically by the drop in European government bond yields brought on by a July 26 pledge from European Central Bank President Mario Draghi to do whatever is necessary to protect the euro zone from collapse.

"He has to do this," Jansa said. "There will never be total consensus about those measures because the difference between member countries is too big."

(Editing by David Brunnstrom and James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slovenia-debt-rise-no-bailout-needed-pm-205102858.html

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About That "Taxpayers Spent $1.4 Billion on Obama Family Last Year" Fake Outrage (Little green footballs)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251849746?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Garden Party for Strength After Cancer Sun. 10/7/12 in LA [Breast ...

Garden Party for
Strength After Cancer
A New Post-Cancer Wellness Program
Featuring Cancer Survivor & Nurse Practitioner Dale Perry
Sunday, October 7, 2012
At a Private Home
In Hancock Park, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA ??September 27, 2012 ? Strength After Cancer, a new post-cancer wellness program, is launching with a garden party hosted in a private Hancock Park home in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 7, 2012 during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The new program was developed by fitness specialist Jennifer Cheng and nurse practitioner Dale Perry to help cancer survivors create a life of wellness with holistic health support.? Perry is a unique health practitioner ? a breast cancer survivor who gained strength and mobility, overcoming muscle weakness and challenges, by developing a protocol with Cheng using specialized rehab exercises and a post-cancer nutraceutical program. The goal of the party is to introduce a new wellness program, based on Perry?s success working in collaboration with Cheng, to select healthcare practitioners, potential clients, the media, and other interested parties in a social setting.? At the event, Strength After Cancer will specifically introduce its innovative pilot program for breast cancer survivors with lymphedema to manage their swelling. Perry will be the featured guest speaker at the event.? The garden party is from 3:00pm to 5:00pm with formal presentations promptly at 4:00pm.? The event will be held at a private home in Hancock Park (S. Windsor Place Los Angeles, CA 90004 ? full address to be provided after RSVP).? To RSVP, please contact Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.? For additional information, please see http://www.strengthaftercancer.com.

Garden Party -
The garden party provides an opportunity to learn about the new program, become an ambassador to help Strength After Cancer reach cancer survivors who might benefit from participating in the pilot study, and to help start a scholarship fund for people who need financial assistance to facilitate their participation in the new post-cancer wellness program.? Guest speakers will include Dale Perry and other health experts. Refreshments will be served.

Schedule:
3:00pm to 4:00pm ? Mix & Mingle
4:00pm to 4:30pm ? Guest Speaker Presentations Featuring Dale Perry
4:30pm to 5:00pm ? More Mixing & Mingling

Dale Perry?s Breast Cancer Recovery Story -
Perry was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. She had right mastectomy, with reconstruction and all lymph nodes removed. She also had 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 days of radiation. She started physical therapy within the first month after her last surgery. With physical therapy, Perry increased her range of motion, but still had numbness in the radiated area. ?In January of 2012, she noticed swelling of the right hand and early signs of lymphedema.? A customized therapeutic exercise program, developed with Cheng on the Power Plate system, in combination with a customized nutraceutical program featuring antioxidants, resulted in a decrease the swelling within a month. When she saw her oncologist and physical therapist, they also noted the significant decrease in swelling. Perry now has full use of her arm and the swelling has been resolved for over 8 months.? The current treatment protocols for lymphedema focus on the use of mechanical, external tools and techniques, such as compression sleeves, massage, and pumps.? Available research describes the condition as irrevocable.? Perry?s results represent hope for thousands of breast cancer survivors who suffer with lymphedema.

?Both my physical therapist and oncologist are blown away by the results that I?m getting,? says Perry, ?It?s very exciting to share this program so we can help more people.?

Strength After Cancer Pilot Program -
Strength After Cancer is currently launching a pilot program for breast cancer and lymphedema to replicate Perry?s results with a larger test group of breast cancer survivors (30 people).? While the fitness component of the program is based specifically in the Los Angeles area, the nutrition and weight loss programs serve anyone in the United States.? The Strength After Cancer Pilot Program will consist of a 90-day regimen of specific nutritional recommendations and exercises.? Clients will first consult with the nurse practitioner for a nutritional assessment, then again at the end of the 90-day period.? Clients also commit to two to three weekly 30-minute sessions with the fitness specialist.? The program includes an assessment of the client?s physical condition. Each client will have an individualized plan based on their specific issues. Many of the principles that Strength After Cancer uses for wellness are also applicable to men recovering from prostate cancer as well as anyone who has been through radiation looking to regain strength and functionality in weakened muscles.

Dale Perry -
A certified family nurse practitioner with a special interest and long career in women?s health, Dale Perry earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Pace University Graduate School of Nursing in New York in 1978.? Since becoming a nutraMetrix Health Practitioner, Perry specializes in wellness consulting primarily in the areas of anti-aging, genetic testing, healthy weight loss and post-cancer treatment. As a breast cancer survivor herself, Perry is uniquely qualified to share her expertise and give hope to women dealing with lymphedema in the Strength After Cancer program. ?She remains active as a national speaker in organizations that support women?s health. (photo credit: Lisa Arellanes)

Jennifer Cheng -
A fitness specialist and wellness consultant, Jennifer Cheng uses the exercise systems of?Power Plate, Pilates,?and yoga-inspired strength training for?whole-body movement analysis. ?She has received training and mentorship from rehab specialists in Europe and New York City. ?With over 8 years of?experience training a variety of clients ??athletes, cancer survivors, and seniors with severe injuries ??Cheng enjoys teaching fitness with creative?imagery and laughter. ?The early experience of losing college professors and friends to cancer has motivated Jennifer to create the Strength After Cancer?program. ?As a wellness consultant, Cheng is also a weight loss coach and enjoys teaching her clients with science and mind-body-spirit education to?help them live better longer. (photo credit: Stephen Hurst)

Strength After Cancer -
Strength After Cancer is committed to helping clients and their families create better options for post-cancer wellness care and achieve optimal health for all. Through cutting-edge exercise design, science-based nutritional interventions, and public education, Strength After Cancer empowers clients to gain strength in their bodies and share their inspiration to impact healthier communities. ?For patients who have completed the medical (chemotherapy, radiation and surgery) portion of their cancer treatment, Strength After Cancer offers hope and strategies for post-cancer wellness. The program was developed by Dale Perry, a nurse practitioner, and Jennifer Cheng, a fitness specialist, using current scientific data and years of experience.

?We want to reach as many people who want to be pioneers for post-cancer wellness,? says Perry, ?Everyone knows someone in their community who has been affected by cancer, and it is through human connections that people can find the wellness care that best suits them.?

#?????????? #????????? #

For more information on Strength After Cancer or to RSVP for the garden party, please contact Green Galactic?s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

?

Posted on September 27th, 2012 lynn-hasty

More info...

Events, Healing Arts, Press Releases, Strength After Cancer antioxidants, breast cancer, breast cancer survival, CA, California, cancer, Dale Perry, exercise, fitness, fitness specialist, garden party, Hancock Park, healthcare, Jennifer Cheng, LA, Los Angeles, lymphedema, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, nurse practitioner, nutraceuticals, nutrition, pilot program, pioneer, post-cancer, Power Plate, range of motion, rehab, Strength After Cancer, wellness

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Source: http://www.greengalactic.com/2012/strength-after-cancer-garden-party/

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Why NFL referees must be model judges

The 'bad' NFL referee call in the 'Monday Night Football' game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers puts a spotlight on those among us whom we elevate as truth tellers and judges.

By the Monitor's Editorial Board / September 26, 2012

A referee indicates a Seattle Seahawks game-winning touchdown over the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter of their NFL Monday night football game.

Reuters

Enlarge

Even those who don?t follow sports have likely felt the collective outrage of football fans over a referee?s ?bad call? in Monday night?s matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.

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Some outrage mattered more than most.

?Terrible,? chimed in President Obama.

Bring back the ?experienced referees,? added Mitt Romney, referring to the National Football League?s lockout of its regular refs in a contract dispute and the use of less-qualified refs.

The referee?s call that gave the Seahawks a winning touchdown was almost like hearing that the Supreme Court had ruled the sky was pink. Or that NASA had announced that the moon was made of cheese. Or that the United Nations had decided to let Cuba join its Human Rights Council. (Actually, it did.)

Truth isn?t a relative concept to sports fans, just as it isn?t to most everyone else. They demand that those who officiate a game make decisions based on objective facts. They expect their referees to be neutral, observant, trustworthy ? not biased, sloppy, or arbitrary.

Yet referees, like baseball umpires or Olympic judges, have it rough in the era of instant replays and YouTube. Their mistakes are magnified while their good calls are not appreciated. Athletes, too, know better these days how to break a rule with stealth in order to win. Games are faster. Fans are more alert to?unfair? calls.

Yet even as the public demands credible impartiality in many arenas, not just in sports, there is also a growing suspicion that truth cannot be really known and that those we set up to judge us will always bring hidden subjectivity.

The justices on the Supreme Court, for example, are often presumed to put ideology or personal views into their roles as arbiters of the law. Their critics divide them into defined camps, conservative or liberal, activist or strict constructionist.

Since the 1920s, legal scholars have questioned the ideal of judges as impartial and independent, despite the advice of Alexander Hamilton, who said that the judiciary must operate with ?neither Force nor Will, but merely judgment.?

Chief Justice John Roberts was ridiculed during his 2005 confirmation hearings for saying judges must act like a home-plate baseball umpire, merely calling balls and strikes. ?Umpires don?t make the rules; they apply them,? he said. ?They make sure everybody plays by the rules.?

Later, his view was backed up by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who stated during her hearings that judges should not ?rely on what?s in their heart? or apply feelings to facts.

Yet a desire for truth in black and white does often run in gray, as when a football referee must decide whether a defender actually hindered a pass receiver or merely made ?incidental contact.?

When we elevate individuals to be judges over us, we are asking them to both know the truth and, when the truth isn?t clear, make a judgment call.

It?s a balancing act that even the best sports referee or high court justice finds daunting. When they falter, however, they are instantly reminded of a basic compulsion in humanity for knowing the truth.

Just ask the ref who made the call for the Seahawks.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/mnhGOi3c8rA/Why-NFL-referees-must-be-model-judges

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Facebook Engagement 101: Advertising Primer | Business 2 ...

Advertising on Facebook
Facebook sells a limited amount of advertising formats, but the self-serve dashboard is always available and it is very valuable as a free research and business planning tool.

i.e. A Toronto ice cream shop wants to know IF they were to invest in cases of Girl Guide cookies to create a special limited-time flavour that blends in real chunks of Girl Guide cookies, how many people in Toronto between the ages of 13-45 have already ?raised their hands? and identified themselves as fans of Girl Guides of Canada? By accessing Facebook?s free self-serve advertising panel the shop owner or anyone with a Facebook profile can predict the number of people they can reach, who are the most likely to be interested in your new product or service. This can allow you to estimate if it might be a worthwhile promotion for your business, and the research is 100% free!

As it turns out, the answer (at the time of this post), would be only 820 people, which means it would cost VERY little to reach 100% of your most likely interested prospects!

The self serve ad planner is valuable as a business planning tool, because you can tell exact numbers of people who are active on Facebook by geographic location, age, sex, and many variables of brand and community ?likes?. As you add or remove targeting variables, the total reach number dynamically changes to show you potential campaign reach! How awesome is that?!?

The cost of advertising on Facebook
Just about 10 years ago, as the ?search engine wars? were heating up and daily volume of Google searches were growing rapidly, Google opened up its self-serve advertising platform to anyone with a credit card. They based their pricing model on a ?bidding? system for the keywords consumers are using in their searches, so in theory the more competitive keywords would always allow the highest bidder to have the best position and draw the most volume and relevant clicks from consumers actively searching for that product, service or subject.

At the start, there were many more web pages indexed and daily keyword searches than there were individual advertisers, almost every keyword seemed cheap to draw audience back to your website or landing page (in comparison to now). Since then, millions of individual advertisers have started competing for those searching consumers, driving up the cost of competitive Google search engine advertising. Facebook has grown its audience and use so rapidly, they currently have a HUGE inventory of advertising impressions available unsold, so prices are currently low, especially if your competitors haven?t really started buying up the available inventory.

Facebook is priced in a similar fashion to Google; you can choose to buy CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or CPC (cost per click) advertising that shows only to your defined target group of people who are within your demographic and groups of population defined by interests and passions (pages they Like).

While $1000/month is a very healthy budget for a car dealership (a highly competitive category), many businesses won?t need to invest nearly that much to see value and positive ROI for their Facebook advertising campaigns. I recommend starting with a sustainable weekly budget, and working to slowly increase the budget and amount of positive ROI as you can rationalize it based on your experience.

Many small businesses can gain a lot of valuable insight (and a couple hundred new followers to their page) in a short time, with a small campaign of only $100. Just remember that every campaign you do is unique and every day is a test > you can manage and adjust the settings of your campaign including how high or low your CPC/CPM bids are, every day. Just remember to take note of what changes you are testing (for results), and to really know the impact of that adjustment, only test one campaign element at a time.

Advertising to drive people to your website, or to your Facebook page?
Although many people still want to focus on ?driving traffic to the website? where you can cram a lot more sales promotional messages down their throat, the best thing you can do for your page and community is keep them on Facebook. Drive them to your Facebook brand page, and welcome them when they arrive. If they really like your page personality, tone and engagement (not just Like your page), they?ll be that much more ready to buy.

Have immediate questions for your business about social media you?d like answered by a panel of experts on #SparkleSOS? Send me an email or ask them on Twitter to hashtag #SparkleSOS and I?ll add them to the queue for an upcoming live show! You might even be invited to join us on the show!

Source: http://www.business2community.com/facebook/facebook-engagement-101-advertising-primer-0293534

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Comments - Marketing, Promotion & Sales Consulting for Business

We recently reviewed an article authored by Ms. Julie Bolt, 10 Disruptive Enterprise Tech Companies (http://www NULL.businessinsider NULL.com/10-disruptive-enterprise-tech-companies-2012-9?op=1), which was published on September 25, 2012 on the Business Insider web site. We confess that we tweeted about this article before we read it, which, in retrospect, we ought not to have done. The fact is that we do not agree with some of the points in this article, and, further, we are cautious about the type of sweeping statements that we found throughout the article.

The point here is what are present standards, to use a tech phrase, ?best of breed? techniques as regards MARCOM for enterprise IT ISVs? This publication, Business Insider is, admittedly, not connected to any one tech software provider, but, nevertheless, the 10 firms that are discussed in this article are, to some extent, implicated in what we can?t help but take to be quite a bit of hyperbole. Here?s an example: ?Cloud computing has put unlimited computing power in the hands of everyone at very low cost.? (quoted from ?10 Disruptive Enterprise Tech Companies? as published on Business Insider web site and written by Ms. Julie Bort). Here?s another: ?Software-as-a-service has become a safe and reliable alternative to on-premise software?(ibid). Here?s just one more: ?Google generates about $1 billion a year on its five enterprise products. That?s a drop in the bucket compared to its full revenue stream, but it?s had a significant impact on competitors like Microsoft?(ibid).

For the record, we question each one of these three assertions. The last is particularly troubling. We, ourselves, took a look at Google?s 10-Q as filed with the US SEC on June 30, 2012 and could not find a single specific mention of these ?enterprise? products. We DID find mention of $434 Million in sales of ?other? products in the revenue statement, but no specific mention of these ?enterprise? products.

But we are not looking at this article as an opportunity to contest someone else?s truth; rather, we are looking at this article as an example of what we take to be an unfortunate enterprise IT ISV MARCOM trend, which works to create market movement through editorial content that exaggerates small kernels of potentially factual information into great big snow balls of vaporware.

We are cautious, at best, about this trend, and, at worst, concerned at its present proliferation. We think there is enough factual, positive, meat to the bones of the businesses portrayed in this article to make for an informative article without all the exaggeration. Hopefully someone will make the effort required and tell us something we really need to know about each of this businesses.

? IMB Enterprises, Inc. & Ira Michael Blonder, 2012 All Rights Reserved

Source: http://www.imbenterprises.com/product-marketing/marketing-communications-hyperbole-and-it-trends-kinda-like-if-we-say-its-so-it-will-be-so/

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Fred Willard, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean join Christopher guest's HBO comedy

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NFL official: 'Grandmoms' could've made right call

Officials signal a touchdown by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate, obscured, on the last play of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 14-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Officials signal a touchdown by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate, obscured, on the last play of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 14-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll celebrates a last-second touchdown by wide receiver Golden Tate to defeat the Green Bay Packers 14-12 in an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Officials signal after Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate pulled in a last-second pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to defeat the Green Bay Packers 14-12 in an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The touchdown call stood after review. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, John Lok) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT; USA TODAY OUT; TV OUT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? NFL field judge Boris Cheek said while the league and the regular officials are meeting, he doesn't know if the latest controversial call Monday night in the Green Bay-Seattle game will expedite the end of the lockout.

He said it wasn't a tough call, "our grandmoms sitting at home can probably make that call."

Cheek, an NFL official for 17 years, says the ruling on the game-winning touchdown by Golden Tate was the result of a breakdown in mechanics and communication by the replacement officials.

The call has raised hopes the regular officials will be back soon.

Cheek said the lockout is not "good for the game of football" and the regular officials "want to go to back to work, but it has to be the right deal for 121 guys."

"I've not heard anything at this point," Cheek said when asked if the lockout was nearing an end. "We all want to get back to work and do what we love doing. We're taking it minute by minute and day by day and we're trying to be professionals. ... All I've heard is that they're meeting."

The sense of urgency to get the regular officials back on the field seems to have increased after the replacement crew ruled Tate's touchdown catch as a simultaneous possession, which resulted in the game-winning score.

Replays appeared to show Tate not only got away with offensive pass interference, but also didn't have possession of the football.

"I'm a wide receiver and I've always rooted for a wide receiver, but that wasn't a catch," Carolina's Steve Smith said. "I will just be honest. If he had two hands on the ball, great. But he had one hand slightly on the ball and his left hand is hugging the guy who actually has possession of the ball."

When Cheek was asked about the bad call in Monday night's game, he laughed and said, "Which one?"

Then Cheek addressed the final play, saying he believes the call was the result of a communication breakdown between the officials.

"As a referee we are trained to find out what happened first and then have replays to find out if (what we called) is accurate," Cheek said. "I think it was a lack of communication."

Cheek said the calls are an indication of how valuable regular officials ? who have proven experience working NFL games ? are to the integrity of the league.

"Honestly, those (replacement officials) are in a tough situation out there," Cheek said. "There's no way. ... I mean, it's tough to keep up with the speed of this game with such short training. That is tough. I mean really tough. And that was a big play. But that is why we get paid. We get paid to make those calls. When you are in that arena you have to make that call and make it right.

"That is what distinguishes guys who work Division III, Division I and the NFL."

He hopes that soon all of this talk of a lockout will be a thing of the past and that negotiators can work out the details and he can get back to work.

As of Wednesday afternoon, however, he had not received any word on the possibility of working an NFL game this weekend.

"I don't know what is motivating everyone," Cheek said of the negotiations. "I don't know. I'm not privy to that information. But it's not good for the game of football and the NFL."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-09-26-FBN-NFL-Replacement-Furor-Field-Judge/id-1b9478fc1c934e1991840b9a4a96587b

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TEXT-S&P revises otlk on Berau Energy to negative, afrms 'BB-' rtg

Sept 26 -

Overview

-- We expect Berau Energy's profitability to be lower in 2013 than we had

earlier anticipated.

-- This, along with lower sales growth, will likely result in weaker cash

flows and higher leverage than we had expected over the next 12 months.

-- As a result, we are revising our rating outlook on Berau Energy to

negative from positive.

-- We are also affirming our 'BB-' corporate credit rating and issue

ratings on the senior secured notes that Berau Energy guarantees.

Rating Action

On Sept. 26, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services revised its rating

outlook on Indonesia-based coal mining company PT Berau Coal Energy Tbk.

(Berau Energy) to negative from positive. At the same time, we affirmed our

'BB-' long-term corporate credit rating on the company and our 'BB-' issue

ratings on all the company's outstanding senior notes.

Rationale

We revised the outlook to negative as we believe Berau Energy's financial

performance will be weaker over the next 12 months than we previously

anticipated. We believe the company's "significant" financial risk profile

could weaken to "aggressive," as defined in our criteria, reversing a recent

improvement.

We expect Berau Energy's gross profit per ton and sales volume growth to be

weaker than we earlier expected for 2013. These factors will likely weaken the

company's debt-to-EBITDA ratio to about 4x in 2013, compared with our

expectation of less than 2x when we revised the rating outlook on the company

to positive in February 2012. We base our financial forecasts on the following

assumptions:

-- A gross profit per ton of coal sold, before depreciation and

amortization, of about US$15 in 2013. This is weaker than the US$22-US$25 we

had previously anticipated. Sales contracts for the majority of 2013 coal

production will likely be based on the current subdued prices, while

production costs should remain elevated over the period.

-- Sales volumes of about 23 million tons in 2013. These are lower than

our original expectation of about 27 million tons because we expect subdued

market demand for coal to persist in 2013.

We believe incremental supply from the seaborne thermal coal market in Asia at

a time of softer demand growth will likely limit a rapid, substantial, and

sustainable price recovery over the next six months at least. Yet, the

currently lower price environment--with Newcastle benchmark prices hovering

around US$90 per ton--is starting to test the higher-cost producers in

Australia and marginal producers in Indonesia. This could provide some support

from further material price falls.

Berau Energy's limited short-term refinancing needs mitigate, in our view, the

potentially negative effect of an investigation by Berau Energy's majority

owner, Bumi PLC (not rated), into unconfirmed, alleged financial

irregularities at Berau Energy. The company has about US$37.8 million in

accrued interest and about US$1.8 million in short-term debt due as of June

30, 2012.

The affirmed rating on Berau Energy is a combination of the company's current

"weak" business risk profile and "significant" financial risk profile. The

rating reflects the Indonesian coal producer's mineral, customer and

single-mine concentration risks, regulatory uncertainty, and its aggressive

capital structure. Berau Energy's good record of production growth and low,

albeit increasing, production costs partially offset these weaknesses.

Liquidity

Berau Energy's liquidity is "adequate," as defined in our criteria. The

company's liquidity is sensitive to thermal coal prices and sales volumes.

Nevertheless, we believe the company can fund its short-term debt repayment

and capital spending with its internal cash flows and cash balance.

We expect Berau Energy's liquidity sources to exceed its liquidity needs by

about 1.2x or more over the next 12 months.

Our liquidity assessment incorporates the following factors and assumptions:

-- Liquidity sources over the next 12 months include our expectation of

funds from operations of US$100 million-US$120 million. The company had about

US$521.6 million in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2012. This cash

balance includes funds that it can only use to pay taxes, debt, and interest

(the precise numbers are not publicly available).

-- Liquidity needs over the next 12 months include our expectation of

capital spending of about US$300 million. They also include about US$37.8

million in accrued interest, about US$1.8 million in short-term debt, and

dividend payables of about US$26.8 million as of June 30, 2012. The company

also substantially reduced its tax payables to US$37.3 million, from US$129.3

million for the quarter ended March 31, 2012.

Outlook

The negative outlook reflects our expectation that sluggish coal prices and

lower sales volumes will likely weaken the company's cash flows over the next

12 months, interrupting the recent trend of improvement in the financial risk

profile.

We could lower the rating if one of the following occurs:

-- Berau Energy's cash flows weaken such that its debt-to-EBITDA ratio

increases above 4x for more than 12 months. This could materialize if: (1)

production and sales volumes fall below 22 million tons in 2013, while its

gross profit per ton of coal sold declines below US$15 over the period; or (2)

the company engages in further debt-funding capital spending in excess of our

expectations.

-- Credit-negative operational or financial policy changes from Bumi PLC,

including a more aggressive dividend distribution or related-party

transactions weaken Berau Energy's financial risk profile or disrupt its

operations.

-- Indonesia's mining regulations or accounting changes such that Berau

Energy's sales, profitability, or cash position is materially affected.

We could revise the outlook to stable if Berau's debt-to-EBITDA ratio

stabilizes between 2.5x and 3.5x. We believe this could materialize if the

company's gross profit per ton exceeds US$20 with sales volumes exceeding 25

million tons for more than 12 months.

Related Criteria And Research

-- Business Risk/Financial Risk Matrix Expanded, Sept. 18, 2012

-- Methodology And Assumptions On Risks In The Mining Industry, June 23,

2009

-- 2008 Corporate Criteria: Analytical Methodology, April 15, 2008

Ratings List

Ratings Affirmed; Outlook Action

To From

PT Berau Coal Energy

Corporate Credit Rating BB-/Negative/-- BB-/Positive/--

Ratings Affirmed

PT Berau Coal Energy

Senior Secured BB-

Berau Capital Resources Pte. Ltd.

Senior Secured BB-

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/text-p-revises-otlk-berau-energy-negative-afrms-075904731--sector.html

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Top 10 Real Estate Blogs - web design company in UK

Blogs are an excellent source for online research. They are also very effective for promoting a business and connecting with consumers. Property businesses and real estate agents across the world have been utilising blogs as part of their Internet marketing strategy.

In an effort to make it easier for real estate agents and realtors to identify the most influential and popular property related blogs, I have created a list of some of the top real estate blogs from all over the world. Although there are plenty of other good quality real estate blogs out there, ?these are some of the leading blogs relevant to the property and real estate industry. I hope you will find this list useful.

How To Use This List?

• Keep up to date with the latest real eastate news
• Get investment advice
• Improve online profile by commenting on discussions
• Explore marketing opportunities (estate agents & property businesses)

These blogs address a number of topics including real estate news, real estate technology (web 2.0), real estate marketing, mortgage information, real estate investing, as well as general information that is of interest to landlords, estate agents and property investors alike.

Here are the top 10 real estate blogs

1. Realty Biz News

Google PR- 3
Alexa Rank- 220,501

Realty Biz News is the premier resource for real estate news , home buying resources and real estate market analysis in the world.

2. Mortgage Rates ? FreeRateUpdate.com

Google PR- 5
Alexa Rank- 290106

All about mortgage rates! FHA mortgage rates, jumbo mortgage rates, 30 year fixed mortgage rates, mortgage refinance rates and more!

3.Global Real Estate & Investment News

(From Propertyshowrooms.com)

Google PR- 4
Alexa Rank- 97430

Propertyshowrooms.com is a leading International property portal containing many thousands of properties in many different geographic locations.

4.Redfin Corporate Blog

Google PR- 5
Alexa Rank- 2204

Redfin Corporate Blog: Notes on Redfin, technology, real estate and life at a startup.

5.Foreclosure.com Blog

Google PR- 4
Alexa Rank- 16636

Get frequent insight and analysis from our real estate experts on the latest issues affecting the national foreclosure market. This online resource also provides helpful foreclosure tips and advice to help you make more informed investment decisions.

6. Realtor.com Blogs

Google PR- 4
Alexa Rank- 1621790

Realtor.com Blogs connects home buyers and sellers with local and national real estate news and expert advice from Realtors.

The Realtor Blog is owned by Move Inc., which is the leader in online real estate and operator of the Move Network of real estate web site for consumers and real estate professionals. The Move Network? of websites captures more than 15 million monthly visitors. It also offers marketing tools that Estate agents and realtors can use to generate leads.

7. BiggerPockets

Google PR- 4
Alexa Rank- 15520

The Bigger Pockets blog is a subsidy of the main website, which serves as an online networking platform for real estate community members worldwide. It provides information, news, resources, tools, and interviews about real estate & real estate investing, and everything else ?real estate?

8.TheMoveChannel.com Property News

Google PR- 5
Alexa Rank- 242459

TheMoveChannel.com Property News lets you keep up with all the latest international property news, covering a range of property investment, real estate industry and personal finance news topics.

9.Future of Real Estate Marketing

Google PR- 5
Alexa Rank- 268122

Founder Joel Burslem?s background in public relations and marketing lends itself well to this site, which is developed and produced with the intention of discussing marketing and advertising in the world of real estate.

10. Overseas Property Mall

Google PR- 6
Alexa Rank- 675955

OverseasPropertyMall.com is an international real estate investment blog that has been offering free & reliable international property research, news and interviews since March 2005. They continually monitor global real estate markets & offer investment insights by giving pointers on where to and not invest.

If you like this article, please share it!

Source: http://www.kronikmedia.co.uk/blog/top-real-estate-blogs/4705/

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Being Healthy Despite the US Health Care System - in Danbury Patch

?

Virtually every hospital has a doctor on staff that is known for practicing bad medicine but his peers don't call him on it. And the body count from medical mistakes made in American hospitals would fill four jumbo jets a week, according to an essay this weekend in the Wall Street Journal by noted surgeon Martin Makary.

Makary is on staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital and previously wrote the groundbreaking book "The Checklist Manifesto," which contained a series of simple guidelines aimed at stopping surgical mistakes and which were later adopted by the World Health Organization. His new book is "Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care."

In his essay this weekend in the Journal Makary says there is a "distrubing closed door culture" in American medicine and that doctors in hospitals routinely cover up or ignore the mistakes of colleagues. As often as 40 times a week across the country a surgeon operates on the wrong body part, he writes.?

"Roughly a quarter of all hospitalized patients will be harmed by a medical error of some kind. If medical errors were a disease, they would be the sixth leading cause of death in America?just behind accidents and ahead of Alzheimer's," Makary says in his essay. "The human toll aside, medical errors cost the U.S. health-care system tens of billions a year. Some 20% to 30% of all medications, tests and procedures are unnecessary, according to research done by medical specialists, surveying their own fields. What other industry misses the mark this often?"

The solution he writes, is for health care consumers to become better at checking into the background of their doctors and for the medical community itself to hold each accountable.

In Connecticut there has a been a decline in the number of uninsured people. From 2010 to 2011 the number of people with health insurance rose from 256.6 million to 260.2 million.?

Source: http://danbury.patch.com/articles/being-healthy-despite-the-us-health-care-system-7828b6c3

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Free speech 'red lines' feed Muslim film rage

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? In U.S.-funded ads running on Pakistani TV, subtitled clips show President Barack Obama extolling America's traditions of religious freedom. For many watching, though, the message misses the mark in efforts to calm the Islamic outrage over a film denigrating the Prophet Muhammad.

America's free speech laws and values of openness are not in question, but rather there is confusion and anger over how they are applied.

A powerful theme binding the protests from Indonesia to Africa is the perception that the U.S. codes of free speech are somehow weighted against Islam ? permitting the Internet video that insults the faith but placing clear limits on hot button issues such as hate speech, workplace discrimination and even what is acceptable on prime-time network TV.

Beyond the rage, bloodshed and death threats ? churning now for two weeks ? is a quandary for American policymakers that will linger long after the latest mayhem fades: How to explain the U.S. embrace of free expression to an Islamic world that increasingly sees only double standards?

Although there are many nuances ? including strict U.S. laws when hate speech crossed the line into threats or intimidation ? they are mostly lost in the current outrage that included a peaceful march in Nigeria on Monday and Iran threatening to boycott the 2013 Academy Awards after the country's first Oscar-winning film this year.

With each protest, many clerics and Islamic hard-liners hammer home the narrow view that America is more concerned with political correctness or safeguarding children from sexual content than the religious sensibilities of Muslims.

In Gaza, preacher Sheik Hisham Akram said tolerance is the goal, but the "red line" is crossed with "anyone who insults our religion." Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ? now in New York for the U.N.'s annual General Assembly ? denounced last week the "deception" of U.S. laws protecting rights while allowing the clip from the film "Innocence of Muslims," which portrays Muhammad as a womanizer, religious fraud and child molester.

"In some extent, it's not an issue of condemning America's freedom of speech. It's become an issue, in the eyes of many Muslims, over where the lines are and why they are not protecting the feelings of Muslims," said John Voll, associate director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington.

It also turns the $70,000 U.S. ad initiative in Pakistan ? one of the hotbeds of the protests ? into a major challenge to gain any ground. Besides Obama, the spots include Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton repeating that U.S. authorities had no connection to the video.

It's part of wider U.S. strategies to use social media and other forums to reach out to moderates in the Islamic world ? including what the State Department has described as a "virtual embassy" for Iranian web surfers. But the fallout from the film has so far drowned out appeals for calmer dialogue in places such as Pakistan, where at least 23 people have died in unrest linked to the film.

"The fact that (the Obama administration) is trying to step up to the plate and trying to engage where the debate is really happening should be commended," said Daniel Markey, a senior fellow in South Asian affairs at the Council on Foreign Relations. "But what credibility do they have to deliver this message? That's a different story. ... It's unlikely to make the sale on the Pakistani street."

At the U.N., a separate effort is being spearheaded by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He said the film will be at the top of the agenda of a meeting of the 57-member group on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Among the proposals is a call to impose an international law against promoting religious hatred. Such appeals could get widespread support, but are nearly certain to collide with Western free speech codes and be rendered difficult to enforce in the borderless world of the web.

Already, many moderate Muslim scholars and leaders have urged the U.N. or other international bodies to step in to help define possible global standards on religious expression.

Paul Bhatti, an adviser to the Pakistani prime minister, told a multifaith crowd of Muslims, Christians and others outside the country's parliament Sunday that international laws should be imposed to limit the most hateful fringes of Western free speech.

But just a day earlier, a Pakistan government minister offered a $100,000 bounty for the death of the filmmaker.

The two responses ? one appealing for a higher law and the other taking justice into his own hands ? frame another divide pried wider by the latest chaos: How much leeway can Muslim countries allow for expressions of anger against their faith?

While many Muslims believe American protections for open expression were abused by the film, there are also moderate voices in the Islamic world questioning whether the defense of their religion is warped by death threats and violence that has left dozens dead, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

"This is the flip side to the criticism against American free speech," Voll said. "This is another major learning opportunity inside Muslim societies to look at themselves and interactions with the world. We have been here before."

But the latest upheavals appear to resonate even deeper because of the widening reach of the web and social media, which also have played a central role in the Arab Spring uprisings that have opened new political space for hard-line Islamists.

"Sadly, the voices of reason and logic in this part of the world are few," said Ebtehal al-Khateeb, a Kuwait University professor and human rights activist. "Even those who strongly oppose the violence prefer not to speak."

Kuwait is a particularly instructive proving ground in the struggle to clarify an Islamic version of free speech.

After Islamist-led opposition groups gained control of parliament in February, they tried to push through measures that included the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam. Kuwait's Western-leaning rulers signaled they would reject the move and later suspended the parliament over election law technicalities.

"The truth is that as amateurish movie production is, it still falls in the category of freedom of speech," al-Khateeb said. "If you say that to people here, they will read your response as: 'You accept this. You are a blasphemer.' They still don't understand that they don't have to accept it. They can oppose it, but in a civil manner that is more constructive."

___

Associated Press writers Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City, Asif Shahzad and Zarrar Khan in Islamabad, Adam Geller in New York, and Hussain al-Qatari in Kuwait City contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/free-speech-red-lines-feed-muslim-film-rage-175451126.html

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Flight attendant's gun goes off at airport security

By NBCPhiladelphia.com

A Republic Airlines flight attendant showed up to work Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport with a loaded gun in her bag that accidentally discharged, US Airways told?NBCPhiladelphia.com.

A US Airways spokesperson confirmed that the employee headed through airport security at Terminal C around 6:50 a.m ET with a gun inside her carry-on bag.

A police officer was called over to check out the gun. That's when it accidentally discharged, the spokesperson said.

The bullet went into a TSA?break room where an employee was sitting. No one was injured, police said.

Read more stories from NBCPhiladelphia.com

The flight attendant allegedly told police that she forgot the gun was in her bag. Philadelphia Police said she had a legal permit to carry the gun.

Flight attendants' argument causes 4-hour delay at JFK

The attendant is an employee of Republic Airlines, a small regional partner carrier who operates flights through US Airways.

The woman received a summary citation for disorderly conduct, was taken into custody and released, according to Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Ray Evers.

?Distraught? model blames airline for dog's death

The plane was heading to Dallas, Texas. Another flight attendant was brought on board and the scheduled flight arrived on time, according the spokesperson.

The name of the flight attendant was not been released.

More content from NBCNews.com:

Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

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Source: http://overheadbin.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/24/14062641-flight-attendants-gun-goes-off-at-airport-security-in-philadelphia?lite

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Stock index futures signal early losses

PARIS (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Monday, with futures for the S&P 500 down 0.34 percent, Dow Jones futures down 0.3 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures down 0.18 percent at 5.02 a.m. EDT.

European shares and the euro followed a broad range of riskier assets lower on Monday as investors refocused attention from central bank stimulus schemes to weak economic fundamentals and a new range of risks in the euro zone's debt crisis.

German business sentiment dropped for a fifth successive month in September to its lowest level since early 2010, showing even the strongest of Europe's economies is succumbing to an economic downturn.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch sustained a loss of nearly $10 million on Friday due to an "operational error" in handling of stock option trades known as dividend trades by the company's Merrill Pro unit, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Unionized workers at Ford Motor Co's Canadian operations have voted in favor of a four-year labor agreement with the company, the Canadian Auto Workers union and Ford said on Sunday.

Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group closed its Taiyuan plant in northern China on Monday after what the company called a "personal" dispute spiraled into a brawl involving 2,000 workers in a dormitory late on Sunday night, injuring 40. The Taiyuan plant, which employs about 79,000 workers, makes automobile electronic components, consumer electronic components and precision moldings. An employee told Reuters the plant also makes parts and assembles Apple's iPhone 5.

U.S. stocks closed flat on Friday even though investors welcomed Spain's efforts to seek a bailout and cheered Apple's newest iPhone that went on sale today, driving its shares to a record high.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> slipped 17.46 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 13,579.47. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> dipped just 0.11 of a point, or 0.01 percent, to finish at 1,460.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> rose 4.00 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 3,179.96.

(Reporting by Blaise Robinson; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-early-losses-091915045--finance.html

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Euro zone to boost bailout fund firepower to 2 trillion euros: report

BERLIN (Reuters) - Euro zone states are preparing to allow the bloc's permanent bailout fund to leverage its capital in the same way as its predecessor so it can reach a capacity of more than 2 trillion euros and rescue big countries if necessary, Der Spiegel said on Sunday.

The weekly news magazine said that the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) would have two instruments like its predecessor, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), that would only allow public money to be used for particularly risky transactions such as buying Spanish bonds, while private investors would provide the rest.

It had always been expected that the ESM, which is expected to come into force on October 8 with a capacity of 500 billion euros, would have the same leverage ability as the EFSF and euro zone finance ministers reiterated this at their meeting in Cyprus earlier this month.

If the ESM gets approval to use the same leverage techniques as the EFSF, it would have a lending power of around 2 trillion euros without countries having to contribute any more capital to the fund.

But these leverage options have not been approved by all euro zone member states and Finland is especially reluctant to agree to them.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble supports the plan but Finland is preventing the Eurogroup from passing it quickly, the report said.

A spokeswoman for the German finance ministry confirmed that following the German Constitutional Court's ruling on the ESM, the guidelines in Europe were being reworked and that part of this would be covered by the ESM while the rest would come from private investors, which would be a kind of leverage.

This part was in the process of being approved in Brussels, she said.

The spokeswoman said that the ESM would have the same tools as the EFSF.

She also said that German liability remained capped at 190 billion euros and added that when work had been completed at an EU level, the result would be presented to the German Bundestag lower house of parliament for approval.

The figure of 2 trillion euros was, however, incomprehensible, she said.

A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment.

A separate report in Germany's Focus magazine said that Schaeuble and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted to beef up the position of the EU Currency Commissioner to give him the sole power to decide in deficit proceedings against states which do not stick to their targets.

Merkel and Schaeuble also want the EU Currency Commissioner to have the power to demand amendments to draft budgets which include excessive deficits, the magazine said.

A spokesman for the finance ministry declined to comment on the Focus report and pointed both to ongoing discussions and to the task of heads of government to think about ways to strengthen the currency union.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin and Thorsten Severin in Berlin and Luke Baker and John O'Donnell in Brussels; Editing by David Cowell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/euro-zone-boost-bailout-fund-firepower-2-trillion-082601845.html

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Six take-a-ways from Marketing in the Round | Sword and the Script

Integrated marketing has been the Holy Grail for marketing since I started working in the industry.? It was popular a decade ago, and even a decade before that.? For some reason, the concept ebbs and flows like the fashion of bell bottom jeans.

Why hasn?t the concept stuck?? It?s logical, practical, and more importantly effective.? The term ?integrated marketing? may not be sexy but for me, it brings a sense of nostalgia, yet the overlap in marketing functions we?ve seen as companies increasingly adopt social media, causes me to believe that maybe this time?this time it?s real.

Marketing in the Round is about integrated marketing in a digital media age and it?s a straight forward, no-nonsense read, perhaps the result of two pragmatic marketers teaming to write the book. If you are new to marketing or PR, you should put this on your reading list; if you are a veteran, its chance to step back and re-think marketing strategy. ?Gini Dietrich and Geoff Livingston launch the book earlier this year, and though it took me a while to sit down and focus on reading, I finally got it done on a plane ride to vacation ? and wrote this on the plane ride back.

Here are my six take-a-ways:

1. Allocate budgets by campaign and not by?discipline.

Budget is one way to funnel key players towards integrated marketing.? Often times in business, the leads from across the different marketing functions put forth a budget request and compete against each other for a slice of the same money pie.? This is inherently divisive. ?In contrast, by focusing a budget on campaigns, it forces all functions to key their eye on the same goal and integration comes more naturally:? marketing messages are uniform, emails are timed with press releases, content marketing works to dominate key words that paid search is targeting.? It?s more effective.

2.? Use big breaks as stepping stones for more big breaks.

Athletic wear maker, UnderArmour , is a proof point for the ?top-down influence? approach to marketing, one of four possible marketing strategies among direct, groundswell and flanking approaches.? The company started out by working on the groundswell approach, that is to say, primarily word of mouth marketing.? UnderArmour had a new approach to athletic clothing, quick drying, moisture wicking, and an incredibly warm and comfortable material ? ample fodder for a groundswell.? It grew slowly and steadily, until Oakland Raiders quarterback Jeff George appeared on the cover of USA Today in the company?s threads. That placement paved the way for two separate university athletic deals and momentum shifted in the company?s favor.? The company earned a placement in a highly successful football movie, Any Given Sunday, which fueled enough sales for advertising in ESPN Magazine, which in turn triggered three-quarters of a million in sales.? The company which started in 1996 with $17,000 now earns nearly $1 billion in annual sales.

3.? Specialists need a facilitation to think and act broadly.

?Most media relations aces do not comprehend marketing.? Direct marketers do not understand crowdsourcing.? Advertisers rarely understand the long-term relationship work that business developers and fundraising pros participate in,? says the book on page 68.? I couldn?t agree more ? and the larger a company grows, the worse the problem becomes as more and more specialists are added to the mix to fill marketing needs. ?This is an important reminder that as marketers, we should continuously seek to broaden our skills. Marketers should learn about the long hard process of earning media; PR pros should spend time with the SEO specialists; direct marketers should tie their campaigns and news letters to existing content.?? Sit in on another marketing functions meeting; read a book outside your specialty; subscribe to a blog from a sales guru; learn how to read an income statement, a balance sheet and their relationship with cash flows. ?If our organizational leadership does not have the broad skills to facilitate integrated marketing, we can take the task upon ourselves merely by exploring other areas.

4. ?People buy from people they like and trust.?

?Owned content allows you to develop that one-to-one, human interaction in a more effective way.?? This is why content marketing is so important ? to every function ? to SEO, to PR, to direct marketing. Content is a form of currency on the social web and is used in barter for time from stakeholders:? influencers with an interested in the topic, customers seeking to learn more about a product they use, prospective customers anywhere along the sales cycle, whether it?s the first touch, or checking back before making a purchase.

5.? Email marketing is still effective ?and incredibly important to integrated marketing.

Remember email?? We still use it ? every day ? and most social networks require an email address to establish a social profile.? Email is for loyalty, it?s for the customers that already know us and have opted-in for great content.? It?s a relationship builder, it?s a traffic driver and it can have a forty-fold return on investment.? For every dollar spent on email marketing, marketing gets about $40 dollars in return.? Over my career, I?ve seen many companies think of an email newsletter as an afterthought.? It takes time and effort, often with little short-term return, to build a community (similar story with social media).? However, for those that do, five or ten years down the road that nominal interest builds in a compounding fashion, with a highly engaged and interested audience.? Relationship building is like banking ? we?ve got to make a few deposits before earning trust.

6. ?In marketing, no approach is certain.?

?What is certain is that we are all working with a dramatically changing media landscape that has moved faster with each new decade.?? This goes back to marketers striving to be well-rounded ? to broaden their skillsets in preparation for the next change, or as I?d prefer to think about it, the next new opportunity.

* * *

If it?s true, ?advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way off fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth,? then the nostalgia for the resurgence of integrated marketing is an effort to move forward and never look back.

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Nine take-a-ways from Lee Odden?s Optimize

Posted In: Marketing
Tags: integrated marketing, integrated PR, marketing, marketing in the round, social media

Source: http://www.swordandthescript.com/2012/09/six-take-a-ways-from-marketing-in-the-round/

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