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Can ROI be proven from Google Plus?
What causes a social signal to pass to a page?
And how can a single user can pass 4 +1's to a page per shared link in a post?
Dustin W. Stout made an absolutely wonderful post recently that covers most of the benefits of the +1 button and how social signals are being passed from inside Google Plus and on the page. What was truly amazing is that the previous week my teammates and I were running some similar tests on the +1 button.
We had a client of ours GetVoip.com who wanted to switch away from straight links and move to tracked. Before we did this we wanted to make sure that signals were actually passing from G+. So, we went into test mode before making the change.
So, our main reason for these tests were to determine if…
A. The +1 would flow from a post if the actual URL was appended with a Google Analytics tracking string.
B. A +1 would carry through if the URL was shortened.
First, to Summarize Dustin's findings:
- A shared link once shared passes a +1.
- A +1 on a page as a user added a +1.
- If another user shared the post a +1 is added.
- If the same user shares a post and +1's the post a +1 is added.
- Image posts that contain 1 link pass a +1 to the page.
- Multiple links in a post with an image will interrupt the signal.
As soon as I saw this post I hopped into a hangout with Dustin, since I saw there was one thing missing his list based on our findings. Are you ready for it?
A comment from a user causes a PLUS ONE
Yes, you read that correctly. What we discovered was that when one of our team members commented on a post in Google+, a +1 would register on the page. The beauty behind this is in how Google is looking at the comments. Only one +1 would be added per unique user comment. Meaning that you can go in and comment as many times as you like, but your +1 will only be counted once. This is really amazing for us as engagers and marketers. What better incentive is there to bring others into a topic (beyond a great conversation) than to add another social signal to the page?
Note: We also tested a +1 on a user comment, this did NOT add a +1 to the page. This means the social vote is being passed to the individual profile, not the target link (this actually makes a lot of sense if we look at how PR is passed internally and externally from G+).
So, I am now going to show you my methodology on two separate tests we performed.
** I encourage others to perform these tests as well – let's peer review this!
Test 1. – Will a social signal pass on a URL that is tracked and has
a Google Analytics UTM tracking string?
Does a shared goo.gl , owl.ly or bit.ly link, with a UTM string, still pass a G+ social signal? Result = YES
1. I shared a goo.gl link with a UTM tracking string. The result was as expected a +1 signal, 20 seconds later. (For the record, 20 seconds was a constant throughout all testing?)
2. I commented on the post – interestingly enough, a comment passes a plus (this result was NOT expected).
3. I personally plussed the post (the result was as expected and passed a +1).
4. I removed the plus from post and it removed from page (the result was as expected, +1 was removed).
5. I re-added my plus and then shared the post (the share did not add a +1, but did appear as a comment in WordPress. Mixed feelings on the result as the +1 reappeared).
6. I then deleted my test posts. (After both test G+ posts were deleted, the +1 for the shared link disappeared, but the two other +s, my comment and the initial plus, stayed. The result showed that some social signals live on even if a post is deleted).
*NOTE: This same test was done separately for goo.gl, owl.ly and bit.ly – all results were the same.
So, why is this important? As a consultant and a company that focuses on the ROI of Google+, we are always looking to show proof that what we do causes great things to happen. One of the "mysterious" things about G+ to most business owners I talk to is how we can prove ROI. I normally say something along the lines of, "Look at Google Analytics!" Well, unfortunately, GA does not do a wonderful job, yet, of reporting attribution to a goal or conversion from plus.google.com. Why? Most of those results get lumped into the keyword report of Google Analytics as (NOT PROVIDED) merely because of the fact that G+ is behind a SSL security certification (HTTPS) and most clients do not have SSL enabled on their main website.
So, in a perfect world, we could share a long string that can be tracked as a campaign in Google Analytics. The problem is that those URLs can be very long and do not present well in a post…anywhere. So we have to shorten them.
We take a long URL like http://www.steadydemand.com/?utm_source=googleplus&utm_medium=steadyshare&utm_campaign=steadyshare and make it into http://goo.gl/S2r7Gz .
We stopped using these shortened URLs back in February because there were no social signals passing based on previous tests. Well, something has changed my friends…they now pass social signals!
Once I saw this and shared it with a team member, the question then became: "What other social signal are passing a +1?"
Test 2: What is passing a +1 to a page?
- I shared a goo.gl with a UTM tracking string, shared as a link (the result was, as expected, a passed +1).
- I shared to a fellow user, Josh E. (the result was again, as expected, a passed +1).
- Josh submits a comment (the result was another +1, which was NOT expected).
- I commented on the post in G+ (the result was yet another +1, which was NOT expected).
- Josh plussed the author's G+ post comment (no plus one added to page).
- I plussed Josh's comment (no plus one added to the page).
- Josh +1 the original post (as expected, a +1 appears).
- I shared the post with a brand page (no +1 added, which makes sense as I already shared the link once).
- I commented on the post that was shared to the brand page (as expected, a +1 appears).
- The brand then comments on shared post (a +1 appears, meaning the brand page acts like an individual user).
- The brand commented again (no +1 added).
- I went back in and commented again both on the shared post and my comment (did not cause another +1 so G+ is counting my interaction with the post only once).
- Josh plussed the post shared to the brand page (as expected, a +1 appears).
- The brand page shared the link (a +1 appears).
- Josh plussed the page as a regular user on the page (a +1 appears).
- I plussed the page as a public user (another +1 appears).
Here are the BIG takeaways from all of this testing:
- A single user can cause a target page to have a +1 up to FOUR times (1 share, 1 comment , a + 1 on the post, and one public on page plus (the G+ button).
- NOTE: To cause 4 +1's the link MUST be a shared link, NOT a picture share.
- A shortened URL can now pass social signals.
- A UTM-tracked URL can pass social signals.
- A comment by an entity causes a +1 to pass a social signal.
So, there you go. Use this information for good, NOT evil. Please use it to educate others and not inflate stats. If we game the system, the system itself loses its value, and guess what? Google will catch on to you if you do try and game it.
Image courtesy of http://all-free-download.com/free-vector/vector-background/colorful_gears_background_05_vector_157499.html
By Ben Fisher


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Wycombe Warband is the wargaming club serving the High Wycombe and Beaconsfield area in south Buckinghamshire. We play all sorts of historical wargames, from ancient to modern periods, in different scales and using a wide variety of rules sets. If you're new to wargaming, but think you might be interested, click on on the left to find out more about what it's all about. If you're thinking about joining us, read on to find out more about the club.
It's the end of Season 2 of the club's Saga: Dark Age Skirmishes campaign. Basculf the Unwashed has summarised this Season's events as only skalds can, but you can read all the stories of each Faction on these web pages as we continue to monitor their progress through this epic journey.
The club's Blood Bowl League is now in full swing and Neil has been blogging games. There's a lot of Blood Bowl banter on the club's Facebook page so do join in if you're interested!
We put on some demonstration games at Vanquish, a local show in May at Bourne End Community Centre. Thanks from us all to everyone who helped make it happen. It was a very good small show and we look forward to participating again next year.
For up to date information about what's planned for this week, topics we're currently discussing, and general banter take a look at our email list and message board at Wycombe Warband on Yahoo! Groups, and join us if you would like. You can also join our mailing list by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
We also have an active group on Facebook so you can also catch up with us there as well.
To find out what club members are up to, see The Front Line for our most recent blog posts.
We try our best to make sure that a range of different games is always available so that people can play something they enjoy. If you have a game and want to play it then there is sure to be someone willing to give it a go or more likely already a fan. We're currently playing a lot of Saga, Flames of War and X-Wing, but we like to play a lot of games and will have a go at almost anything.
Above all, we set out to make our games enjoyable for everyone to play, and encourage people to take part. Whether you're a new recruit or a seasoned veteran, whether you're young or old, you'll always be welcome to join in, so come along. Have fun pushing some figures around and rolling some dice!
The school is easy to find, has plenty of space for games, free car parking and a subsidised bar that is open most evenings.
We meet every week on a Thursday night from 7.00pm onwards, and occasional Saturdays. Making a day of it allows us to host big battle games, play several different games, or run shorter games several times throughout the day. In addition, we also have occasional wargames evenings and other fixtures. See our calendar of events for up to date details of what's planned over the weeks ahead.
We meet at the National Film & Television School, Station Road, Beaconsfield, HP9 1LG. Tel. 01494 671234. If you can't find where we are in the building tell the security guard you're a wargamer and they'll give you directions.
You can contact us at email@example.com or email@example.com if you want to get more information. You're very welcome to just turn up one night but if you've not been before and intend to use the car park please let us know in advance so that we can make sure a space is available.

subset: commoncrawl


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Mastering the Self-Storage Management Software Learning Curve
There's a very funny scene in the movie "City Slickers" in which Billy Crystal's character explains to his friend that he can, in fact, tape one show on his VCR while watching another. One of the reasons it's amusing is so many people—at that time—were confused about how this was even possible.
While the idea of "taping" something on a VCR is pretty antiquated in light of today's technology, one thing still rings true—technology is often still tough to master. Think about the forms of technology we use today, from smartphones and tablets to widgets and even 3D TV. While new technology aims to make our personal and professional lives easier and more comfortable, there's always a learning curve. Then when you've got it down, something new comes along.
Technology plays a huge role in the self-storage industry. Not only has it changed the way self-storage operators market their facilities, it's also altered the way they operate them. Few facilities now run without some kind of management-software program. And today's programs offer so much more than just a way to take payments or lease a unit.
If you're starting a new self-storage business or considering upgrading to a new management-software program, you first need to get educated on all the features today's programs offer. For a preview of what's new in self-storage management software, read this article.
Another way to get informed is by attending the free ISS webinar on the topic on June 27. The webinar, "How to Evaluate and Choose Self-Storage Management Software," will include representatives from four of the biggest software companies in the industry: Syrasoft Management Software LLC, SiteLink, Centershift and Empower Software Technologies Inc.
They will offer insight into today's facility-management software programs, including popular platforms and must-have features, discuss Web-based vs. PC-based programs, talk about pitfalls to avoid, and outline important things to consider when beginning your software search. Time will also be allotted for questions from the audience.
Much like any technology, one size doesn't fit all. Management software that works for one property may not be ideal for another, so it's critical operators do their homework. Start by reading the article above and attending this important free webinar. It will also be available on-demand a few days after the live event. You can find more articles on the subject on the ISS Management Software topics page, or ask questions on Self-Storage Talk. There are always several threads on software, security and other technology on the forum.
Latest Articles
- The Lock Up to Convert Former Graymills Chicago Plant to Self-Storage
- M4 Management Completes Self-Storage Conversion Project Near Honolulu
- 4 Analytical Reports to Help You Improve Your Self-Storage Operation
- It's a Business, Dang It: Why Self-Storage Owners Should Invest in Revenue Potential, Not Real Estate
- Self-Storage Call-Center Provider XPS Solutions Partners With StoreLocal Coop


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Tag Archives: Journal of Urology
Dr. Goldman Talks Mesh Removals
A woman who I am planning to do a Patient Profile on called me the other day. She had surgical mesh partially removed at the Cleveland Clinic with urologist, Dr. Howard Goldman, two weeks ago. She was on her way back to the Cleveland Clinic in extreme pain. She had been on the same [continue reading…]


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Tony Miller -- a Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate and current assistant men's basketball coach at USC -- was inducted into the Marquette M Club Hall of Fame.
Miller was one of seven honorees in a ceremony Aug. 20, and he is one of 79 former Marquette athletic greats who have been inducted in the hall's history.
He started all 123 games in his Marquette career and ranked fifth in NCAA history in assists (956) at the time of his graduation. Miller is still the Golden Eagles' all-time assists leader and ranks seventh all-time in the NCAA.
He led Marquette to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 1994. The Golden Eagles were 81-42 in his career, which spanned 1992 to '95.
Miller remains one of two players in NCAA history to tally 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 900 assists in his career.
He led the Vikings to back-to-back state championships under former coach and current John Carroll men's hoops boss Mike Moran in 1991 and '92. He was also a standout football player before forgoing a potential Division I career on the gridiron to concentrate on hoops.
Miller played 12 seasons of professional basketball overseas before joining the Trojans in 2009.
Miller, 38, was USC's strength and conditioning manager in 2009-10 before he was promoted to assistant basketball coach on March 26, 2010. He played for current USC coach Kevin O'Neill during three of his four seasons at Marquette.
Beard wins fan voting for Bowerman
It seems appropriate that a late surge helped Jessica Beard win the fan balloting in The Bowerman -- collegiate track and field's version of The Heisman Trophy.
Beard, a Euclid graduate who concluded her Texas A&M career late last spring, received 9,600 of her 20,301 online votes in the last two days of the competition, which concluded last week.
In all, Beard tallied 49 percent of the votes in becoming the first athlete in Bowerman history to surpass 20,000 fan votes.
LSU's Kimberlyn Duncan was second at 42 percent (17,192), and Arkansas' Tina Sutej rounded out the competition at 9 percent (3,773).
By winning the fan voting, Beard receives one first-place vote. That vote, combined with paper balloting, will determine the winner.
The Bowerman will be awarded in December.
In a recent phone interview, Beard said she is taking one class at A&M this fall and will graduate in December. She said she will be placed on the Aggies' roster as a volunteer assistant.
Beard -- whose main focus is training for the 2012 London Olympics -- is currently competing for the U.S. in the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
She captured two individual national championships, four national relay titles and 16 All-American honors in her collegiate career.
New AD at NDC
Dr. John P. Galovic -- a former administrator for the Willoughby-Eastlake School District -- was named the new director of athletics at Notre Dame College last week.
Galovic replaces Susan Hlavacek, who resigned in June.
Galovic will be in charge of the Falcons' 22 athletic programs as the former NAIA program transitions to NCAA Division II.
Prior to his recent appointment, Galovic chaired NDC's education division for four years.
The Falcons have entered provisional Division II status in 2011-12, and they expect to be a full-fledged member of D-II by 2012-13.
Galovic was the associate superintendent for business and director of secondary education for the Willoughby-Eastlake School District prior to joining NDC in 2005. He also is a former principal at North High School.
LEC hires lacrosse coach
Jillian Howley is Lake Erie's new women's lacrosse coach.
Howley was an assistant lacrosse and field hockey coach at Bloomsburg (Pa.) University in 2010-11. She was a four-year letter-winner in lacrosse and field hockey at Robert Morris (Pa.).
The Storm are entering their third lacrosse season.


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- 3 total posts
- 1 comment
- 2 questions
Questions from katiemary
Possible Scar Tissue After Glycolic Peel? (photo)
I had a glycolic peel done about 4 years ago and after the treatment the skin around my nose and upper lip were VERY raw.My esthetician told me to apply sunblock to my entire... READ MORE
Shadow Above and Below Upper Lip?
What is causing the he shadow above my upper lip and below my lower lip? I have had laser hair removal done about 5 years ago and have gone through 2 pregnancies. Could this be... READ MORE
Recent comments from katiemary
This sounds bad but I have had many peels and it always turns out that your skin has to look worse to look better in the beginning right after the peel. It sounds like you understand that now. You must keep 35+ sunblock on your face to... READ COMMENT


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|November 24, 2001, 04:23 PM
Posts: n/a
Browning BPS
Was doing some general research on shotguns for a friend and noticed a decided lack of discussion here on Browing shotguns in general and BPSs in particular. Any reason for this? Seems to be an inordinate amount of discussion revolving around Winchester, Mossberg, and Remington (especially the 870) While some of these are fine (I'd pass on the Mossberg) firearms, I don't understand their predominance on this board to the detriment of Browning.
Am I the only BPS owner out there? Is it because they don't come in a "tactical" swat team ready style with (worthless) pistol grips? Are they not "hollywood" enough? Are they too costly? Is there a quality concern with them? Does it have to do with the place of manufacture?
Any insight is much appreciated. I love my browning and have always considered Brownings to be exceptional firearms, however, this board seems to, if not dislike them, then to ignore them.
|November 24, 2001, 07:25 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: May 18, 2001
Posts: 386
I had one back in 85. Loved it for the chokes and bottom ejection. Never had a problem with it. Traded it off for a Rem 1100 skeet - to good a deal to pass up.
All stations stand by for flash traffic...
|November 24, 2001, 08:04 PM
Staff In Memoriam
Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,812
I don't know enough about them to give an educated opinion,NoVA. My experience has been mostly with other shotguns, lots of them.
However, I never met a Browning design I didn't like, even the A-5s that don't hit for me.JMB must have invented the term, Overengineered. His stuff lasts well nigh forever.
I note a lack of complaints about them,too.
Try the BB over on Shooting Sportsman, they have had a few threads on the BPS.
IMO,if it works for you, it's a great shotgun.
|November 24, 2001, 09:40 PM
Junior member
Join Date: July 2, 2001
Posts: 160
I have quite a few browning BPS shotguns and love them all..i recently sold all my mossbergs and winchesters...I made the mistake of ever buying them...well I did trade them off for a beautiful NIB engraved 20guage..main problem with any browning other then the gold line of shotguns is they work right out of the box...gunsmiths hate brownings..the never see them in the shop..the biggest issue however is accy's...very very few make anything for a browning...ive never been a fan of any gun that does not have a top tang safety...its nice seeing it in front of your face....my only exception is the benelli...browning..sadly...is not what it use to be..compare a catalog 5 yrs ago with todays version...it will make you sick....again..there are browning owners on this board..its just a quiet corner of TFL and we keep mostly to ourselves..we know what we have and dont like to pass along the secret of how well they perform
|November 24, 2001, 10:24 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 29, 1999
Location: rural Illinois
Posts: 589
I have a 3.5"mag BPS and it is OK but a tad heavy. I like the other BPSs esp the 20g even tho I don't own one.
I like my Dad's old auto 5s, the 1954 sweet 16 and the 1958 mag 20. I have killed a slew of pheasants with my 12g SXS (BSS) over the years but the 26" 20g SXS is an esp beautiful and sweet handling double.
I guess Browning shotguns are OK.
|November 25, 2001, 12:14 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 25, 2000
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 842
I have BPS 12 and 20 ga. I like both. I am right handed but shoot left handed. I like the tang safety and bottom ejection. I also like how the guns look and feel. I have used the 20 ga at skeet with good success. I think they are great guns. Probably one reason you don't see much about them here is the expense. The upfront cost is higher and barrels and choke tubes cost more. The 12 ga is heavy but the 20 ga is a dream. Its a very pretty gun, maybe someday a wife or GF will enjoy shooting it.
|November 25, 2001, 01:46 AM
Join Date: November 12, 2001
Posts: 17
Browning Shotguns are certainly among the very best...can't explain the lack of posts...?
|November 25, 2001, 02:06 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 25, 2000
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 842
The gents here are more interested in HD and tactical uses and value than wingshooting and fine guns.
|November 25, 2001, 02:19 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: June 6, 1999
Location: El Paso, TX
Posts: 1,021
I'd say there is a lack of talk about them for 3 reasons.
1. They certainly aren't as common as 870's, 500's and 1300's. This is in my area anyway. A store will have a few versions of one of the big 3 shotguns and maybe one BPS.
2. The cost a bit more, so people opt for the less expensive shotgun. So there isn't as many owners out there talking about them. Of course there are more expensive models of 870's and so on, but your basic BPS costs more than your basic 870 or the like.
3. There really aren't that many after market products for the BPS, so it is left out on all those discussions. Same with the Home D/Self D.
Just my opinion though. It's not that BPS's aren't good shotguns, it's just that there isn't much to directly discuss about them.
New gun, same ol' shot.
|November 25, 2001, 07:58 AM
Staff In Memoriam
Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,812
Not necessarily, Bam Bam. Recent events have steered lots of threads to the "Serious" side, but good sporting shotguns are also appreciated.
A note on the BPS in particular and pump guns in general...
Someone noted it's a bit heavy. The question then is,"For what?".
We've become (and I certainly suffer from this) used to the idea of a 12 gauge pump gun being an all around tool for doves to deer. This is only partly correct.
For the uplands, I'd want something weighing less than 7 lbs, with a shorter bbl than 28", balanced between the hands. For a specialized quail/grouse/ woodcock piece, make it 6 1/2 lbs and a bit muzzle light. And 2 3/4" shells are plenty for these pursuits in a 12 ga.
For a pure D waterfowler, make it 8 lbs to give it some inertia, and a bit muzzle heavy for the same reason. Stretch that chamber out to 3", and use a bbl of at least 28" and 30 is better if you can find one. That heavier weight will soak up some kick, and since few of us have to carry these up and down some hills going to a goose blind, it's not a drawback.
JMB certainly understood designing for the mission. His design that's now the Ithaca Model 37 is a superb upland gun, and the A-5 and its clones were the waterfowling standard for decades. For upland work, he gave us the Sweet 16 A-5, but that's outside our discussion here.And that Sweetie is still a bit heavy when you're 3 miles and four hills from the truck.
My SWEG is the BPS is a fine waterfowler, and probably fine for trap but not so good for SC or skeet. Upland work, maybe if you're built like an NFL lineman.
|November 25, 2001, 09:29 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 29, 1999
Location: rural Illinois
Posts: 589
I s'pose I should elaborate on my "heavy" BPS.
It is an oddball config I picked up in a trade. 3.5" 12g with a 24" barrel marked "upland" (???) I've never weighed it but it carries heavy, tho balances evenly between the hands. It has a pleasant swing on waterfowl but more barrel would probably make it even better.
I've hunted upland birds with a fellow that uses a 20g BPS. Seems to be a good fit.
BamBam, Some of us actually have no interest in tactical hardware and a great deal of interest in sporting shotguns and wingshooting.
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Los Angeles, Feb 8 (IANS) English singer Ed Sheeran has denied the reports about collaborating with Justin Bieber.
It was rumoured that Bieber and Sheeran will team up for a song, but the latter feels that an association between two male artists is difficult, reports thesun.co.uk.
"I don't think a collaboration would work with Justin," Sheeran said.
"I think collaborations should be done with people that can actually click. Two male singers makes it very difficult for it to work," he added.
Sheeran says the rumour started because he was seen meeting Bieber's manager.
"I met Bieber's manager Scooter Braun in New York and he said he's got this artist I want you to write with," Sheeran said.
"Next time I was in LA, I was doing Jimmy Kimmel and he brought this girl to Kimmel and I met her straight afterwards. I then went to the studio and did a song," he added.
Meanwhile, Sheeran will be seen singing a duet with Elton John at the forthcoming Grammy Awards.


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We have some more updates on the Tune Inn this morning from All We Can Eat — some is good, some not as good, but we are mostly reassured that our historic dive bar will live again. The wall of hunting and fishing trophies are "intact and undamaged," and the other historic memorabilia on the walls appears to have survived as well. So that's good news! The bad news is that, as we suspected, the kitchen was completely destroyed and will need to be gutted and re-built. As we know from the Argonaut's fire, that can take quite some time — it took the Argo seven months — but things could be much much worse.
The Argonaut was able to open its patio and upstairs bar less than a month after its kitchen fire thanks to being granted a temporary tavern license, which allowed them to serve beer and liquor without food. There is no word on whether or not the Tune Inn will apply for a temporary license or whether or not they will even be able to operate while under construction, since their set up is much different from The Argonaut.
Now my only question is how long does it take to build up that solid layer of grease to give the food that special flavor?
If you want to read a bit more on why this old, dirty, fabulous bar was so loved, here are two more articles that frame it up quite well:
Tune Inn: A Washington Institution, WAMU
The Tune Inn Is America, The Huffington Post


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With all the buzz surrounding Nightwing in Batman vs Superman this news story flew under the radar. A couple days ago actor Steve McQueen (CW Alum from The Vampire Diaries) posted on his official twitter an interesting tweet. He was working out with a Nightwing shirt and tweets "Nightwing Training" then hashtags of all the the writers for the show Arrow:
Nightwing training @ARROWwriters @GBerlanti @KyleDHiggins @RapaportCasting pic.twitter.com/1YN5IrBVC4
— Steven McQueen (@McQueeninchains) November 9, 2013
This is in no way confirming anything....For all we know he was just campaigning for the role and tagged all the Arrow writers telling them he wants to play Nightwing. With no confirmation from the shows producers....the idea of Arrow connected to Man of Steel is still possible!
:: Update :: -
Had some superhero conversations with the executives this weekend @ARROWwriters
— Steven McQueen (@McQueeninchains) November 11, 2013
:: Disclaimer :: Superhero Movie News is run by volunteer contributors. If we are asked to take down anything we will and it will not be put back up after that.....No questions asked. Visit our COPYRIGHT TAKEDOWN REQUEST Page for details.


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One of the largest changes to Oracle is the recent acquisition of several other software lines and technologies. Oracle has combined all of these technologies and customers under a single support site called My Oracle Support at http://support.oracle. com, effective from Fall 2009. Along the way, Oracle also completely redesigned the interface, making it flash-based in order to provide a personalized GUI.
To take full advantage of the personalization features, you will need to install a free utility on each node and each ORACLE_HOME you would like to monitor. The following paragraphs outline several reasons for use and suggestions for getting started.
Configuration management
Are you the only Oracle DBA in your company? How do you provide disaster recovery and redundancy for personnel in that situation?
MOS has a tool that provides an Automatic Document Repository (my words) called Oracle Configuration Manager (OCM). The real purpose of this tool is to manage all of your configurations (different systems, servers, databases, application servers) when dealing with Oracle support.
It is automatic in the sense that if you are out of the office, temporarily or permanently, the system configurations are available for viewing by anyone with the same Oracle Customer Support Identifier (CSI) number . The information is also available to Oracle support personnel. The repository is located on My Oracle Support. The systems are for you to choose, whether you want to only include production and/or non-production systems.
What information does OCM collect and upload? It contains extensive hardware details, software installs (not just Oracle products), databases, and Oracle application servers. There is enough information to help in recreating your site if there is a complete disaster. The GUI interface allows managers and other IT personnel to see how nodes and applications are related and how they fit into your architectural framework. The information can only be updated by the upload process.
Using OCM in disconnected mode with masking
There is sensitive information being collected from the OCM tool. If you are employed by an organization that doesn't allow you to reveal such information or allow direct access by the servers to the Internet, there are steps to improve the security of this upload process. This section is highly recommended to be reviewed before enabling OCM. You must know what types of information are there and how that information is used before enabling uploading capabilities to a support website.
To disable the collection of IP and MAC addresses, you add the following entries to the $ORACLE_HOME/ccr/config/collector.properties file.
To disable the collection of network addresses, add the following entry:
To disable the collection of the MAC address, add the following entry:
The OCM collector collects the schema usernames for databases configured for configuration collections. The collection of this information is filtered or masked when ccr.metric.oracle_database.db_users.username is assigned the value of 'mask' in the $ORACLE_HOME/ccr/config/collector.properties file. The default behavior of the collector is to not mask this data.
MOS customers may request deletion of their configuration information by logging a Service Request (SR) indicating the specific configuration information and scope of the deletion request.
Disconnected mode is carried out with something called Oracle Support Hub, which is installed at your site. This hub is configured as a local secure site for direct uploads from your nodes, which the hub can then upload to MOS through the Internet. This protects each of your nodes from any type of direct Internet access.
Finally, there is a way to do a manual upload of a single node using the method outlined in the MOS document 763142.1: How to upload the collection file ocmconfig.jar to My Oracle Support for Oracle Configuration Manager (OCM) running in Disconnected Mode. This is probably the safest method to use for OCM. Run it for a specific purpose with appropriate masking built-in and then request the information to be deleted by entering a SR request.
These tips came from these locations as well as the OCM licensing agreement found on MOS:
http://www.oracle.com/support/collateral/customersupport- security-practices.pdf
The Oracle Support Hub can by found on the OCM Companion Distribution Disk at: http://www.oracle.com/technology/ documentation/ocm.html.
Each node with an installed OCM collector can be automated to upload any changes on a daily basis or interval of your choice. OCM is now an optional part of any of the 10.2.0.4+ Oracle Product GUI installs. The OCM collector is also found by logging into MOS and selecting the collector tab. It is recommended to use at least the 3.2 version for ease of installation across the enterprise.
Be aware! The collector install actually creates the Unix cron entry to automatically schedule the uploads.
Mass deployment utility
The OCM collector utility has been out for over a year, but a recent enhancement makes installation easier with a mass deployment utility. On the MOS collector tab, find Configuration Manager Repeater & Mass Deployment Tools and the OCM Companion Distribution Guide.
The template file required to install the collector on multiple servers is in csv format, which you may find difficult to edit using vi or vim. The template doesn't have an initial entry and the length is wider than the average session window. Once the first entry is filed out (try using desktop spreadsheet software), editing this file with a command-line tool is easier. It has a secure password feature so that no password is stored in clear text. You can enter a password at the prompt or allow the password utility to encrypt the open text passwords in the template file during the install run.
Running the utility runs very quickly from a single node that has SSH access to all entries in the template. It auto detects if OCM was already installed and bypasses any of those entries. You may encounter an issue where the required JAVA version is higher than what is installed. Other prerequisites include SSH on Linux or CYGWIN for Windows.
A downside is that all configuration information is available to everyone with the same CSI number. In a small IT shop, this isn't a problem as long as MOS access is maintained properly when personnel changes. Providing granular group access within a CSI number to your uploaded configurations is a highly anticipated feature.
Release management
As a DBA you must be consistent in the different aspects of administration. This takes dedication to keep all of your installed Oracle products up-to-date on critical patches. Most DBAs keep up-to-date with production down issues that require a patch install. But what about the quarterly security fixes? The operating systems that your system admin is in charge of will probably be patched more regularly than Oracle. Why is that the case? It seems to take an inordinate amount of effort to accomplish what appears to be a small task.
Newer versions of Oracle are associated with major enhancements—as shown by the differences between versions 11.1 and 11.2. Patch sets contain at least all the cumulative bug fixes for a particular version of Oracle and an occasional enhancement as shown in the version difference between 22.214.171.124 and 220.127.116.11. Oracle will stop supporting certain versions, indicating which is the most stable version (labeling it as the terminal release). For example, the terminal release of Oracle 10.1.x is 10.1.0.5, as that was the last patch set released. See the following document on MOS for further information on releases—Oracle Server (RDBMS) Releases Support Status Summary [Doc ID: 161818.1].
In addition to applying patch sets on a regular basis (usually an annual event) to keep current with bug fixes, there are other types of patches released on a regular basis. Consider these to be post-patch set patches. There is some confusing information from MOS, with two different methods of patching on a quarterly basis (Jan, April, July, Oct.)—Patch Set Updates and Critical Patch Updates. CPUs only contain security bug fixes. The newer method of patching—PSU—includes not only the security fixes but other major bugs. These are tested as a single unit and contain bug fixes that have been applied in customers' production environments.
See the following for help in identifying a database version in relationship to PSUs:
MOS Doc ID 850471.1
1st digit-Major release number
2nd digit-Maintenance release
3rd digit-Application server release
4th digit-Release component specific
5th digit-Platform specific release
First PSU for Oracle Database Version-10.2.0.4.1
Second PSU for Oracle Database Version-10.2.0.4.2
While either PSUs or CPUs can be applied to a new or existing system, Oracle recommends that you stick to one type. If you have applied CPUs in the past and want to continue—that is one path. If you have applied CPUs in the past and now want to apply a PSU, you must now only apply PSUs from this point to prevent conflicts. Switching back and forth will cause problems and ongoing issues with further installs, and it requires significant effort to start down this path. You may need a merge patch when migrating from a current CPU environment, called a Merge Request on MOS.
Important information on differences between CPUs and PSUs can be found in the following locations. If there is a document number, then that is found on the MOS support site:
http://www.oracle/technology/deploy/security/alerts. htm
Doc 864316.1 Application of PSU can be automated through Deployment Procedures
Doc 854428.1 Intro to Patch Set Updates
Doc 756388.1 Recommended Patches
Upgrade Companions 466181.1, 601807.1
Error Correction Policy 209768.1
Now to make things even more complicated for someone new to Oracle; let's discuss recommended patches. These are released between the quarterly PSUs and CPUs with common issues for targeted configurations . The following are targeted configurations:
- Generic—General database use
- Real Application Clusters and CRS—For running multiple instances on a single database with accompanying Oracle Clusterware software
- DataGuard (and/or Streams)—Oracle Redo Apply technology for moving data to a standby database or another read/write database
- Exadata—Vendor-specific HP hardware storage solution for Oracle
- Ebusiness Suite Certification—Oracle's version of Business Applications, which runs on an Oracle Database
Recommended patches are tested as a single combined unit, reducing some of the risk involved with multiple patches. They are meant to stabilize production environments, hopefully saving time and cost with known issues starting with Oracle Database Release 10.2.0.3—see Doc ID: 756671.1.
DBA issues with patching
Here is a list of the most frequently experienced issues with the patching process for Oracle products:
- What patches should be applied?
- No advance notification if there is a conflict.
- Patch conflicts that cause rollbacks.
- Merge requests for patch conflicts.
- Troubleshooting patch application failure.
- Conflicting and resolving differences in CPUs and PSUs.
- Should I apply the recommended patches?
- Am I the first person to deploy this patch?
- Documenting versions and patches across all systems.
Oracle recently added a new functionality to their support website called Patch Plans. It requires the 3.2+ version of the MOS Configuration Manager Collector (which is the collector component of OCM). It was just mentioned a few sections earlier and is available for download from the My Oracle Support website. Once the collector is installed and your system configuration information is uploaded to MOS, you can create a patch plan.
The following screenshot contains my list of patch recommendations for all of the ORACLE_HOME(s) that have a collector installed and configured for uploading to Metalink.
There is an alternate login page for non-flash users— http://supporthtml.oracle.com, but this will not include any of the personalization features such as Patch Plans or uploaded configuration details.
There is one patch plan associated with the patch number 8534378, as shown by the folder icon. I purposely moved the sliding components of this dashboard so that the sensitive information is covered. You can also right-click to select a patch to add to a new plan or existing plan, download, or suppress this patch. The existence of a patch plan is indicated by the folder icon next to a certain patch, as seen in the very first entry of the list of patch recommendations. If you don't have any configurations, you will not see a list of patch recommendations.
The next screenshot is the full screen of a selected patch 8534378, which is the CPU for July 2009. Notice on the right the Coming Soon! banner, which is reserved for the community functionality that wasn't available at the time this article was written. This area of MOS will include end users' feedback on this particular patch and will also list the number of times it was downloaded over the past few months.
Applying a patch without integrating MOS with OCM
Here are generic instructions for applying a patch without MOS and OCM:
- Download the patch, PSU, CPU, or patch set.
- Create a new ORACLE_HOME for testing if alternating between different ORACLE_HOMES. Otherwise, all Oracle software running in the home to be patched will have to be shut down.
- Install if there aren't any conflicts. If there is a conflict, then the patch is rolled back.
- Check if any key patches are also rolled back.
- Submit a merge request on MOS for key patches.
- Download the merge request to start the patch process again.
Using the new patch plan functionality with OCM installed and uploaded to MOS
- Patch Plan automatically checks for missing prerequisites. This functionality has not been shown to be consistent across the board yet.
- It checks any conflicts before downloading.
- It request a merge if required before downloading.
- It will also check recommended patches for your configuration.
The following documents from MOS contain the manual methods for determining whether a patch will conflict using the Oracle supplied opatch utility. If your organization doesn't want to install or configure the OCM collector for security reasons, then the following is a viable option for determining patch conflicts.
Refer to How to find whether the one of the patches will conflict or not? [Doc ID: 458485.1]. Here are a couple of examples of how to use this command-line utility outlined in the document:
opatch prereq CheckConflictAmongPatchesWithDetail -phBaseDir $ORACLE_
opatch prereq CheckConflictAgainstOHWithDetail –phBaseDir $ORACLE_
Change control
To keep from constantly writing the same pieces of code over and over again and reconciling differences between servers, a common storage area for DBA code needs to be established. It is most likely that your programming staff already has access to a code repository. The two largest open source versions are CVS (Open Source Version Control) and Subversion (SVN). They are both equally efficient and powerful tools with slightly different features. If version control software is already deployed in your enterprise, then ask for a repository for database administration and limit the access to that repository.
Do not store passwords in a repository that means 'currently in use' or 'previously used'. Find an enterprise-wide password utility such as KeePass that will store encrypted passwords for all of the servers and databases. Integrate SSH PUTTY with KeePass so that it launches a terminal window without having to type the password. See the following blog for additional information on other password utilities like KeePass: http://princessleia.com/journal/?p=1235.
One way to use version control software is to check out the repository on each node and use the command-line version on that node. While you can check out code on your desktop, you will still have to shuttle any code changes via SSH or SFTP between your desktop and the servers, which adds another step to the process. There are also issues when editing the files with a Windows utility; it inserts the carriage return character that has to be removed to run on a Unix box. The Unix utility that removes special Windows characters is called dos2unix.
dos2unix removes any links (symbolic or hard) that a file currently has. This will affect how the file is referenced in the $PATH, so the links must be recreated. See the Unix help pages for ln, which is done by issuing a man ln. This command opens up the OS documentation for the ln command on Unix.
There is a way to eliminate the extra shuttling of code while keeping the GUI interface by using the open source ECLIPSE on the server. It is most closely associated with Java programming as an Independent Development Environment (IDE). There are additional plugins, software extensions, and code additions for almost any programming you would need to accomplish. Check out the Data Tools Platform Project for downloads specific to database development.
Version Control Software will take some time to learn to use safely. It can easily overwrite or remove critical pieces of code. So work closely with the code repository system admin to make sure there are backups! A safer way to use the repository might be to check it out in a temporary staging area and migrate the code safely to a protected code tree.
In this article, we learnt about configuration, release and change management with Oracle.
If you have read this article you may be interested to view :


text:
The following bug has been logged online: Bug reference: 2413 Logged by: Platonov Email address: platonovvp(at)agrisovgaz(dot)ru PostgreSQL version: 8.0 Operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000 Server 5.0.2195 Service Pack4 Description: connection refused 0274D/10061 Details: Help me ,please. What difference between installation PGSQL on win-2000 and win-2000-server or on WIN-XP ? When i try to connect to installed PGSQL on win-xp or win-200-server from other host of local net, i get the message : Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061) Is the server running on host "192.168.1.21" and accepting TCP/IP connections on port 5432? When i installing PGSQL on Win-2000 (not server) i have no this problem. All changes in pg_hba.conf and in postgresql.conf have done.Maybe i must to open some extra parameters in postgresql.conf file or do something else ? Os name : Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Version : 5.0.2195 Service Pack4 Build 2195. Version of PGSQL : 8.0 Excuse me for my poor English,please. --------------- Best regards (Platonov Vladimir from Russia). mailto:platonovvp(at)agrisovgaz(dot)ru
Next: From: Michael Date: 2006-04-29 14:02:01 Subject: BUG #2414: Something is missing in the PostGre-Java-Connector Previous: From: Bruce Momjian Date: 2006-04-28 04:34:05 Subject: Re: [BUGS] BUG #2401: spinlocks not available on amd64


text:
Newly announced for the Xbox 360:
Release Date: Dec, 2011. The second installment in the RPG saga of the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action. A new, modern game engine, responsible both for beautiful visuals and sophisticated game mechanics puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game. A captivating story, dynamic combat system, beautiful graphics, and everything else that made the original Witcher such a great game are now executed in a much more advanced and sophisticated way.
Price: US$ 62.90 / Not yet published or released
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


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Do tornadoes cause house prices to rise? That's what I wonder after reading the latest house-price index from FHFA, the agency that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Joplin, Mo., had the highest rate of home value appreciation in the 12 months that ended March 31, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's House Price Index. Real estate values in Joplin increased 4.93 percent in one year.
I wonder if it's a coincidence that Joplin was struck 368 days ago by a monster tornado that destroyed 8,000 houses. Would that increase the values of houses that remained habitable? I assume so.
Next on the list were Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla., with a 4.85 percent increase, and Bend, Ore., at 4.67 percent. Both places busted badly during the real estate slump, with prices far below where they were in the first quarter of 2007. Next on the list are Bismarck, N.D., and Ames, Iowa.
FHFA prepares a bunch of house-price indexes, and the index headed up by Joplin measures the prices of houses that are sold (with mortgages securitized by Fannie and Freddie) as well as values of houses that are appraised for refinances.
I pay attention to FHFA's price indexes because they concentrate mostly on middle-class houses, like the one I own. FHFA's indexes largely exclude McMansions with jumbo mortgages and cheap houses with FHA-insured loans. By contrast, the Case-Shiller house-price indexes are weighted more toward expensive houses.
Looking at purchases only (excluding appraisals for refinances), the national price index was up 0.5 percent year-over-year, and was up 0.6 percent compared to the previous quarter. Prices were up 1.8 percent in March compared to February. Homebuying really heated up in March.
Of the 25 biggest metro areas, purchase prices were up the most in Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich., increasing 6.2 percent in a year. Edison-New Brunswick, N.J., recorded the biggest decline in purchase prices, falling 5.61 percent in one year.


text:
Without feet, walking would be difficult, dancing would be impossible, and counting to 20 would be a two-man job. Take a stand with this Groupon.
The Deal
- $79 for two 40-minute foot massages with two 20-minute sugar and oil scrubs and two 20-minute chair back massages (a $160 value)
- This Groupon can be used twice by one individual or once by one couple.
After soaking in warm salt water, feet bask in a massage that incorporates targeted pressure at points on the feet that are said to correspond to specific organs throughout the body. During this 40-minute therapy, the therapist also gives due attention to the scalp, neck, shoulders, and hands. The therapist also stimulates the feet and lower legs with a sugar scrub. Next, the client stays upright in a specially designed massage chair as the therapist gently kneads the back muscles for 20 minutes.
Decisions about health care should not be made in haste. Consultation required as all candidates may not be eligible. Eligibility will be determined on an individual basis applying the accepted and prevailing standards of practice. Non-candidates will be refunded.
Angels Feet
If a name like Angels Feet wasn't enough to let a customer know this business's focus, one step inside would do the trick. Long rows of cushy massage chairs draped in clean linens line the long studio, each paired with a matching ottoman just waiting to cradle a foot or two. Therapists lead each newly arrived customer to one of these chairs, where they welcome feet to soak in a salt-water solution as they massage the guest's scalp, neck, shoulders, and arms. After a dousing of lotion, the therapist begins the foot-reflexology massage, which seeks to quell stress and ease pain by targeting areas of the feet believed to correspond to organs in the body. Finally, they wrap feet in steamed towels and give ankles and legs an invigorating stretch.


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is a ruger 10-22 a good choice?
i was looking at bass pro shops for a semi auto 22, i was highly recommended a Ruger 10-22.. they said the remington that was about 30.00 cheaper was not as good..
how is the Ruger, any complaints? Is it a good reliable gun, or junk... is bass pro shops a good place to buy guns, or can i buy them online for cheaper?
thanks, erick
If typical 22 caliber semiautomatic accuracy is OK with you, then, Ruger's 10/22 is a decent rifle. Personally, I'd look HERE first. :)
As with most of these posts, you have to decide what is "good" for you and what is good for someone else.
What are you looking for? Are you looking for a training rifle? Are you looking for a small caliber hunting rifle? What is your end goal for the weapon?
The Ruger 10/22 is a sound platform, and it has an aftermarket that is wide open. You can, literally, buy a bottom of the barrel weapon and change almost every component to make a match grade rifle out of it. You can get special stocks, barrels, magazines, triggers, all sorts of stuff to personalize your weapon.
I have had three in my life. I now own one that I have built up from more of a base model. They are easy to own and maintain, but truth be told, they aren't the most accurate platform out there.
Ammo is cheap - I just spec'd out 525 rounds of .22LR Hollow Points for like $21 at Midway USA, so you can shoot a lot without breaking the bank.
As for Bass Pro - I don't know, I have never shopped there, they aren't big in this neck of the woods. I would spec out what you want, check Google and other sites, then compare the rifle price and features to your local shops....
I would take the Marlin 60 over a 10/22 have owned both and the Ruger shot shotgun groups compared to the Marlin which shot verry good all three, that I have owned straight out of the box JMO. ;)
The Ruger 10/22 has more available aftermarket parts then any other rifle on the market today and can be turned into any type shooting machine you want to make it into.
I've had a few .22's and the Ruger 10/22 is by far my personal favorite. I love the feel of this gun and the dependable rotary magazine that fits flush with the stock. I haven't had a single problem with this gun. I purchased this gun at Bass Pro Shops in Orlando, FL approx. 5 years ago when it was on sale. I paid $139.99 for it, which I think is a steal for such a fine gun. I would imagine the price would be much highter now. The stock fits me perfectly, but nobodies the same. If the 10/22 fits you good, then I would definately recommend it.
how are the rugers on maintenance? easy to clean the barrel out and what not?
i have a bolt action right now.. its an older Remington that shoot straight as an arrow... i love the accuracy of that thing.. i just took it out tonight and shot everything i aimed it at...
the guys at BPS said the Remington they had in semi auto was not as good as the ruger.. is there truth to this?
I am also looking to get a nice scope... any recommendations?
the 10 round clip sounds a bit small... any way i can go bigger, where can i get a larger clip?
edit: how hard would i be to get a sling on it? I definitely like having a sling for my guns.
The 10/22 is a great gun accurate and easy to maintain but like all 22 rimfires it can have a preferance for a certain ammo .
I have had two and both prefered CCI Minmags , would shoot dime sized groups at 50 yards . What more could you want unless you plan on hunting for flies and mosquitos with it .
I would suggest trying one of the 22 scopes sold at Cabelas under their name brand .
I am a fan of the 2X7 powered scopes and tried one on a 30-06 about 4 years ago . It has held it's zero and has never fogged up on me despite hunting in rain and snow storms and temps down to zero with a howling wind and no lense covers , I imagine their 22 scopes would be just fine .
Buy the gun where you can get the best price , my first one was bought at the old Walgreens chain back when they had department stores not just drugstore , no reason a Walmart 10/22 wouldn't be a great rifle .
If I was on the market for a 22lr Auto, I'd buy another Marlin Mod. 60. I've never owned a 10/22 or even fired one for that matter, but I have had my Marlin for 22 years and it has never let me down:)
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Slot machine sounds.
another slot machine cash out
Noise of an average logitech keyboard. Pretty well recorded (close up), normal style typing (faked though).
walking with my dog
Close-mic of plywood being slowly broken apart by a large metal rod stabbed into it. Recorded in a 28,000ft³ shop ...
Sawing a piece of wood. Recorder with a Behringer ECM8000.
Me walking like an old man in the hallway of a big school building with my shoes rasping on the ...
Recorded using Zoom H4N on parkland in suburban London. Recorded from the walkers perspective at a constant tempo.
Sound taken from a McDonalds Happy Meal NBA Handheld Video Game that goes "beep beep beep beep".
Sweeping glass shards into a pile on a concrete floor.
Glass being swept up into a metal dustbin. There are metal scraping sounds along with the sound of a broom ...
Recorded with a Sony MD recorder in 2003. Smashed beer bottle.
Just a dog barking
I very annoying ringtone I recorded for a stage play.
MP3 version of a loopable sample of a British land-line telephone ringing.


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The Next Big Fight — Bryan Lambert
Memo to America: CAN WE DO ABORTION NEXT?
First, the good news. We're winning the gay marriage thing. It'll still be a while before you can get gay-married in Alabama, but we have clearly reached a tipping point that four years ago I would have said we were about six years away from. Obviously we need to keep fighting.
So as we collectively have to spend less and less progressive energy on this cultural issue, I'd like to propose we put that energy into a long-neglected cultural issue: abortion. Because we're losing on abortion just as surely as we're winning on gay marriage, and we really, really don't want to lose on this one.
And the main way we're losing? Republican new-found love of regulation. Conservatives go on and on about "job-killing regulations", and there's an aspect truth to that. You can in fact over-regulate a business out of existence, and so a number of southern states have imposed or are trying to impose epic, onerous regulations to try to close down their states' few remaining abortion clinics.
Alabama is the latest to try this. There are five whole places to get an abortion in Alabama, which, for the Bible Belt, is a lot. If my research is right, that's as many as we have in Minnesota. The same type of regulation may well close the only abortion clinic in all of Mississippi.
Basically, the trick is to require a board-licensed physician with admitting privileges at a local hospital present for every abortion. Neither precaution is necessary, especially the latter one. Getting admitting privileges is complicated and costly, and there's nothing stopping hospitals from denying those privileges just because they don't like abortion. But the regulations SOUND helpful, and that's the sneaky part.
Like many things in the world, this is largely the fault of weak-ass Democrats from the last two decades. It's long past time we stopped being ashamed of abortion and started embracing it. The "legal, safe and rare" line sounds good on paper, but it maintains the stigma on abortion that keeps doctors from learning to perform them, medical facilities from wanting to provide them, and women from being able to have them.
Abortion is a method of birth control. It's an effective method of birth control. It's a perfectly valid method of determining when and if you will have children. That's a message you never hear, and should, because it's true.
It's also true that abortion is an incredibly inefficient form of birth control. It's resource-intensive, which is why conservatives have been able to attack it by attacking the resources required to perform it. So abortions should be rare in the sense that it should be used when other, more efficient, more available methods of birth control fail, but that's a purely pragmatic argument, not an emotional, ick-factor, trying-to-find-a-middle-ground-with-religious-nuts argument.
The emotional argument shouldn't be "Enh, abortion, I guess." It should be "FUCKING YES, ABORTION." We should be working to make abortion less resource intensive. More research on abortifacient medicines. RU-486 is TWENTY THREE YEARS OLD. Twenty three years ago we were using Commodore Amigas, but now, in the age of the iPad, we're still using a 16-bit abortion drug? You know why? Because of the stigma.
The stigma is cultural. Cultural stigmas can be reversed. And it needs to be reversed, because otherwise, Roe V Wade will continue to become irrelevant. I'm sure private dodo ownership is legal too, but it doesn't matter how legal it is if you can't actually get one. And when you can't actually get an abortion, women become slaves to their reproductive cycles, second class citizens relegated to womb duty in deference to the all-important fetus.
It's a battle we can and should win, but only if we actually fight it.


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Ralph Gilles: Montrealer steering SRT in right direction
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to chat with Ralph Gilles and his passion for cars and the automotive world comes through quite clearly when he speaks.
The 43-year-old, who was born in New York but grew up in Montreal, is the president and CEO of the SRT Brand and SRT Motorsports. He's the mastermind behind some of the most powerful and attractive performance vehicles to grace the streets, with the Viper being the ultimate display of SRT's vehicles.
During our discussion, Gilles talked about his roots in Montreal, what got him hooked on cars and how he got to where he is today. Gilles still professes a love for Montreal – a city he visits several times a year to see friends, usually right around the time that the Canadian Grand Prix rolls into town. Go figure, a racing enthusiast coming home just in time for the craziest weekend in the city, and the unofficial kickoff to the summer festival season.
And Gilles is also proud of the fact the Viper will be returning to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in June, the site of previous successes for the North American supercar. While he isn't expecting to dominate the race, Gilles does expect his ST Viper will do quite well in France.
Oh, and Gilles is immensely active on Twitter (@RalphGilles) and really enjoys interacting with the public, whether they be SRT fans or not.


text: I went to a small camera show a few weeks ago and somehow came home with a Zeiss Super Ikonta BX (533/16). It's a beautiful machine and the meter still works, but the film advance mechanism has some issues. Can someone please tell me the purpose of the small button to the left of the film advance knob? It doesn't seem to do anything on my camera. It would help if someone explained the exact sequence of actions used for advancing a new roll, winding between frames, and resetting. I have an issue with the frame counter not advancing and the film not smoothly advancing. I disassembled the film advance knob and frame counter ring and it looks like someone incorrectly assembled the mechanism although I can't tell exactly how it's supposed to fit together. Does anyone have an exploded view or detailed instructions on how the assembly fit together. Thanks.


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Do You Want To See More Digital Content From The Breakfast Flakes? – The Breakfast Flakes
Paul and I are no dummies, we've been doing this "Radio thing" for 25 years now. We've seen the leaps and bounds in the advancements in technology and how it has molded the Radio industry into what it has become today.
Our parent company Townsquare Media has embraced technology and the "web" with open arms and have been at the forefront of providing our listeners with engaging content both offline and online.
Along those same lines we are want to know from our listeners, would you like to see more "Web" content from Paul and I?
To see what we've developed so far, go here.
Vote in our poll and please share your thoughts on the topic.


text: Selling two seasons tickets in section 629 row C.....these are aisle seats. You don't have to buy the preseason games. They are $47 each for 8 games or I will split the season but you have to buy the preseason ticket and I get to pick first. PM me if you are looking for some inexpensive seats with a good view.


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KALAMAZOO — The Kalamazoo Wings will open the 2012-13 ECHL season by renewing an old rivalry with the Fort Wayne Komets, one of the four new teams joining the league this season.
The K-Wings begin the 72-game schedule with two road games, Friday, Oct. 12, at Fort Wayne and Saturday, Oct. 13, at the Toledo Walleye.
They'll open the home portion of the schedule by hosting the Komets on Friday, Oct. 19, and the Walleye on Saturday, Oct. 20.
The schedule includes the Halloween game on orange ice on Saturday, Oct. 27, against the Evansville Icemen, another new ECHL team, and the annual New Year's Eve game on Monday, Dec. 31, against the Cincinnati Cyclones.
The K-Wings will host the Trenton Titans on pick ice on Thursday, Feb. 14, and the Greenville Road Warriors on green ice on Sunday, March 17.
The K-Wings will not play the Florida Everblades, the ECHL's reigning Kelly Cup champions, during the regular season, but will travel to Florida to face the Orlando Solar Bears, another new team, for three games Nov. 17-20.
For the complete schedule: http://www.kwings.com/newsRelease.php?K-WINGS-TO-START-THE-SEASON-AGAINST-THE-KOMETS-456


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Jesus visits Broncos' locker room … on 'SNL'
Published: December 18th, 2011 | Tags: Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos, funny stuff, Jesus, Matt Prater, Saturday Night Live, Tebowmania
Tim Tebow's bearhug on popular culture grew ever tighter this weekend when the Broncos QB was the subject of a sketch on venerable TV standard "Saturday Night Live."
In the sketch, Jesus Christ visits the Broncos' locker room after their 13-10 overtime victory over the Bears last Sunday.
Christ (played with common-dude charm by "SNL" vet Jason Sudeikis) told members of the team, including a way-too-eager-to-please Tebow (played by Taran Killam) that he is indeed the reason Denver has won its last six games.
"Here's the thing, OK?" Sudakis as Christ said. "If we're gonna keep doing this, you guys gotta meet me halfway out there. I mean, let's face it: It's not a good week if every week, I, the son of God, have to come in drop everything and bail out the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter."
Christ adds that the team really should be thanking kicker Matt Prater for its latest victory. When Tebow says the only playbook he studies is the Bible, Jesus tells him he should focus on the real playbook.
"Yeah, have you watched the game film, Tim, of the first half?" Christ said. "I mean, c'mon, 3 for 16? I can throw better and I'm 2,010 years old."
Funny stuff. Watch it here.
— Dan Hanzus


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How is the prospect of higher university fees affecting the plans of teenagers about to leave school? We already know their parents are baffled by the new arrangements. Now a City & Guilds survey suggests that nearly half of young people (47%) are less likely to apply to university following the increase in fees.
More than a quarter (29%) are considering alternative education, such as vocational qualifications and apprenticeships, another quarter (24%) will go straight into employment, and nearly a fifth (16%) will look for work experience or take a gap year.
The survey of over 1,000 pupils, aged between 14 and 19, shows careers advice in schools is still failing to highlight alternatives to university. While three quarters (75%) were told about their university options, fewer than half (49%) received information about vocational qualifications.
City & Guilds CEO Chris Jones says:
"University is still seen as superior, even though many are suited to - and therefore should pursue - more hands-on learning. Practical, work-based learning provides a valuable career progression route and gives learners the skills and confidence to succeed."
Meanwhile the head of Virgin Trains, Tony Collins, is calling for A-levels and degrees to be taught at work rather than in schools. That'd work. They could do a coffee round between lessons.
Education news from the Guardian
• BPP, the private university, has launched an aggressive expansion plan to jointly run at least 10 of its publicly funded counterparts, Jessica Shepherd tells us. It's in talks about managing the business side of the universities' campuses, and talks with three are at a "serious stage".
• AQA has been forced to apologise after some GCSE students were given a paper containing questions from an old exam, the latest in a series of mistakes to affect pupils this summer. The Independent speculates that pupils could sue the exam boards for ruining their chances of academic success. Michael Gove is reportedly very angry - here's a pic of that.
• The Guardian cartoon series Ripped Off Britain takes a view on why students arrive at university with poor maths skills.
• Coming soon: Jessica Shepherd on the rise in the number of parents appealing for the school place of their choice.
Education news from around the web
• The Welsh education minister says the University of Wales has let down higher education and brought Wales into disrepute, following a QAA report into its overseas operations, the BBC says.
• Hundreds of academics, staff and students are holding mass strikes and demonstrations at London Met today, over decisions to cut jobs and almost two thirds of the courses on offer from next year. Picket lines are being set up on the same day as a board of governors meeting, the Independent reports.
@benfolley tweets:
"Unison and UCU on strike against cuts at #LondonMet today - good to see multiple picket lines down Holloway Road."
• Lucky old University of Sydney. A rarely seen painting by Pablo Picasso, Jeune Fille Endormie (1935), has been sold for almost £13.5m at Christie's auction house in London, exceeding expectations. The money goes to the university, under the condition, set by the anonymous donor, that it be used for scientific research. Would Picasso have approved of that?
• Michael Gove's remarks about top jobs at the BBC being filled by a public school elite are reported in the Mail, as is the story that despite her expensive public school education, the Duchess of Cambridge (that's Kate Middleton, keep up) made two spelling mistakes in a handwritten letter to the All England Club.
• Good article on resilient kids from oecdinsights.org:
"In just about every place that takes part in Pisa, a proportion of kids from poorer families buck the trend - they do much better in school than might be predicted based on their family circumstances. Such kids even have a name - resilient students. Across OECD countries, about three out of 10 kids from poorer families are resilient, according to results from the latest round."
(Thanks to @informed_edu for retweeting.)
Education and the social media
• There's been an interesting responses to Harriet Swain's piece about how universities are dealing with nasty or inaccurate comments about them made by students on Facebook, Twitter or the Student Room. First, while there've only been seven comments on it, it's been tweeted 351 times and shared on Facebook 85 times. And second, David Colquhoun, UCL scientist and an avid blogger and tweeter (@david_colquhoun), is one of the commenters, and he is infuriated by university PR departments getting in on the social media act:
"The power of the web to allow individuals to express opinions, and sometimes to influence policies, is one of the healthiest developments in my lifetime. But like any other development, it can be corrupted. The idea that "reputation management" could justify placing a "primed" student in a discussion group shows the noxious dishonesty of much PR. It's on a par with drug companies masquerading as patients in medical discussion groups, to plug the company's product."
• Here's a useful guide from @creativeedu for teachers who want to tweet but aren't quite sure how to get started - loads of good advice for any new tweeter really, about who to follow and how to project yourself.
Guardian Education Centre seminars for teachers
This half-day conference for primary school teachers will help you inspire students to read with pleasure and maintain the reading habit. Andy Stanton, author of the Mr Gum series, will be joined by Julia Eccleshare, Guardian children's books editor, and reading development experts.
Time: 1 July, 9.15-12.45.
Cost: £48, including refreshments and resources.
Insight into Journalism: investigative and features journalism
This seminar, part of our popular Insight into Journalism series, gives secondary school teachers and college tutors the chance to spend a day at the Guardian. You'll meet specialist journalists from the investigations team, find out from writers what makes a good features article and learn about commissioning, editing and interview techniques.
Time: 8 July, 9.15-4.30.
Cost: £72, including lunch and resources.
Education seminars from Guardian Professional
Distinctiveness and branding in higher education
Higher education institutions will struggle in the marketplace unless they stand out from competitors and make sense to stakeholders. The Guardian's half-day seminar in partnership with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education will explore what it takes to develop and maintain a distinctive brand that attracts students, staff and funders. Participants will hear from experts, examine case studies and have the opportunity to network with peers.
28 June, London.
Making the most of media opportunities to enhance your school's profile
Whether it's sharing good news or handling a crisis, headteachers and school management teams need to be able to handle the media in all of its forms. This one-day seminar in association with the NAHT is essential for new and aspiring heads as well as established school leaders who wish to update their knowledge. It includes a session on social media.
20 September, London.
Find us on the Guardian website
All today's EducationGuardian stories
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook
EducationGuardian resources
The Guardian University Guide 2011
The Guardian Postgraduate Guide 2011
The world's top 100 universities
Updating table of university fee announcements for 2012
From Guardian Professional
The Higher Education Network for university professionals
Free online classroom resources on the Teacher Network
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7 Out of 10 Shopping Carts are Abandoned in 2011
In internet retail, the biggest challenge that is part of the big scope of things is the shopping cart abandonment rate most if not all ecommerce websites face. In a report by Forrester, shopping cart abandonment has risen to 71% which translates to an approximate $18 billion dollar issue for internet retail.
7 out 10 shopping carts in ecommerce result in abandoned cartsâ¦7 out of 10â¦.thatâs a large number. Maybe we can all agree it can be worse and the report doesnât really tell the story much as far as if those 3 other carts convert to sales because if 3 out of 10 people shop on our website, we would have incredible businesses.
Shopping cart abandonment isnât looked at enough by start-up or small internet retailers as what counts at the end of the day is just looking at traffic and sales. However, by analyzing your shopping cart abandonment rates, you can analyze user behavior better and understand what items may be being abandoned the most, etc.
Itâs important to point out that shopping cart abandonments are caused by a few different reasons on any particular website which can include price, trust factors, navigation, design and any other factor that may cause a user to think twice or leave the ecommerce website. Nevertheless, itâs important that you put a strategy behind getting some of those shoppers back to your website to complete the sale.
Two strategies can be put toward bringing these visitors back.
1. Automated Email Shopping Cart Platforms: There are platforms that will email your customers back (if they create an account or sign up to your website prior to purchase or if they start completing a part of checkout) which will email your customers to bring them back to your website to complete the sale. These types of programs can turn out to have a good conversion rate by incentive shoppers by bring them back with a coupon or a great message to convince them they should shop and buy the product they were looking for on your website.
2. Re targeting: Retargeting marketing uses cookies (from whatever platform you choose to use for retarget marketing) to drop it on the users browsers and then keep serving that user with ads from your website for the amount of days you choose. This is not only to stick the users brand in their head but it can and may also very well make them come back.
Posted in


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Taylor Swift & Stevie Nicks' Grammy Performance Invites Critics, Defenders
Fresh off her recent four-Grammy-win, Taylor Swift's name has been everywhere the last few days. Unfortunately for the young star, that may not be such a good thing.
Performing 'Rhiannon' and 'You Belong With Me' with rock legend Stevie Nicks during the Grammy ceremony, fans and critics alike wasted no time in sharing their opinions about Taylor's performance. In spite of taking home the trophy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, the overwhelming consensus on this particular night was that the famous singer wasn't singing her best.
"Swift gave a strikingly bad vocal performance at Staples Center on Sunday," the LA Times wrote (quote via Nashville's Tennessean), "sounding tinny and rhythmically flat-footed as she shared the microphone with the distinctive Stevie Nicks."
The Washington Post agreed: "A night in the charmed life of Taylor Swift: Give an incredibly wretched vocal performance, go on to win the biggest Grammy of 2010 anyway."
Nashville's Tennessean also criticized the performance, offering that "Maybe a smidge of Jamie Foxx's autotune wouldn't be such a bad idea for this duet."
While most agree that her performance was not one of her best, the president and CEO of her label, Big Machine, is quick to defend her abilities.
"The facts say she is the undisputed best communicator that we've got," Scott Borchetta says. "So when she says something or feels something it affects more people than anybody else. Maybe she's not the best technical singer, but she is the best emotional singer. Everybody gets up there and is technically perfect people don't seem to want more of it. There's not an artist in any other format that people want more of than they want of Taylor. I think [the critics] are missing the whole voice of a generation that is happening right in front of them. Maybe they are jealous or can't understand that. But obviously the people that she talks to are engaged with her. No one is perfect on any given day. Maybe in that moment we didn't have the best night, but in the same breath, maybe we did."
Scott isn't the only one singing her praises. OK! magazine referred to it as a "fun, memorable performance," calling Taylor the "standout star of the evening." Butch Walker, who joined Taylor and Stevie on stage, says to Entertainment Weekly, "I think a lot of people give her unnecessary grief. Her appeal is not in [having] some big diva voice … Taylor comes from country. It's a different approach to singing."
Whether or not she is the best singer, Taylor is the best-selling artist of the past year. Currently in Australia with her 'Fearless' tour, she will return to performing stateside March 4.


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Family says former Weslaco football player was ready to go ~home TM
Sat, 21 Sep 2013 20:08:54 GMT —
Armando Mando Del Toro told his family he was going home before his passing this morning.
The 24-year-old stopped receiving treatement, according to his family.
Del Toro was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, which quickly took a toll on his body.
His leg was amputated as a result of the cancer.
The Rio Grande Valley came together to support Del Toro and donate monetary fund TMs to provide him with the leg amputation surgery he desperately needed.
Unfortunately, the cancer was also in his lungs. He decided this week to stop treatment saying he was ready to go home.
His family notified Action 4 News of his passing.


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Coconinno by Eva Franco
Launched in 2013, Coconinno by Eva Franco brings an affordable, fun, and spunky brand of clothing to the world. Coconinno is a brand for both the young and the young at heart. Created for the more casual-minded consumer, Coconinno features both affordable and aesthetic pieces. Contemporary designs, feminine prints, and flattering silhouettes are what Coconinno is all about. Treat yourself to a plethora of colorful prints designed to catch even the most discerning eye. Sleeveless dresses with full skirts present you as the confident stylish woman than you are. Looking for something with a little extra? A variety of details that include pleats, sashes, and well-contoured fittings will give your wardrobe the boost you need. Whether you're looking for something for date night or Casual Fridays in the office, this brand has just what you're searching for. With Coconinno by Eva Franco, there is no wrong choice! [+]


text: Save This Event For Later Sugar Cayne Bike Fest Tour Stop#2 shoreham, NY, Sat Jun 21, 2014 Who's Registered? | Contact Event | Event Website | Google Calendar Start line address: Rt25 A & Defense Hill Rd, shoreham, NY 08234 Presented by SugarCayne.com, MId Atlantic BMX This is a past event. If you wish to see the details for this past event click "Continue" below. If you are looking for a current event, please search the event calendar .


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Bobby Kotick, CEO and President of Activision Blizzard has issued a statement threatening to drop Sony formats unless the manufacturer reduces the price for the PlayStation 3.
"They have to cut the price, because if they don't, the attach rates [the number of games each console owner buys] are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony," he said.
Asked when Sony titles may be pulled, Kotick said: "When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP [portable] too. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation." Kotick added that Activision Blizzard paid $500 million to Sony in royalties and other goods last year, which "probably still worked out at 400 percent of the profit they made".
Speaking with VG247, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter feels that Activision's threat is nothing but posturing.
"Of course Bobby's bluffing, and good for him. I think Bobby's obviously interested in Sony selling as many PS3s as they possibly can, and he's not happy with their penetration so far. I think he favours a price cut, and would rather see one sooner than later."
Pachter continued to say that he thought "the PSP price is intended to subsidize the PS3 price cut.
The PSP Go was officially announced at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles with an October 1 release date and a price tag of $250/€250.
Sony later issued a statement on Kotick's threat to stop supporting Sony with software. "We respect our third-parties' opinions and their right to express those opinions but we will not be commenting on this story," said a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe representative.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
April 17, 2011
BP Unfiltered
Sunday Night Baseball Chat with BP II Transcript
For the second week in a row, we're convening another roundtable and watching Sunday Night Baseball with you. Join Steven Goldman, Ben Lindbergh, Colin Wyers, and BPers galore for an evening of baseball talk and Rangers-Yankees baseball. Ogando! Sabathia! Mom's basement! Who could ask for anything more?
Steven Goldman is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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The rising stock market has created fewer opportunities to find high yielding dividend stocks that are likely to continue increasing dividend payments. There are 4 businesses that have dividend yields greater than 5% combined with 25+ years of consecutive dividend increases.
- AT&T (NYSE:T) - 5.11% Yield, 30 consecutive years of dividend increases
- Universal Health Trust (NYSE:UHT) - 5.86% Yield, 27 consecutive years of dividend increases
- HCP, Inc. (NYSE:HCP) - 5.32% Yield, 29 consecutive years of dividend increases
- Mercury General (NYSE:MCY) – 5.26% Yield, 28 consecutive years of dividend increases
These businesses have managed to grow their dividend payments without interruption for at least 2.5 decades. A long track record of success shows evidence of a competitive advantage. Demanding a successful history from your high yielding stocks helps insulate your investments from falling dividends, which defeat the purpose of high yield investing.
This article will give an overview of each business including its current events and growth prospects. Each business will be compared using the 5 Buy Rules from the 8 Rules of Dividend Investing to determine how these 4 high yielding stocks compare to other businesses with a long history of dividend payments.
AT&T Overview
AT&T provides telecommunications services to consumers and businesses primarily in the US. The company's revenues are split between its Wireline Voice, Wireline Data & IT Solutions, and Wireless divisions. The company's wireless division accounts for over half of the company's revenue.
Source: AT&T 1st Quarter Investor Briefing
AT&T recently acquired DirectTV in a stock and cash transaction. The acquisition strengthens AT&T's position as a content distribution leader across mobile, video, and broadband platforms. DirecTV will further give AT&T a foothold in the growing Latin American market as DirecTV is Latin America's leading pay TV provider.
Source: AT&T Newsroom
Universal Health Trust Overview
Universal Health Trust is a REIT that focuses on healthcare related facilities. The trust was founded in 1986, and now has 56 investments in 16 states in the US. The company's investments include hospitals, medical office buildings, behavioral healthcare facilities, and childcare centers. The bulk of the company's properties are medical offices and clinics.
Source: UHT Investor Relations
The company's growth is dependent upon the expanding health care sector. Universal Health Trust will likely continue to grow as the US population ages and requires more medical care. Health care has been expanding significantly faster than the overall. This trend is very likely to continue due to the aging US population, and higher health care expectations.
HCP Overview
HCP, Inc. is a REIT that invests primarily in US health care properties. The Company's portfolio of assets is spread between the following 5 sectors: senior housing, post-acute/skilled nursing, life science, medical office and hospitals.
Source: HCP Investor Relations
HCP is among the best managed health care REITs available. The company's growth drivers are similar to that of Universal Health Trust; the aging US population coupled with expanding health care expectations. In addition to growing through new property acquisitions, HCP has managed to grow operating income through contractually rent increases from same store sales growth. Same store sales growth has been above 3% each year since 2009.
Source: 2014 NAREIT Investor Presentation
Mercury General Overview
Mercury General is the leading independent broker and agency writer of automobile insurance in California. In addition to California, the company has expanded throughout much of the US. Mercury General also offers mechanical breakdown and homeowner's insurance.
Source: Mercury General Investor Relations
Mercury General's premium revenue reached its zenith in 2006. The company has not been able to achieve growth since that time due to overall competitiveness in the auto insurance industry and because the company has not been able to obtain price increase approval from California on a consistent basis.
Source: Mercury General 2013 Annual Report
If the company is going to return to strong growth, it will need to better manage its relationships with the state government of California. Mercury General has expanded throughout the US. Future growth will also be generated as the company enters new US markets.
Comparison 1: Dividend History
All four of these businesses have increased dividend for 25+ consecutive years. AT&T has increased its dividend payments for 30 consecutive years, HCP for 29, Mercury General for 28, and Universal Health Trust for 27. All four of these companies long dividend increase histories is evidence of sustainable competitive advantages.
Why it matters: The Dividend Aristocrats (stocks with 25-plus years of rising dividends) have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last 10 years by 2.88 percentage points per year.
Source: S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Factsheet, February 28 2014, page 2
Comparison 2: Dividend Yield
Universal Health Trust's dividend yield of 5.86% is the highest out of 128 businesses with 25+ years of dividend increases without a reduction. HCP has the 2nd highest yield at 5.32%, followed by Mercury General at 5.26% and AT&T at 5.11%. The 4 businesses in this article are the 4 highest yielding businesses with 25+ years of dividend payments without a reduction.
Why it Matters: Stocks with higher dividend yields have historically outperformed stocks with lower dividend yields. The highest-yielding quintile of stocks outperformed the lowest-yielding quintile by 1.76 percentage points per year from 1928 to 2013.
Source: [url="]Dividends%3A+A+Review+of+Historical+Returns[/url]
Comparison 3: Payout Ratio
Due to the structural differences of REITS, their payout ratios are calculated with FFO instead of earrings. AT&T has the lowest payout ratio of the 4 at 53.69%, which ranks at 78 out of 128 busineses with 25+ years of dividend payments without a reduction.
HCP has a payout ratio of 79.30%, ranking as the 112th highest out of 128. Universal Health Trust has a payout ratio of 91.36% which gives it the 118th highest payout ratio out of 128 businesses with 25+ years of dividend payments without a reduction. Finally, Mercury General has a payout ratio of 114%, which is the 122nd highest out of 128.
Of the businesses listed above, AT&T and HCP are in no danger of reducing dividends. Universal Health Trust's high payout ratio gives it little room for error for further dividend increases. Finally, Mercury General's payout ratio is over 100%. The company will have to significantly grow earnings if it is going to avoid a dividend reduction.
Why it Matters: High-yield, low-payout ratio stocks outperformed high-yield, high-payout ratio stocks by 8.2 percentage points per year from 1990 to 2006.
Source: High Yield, Low Payout by Barefoot, Patel, & Yao, page 3
Comparison 4: Growth Rate
The 10 year revenue per share growth rate for each company is listed below along with each company's rank out of 128 businesses with 25+ years of dividend payments without a reduction:
- AT&T 4.02% per year, 71st highest out of 128
- HCP 2.94% per year, 92nd highest out of 128
- Universal Health Trust 2.51% per year, 97th highest out of 128
- Mercury General, -1.88 per year %, 119th highest out of 128
Why it Matters: Growing dividend stocks have outperformed stocks with unchanging dividends by 2.4 percentage points per year from 1972 to 2013.
Source: Rising Dividends Fund, Oppenheimer, page 4
Comparison 5: Volatility
The long-term standard deviation for each company is listed below along with each company's rank out of 128 businesses with 25+ years of dividend payments without a reduction:
- AT&T 22.30%, 31st lowest out of 128
- Mercury General, 28.00%%, 62nd lowest out of 128
- Universal Health Trust 34.41%, 92nd lowest out of 128
- HCP 41.25%, 116th lowest out of 128
Why it Matters: The S&P Low Volatility index outperformed the S&P 500 by 2 percentage points per year for the 20-year period ending September 30th, 2011.
Source: [url="]Low+%26amp%3B+Slow+Could+Win+the+Race%2C+page+3[/url]
The four businesses discussed in this article all have exceptionally high dividend yields. AT&T stands out quantitatively, as it has the highest revenue per share growth rate, lowest standard deviation, and lowest payout ratio of the four businesses reviewed in this article. AT&T is a Top 20 stock (out of 128) based on the 8 Rules of Dividend Investing. The other 3 businesses do not compare well to their peer dividend growth stocks due to slow growth rates and relatively high payout ratios, which offsets their high dividend yields.


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Parakala Prabhakar lashes out at TS govt - Sakshi
Fri, Oct 31, 2014, 05:34 PM
AP government's media advisor Parakala Prabhakar came down heavily on Telangana government over its low profile administration. Speaking to media persons on Friday, he criticised KCR's government for unnecessary intervention in all the fields. He said that TS government should not forget that it has been faulted by Krishna water board management and court for making the key issues complicated . He asked the TRS leaders to be in their limits as they are violating all democratic principles. Further, he asked them not to hurt the sentiments of Telugu people.


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Clarke was in Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday to receive treatment from Bulldogs' head athletic trainer Ryan Galloy.
The Butler scoring leader underwent an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) in Indianapolis on Saturday evening after returning from Dayton. He received treatment and did a light workout on Sunday. No time table has been set for his return.
"The MRI confirmed the presence of a significant neck sprain. His spinal cord and cervical discs were viewed normal," Galloy said in a release. "Right now, he's sore and stiff, but he's out of the collar. The next question is when he can resume contact."
Clarke was injured in the first half of the game at Dayton. He came up with a steal and was attempting to score when he was fouled on the lay-up attempt and crashed into the basket support.
He remained on the floor for eight minutes, and eventually was taken from the court on a stretcher. He was transported to Miami Valley Hospital, where it was determined that there was no fracture. He returned to Indianapolis with the Butler team.
Clarke transferred to Butler from Arkansas last year, and began his final collegiate season this year. He leads the 14-2 Bulldogs in scoring with a 16.3 average. He was ranked third in the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring heading into the game at Dayton.
Butler will host Atlantic 10 foe Richmond Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by a home game with nationally-renowned Gonzaga on Saturday at 9 p.m.


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Inspiring Moments....Fashion meets Paper.
All are letterpressed and all "Pinwheels" are embellished with vintage beads from far away. These are for the special moments in life such a wedding or an engagement...a treasure to keep forever.
Single or Set of 6
Folded size :: 5" square
Pearl White 100% cotton paper
Kraft Envelope
Packaged in clear bag or box with signature label
**please allow 2-3 days for processing and fulfillment
Product No. 1985


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I've got 4 new bags cut and ready to be sewn, but I've shifted my focus to a dress for my friend's wedding. The online reviews for the pattern that I've found claim it's a relatively easy pattern, and I chose a really nice black fabric. Here's an image of it from the pattern envelope, and a poorly photoshop-ed version of what I'm hoping to wind up with. (Though in a much bigger size than this woman) I'm going to try to double line the skirt to make it more...flouncy.
(I've read through the pattern about 5 times, and finally think I understand most of it.)
March 30, 2007
Tag Browser
March 13, 2007
Treasury Again! Whahoo!
I'm in a treasury again. Bright Shining as the Sun by BoringSidneywho makes awesome hats - like this Envelope Style one.
My recycled hippie shirt bag "Amarillo Yo Yo" is featured. I'm finally happy with the new pattern, after 5 versions! I've got a new cross between the new style and my original granny style in mind, with new button closures.
I've also got my new Gocco! I've been so busy I haven't tried it yet, but once I get the hang of it, there'll be new prints and screened fabrics in my etsy store.
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