text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 2/8/2013 (1474 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WASHINGTON -- The United States issued an extraordinary global travel warning to Americans Friday about the threat of an al-Qaida attack and closed down 21 embassies and consulates across the Muslim world for the weekend.
The alert was the first of its kind since an announcement preceding the tenth anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. This one comes with the scars still fresh from last year's deadly Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and with the Obama administration and Congress determined to prevent any similar breach of an American Embassy or consulate.
"There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it," said Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He told ABC News in an interview to be aired tomorrow the threat was "more specific" than previous ones and the "intent is to attack Western, not just U.S. interests."
'There is a significant threat stream and we're reacting to it'-- Gen. Martin Dempsey
The State Department warning urged American travellers to take extra precautions overseas, citing potential dangers involved with public transportation systems and other prime sites for tourists and noting previous terrorist attacks have centred on subway and rail networks as well as airplanes and boats. It suggested travellers sign up for State Department alerts and register with U.S. consulates in the countries they visit.
The statement said al-Qaida or its allies might target either U.S. government or private American interests. The alert expires on Aug. 31.
The State Department said the potential for terrorism was particularly acute in the Middle East and North Africa, with a possible attack occurring on or coming from the Arabian Peninsula.
U.S. officials pointed specifically to Yemen, the home of al-Qaida's most dangerous offshoot and the network blamed for several notable terrorist plots on the United States, from the foiled Christmas Day 2009 effort to bomb an airliner over Detroit to the explosives-laden parcels intercepted the following year aboard cargo flights.
"Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks both in the region and beyond, and that they may focus efforts to conduct attacks in the period between now and the end of August," a department statement said.
The alert was posted a day after the U.S. announced it would shut many diplomatic facilities Sunday. Spokeswoman Marie Harf said the department acted out of an "abundance of caution" and some missions may stay closed for longer than a day. Sunday is a business day in Muslim countries, and the diplomatic offices affected stretch from Mauritania in northwest Africa to Afghanistan.
"I don't know if I can say there was a specific threat," said Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the House Foreign Affairs Committee's top Democrat, who was briefed on the State Department's decision. "There is concern over the potentiality of violence."
Although the warning coincided with "Al-Quds Day," the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan when people in Iran and some Arab countries express their solidarity with the Palestinians and their opposition to Israel, U.S. officials played down any connection. They said the threat wasn't directed toward a specific American diplomatic facility.
The concern by American officials over the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is not new, given the terror branch's gains in territory and reach during Yemen's prolonged Arab Spring-related instability.
The group made significant territorial gains last year, capturing towns and cities in the south amid a power struggle in the capital that ended with the resignation of Yemen's longtime leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh. A U.S.-aided counteroffensive by the government has since pushed the militants back.
Yemen's current president, Abdo Rabby Mansour Hadi, met with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday, where both leaders cited strong counterterrorism co-operation. Earlier this week, Yemen's military reported a U.S. drone strike killed six alleged al-Qaida militants in the group's southern strongholds.
As recently as June, the group's commander, Qasim al-Rimi, released an Arabic-language video urging attacks on U.S. targets and praising the ethnic Chechen brothers accused of carrying out the Boston Marathon bombings. "Making these bombs has become in everyone's... reach," he said, according to the English subtitles.
"The blinking red intelligence appears to be pointing toward an al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula plot," said Seth Jones, counterterror expert at the Rand Corp., referring to the branch of al-Qaida known as AQAP.
Britain also took action Friday in Yemen, announcing it would close its embassy there on Sunday and Monday as a precaution.
-- The Associated Press


text:
Nobody with the Mets will say the franchise turned itself around when it replaced Willie Randolph with Jerry Manuel. However, there's no mistaking the difference in mood from the last time the Mets were here Memorial Day weekend.<img src="http://mets.lohudblogs.com/files/2008/04/images.jpeg" align="right" heighwidth="133″ />
"That was another difficult moment,'' Manuel said. "It was a tough time for Willie. We weren't playing well.''
The Mets had just been swept in a four-game series at Atlanta, which was the backdrop from Randolph's apology to ownership for his comments criticism of him was racially motivated. General manager Omar Minaya flew in for the first game of the series to give Randolph a lukewarm vote of confidence and said the apology ended the matter.
However, this week Minaya admitted those comments created an atmosphere of tension that never fully dissipated after Randolph's meeting with the Wilpons when the team returned to New York.
The Mets are still a .500 team, but there's a feeling a cloud has lifted.
"I don't want to say it's a relief,'' David Wright said when asked to recall the club's first Denver trip. "Everybody feels for Willie, but not having that distraction is a positive thing. … The front office had to make a decision sooner or later.''
PREGAME NOTES: Manuel refuted a published report (Post) that accused him of working to undermine Randolph to the front office. Manuel said he's been on the phone several times with Randolph and considers him a friend. … Ryan Church, on the disabled list with post-concussion syndrome, will begin working out with the team when it returns to New York. After several days the plan is for him to play several rehab games for Single-A Brooklyn. … Moises Alou, on the disabled list with a strained left calf muscle, has begun some light jogging. Manuel said he would handle Alou conservatively when he returns. "I want to get that bat in the lineup,'' Manuel said. … Damion Easley was at second base last night for the second straight game. "He hit a game-winning home run,'' said Manuel, who will reward his bench players with more playing time. "You have to perform.''

subset: commoncrawl


text:
DETROIT - As of November 30, Michigan's case count associated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention multi-state meningitis investigation is 194 total cases, including 10 deaths.
Fungal meningitis has been linked to contaminated steroids produced by a Massachusetts pharmacy and shipped to four Michigan clinics.
Read: Mich. man whose wife died of meningitis being treated in hospital.
Patients who became ill had received injections for neck or back pain.
In October the first Michigan lawsuit was filed against the distributor, New England Compounding Pharmacy.
The suit was filed on behalf of a 46 year old Howell resident who contracted fungal meningitis and remains hospitalized after receiving a steroid injection for back pain.
The woman seeks to hold the New England Compounding Pharmacy accountable for the costs she bears due to their lax procedures, and to represent all Michigan residents who have suffered economic losses as a result of the outbreak.
Read: Milan man falls victim to fungal meningitis.
The breakdown in Michigan:
- 28 meningitis
- 1 meningitis and a joint infection
- 36 meningitis plus epidural abscess
- 1 stroke
- 116 epidural abscesses
- 13 peripheral joints
- 10 deaths* (One death associated with stroke, one associated with an epidural abscess, and eight among patients counted as meningitis cases.)*Three additional Michigan resident deaths are being counted as an Indiana cases as that's where treatment occurred.
Michigan deaths:
- Livingston County - 75 year old woman
- Livingston County - 50 year old woman
- Ingham County - 88 year old woman
- Charlevoix County - 81 year old woman
- Wayne County - 64 year old woman
- Livingston County - 79 year old woman
- Washtenaw County - 62 year old man
- Genesee County - 56 year old woman
- Livingston County - 67 year old woman
- Washtenaw County - 78 year old woman
More information:
Dr. Frank McGeorge answers meningitis questions.
Michigan Department of Community Health meningitis link.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
With his comedy group Quiet Library, Sherng–Lee Huang has directed sketch videos that have garnered more than 20 million online views. Sherng–Lee has also produced and edited online series for some of the biggest names in new media, including Next New Networks, Talking Points Memo, and Rocketboom.
Search It!
Recent Entries
- Roger Smith Shorts '09 (Festival Workshop) Winner: Dmitry Povolotsky
- Jacob Mendel – '09 Workshop Director
- Sherng-Lee Huang – '09 Workshop Director
- Eco-fashion, meet Sexy.
- Another from Chris Milk….
- Last Day Dream [HD] by Chris Milk
- "Love Hurts"…indeed it does…
- The Job (a short film)
- Bob Dylan – Beyond Here Lie Nothing (short film)
- Sex, drugs and the boy next door (a short film)


text:
Here is a "what if." What if the correction is not due solely to the fiscal cliff? We are all worried about it, and the commentary is never-ending (and I will throw in my next two cents again Monday), so of course that must be the cause, right? As a few folks have pointed out, what changed from a day before the election to a day after? The cliff should already be priced into the market, since its approach was obvious for months. Why would it suddenly matter now?
There are always other forces at work in the market. Perhaps they are equally important? I won't claim to know all the forces in play, but one factor I have been tracking for months is the revision trend in the market-earnings estimate for 2012 and 2013. I discussed this in a post last month, "This Is Probably Unsustainable."
I have noted for the last couple of months that the market rally has occurred in the face of a declining earnings estimate for the S&P 500, which has created a gaping "jaw" that is rarely sustainable. Market price action typically tracks the revision trend: upward revisions drive prices higher, while downward revisions drive prices lower. Starting in July, the market went on a tear even though estimate trends stayed flat. In my experience, these jaws-like gaps are unsustainable -- either the market corrects, or estimates start rising. Look at the latest tracker chart.
Estimates remain flat, and the market decided it was time to give up the summer's gains. Based on the chart, it seems that the correction could go a bit further. I don't think we will see a resumption of a rally until estimates start rising, and if they start falling, look out below!
Of course, estimates could be cut if the cliff looks like it will become a reality, so even this analysis is intertwined with macro forces. The lesson is to pay attention to the cliff negotiations, but also watch the most fundamental factor of all: earnings.


text:
One part of my job which I truly enjoy are the opportunities I have to visit area schools. Sometimes I'm there to do an interview or take a photo, while other occasions find me in the halls of education to speak to a class about the newspaper business. Either way, I most always leave each school with a feeling of appreciation for the teachers who lead their students through the educational — and often the life skills — process.
When I was a child, I always thought I wanted to be a teacher. As I've grown older, I've come to realize some things just aren't meant to be, and that's for good reason. For me, teaching would be fun for about a week. After that, I'd be on my last nerve ... which explains why I have such an appreciation for teachers. But back to my story ...
So I found myself headed into a school the other day, when I saw one of my favorite teachers on the playground. I was a bit early, so I thought I would go over and say hi to this teacher, who was obviously on playground duty. We chatted for a while as she kept a close eye on her young charges. The kids were crazy wild, and even though we chatted casually, this teacher didn't miss a beat when it came to keeping an eye on the kids and reprimanding them when needed.
Just as I was about to head into the school, I watched as a young boy came toward us. He had a distressed look on his face as he approached us. There were no tears, but I thought there might be soon. Without hesitation, he spoke to my teacher friend ...
"(Classmate's name) is throwing grass at me," the little boy told the teacher. "He's throwing a lot of it at me, and it's getting in my mouth," he continued. From the size of the child, I assumed he was a first- or second-grader.
And then with all the wisdom teachers are known to have, my teacher friend delivered the following: "Well, keep your mouth closed and go play somewhere else," she said quickly.
The little boy appeared to be studying his teacher's words for a minute, and then he was off, doing as he was told and heading to the opposite side of the playground.
"Well, that was easy," I said to the teacher.
"No," she said just as quickly. "That was common sense."
I chuckled out loud and headed off into the school, but I don't mind telling you the teacher's words stayed with me all day long ... "Keep your mouth closed and go play somewhere else."
As I think back, I have to tell you I believe those words of wisdom are great advice — not just for a little kid on the playground, but for all of us ... "Keep your mouth closed and go play somewhere else." In fact, they might just be some of the most brilliant words I've heard in a long time.
Like the little kid who was throwing grass on the playground, we all — at one time or another — have that person or persons, who tend to throw a lot our way. While it probably isn't something so simple as a handful of grass, they tend to throw their words, their actions, their demeanor, their attitudes, etc., at us. And of course, I think our first inclination in dealing with these types of people is to lash back and throw some words, actions or attitudes back at them. At the very least — like the little kid complaining to his teacher on the playground, we want someone to acknowledge our misery, and we spread the other person's wrongdoing like it's gospel to anyone who will listen.
But what if we adopted the teacher's advice — "Keep your mouth closed and go play somewhere else?" In essence ... ignore the problem. Don't let your own mouth perpetuate the issue. And then walk away and move on to something else.
A life lesson I should practice more often ... Problem solved, and I keep my own dignity intact in the process. Thanks, my teacher friend. Sometimes an adult needs a common sense lesson too.
Tonica News Editor Terri Simon can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
- General advertising guidelines and the License Act
- Can a licensee offer a cash inducement to a buyer or seller?
- Premarketing lots before closing on land transaction
- Internet Data Exchange
- Advertising on the Internet without involving a real estate agent
- Advertising and including agent's name
- Advertising and team name
- Advertising FSBO listings
- Liability in sales based on the virtual tour
- The Trouble with Virtual Staging
- Can I obtain a managing broker license and not manage an office?
- Managing Broker designation in advertising
IAR Wins Settlement Agreement in Advertising Rule Case Against IDFPR - June 2006
1. What are some general guidelines for advertising that a real estate licensee should be concerned about?
Below are some general guidelines for advertising that can be found within the body of the License Act. See Sections 10-30, 10-35 for License Act requirement on advertising in the Real Estate License Act (.pdf file). Also see 1450.715 and 1450.720 of the Rules for the Administration of the Real Estate License Act of 2000. Article 12 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics offers additional guidelines for advertising.
2. May a licensee offer a cash inducement to a buyer or seller?
It is not a violation of the License Act to offer cash or another type of inducement to a party to a transaction. It is still illegal, however, to offer compensation to an unlicensed person for referring business to you.
A broker must be certain that the inducement is going directly to the actual owner of the property he is listing or to the party taking title to the property. The License Act further requires that whenever a licensee advertises merchandise or services as being "free" that all conditions of the offer must appear in the ad. This means that if you place a clause in the ad saying, "call the office for further details," you may have an incomplete ad. You must place all limiting conditions of your offer in any advertising of the promotion, e.g. offer contingent on sale closing.
A listing or selling office that offers an inducement to a buyer should notify the seller in writing prior to submitting an offer that the buyer will be receiving the cash or merchandise.
3. I am a broker representing a buyer/developer. He is now under a contract to purchase the land for subdivision and he wants to "pre-market" the lots before closing on the land transaction. May he list them on MLS, or otherwise advertise them for sale?
The important fact to remember here is that title does not transfer till the purchase of the land is complete. In other words, the developer/buyer cannot transfer good title to the land, or any part thereof, to any subsequent buyer until the developer/buyer becomes the owner of the property. Title does not transfer until the land transaction closes. As any real estate practitioner knows, a lot can happen between the time a contract is formed and the closing of the transaction. (This is true especially in subdivision development where the developer must undoubtedly meet requirements of the Illinois Plat Act and any other applicable local regulations before the land can be successfully subdivided, which specific requirements will not be addressed for purposes of this question).
On the other hand, the developer could advertise what he does have for sale. At this point, on the facts above, he owns only rights in the contract to purchase the land. He could transfer those rights to a third party (assuming provisions in the land purchase contract would allow this). He, along with your help as his real estate representative, could probably even market this in some manner. However, you must keep in mind your duties under the License Act to avoid any advertising that would be in any way false, deceptive or misleading. Thus, you would want to be certain when doing any advertising that the ads contain clear language that sufficiently explains the situation. You might even do an ad campaign soliciting interest should the land transaction be consummated. This becomes the developer's business decision based on your advice and input from his other advisors.
Developers sometimes handle "pre-marketing" by taking deposits and contracts that are specifically conditioned upon the consummation of the first land sale from potential lot buyers. In addition, developers have actually sold options to potential lot buyers contingent upon consummation of the land sale.
Regarding your question about listing on the MLS, there are a couple concerns. First, under the License Act (and probably MLS rules), you must have the written consent of the owner to advertise the property for sale. Keep in mind, on these facts, you do not yet represent the owner. You represent the contract buyer. Second, if the land was listed with another brokerage company, that firm may have the exclusive right to market the property for sale pursuant to an exclusive right to sell agreement. As a result, without some agreement with the current listing broker, you could not expose the land (or subdivided lots) to the MLS until title transfers and your developer client owns the land.
The situation might also be that the developer went directly to the landowner that was not represented by another broker to effect the purchase of the land. In that case, you probably need to get permission of the landowner to list the land as available for sale. The terms of the purchase contract between the developer and the landowner may actually contain the necessary permission to list, so you should check that contract for such a provision.
4. Please give a short description of NAR's Internet Data Exchange Policy (IDX).
I think it is most helpful to describe this policy in terms of Broker Reciprocity. Simply put, it is a method that has been adopted by many local MLSs whereby the members give each other permission to post active listings on members' public Web sites. In other words, ABC Realty, Inc., by virtue of its membership in the MLS with an IDX policy in place, gives XYZ Realty permission to post ABC's listings on XYZ's Web site and vice versa. According to NAR's policy, those MLS members not wishing to participate in the Broker Reciprocity program can opt out on a blanket or listing by listing basis. A broker should not however, try to opt out on a listing by listing basis to keep his listings off of other Web sites while still displaying other members' listings on his own site.
NAR provides a list of guidelines and options from which the local MLSs can choose. Each MLS has adopted those options that best fit its members' needs. A list of the NAR options is given below:
Licensees must remember that regardless of the options selected by their MLS, any advertising must still present a "true picture" to be in compliance with the Act and the Code of Ethics. Thus, if other firms' listings are displayed on a Web site in front of a password-protected area or firewall, that information is considered advertising under the Act, and must identify the listing firm.
5. I have seen several Internet-related businesses that appear to offer assistance to homeowners to help them sell their own homes without involving a real estate agent. Is this legal?
We should begin this discussion with a reminder that anyone who owns a home is free to try to sell it on his/her own. However, a homeowner may also choose to enlist the services of a real estate agent to assist in the sale of the home. Now, we need to analyze what the Illinois Real Estate License Act of 2000 (the Act) says relative to brokerage activities, thus requiring the person or entity acting as a "broker" to have a real estate license. Let us first look at some key provisions of the Act, and then analyze some sample fact situations.
The Act contains the definition for "broker" as any person or entity who for another and for compensation performs any of the activities enumerated at Section 1-10. Specifically, if a person "assists or directs in procuring or referring of leads or prospects, intended to result in the sale, exchange, lease, or rental of real estate," and that person (or entity) is acting on behalf of someone else, and expects some form of compensation (direct or indirect), a real estate license would be required. (Section 1-10, definition of "Broker," subparagraph (8)).
There are also certain exemptions to the licensure requirement found at Section 5-20 of the Act. There is an exemption for "any medium of advertising in the routine course of selling or publishing advertising along with which no other licensed activities are provided." (Section 5-20(9)). The question then becomes, where is the line between providing space for advertising and assisting in the procurring of prospects for the sale or lease of real estate?
Let us assume facts where ABC, Inc. hosts a Web site in which it sells space on its site to homeowners where they may post their own ads relating to the sale of their property. ABC, Inc. provides the space and the homeowner pays some flat fee for the space. ABC, Inc. does not dictate the content of the ad, but might only review it to be certain it does not violate other general advertising laws. This fact situation would appear to fall under the "advertising" exemption of Section 5-20(9).
Now let us consider facts whereby ABC, Inc. hosts the Web site and also provides prefabricated signs to the homeowner. These are "for sale" signs that the homeowner purchases from ABC, Inc. So, not only has ABC, Inc. provided space for the homeowner to place an ad on the site, ABC, Inc. has provided signage to assist the homeowner in selling the home. If the homeowner is paying ABC, Inc. for the creation of the sign, these facts may put ABC, Inc. outside the exemption in the Act and into the definition of an entity assisting or directing the procuring of prospects for the homeowner, because ABC, Inc. is receiving compensation for these services.
If we take the fact situation one step further and add an element by which ABC, Inc. not only provides ad space on its Web site, provides signage to the homeowner, but also provides some sort of informational packet that gives the homeowner tips or advice of any kind relative to selling his own home, and ABC, Inc. gets any sort of compensation for these services, ABC, Inc. would need a real estate license in the State of Illinois, on these facts.
As always, the answers to these questions depend on the actual facts in any given situation and those facts would need to be analyzed by the Ill. Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
6. I was reviewing the advertising guidelines in Section 10-30(f) of the License Act (the Act) and it appears that I must include the agent's name in all advertising even if I am the managing broker and just want to do some general advertising for the company. Is this true?
No. Admittedly, Section 10-30(f) of the Act might seem to require that an agent's name be included in all of a real estate firm's advertising. However, the idea behind Section 10-30(f) of the Act is that business cards are an advertising medium. As a result, an agent's business card must include the agent's name and the name of the agent's sponsoring broker.
There is, however, a rule in place that clarifies this question. The language of the License Law Rules Section 1450.715(d) states as follows: "Nothing in Section 10-30 of the Act shall require a sponsoring broker to include the name of one of its sponsored licensees on signs or other general advertising of the sponsoring broker." So, this language in the Rules makes it quite clear that a sponsoring broker is free to run ads that do not include an agent's name so long as the name of the real estate firm is identified in the ad.
There is, however, a rule in place that clarifies this question. The language of the License Law Rules Section 1450.715(d) states as follows: "Nothing in Section 10-30 of the Act shall require a sponsoring broker to include the name of one of its sponsored licensees on signs or other general advertising of the sponsoring broker." So, this language in the Rules makes it quite clear that a sponsoring broker is free to run ads that do not include an agent's name so long as the name of the real estate firm is identified in the ad.
7. I am a member of a team within a sponsoring broker's company. If my team has its own "team name," may I use that name in my advertising?
I have heard and seen many advertisements that do contain a team name that might be different than the sponsoring broker's company name. It is important to consider what the Real Estate License Act of 2000 (the Act) and the rules under the Act say on this issue. First, consider that a sponsored licensee must advertise under his/her sponsoring broker's company name. (Section 10-30(d)). Next, consider that the content of advertising must not be false, deceptive or misleading in any way. (Section 10-30(a)). Third, consider that a sponsored licensee is prohibited from advertising under his/her own name.
So, if a group of sponsored licensees, or one licensee together with an unlicensed assistant(s), operates under an assumed "team name," the sponsored licensee(s) would not be in compliance with the Act and its rules if it is an individual team member that registered this name as an assumed name (i.e., the team registered the team name as a DBA, "doing business as"). However, if you look at Rules Section 1450.120 regarding assumed names, you will see that the sponsoring broker can register and do business under an assumed name. So, while the sponsored licensees could not establish and register a DBA, if the sponsoring broker were to register the team DBA with the appropriate authorities, and assign this name to the team within the sponsoring broker's office, the advertising using the team name could be done in accordance with the Act and the rules.
If the sponsoring broker is affiliated with a franchise, the sponsoring broker's company name must appear in all ads showing that affiliation.
It is also important to remember that the ad content must not be deceptive or misleading and must still contain the sponsoring broker's company name or a properly registered assumed name for the sponsoring broker. There are certainly other legal issues to consider when operating as a "team" within a brokerage company. You should contact your company legal counsel for specific advice as to ad copy and for advice on how to register an assumed name.
8. I am a licensed real estate agent in Illinois and I would like to have a section of my Web site available for "for sale by owners" to post their own properties for sale. Would this be legal?
There probably is a way to do this legally, but you should consider the following before you offer a section of your Web site or provide a separate Web site for "for sale by owners" (FSBOs). First, you should check your independent contractor or employment agreement to see if there are any restrictions, and also make sure that your managing broker has no objections if you offer this sort of "service." Check any office policies that might be in place for your brokerage firm. In addition, you need to keep in mind that all of your advertising must be done in the name of your sponsoring broker's company. Also, all representations that you make to the public must be truthful and not misleading. So, if you make space available to FSBOs, it should be clear to the public visiting this area of your Web site or some site that you provide, that these are not your company's listings.
Finally, one of the largest difficulties may involve how or whether to police or control the content of the FSBO ads. If the items posted are not under your control, this could become a troublesome issue. You should ask your broker and your company's attorney how you might post some language that makes it clear to the public that you are not responsible for the content of the FSBOs ads. You certainly would not want to risk a complaint that you have violated fair housing regulations based on content found in the FSBO ads, just to point out one example. As you can see, this seems like a simple concept but it is not one that should be entered into without serious business and legal considerations.
9. A listing agent was concerned when a buyer purchased a property without ever physically seeing the listed property. The buyer was a soldier on active duty in the military and was unable to do a physical walk-through. He had, however, viewed a virtual online tour of the property that did not show marks on the basement walls from previous water damage in the basement. Buyer bought the property without ever actually seeing it, moved in, experienced flooding in the basement and threatened to file a lawsuit and/or License Law complaint against the listing agent/office for misrepresenting the property. What result?
I don't know that there is a clear answer to this question. However, we may see his type of scenario more as consumers and clients rely on technological means to examine real estate without physically walking through the property. I think we need to start by asking a few more questions. What is a virtual tour really? Is a virtual tour just a form of advertising or is it really supposed to be a "tour" that could be used in place of a physical walk-through? The answer here may very well depend on actual facts in a particular situation.
Let us consider a couple different scenarios. First, assume that the listing agent assists or oversees the creation of a "virtual tour" that will appear on the agent's Web site along with other information about the listing. In this scenario, let us also assume that the "tour" consists of a few still photos showing views of the main rooms/areas in the property. Also, we don't know anything about the circumstances of buyers viewing the property on-line. The listing agent might even consider adding language to explain that this tour is provided for marketing purposes only and should not be used in place of a physical visit. On these facts alone, I think the listing agent would have a pretty good argument that the virtual tour constitutes advertising only and the buyer should have made an effort to physically see the property. Also, the listing agent would want to make sure the seller client has completed the required disclosure form that would be given to the buyer prior to becoming bound on any contract. Thus, the seller should have the argument that any known defects have been disclosed under the Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Act.
Now let us consider some facts on the other extreme. Suppose there is a virtual tour included with other information on the listing agent's Web site. The tour is one that is more like a movie version and it leads the viewer on a virtual "walk" around every room. In our example, the listing agent and seller take great care not to show the viewer the side of the basement where the water stains are present on the walls. Let's consider that this buyer is a soldier on active duty overseas and his only access to his future home prospects is via the Internet. The buyer views the virtual "movie-like" tour and based on his virtual walk-through, he contacts his agent to make an offer on the property sight unseen. The buyer agent does so, the seller accepts the contract, the seller supplies all required disclosure reports and they consummate the deal. When the soldier moves in to his new home, the basement floods terribly after the first rain and the soldier is looking for someone to sue.
Of course there are many questions here. One question would be whether the seller disclosed the water problem on his seller disclosure report. Another might even be whether his buyer's agent had any duty to do a physical inspection of the property in place of his buyer client knowing his client's special circumstances. And still another would be whether or not the purposeful exclusion of the water-stained wall from the tour was a misrepresentation of the physical condition of the property. If the buyer agent or the buyer walked through the home, this defect would have been patent or obvious. The seller's duty is to disclose latent or hidden physical material defects that would not be obvious to someone walking through the property. On the facts given above, I think there could be an argument that the purposeful exclusion of the water stained wall added to the fact that the listing side knew the buyer was not going to be able to view the property himself could provide a basis for liability on the part of the seller and his agent.
NOTE: Buyer's Agent Role in the Virtual Sale
This was not part of the original question, but we should also consider the duties of the buyer's agent. I do think the buyer's agent should take care that she is fulfilling her statutory duty to serve her buyer client's best interest. On the latter example, I don't think it would be out of the question for the buyer agent to share in the responsibility to the buyer. The question for the buyer agent becomes whether or not there is any way to protect her against liability. I don't think this would be easy to do given the buyer agent's statutory duties to the buyer and having the knowledge that the buyer will not be able to view the property himself. In our example, the wall stains are obvious to the person who walks through the property. The only protection for the buyer's agent might well be the affinity that the buyer develops for their agent that may result in the desire not to sue or involve them in the dispute. The buyer's agent should also take great care to recommend that inspections by experts be done in cases like these.
As technology changes the practice of real estate brokerage and very likely changes the way consumers and clients behave, everyone should take great care to think how the information is being presented and how it will be used and/or relied upon. In the past you may have been trying to market the property and put "the best foot forward." However, you may now need to indicate that this material is for marketing purposes and should not be relied upon in lieu of a physical inspection of the property or; in the alternative, you may need to present a more balanced view in the virtual tour. And, as always, agents should remember to consult with their brokers and company legal counsel for specific guidance and advice.
10. I have heard of companies that offer "virtual staging" to real estate agents in order to enhance their listings. This service seems to be used in situations where the property is vacant, in disrepair or some combination of these things. Should I have any concerns if I work with one of these companies?
A: Yes, you should be concerned to the extent that you have legal and ethical duties to make accurate representations of properties that you are marketing for sale or lease. Your advertising must not be false, deceptive or misleading. Let's consider an example: You have a vacant home listed for sale and you are going to place advertising on the Web. You would like to offer a virtual tour and you hire a virtual staging company to help you. If you add furniture and other items to each vacant room that does not exist you might be able to argue that even though you have changed the appearance of the property you are not being deceptive since the room exists as it is and the furniture is not part of the real estate. On the other hand, what if the virtual staging company removes the water stains on the basement wall or cracks in the ceiling? This certainly seems to have gone too far and the ads are now misleading. In the abundance of caution, I would suggest that any time an agent uses this type of service and is representing something as fact that is not really there it should be noted somewhere obvious in order to avoid any confusion.
You should also consider situations where the virtual stager wants to help you improve the "virtual curb appeal" of a listing. Let's say the stager adds a fresh coat of paint, maybe some landscaping and a "new" garage door that is not at all like the actual one that is barely hanging on in a lopsided manner. On those facts, I think you can see that this could be considered misleading. If you are going to "jazz up" your listing, take care to explain that you have used a virtual staging service and then be prepared to make the argument that you are not being misleading when and if someone complains that this is not the actual state of the property.
11. If I am the managing broker on file with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), as the managing broker for my company must I include this designation in my advertising?
Generally, yes, on these facts you would need to include managing broker when you use your name in your advertising. However, there is now an exception in the Act when your name is on a "for sale" or similar sign (e.g. a "for sale" sign name rider). In that case you do not have to include managing broker on the sign.
If you are a managing broker licensee, but not designated with IDFPR as a managing broker for your company, you must not use the term managing broker in your advertising. IDFPR says you can use the term "broker" with a modifier that is truthful, not deceptive in any way, and otherwise meets the advertising guidelines of the Act.
Updated January 2012
Copyright Illinois REALTORS®. This content cannot be reprinted in parts or in its entirety without expressed written consent to Illinois REALTORS®.


text:
So again, I come here with a new thread and have some questions in mind I would like to have answerd.
When I'm doing my website,I'm not sure if I do the right things,lets day I have a top div where I want a logo on the left and my nav menu on the right,the thing I do is that I make two divs and make them float to left. And in the left div i put my logo and give it a id and margin it so it looks good. On the navigation menu I do the same thing.
I'm just not sure where I should use things and what options i should use, cause I don't wanna sit here all day structuring the page wrong and learning the wrong way of coding.
And all those different options like overflow:hidden, when will I get in use of those, I'm pretty sure I should use it but since i don't know how I'm going to structure it right I'm probably using a different feauture that's not as good as it for example?
If someone could come up with an idea so I could get a clue of how a page should be structured I would be happy.
That's fine, but it's a good idea to wrap them both in a container div so you can better control where they sit on the page.
And all those different options like overflow:hidden, when will I get in use of those, I'm pretty sure I should use it
In the example above, you would put it on the container div, to ensure that the container wraps around the two floated items. Otherwise the container will have no height, and the floated items will hang out of it.
Honestly, you really need to get a solid overview of how HTML and CSS work before diving in like this. Otherwise, you'll just be flopping around in the dark. Find a good book and work your way through it. It will save you a lot of pain and confusion in the long run.
Your question is basically about how to structure a whole page and would take all day to go through all the options but if you do a search of the forums you will find more information or do a search of Jasons @deathshadow60) posts where he often breaks down the structure of a whole page in detail.
Here's a brief summary of what you should be doing for your header:
Don't think in terms of divs but in terms of structured html. You should already have a basic html page structure in place with relevant content. It doesn't have to be fully complete but should contain most of the elements that you want to style.
You say you have a logo and if that is the site name and slogan then I tend to use an h1 for that (others disagree) and I would use Gilder Levin image replacement to get some content in the page.
You then have a nav which should be in a list so you next have a ul (no need for a div).
So that leads us to this:

Site logo - & slogan

menu

There's no need to wrap those both in a div unless you have a load more elements in that section and you want to group them together (i.e. make a division of the page) or target them uniquely via the parent id.
If the h1 and the nav are floated then you need to ensure that the static elements that follow the floats are cleared so that they start on a new line and do not wrap. If you have other floated elements floating the h1 and nav then you may be better wrapping a header div around the h1 and nav and then using overflow:hidden to contain the floats.

Site logo - & slogan

menu

Or wrapping the content that follows the header in a div to create that clean break from the header stuff.

Site logo - & slogan

menu

Main content

If #main contains floats and you don't need visible overflow then you can use overflow:hidden to contain any child floats (ie7 and under need haslayout which can be done most easily using the proprietary zoom:1.0)
As I said before there is no real need for that div unless it makes life easier for you or you need it for stacking contexts or absolutely placed children within that section (add position:relative to parent of that section), or if you want to structure the page logically into separate divisions. Most of the time there are other suitable html elements to use. However I do tend to wrap my header elements in a div called #header simply because I know at some stage the client will change his mind and want something moved and usually that is easier to do when you have a context to work in. It also logically dives the page into appropriate main sections (header, main, sidebar, footer) etc.
Just continue in that manner. First make sure the content is in the most appropriate element and then decide how to style it. Sometimes you will need extra divs for hooks or for styling necessity but that's ok as long as they are needed and that there is a reason for them. Don't add elements for no reason.
Hope that's a start as I have to rush now
Guys, can't thank you enough. Seriously.
Which is exactly why I advocate marking up your entire content (or a reasonable facsimile) semantically before you even think about layout. Once you have your headings for headings, horizontal rules to indicate change in topics where a heading isn't appropriate, paragraphs for paragraphs and lists for lists, with everything in an order that makes sense, then you can DIVide it into sections and create the layout; since content should dictate layout, not the other way around.
It's the mistake so many people make in 'designing' pages -- shoehorning content into "but I can do it in photoshop" layouts, resulting in broken, bloated inaccessible sites time and time again. It also often shoves them into layouts that don't 'gracefully degrade' -- which is to say if their 'perfect screen layout' isn't available -- because the user lacks or is blocking CSS, lacks or is blocking images, lacks or is blocking javascript -- their pages fall to pieces. While a page can look rather plain with inlined style, CSS, Scripting, and Images off it should still be fully functional and useful as then you are basically looking at what search engines, screen readers, and people who turn such things off for being on slow or metered connections are likely to end up with. (Ask our friends in Canada and Australia about metered connects some time). If the page falls apart and is missing important information, then it's broken rubbish no matter how pretty it is when all the enhancements are present...
After all, that's the POINT of HTML -- saying what the content is so that the user agent (browser) can best figure out how to deliver it to the visitor -- just as the POINT of CSS is to customize that delivery for specific targets.
So... semantic markup first, break obvious sections like content, sidebars and the footer apart using DIV, then build the layout by bending that markup to your will with the CSS... only once you have a working layout should you think about the graphics and effects to be hung upon the already working page to 'enhance' it.
It's why I consider the whole "drawing a pretty picture" first to be a completely broken methodology; and I've rarely seen a site built via that technique that didn't reek of "accessibility, what's that?" -- always very pretty, but ultimately useless to visitors.
As you mentioned it's better to mark up everything. So basically a good way of doing that would be to first start off by placing out all the divs where you want your content, and maybe give each of them a color, and after that start thinking about design?
By the way, lets take a look at http://columnfivemedia.com/ as an example.
I've always wonderd how this is done. Look at the "Column Five" Logo at top left (the black round logo), and the head with a machine in it at the right (the orange logo).If anyone could explain it for me exactly how it's done, I would be superglad, I get totally confused over how they've done it and thats something I want on my own website.
No, color is presentation... that's jumping the gun. Just start writing your content with semantic block level containers -- numbered headings (h1..h6) for headings, HR to indicate changes in topic without a heading, P for paragraphs, UL/OL/DL for the appropriate types of lists, if you actually have tabular data then TABLE (but only for tabular data), etc, etc...
MAYBE at most a couple of DIV to wrap the content area, stuff you think might go in a sidebar, and around the footer; at most... If you are worrying about the placement of the DIV in a manner where coloring them 'helps', you're probably not writing semantic markup -- you want to color them when you START making the layout then maybe, but really if you work top down and look at your code you shouldn't need that.
Especially if you keep your CSS and style where it belongs, in a external stylesheet instead of putting it inline in the markup like it's still 1997. Having it in a second file can be handy too, since if you have a GOOD text editor that doesn't do the stupid tabbed editing bull, you can have your HTML and CSS open side by side in separate windows -- so you can look at your markup at the same time as the CSS you are writing for it.
It's part of why I run multiple displays -- left half of left display shows markup, right half of left display shows CSS, center display shows the four major browsers one should test against at every step of writing the CSS. (right displays are for tasbar in portrait, FTP client, chats and other management functions).
As you get better and write more pages where you'll need/want those DIV and other hooks for presentation will start to come more natural as you write the markup, but really if you're thinking what it is going to look like on your media="screen,projection,tv" stylesheet when first writing your HTML, you're doing it all wrong.
Heh, looks like we're round-robin posting.
THAT is a perfect example of what I mean by a "not viable for web deployment" design -- there's a reason you only see them on "designers" websites because they piss all over the ability for visitors to use them in a reasonable manner. Crappy fixed width too big for most sub $800 laptops, fixed height elements forcing fixed size fonts, illegible color contrasts -- you want a poster child of everything WRONG with web development today, look no further. Not exactly surprising then it's a website talking about infographics; or as I like to call them "lie to the people too stupid to realize the flashy graphics are hiding lies by omissions, and make the people smart enough to know it's a lie walk right past it as annoying without contesting the facts".
The stupid annoying screen wasting image rotator and total lack of anything resembling real content anyone would actually give a **** about only further exacerbating the accessibility failures of fixed metric fonts, goofy hard to read fonts, color contrasts below legibility minimums, etc, etc...
THAT SAID, if we were talking JUST the markup, I see what should be a h1 with a image replacement method (the 'column five' logo), a unordered list in the form of the menu, a sentence I'd treat as a paragraph, a list of image slides, a list of sub-links with presentational images on them, the clients list being a list of images as well, and then the footer content.
Which of course is why their code is a convoluted train wreck lacking any form of structure and being useless to anyone other than the perfect mix of screen size and ocular clarity as it's developers. Again, poster child for how NOT to build a website. Of course it's markup is also rubbish as it's also a turdpress template, so it gets the double bloat whammy.
Which is why it's an ungodly 32k of HTML to deliver less than 2k of plaintext and maybe a dozen content images -- ineptitude of the highest order and easily three times as much HTML as should have been used.
Assuming such a train wreck of "but I can do it in photoshop" idiocy has any business being a website in the first place. Very pretty, but ultimately what is it good for if you can't read it, it doesn't say anything by lack of actual content, and it doesn't work on so many people's machines? "Ooh pretty" lasts five seconds, users walking away from it as "bounces" for it being pointless fluff lasts a lifetime.
I get a little confused since your english is like the best I could've imagine me learning.But anyways, I don't get what you mean with this...
why would you use a h1 image replacement method as you say here:
h1 with a image replacement method (the 'column five' logo)
In deathshadows quote that you quoted, he's giving these bad practices-Fixed height elements-Fixed font sizes-Illegible color contrasts (can't read anything due to the color choices)
He then moves on to basically say that all these are basically bad to do.
Yep, but why should i use h1 for images? Isnt that for headings?
A heading doesn't just have to contain text :).
So, if the case is that I want a picture as a "heading" i should use h1?.. and a class? so,
?
Sure :).
No. You should use an H1 for a top (first-level) heading.
You do not need to use a class. In fact, if you just use a single H1 on your site, then there's almost never a need for a class or an ID, unless you intend to style your H1 differently on various pages.
But the point of using h1 is mainly just because for yourself? I could just give it a  ?
Sorry, but could you rephrase that? Didn't quite understand.
Not sure I understand... Why would you give it an ID?
The point of an H1 is to mark-up the top level heading of an HTML document. Whether you replace text with an image for your top level heading isn't relevant as long as the text or image within your H1 denotes the page's heading.


text:
How much can arrowheads go for?
kgb answers » Where can I... » Where can I buy... » How much can arrowheads go for?
Thursday, February 02 2012Source: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170456146332
Top 10 questions Where can I buy...
- What gas stations sell anti freeze?
- Where can I purchase solar eclipse glasses in las Vegas Nevada
- Where can i buy an axolotl near wisconsin?
- How much does an average queen ant cost for an ant farm and where could i buy 1
- How much is the wizard of oz vhs worth
- Where can i buy the big shot popsicle from. what web siteBiggalzsndluv2
- Can aerogrow aerogarden be purchased at walmart, lowes, or any other retail stores?
- Where can I buy an ugly christmas sweater in charlotte, nc?
- what stores at northpark mall sell chaco sandals
- Where can I buy Jim Henson's "The Frog Prince" on dvd?


text:
Galaxy Note 2 users who upgraded from original Note
Started by
Lister Of Smeg,
2 posts in this topic
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new account
Sign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now
MoDaCo is part of the MoDaCo.network, © Paul O'Brien 2002-2016. MoDaCo uses IntelliTxt technology.


text:
THE profits of electricity companies increased by $100 million in the past financial year and power bills are rising despite consumers using less electricity, an audit of state-owned energy companies has found.
The NSW Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, said wholesale electricity prices had fallen in 2010-11 because NSW consumers were using less electricity, but retail prices were rising because the companies were spending more on maintenance of the distribution systems, especially poles and wires.
''The wholesale prices are down, down, down, but the retail prices are up, up, up,'' Mr Achterstraat said.
However, there was no evidence companies were price-gouging. ''The electricity market is a very, very complex one and the price of electricity can vary from $3 a megawatt hour up to $6000, depending on spikes [in demand],'' he said.
''It's the same electricity you're getting, but it all depends on various components, including if everyone switches it on at the same time.''
Mr Achterstraat has recommended that the power companies be required to demonstrate ''an efficient and prudent capital expenditure program'' in their submissions to the Australian Energy Regulator.
The audit shows that after-tax profits rose from $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion in 2010-11. The dividends and taxes paid to government by electricity companies rose from $1.16 billion in 2011 to $1.43 billion this year.
It found consumer electricity bills were rising sharply, up by 80 per cent over the past five years. The price paid to the generators for electricity had fallen over the same period.
Spending on poles and wires contributed half the cost of residential electricity bills. The next highest cost was generation (25 per cent). The cost of retailing the electricity contributed 10 per cent, the carbon tax added 8 per cent and ''other green schemes'' contributed 7 per cent, the audit found.
Mr Achterstraat said spending on poles and wires was due to companies upgrading networks to cope with demand at peak times. He would like to see the companies innovate to improve their demand management.
''I'd like it if I can get an app, or a text or a tweet, from my electricity company saying, 'Look we're reaching peak demand time, would you mind switching off your dishwasher or power point or power tools until later on'.''


text:
Nexus 7 (2013) JSS15Q OTA Update Rolling Out - Fixes GPS/GNSS and Multitouch Issuesby Brian Klug on 8/22/2013 5:46 PM EST
18 Comments
Back to Article
noeldillabough - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - linkVery nice to see they're updating, I'll wait for the OTA. Reply
dyc4ha - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - linkAn undeniable advantage of a Nexus device, timely updates Reply
wintermute000 - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkBzzzt wrong, this fixes glaring issues that should have been caught in round 1 of QA.... goog really dropped the ball on this one.
Nice to have a fix (yes mine's affected by the multitouch bug) but really sloppy and hurting sales/rep. Reply
Orwelian84 - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkPlease name one company that has consistently flawless releases with no bugs? I won't both holding my breath, because the fact of the matter is that bugs always creep in and the mark of a great company is its ability to rapidly respond to its customers, which is what Google has done. In less than 30 days they fixed this software problem and are rolling out to its customers a fix.
Their stock hasn't suffered and the tech punditsphere isn't lambasting them so I am not sure where you came up with the "hurting sales/rep" line. Sounds like you are butthurt because your tablet suffered from a bug. I am sure Google is sorry that this happened to you, but as I said they have rolled out a fix.
If it had been a Samsung tablet you would be waiting for a fix five months from now and if it was an Apple bug first they would have denied it, then issued a fix complete with a snarky remark about "not holding it right". Reply
Transmitthis14 - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkOrwelian84 - In less than 30 days they fixed this software problem and are rolling out to its customers a fix.
Here I and all the rest of the other 2012 Nexus 7 owners are, with this multi touch issue,
We have been trying everything, posting on Google's forums as well as androids, talking to support and even replacing products for OVER a year, to get this issue resolved or even acknowledged.
It took the media interest and possible loss of sales of a "new tablet" for them to put resources into action to fix the issue.
I love my Nexus7 (Despite the ongoing Bluetooth audio connection issues (which you won't hear about unless someone with a 2013 one has media clout)) and I expect bugs, but you really should understand the time frames involved before making a comment about 30day fix's Reply
Orwelian84 - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkThis post is about the 2013 version, and so far as I know, and all the reviews I have read, the issues you are describing with the 2012 version were much less widespread...e.g normal problems in the supply chain and not a specific bug in a significant proportion of the tablets shipped.
I highly doubt the "rest of" the 2012 owners had the problems you are describing because there would have been media coverage and the 2012 tablet was almost universally acclaimed as the best tablet money could buy.
And again I was posting a comment on a thread about an update to a brand new tablet, not last years version. I made no claims about the 2012 version and again so far as I know your experience with it is in no way generalizable to the whole. Reply
misterv - Thursday, September 05, 2013 - linkFirst of all, you assumed the fix even worked (many are still reporting the issue despite the "fix" so they have yet to actually fix it in a timely manner). Second of all, Consumer Reports has said not to buy the Nexus 7 2013 tablet until they've addressed the multitude of issues with the 2013 version (again, which they haven't done yet fully) so I'm not sure how you can claim that there's been no reputation damage whatsoever. The Verge also has an article that not only outlines all the bugs of the current release but also of the 2012 release, many of them still unfixed as Transmitthis states. And I disagree with you. It's perfectly reasonable to question a company's commitment to support by their behavior with past products. It was YOU who made the generalized statement, "the mark of a great company is its ability to rapidly respond to its customers, which is what Google has done." He was bringing up a perfectly valid point, that just because they addressed an issue this time, doesn't make the company wonderful based on their past behavior...If someone slapped you every day last week but today they bought you an ice cream sandwich, it doesn't make them a nice guy either...if google releases one timely fix but fails to address numerous past problems, it doesn't make them a great company.
Then you summarily discount that his claims that there are issues with the original nexus 7 and even a cursory search on google itself brings up quite a number of people with complaints about the 2012 nexus 7.
But the most egregious thing you said is that the 2012 issues were less widespread and therefore normal problems in the supply chain. You have no basis or evidence to support that claim other than your survey of, what I'm sure, was the entire internet.
While I understand that there are always a few defective products that slip by, robust QC is supposed to catch a good deal of them. Something so basic as a number of consumers complaining that the device would not reliably turning on, or the casing coming loose (2012 version) or a touchscreen not correctly registering touches on a large percentage of devices (2013) is a QC failure, plain and simple. If you want to apologize for Google and Asus go right ahead, but basic functionality should be robustly tested and wasn't two devices in a row.
And look around more closely, neither then nor now is it just one or two people with the complaints. Reply
Azurael - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkQuite. I own many Android devices of various shapes and sizes and not one of them would be free from major bugs were it not for the hobbyist development community. I don't know of any modern, complex piece of technology that's released sans-bugs these days. At least Google not only bother to fix them, but do so in a timely manner. Reply
Rob Sims - Monday, August 26, 2013 - linkThe "not holding it right" comment was based on rumour, not fact, from the late Steve Jobs in June 2010 (that's right, over 3 years ago). Despite the story of the supposed email/tweet/text message, no-one was ever able to find evidence it was ever said and most concluded later that it was probably fabricated for whatever reason at the time. Using such remarks invalidates much of what you might sensibly have said, whether that was your intention or not! Reply
Impulses - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkNice, I haven't even opened mine cause I've been away... Guess I might try updating it after rooted to see if root access survives (I'm not replacing the bootloader, just loading TWRP thru ADB after unlocking, precisely because I'd rather get Google's OTAs directly/immediately). Reply
flashbacck - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkBleh. A number of people are reporting (and a video on youtube) showing multitouch is still broken if you set the tablet down. Reply
Impulses - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkI seem to recall reading of a similar issue with another phone or tablet in the past, had something to do with the way capacitive displays work and the way the particular device was built. Reply
Davidjan - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkCool! it supports to add storage with http://goo.gl/U6IyY Reply
caleblloyd - Thursday, August 29, 2013 - linkI just updated to JSS15Q and definitely have a single touch problem on my 2013 Nexus 7. I felt like there may have been a touch issue before the update, but I can confirm that JSS15Q did not fix it and may have made it worse. I fired up Angry Birds and when I pull a bird back and it randomly launches (pretty often, like 2/3 birds) without me releasing a finger. Also, when I scroll on websites it will randomly zoom in and out as if it registered a ghost click. Running YAMTT reveals both single touch inconsistency and ghost clicks during single touch. Just a guess, but I think JSS15Q messed with touch sensitivity settings and exposed some issues with my unit. There's plenty of posts on Google groups, XDA, and Android Police that reveal many people having the same problem. Reply
Nexus 7 2013 - Thursday, August 29, 2013 - linkhttps://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/mob...
Update fixes some, has no effect on others, makes it worse on many.
Check out the above link to Google's own forum where you can follow the story as it unfolds.
Not pretty at all..... Reply
wintermute000 - Thursday, August 29, 2013 - linknah, according to orwellian1984 they're all just 'butthurt' Reply
misterv - Thursday, September 05, 2013 - linkIt's funny how he makes a reference to 1984 and yet is the first person to defend a corporation's defective product, attack individual people claiming that there may actually be issues with it, and displays a lack of skepticism to anything that doesn't fit his "google is god" mindset. After all...Ignorance is strength... Reply
Jeff Bellin - Sunday, September 08, 2013 - linkHate to sound polyanna but i don't think this is a gripes-only forum, is it? I just want to say that I got my N7 2 on July 30 and have used it extensively every day. It has performed flawlessly (with one fairly rare issue, below) and has never had the problems most commonly discussed, including here. Updating to the newest build has not changed the - already fine - performance in any discernible way.
The only problem I experience about 5% of the time is a touch not registering on a web page - though never have this problem within an app or native screen. I've begun to wonder how much this may be related to the web page programming or the browser in use (I seem to vacillate among 4!) or maybe a combination of the two. I have at times found the same web page to fail to respond to touch-clicks in other browsers though at times it worked fine on the new browser, and still failed upon return to the original browser. I'm not sure this is any worse than mouse clicks on a pc browser. In any event, it does somewhat agree with far more severe problems with unresponsive screen clicks, but it doesn't happen often enough or lack quick easy workarounds to rise to the level of a "problem."
As so many identical complaints can't be wrong, QC would appear to be the cause, though I don't know how this explains the large number of 100% successes with the late August update. I think of QC as being a hardware issue, not software. Asus has a very mixed track record on QC. One its most outstanding products, the Zenbook UX31A ultrabook experienced return rates/one star reviews from about 1/3 of all customers for the first year of that model's life. Still, over 50% found it to be flawless from day one.
My point: it seems I was lucky with my N7 2 and while that pleases me, luck should not be required to get a perfect product the first time at least 90% of the time. Reply


text:
What to Do About Hairballs in Cats
No two ways about it: Hairballs in cats are unpleasant. And they're not just disagreeable for the person who has to clean them up -- they can cause intestinal blockages, which can be a serious health problem, for your cat. It's a given that your cat is going to groom herself, so what can you do to keep hairballs to a minimum?
What causes hairballs in cats?
Hairballs, technically called trichobezoars, may be disgusting - especially on your white rug - but they develop as a result of your cat's healthy and fastidious grooming routine.
When your cat grooms himself, tiny hook-like structures on his tongue catch loose and dead hair, which is then swallowed. The majority of this hair passes all the way through the digestive tract with no problems. But if some hair stays in the stomach, it can form a hairball. Ultimately, your cat will vomit the hairball to get rid of it. Because hairballs pass through the narrow esophagus on the way out, they often appear thin and tubelike, rather than round.
Hairballs in cats are more likely to appear in long-haired breeds, such as Persians and Maine Coons. Cats that shed a lot or who groom themselves compulsively are also more likely to have hairballs, because they tend to swallow a lot of fur. You may have noticed that your cat didn't have hairballs as a kitten, but developed them as she grew. This is quite normal -- as cats get older they become more adept groomers and therefore more proficient at removing fur from their coats with their tongues, which means more hairballs for you to clean up.
Symptoms of Hairballs in Cats
It can be disturbing to watch (and hear) your cat eliminating a hairball. Some common hairball symptoms include hacking, gagging, and retching. Usually, your cat will then vomit the hairball in relatively short order.
If you notice the following hairball symptoms, be sure to contact your veterinarian, as they could indicate that a hairball has caused a potentially life-threatening blockage: