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Last month I discussed how hiring young breakaway brokers can be a great way for you, as an independent advisor, to capitalize on new opportunities and grow your practice. What's more, younger advisors are very interested in transitioning to the RIA model. Based on our recent survey of advisor attitudes, "Advisors Turning Independent," advisors under the age of 40 were significantly more likely than those 40 and over to find the idea of becoming and RIA appealing (65% to 43%).
Opportunityand interest alone are not enough. You need to take the right steps to find, attract and ultimately hire the right young advisor—one who is both highly qualified and a great fit for your business. With that in mind, here are some key considerations and tips that can help you recruit top young talent looking to enter the RIA world:
Tip 1: Tap new technologies and traditional methods to source candidates.
LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media outlets let you cast a wide geographic net, potentially giving you a large and diverse pool of job candidates. And since younger generations can be heavy users of these channels, you can be very effective at getting your name out in front of under-40 advisors by using social media in your recruiting efforts. That said, the more traditional sourcing vehicles also remain highly valuable. Professional associations and certification boards, which offer networks through which you can advertise yourself, as well as alumni associations are highly effective at connecting young job seekers with employers.
Tip 2: Emphasize your firm's unique culture and values.
Young advisors have become increasingly disenchanted with their employers' corporate cultures. Our survey revealed that advisors under the age of 40 are far more likely to face challenges with their current firm than their older colleagues. That means you can attract strong candidates from this group if you clearly communicate your firm's independent culture and approach during all your interactions with candidates. In particular, emphasize any of your specific values or guiding principles that resonate with the under-40 set—such as flexible scheduling and the importance of a good work-life balance.
The key is to communicate your specific culture and beliefs honestly and consistently at every contact point a new hire could potentially have with your firm. That includes your website—62% of advisors tell us that they would conduct Internet searches to learn more about an RIA firm if they were approached by an RIA recruiter—as well as other professionals who belong to the same professional associations as you.
Even your office itself can send a powerful message about your culture and values. For example, if you purport to be a family-oriented firm, your décor should reflect that focus. One such firm I work with has a children's play area and pictures of employees with their families prominently displayed on the walls. By reinforcing who you are and what you stand for at every interaction in the recruiting process, you'll find candidates who share your values and would be an ideal fit at your firm.
Tip 3: Highlight your solutions to young advisors' biggest professional challenges.
Many younger wirehouse advisors today see significant professional challenges blocking their path to success. For example, two-thirds (67%) of advisors at large firms we surveyed told us that there is generally less job security for them than there used to be. Additionally, today's under-40 wirehouse advisors report three main challenges in trying to help their clients: too much pressure from their firms to grow their books of business (76%), losing assets to other advisors (58%) and too much emphasis on proprietary products (50%)
That knowledge gives you an opportunity to market your firm as the solution to those challenges. For example, by highlighting the RIA model's client-centric approach you'll appeal to the 74% of young advisors who tell us that they believe smaller, independent firms are indeed more client focused. Younger advisors are drawn to this messaging at a time when loyalty to the wirehouse environment has eroded. Consider, for example, that 45% of advisors tell Schwab that employee morale at their firms has worsened during the past five years—while just 17% say it has improved.
Tip 4: Offer transition support.
Most advisors under 40 years old surveyed by Schwab (65%) like the idea of becoming an RIA, citing benefits such as the potential for a larger income (cited by 56% of advisors), the freedom of running one's own business (52%) and the ability to prioritize clients' needs (51%). Clearly, those perceived benefits should be part of your conversations with candidates. However, these advisors also see significant hurdles in making the switch to independence. The biggest perceived challenges include the time and effort needed to transition to a new business (61%), getting access to legal and compliance support (60%) and the time required to run a new business (56%).
When meeting with potential hires, start by acknowledging that you understand the risks of making such a big move. Then explain how you can help make the transition smoother. For example, if you already have an employee who is roughly the same age as the candidate, make that person be the main contact point initially so the candidate feels an immediate affinity with your firm. You also might pair new hires with older, more experienced employees who can serve as informal mentors. These moves reassure new employees that you'll help them not just with the initial transition but with their professional development on an ongoing basis.
Tip 5: Focus on compensation that really counts.
In today's environment, you may not need to offer huge salaries or immediate equity stakes in your firm to attract highly qualified young advisors—especially when you consider that more than half of the wirehouse advisors recently surveyed by Schwab earned $150,000 or less in 2010.
Young advisors transitioning to independence may care more about attractive benefits packages for themselves and their families, as well as a clear indication that your firm offers the long-term job stability they may be currently missing. They might also want to see that you have a well-defined career path for them that will eventual lead to equity ownership or profit sharing, with clear benchmarks and goals that spell out exactly what they need to do to move up in the company over specific time periods and how their progress will be evaluated along the way. Ambiguous promises of ownership "someday, if you work hard" won't cut it with this group.
In my next post in this three-part series, I'll bust some of the biggest myths about today's crop of young advisors.
For informational purposes only.
Experiences reflected are not a guarantee of future performance or success and may not be representative of your experience. (#0512-3342)
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab) is not affiliated with the content on this website and has no control over how it uses the information you share. Content posted on this website should not be considered as a recommendation, endorsement, or solicitation of any kind by Schwab. Any opinions or statements by third parties on this page are their own and may not be representative of the experience of others or indicative of future performance or success. Schwab Advisor Services™ serves independent investment advisors and includes the custody, trading and support services of Schwab. Independent investment advisors are not owned, affiliated with or supervised by Schwab.


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Recife is an amazing seaside city on the north-eastern shores of Brazil. This modern urban city is worth checking out too, with modern architecture and great cuisine. Explore the local cultural on your holiday – book your flights to Recife with TAP Air Portugal today! Take advantage of our online booking and loyalty programme services whenever you fly with TAP!
While in Recife, there are plenty of great things to find:
While in Recife, look for beach space in the morning so you can stake your claim before the crowds arrive. Use the Recife Metro system to travel all around the city easily. For convenience and affordability, book your flights to Recife with TAP Air Portugal today!

subset: commoncrawl


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WASHINGTON — Salmon that has been genetically modified to grow twice as fast as normal could soon show up on your dinner plate — that is if the company that makes the fish can stay afloat.
After weathering concerns about everything from the safety of humans eating the salmon to the fish's impact on the environment, AquaBounty Technolgies was poised to become the world's first company to sell fish whose DNA has been altered to speed up growth.
The Food and Drug Administration in 2010 concluded that AquaBounty's salmon was as safe to eat as the traditional variety. The agency also said that there's little chance that the salmon could escape and breed with wild fish, which could disrupt the fragile relationships between plants and animals in nature. But more than two years later, the FDA has not approved the fish, and AquaBounty is running out of money.
"It's threatening our very survival," says Ron Stotish, chief executive of the Maynard, Mass.-based company. "We only have enough money to survive until January, so we have to raise more. But the unexplained delay has made raising money very difficult."
The FDA says it's still working on the final piece of its review, a report on the potential environmental impact of the salmon that must be published for comment before an approval can be issued.
AquaBounty is the only U.S. company publicly seeking approval for a genetically modified animal that's raised to be eaten by humans. And
scientists worry that AquaBounty's experience with the FDA's lengthy review process could discourage other U.S. companies from investing in animal biotechnology, or the science of manipulating animal DNA to produce a desirable trait. That would put the U.S. at a disadvantage at a time when China, India and other foreign governments are pouring millions of dollars each year into the potentially lucrative field that could help reduce food costs and improve food safety.
Already, biotech scientists are changing their plans to avoid getting stuck in FDA-related regulatory limbo.


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|Degree: Master
|Duration: 3 Years
|School: Basic Medical Sciences
|Tuition: 40,000
|Subject: Public Health & Preventive Medicine
|Opening Date: 2016.09.01
Bachelor Program:
+86 371 67780665
Master & Doctor Program:
+86 371 67780102
For master degree, international students must
1) Show respect for Chinese foreign policy, strictly obey the laws and regulations of the Chinese government andZhengzhouUniversity, remain positive attitudes and perceptions about learning, achieve academic excellence, and promote the friendly relations and cooperation betweenChinaand other countries.
2) Demonstrate general and integrated understanding in their main field of study, including the molecular, cellular and organ biology processes and the relationship with disease in humans.
3) Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of relevant experimental methods within the field of biomedicine and show a good ability to independently carry out research and practice within the field of biomedicine and medicine.
4) Demonstrate a good ability, both orally and in writing, to account for a biomedical problem/project in English.
Program Duration
Master program includes two parts, course study (around six months) and Clinical Practice /Scientific Research (two and half years). Generally, program lasts for 3 years. However, in certain instances, schooling length could be extended to 4 years.
Part 1: Courses Study (0.5 years)
Complete at least five basic degree courses (more than 8 credits) and pass the exams at the end of the 1st semester. Contact the supervisor and make a study plan under the professor's guidance. Pass the qualified exam.
Note: For the students who pass all exams of basic degree courses but do not pass qualified exam or do not have a tutor in the hospital, only can obtain master course-completion certificate fromZhengzhouUniversity.
Part 2: Scientific Research and Clinical Practice (2.5 years)
International students are required to:
Conduct clinical rotation, study and research under the guidance from supervisors. During the Scientific Research and Clinical Practice period, the students should do the clinical research and practice in hospital (only for students majored in clinical medicine) under the instruction of the Supervisors. The details are listed in following sections. Complete the dissertation and defense
Note: In certain instances, program duration could be extended for one more year, which means students are allowed to complete postgraduate study within four years.
Course Requirements
The total credits for each international student of the master program: a minimum of 15 credits.
1. Basic degree courses: Master students are required to take at least 5 basic degree courses (at least 8 credits) in the 1st semester.
2. Professional Course (3 credits): offered by supervisor or committee members, which provides the general conceptions and structures as well as the new progress in the specific fields. Under the guidance of supervisors, students can take the credits by different ways:
l Classical literature review– Master students submit TWO reports to the supervisor group (1 credit for each report) before deadline.
l Lecture – The lectures will generally be provided by supervisors or specialists in the field. Taking the exams can be seen as an assessment method.
l Seminar – Assessment methods also can be selected by supervisors.
3. Lecture & Presentation (3 credits): Master students shall attend lectures of their major fields and give presentations at least 3 times, which should be marked by supervisors.
4. Clinical Practice (1 credit) (For students majored in clinical medicine): Clinical rotations enable students to experience and practice within a hospital. The clinical rotations should be arranged under the supervisor of students' tutor. Master students are required to complete at least 6 months' clinical rotation and need to rotate through various departments. Clinical assessment is made by Department directors or supervisor. Unqualified candidates cannot attend dissertation defense and apply for graduation on time.
Mid-Term Assessment
Usually, the mid-term assessment is arranged in the 3rd semester. Students should report their progress both in the research project and studies. The qualification will be evaluated by supervisors and the specialists in different aspects such as daily performance, research ability, dissertation proposal and preliminary data. Qualified candidates are allowed to continue their studies, while unqualified candidates cannot get their master degree. The assessment and relevant records should be kept or reference.
Dissertation Writing and Graduation
Research Duration:In order to complete the dissertation, master students are required to do the research and investigation for at least one and half years.
1. Topic Selection and Dissertation Proposal
Before starting the proposal, master students must complete the literature review of no less than 30 relevant papers, which will be evaluated, marked and recorded by supervisor group (at least 3 group members). The topic of dissertation proposal has to refer to students' major fields or other related areas. The evaluation group will be established by a director/supervisor and 3 to 5 specialists.
Dissertation proposal should be completed in the second semester. The following contents should be included in dissertation proposal: Objective or aims of the project, Background and preliminary data, Research design & research contents, Methods, Possible problems and solutions, Feasibility & Novelty, Scheduling, budget and so forth. The completed proposal must be fully evaluated and qualified by the evaluation committee before the research topic could be determined. The dissertation proposal and relevant records should be kept for reference.
2. Dissertation Progress Tracking
In order to ensure that the project keeps going in the right direction, master students are required to report their research process at least 2 times before completing the dissertation. The supervisor and committee members are in charge of providing suggestions and directions about student's work. These reports need to be recorded and kept for reference.
3. Master Pre-defense:
One month before the submission of dissertation and application for defense, a public pre-defense will be organized by the school degree evaluation committee. The procedure and time requirement are exactly the same with formal defense. Besides, other arrangements about pre-defense are carried out according to relevant provisions ofGraduateSchool.
Notes: ALL SHOULD BE REPORTED DURING THE WHOLE PROJECT, IF THE PROJECT OR THE TOPIC OF DISSERTATION IS CHANGED, IT SHOULD BE FORMAL DOCUMENTED.
4. Dissertation Requirements
Degree dissertation shall be data reliable, analysis reasonable and appropriate, meet the requirements of writing standards, and have high academic value. Master students are required to complete their dissertation on the basis of clinical practice and scientific research training.
5. Academic Requirements
Publish a paper on a formal journal or the SCI journal (The published paper must be related to your dissertation research). Student must be the first-primary author (ZhengzhouUniversityas primary institution of primary author). The students will not get their degree until they get the formal published paper.
Bachelor Program:
+86 371 67780665
Master & Doctor Program:
+86 371 67780102
Research Direction
Core Courses
The catalogue of main classic works and academic journals that need to be read
Bachelor Program:
+86 371 67780665
Master & Doctor Program:
+86 371 67780102
Candidate should be a Non-Chinese citizen, under 40 years old, the Bachelor Degree holder in the similar field, healthy, with non-criminal record.
English language requirements: for candidates from non-English spoken countries applying for EMI (English Mediated Instruction) programs, their minimum IELTS score should reach 6.0 or TOEFL score reach83(IBT) (553 in written version or 217 in computer version), or equivalent.
Chinese Language requirements: Applicants who apply for CMI (Chinese Mediated Instruction) programs should pass the level5 HSK or above. Applicants with lower level HSK can first apply for Chinese Language Programs for a full year or half year in ZZU before their major studies.
Bachelor Program:
+86 371 67780665
Master & Doctor Program:
+86 371 67780102
Tuition Fee
RMB40,000 per year
Other Fees
Living Expense
RMB 2,000 to RMB 2,500 per month
Accommodation Fee
International Student Apartment
Double Room
University Hotel
Double Room
Single Room
University Apartment
Double Room
International Student Residence Hall
Double Room
RMB 18 to RMB 20
Single Room
RMB 36 to RMB 40
12 Pine Gargen
Double Room
RMB 15 to RMB 30
Single Room
2 Lotus Garden
Double Room
RMB 15 to RMB 30
Single Room
RMB 30 to RMB 60
17 Willow Garden
Double Room
RMB 15 to RMB 30
Single Room
RMB 30 to RMB 60
Bachelor Program:
+86 371 67780665
Master & Doctor Program:
+86 371 67780102
All applications are advised to contact persons and admissions advisors in each Department and/or Faculty for details of major research areas.
All applications and supporting documents have to be submitted via the on-line application system by the appropriate closing date as mentioned above. To submit an on-line application, please visit our website: http://apply.zzu.edu.cn.
Applicants who wish to apply for admission to more than one department should submit one complete set of the on-line application form and supporting documents for each proposed department of study.
The University views any act of cheating and plagiarism as of the utmost seriousness and it is a form of academic misdemeanor that the University will not tolerate. To discourage plagiarism, the University will: 1. Inspect all original documents at the time of registration; 2. Conduct a plagiarism check on the application materials submitted by the applicants, including the research proposal, research plan and vision statements, before offer of admission.
The application documents may include the following (please check the detailed documents required in each program ):
(a) On-line application form
(b) On-line submission of certificates and complete transcripts of undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Please upload certificates and complete transcripts of your undergraduate and postgraduate studies via the on-line application system. Applicants have to supply certified hard copies of academic certificates and transcripts upon request. Documents that are not in English should be accompanied by a formally translated version in English. If the policy of your institution is that the transcript should remain confidential, please request your institution to send it directly to the Admission Office Zhengzhou University. For current undergraduate or postgraduate students: It is to your advantage to upload an interim transcript showing the results of courses you have completed so far. For qualifications obtained from ZZU: Certificates are not required but if you are a graduate, you are requested to upload your transcript with your on-line application; if you are a current student, you are requested to upload your examination results obtained from Teaching and Learning Office.
(c) On-line submission of statement of research interest or research proposal
Whether a statement of research interest or a research proposal is required depends on your proposed program and department of study. In general, a statement of research interest should include your reasons for undertaking work at ZZU, while a research proposal should include the background, the objectives and the methodology or approach you propose to take in studying the subject matter. Proper referencing is needed in the preparation of research proposals. The result of the plagiarism check will be taken into consideration when the Department, Faculty and Graduate School review the application. The application may be deemed unsuccessful if plagiarized materials are identified.
(d) Two academic referee letters
Please invite two academics who are familiar with your academic achievements to complete the academic referee letters. Please provide complete and accurate information of the referees, including email addresses, in the application form.
(e) Official score report of TOEFL, IELTS or other English language proficiency tests as specified (for applicants whose language of instruction and examination is not entirely in English)
It is a policy of the TOEFL Policy Council to validate scores which are obtained within a two-year period. The University therefore accepts this two-year validity rule in the admission exercise.
(f) On-line submission of other documents
Other documents that applicants would like to bring to the attention of the University, e.g. list of publications, documentary evidence of academic awards and professional qualifications, and summary of relevant experience. If some of the supporting documents are not ready or available at the time of submission of applications, applicants should upload the documents via the on-line application system as soon as they are available, with their full name in English, the proposed curriculum and department of study and application number clearly written on the top right hand corner of each document. On or before the closing date, all supporting documents (except the referee reports) should be uploaded onto the on-line application system by the applicant. Documents/Information submitted/uploaded after the closing date may not be considered.
(g) All documents submitted in support of an application will be destroyed if the application is unsuccessful. Documents once submitted will not be returned. Do not send original or irreplaceable documents.
(h) All documents will be vetted before a formal letter will be issued to the successful applicant. Any forged documents found shall render the application unsuccessful or offer being withdrawn.
Instruction of Online Application
Address:100 Science Avenue,Zhengzhou,Henan, P. R. China 450001,
The International Admission Office ofZhengzhouUniversity
Tel (Fax):0086-371-67780665
Bachelor Program:
+86 371 67780665
Master & Doctor Program:
+86 371 67780102


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City of Austin : Top 25 U.S. employer
HR News Magazine of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources recently published an article highlighting what factors place public sector organizations into the top tier of America's employers.
The article looks to Austin (No. 22) and three other public agencies that were ranked in the Forbes' 2016 list of 500 "Best U.S. Employers" for insight into what makes a great workplace environment and how that translates into community stewardship.
The HR News Magazine article noted our innovative Human Resources programs and cited our PRIDE values which guide our organization to work toward being the best-managed city in the country.
The article applauds our "cutting edge" approach to employee development as well as our engagement of employees in developing new benefits, services and products.
I take great pride in our organization "Making the Grade as One of America's Best Employers" as the article states. While the headline sums up our commitment to employees, it also reflects our commitment to providing the best possible customer service to our residents.
Read the article, here.


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Mohegan Sun profits plunge in 4th quarter
UNCASVILLE >> The parent company of the Mohegan Sun casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania has reported a two-thirds plunge in fourth-quarter profit, citing a loss on debt exchange and higher expenses for its unsuccessful attempt to win voter approval for a proposed Massachusetts casino.
The Mohegan Sun Tribal Authority said Wednesday that net income for the three months ended Sept. 30 was $4.9 million, down from $14.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Revenue of $345.3 million was down 2 percent from the same period last year.
Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Grossinger Etess said recent debt refinancing is "extremely significant" and will strengthen the tribal authority's balance sheet and improve cash flow.
The authority, which runs the Mohegan Sun casinos in Uncasville, Conn., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., expects to save $16 million in interest costs.


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On Tuesday Faisal Shahzad, the unrepentant Times Square bomber, joined at least 35 terrorists in America who will spend the rest of their lives behind the high walls of a super-maximum security prison in Colorado.
His life-in-prison cellmates – although they may never have any personal contact with one another – include Richard Reid, the so-called shoe bomber; Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and Zacarias Moussaoui, for involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons will decide Mr. Shahzad's destination, but he will probably end up in Florence, Colo. – home to a prison called the Alcatraz of the Rockies because it is designed to make escape from its walls all but impossible. If a prisoner is assigned to the most secure part of the prison, he spends about 23 hours a day in solitary confinement. Exercise takes place in what has been described as an empty swimming pool.
In Shahzad's case, US District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum had little choice but to send him to jail for the rest of his life, legal experts say. In his court appearances, Shahzad, who pleaded guilty, was defiant. Even on Tuesday, after the judge had suggested he educate himself about whether the Quran wants him to kill innocent people, he replied, "The Quran gives you the right to defend. That's all I'm doing."
Shahzad's attempt at blowing up a vehicle in a busy Times Square on May 1 was considered a serious crime because it would have been deadly had the bomb ignited. As part of the sentencing, prosecutors showed the judge a video of a similar car, loaded with the same kind of explosives, being detonated.
Although Judge Cedarbaum threw the book at Shahzad, his case was unusual because he apparently cooperated with the government after he was arrested, giving them information about the terror camps where he learned how to make bombs.
Normally, when a defendant cooperates with the government, it sometimes leads to lighter sentences, notes Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor.
"But his case was an odd juxtaposition of defiance and cooperation," says Mr. Mintz, now a partner at McCarter & English, a law firm in Newark, N.J. "In all likelihood, the cooperation would not have given him much of a break. It's hard to imagine a lighter sentence."
Shahzad's sentence of mandatory life in prison means he will never be eligible for parole.
"The judge had no discretion. She had to impose a life sentence," says James Cohen, an associate professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York.
Does a life sentence, in a harsh prison, act as a deterrent for others? So far, it has not been very effective, Mr. Cohen argues.
"With alarming frequency, we will still have suicide bombers and still have them trained, and I suspect the supply is inexhaustible," he says. "There is no indication they are having any trouble getting recruits for suicide bombings."
Shahzad would have been eligible for the federal death penalty only if his attempt had been deadly, says Mintz. In fact, he notes, prosecutors prefer the certainty of a life-in-prison sentence to the uncertainty of getting a jury to agree on the death penalty.
The only terrorist who has been put to death in the US in recent times is Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber who was executed in June 2001.


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I am very pleased to announce that we now have TWO Chinese translations of the AAVSO Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars available for downloading. The newest addition to our collection of Manual translations is in "Traditional Chinese" which is used in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and parts of southeast Asia. This beautiful translation was done by Tao Fan-Lin (陶蕃麟) who is the Director of the Taipei Association of Astronomy Now.
You can get both versions of the Chinese Manual here:
Thanks to the efforts of Cheng Simiao, a young and very enthusiastic observer from Beijing, we now have a new, more up-to-date Chinese version of the "Manual for Visual Observing of Variable Stars" available for download. He wishes that this edition be thought of as a 100th birthday present to the AAVSO as well as an 18th birthday gift to himself.
Congratulations and many thanks to Mr. Cheng!
Published 11 January 2012.


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Nissan just released this blurry sketch of a new commercial van concept sized somewhere between a Ford Transit Connect and a Dodge Sprinter and officially set to see an unveil at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Nissan also tells us to expect a production model to go on sale here in the US some time around 2010. We love big panel vans like this, they're possibly the most practical work vehicles around and this one, with Nissan Cube-like styling is particularly appealing. Lets just hope they offer it with a diesel and a manual transmission. The full release follows the jump and click here for a high-resolution shot of the concept.
Nissan NV2500 Concept Set For Debut Nissan North America, Inc. today announced its Nissan NV2500 Concept, which makes its public debut in early January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. One of the largest concepts vehicle ever created by Nissan, the innovative NV2500 Concept previews the company's entry into the North American Commercial Vehicle (CV) market in 2010 and is designed to highlight multi-purpose utility solutions in the real world.


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Have a Question about Digestion?
Each year we're introduced to a number of dietary trends that suggest we omit/include a number of foods in our daily diets.
Is it dairy or non-dairy – gluten or gluten free? It's becoming hard to keep up!
Despite constant debate on which foods we should eat, the fact remains…no matter the advancements in dietary research, our digestive systems have remained the same. As we navigate through the adventures of healthy eating, it's important to keep in mind the significance of your digestive health. Here are a few fun facts to remember, to help as you make the best decisions for your body!
'Good' bacteria can help you: Many foods we eat consist of living organisms—also known as probiotics. Balancing the number of healthy micros in our system means a natural, healthier balanced digestive system. Probiotics can be found in a number of foods like yogurt, milk, soft cheeses, sourdough bread and even chocolate.
Proper digestion and weight-loss go hand-in-hand: Slow and steady wins the race! Detoxifying or cleansing the body can aid in the process of improving your digestive health and long-term weight loss. Our bodies need the occasional re-boot to perform at their peak.
Food can promote healthy digestion: Your digestive system is designed to turn food into energy and extract vitamins and minerals to maintain optimal function. Supporting your digestive system with a balanced diet helps enhance nutrient absorption and utilization. Green vegetables keep cells in your gut working properly while foods such as garlic and ginger help fight infection, bad bacteria and viruses.
Why is fiber so important? As you consume and digest food, fiber helps move waste through our digestive tract. Lowering the amount of waste in your body means the elimination of harmful toxins, which may lower the risk of developing digestive diseases.
Hot drinks help promote digestion: There's a reason why servers offer warm beverages after your meal in a restaurant. Whether before you eat or after a meal, hot water and tea are excellent ways to build digestive strength. Herbs that encourage healthy digestion and make perfect herbal teas are chamomile, peppermint and cinnamon.


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I find it offensive that in this day of so many Americans losing their jobs with little hope of reemployment that you would publish this article that promotes outsourcing to India among other countries. Outsourcing overseas has been one of the biggest robbers of jobs for the American worker for decades, just to satisfy corporate bottom line costs, and you, of all people, shouldn't be talking out of both sides of your mouth in claiming to help the American people.
How to Find and Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your Small Business
This article is a reprint of Wise Bread's contribution to OPEN Forum from American Express -- where small business owners can get advice from experts and share tips with each other.
If you've read Tim Ferriss' 4-Hour Work Week or any number of productivity blogs, you'll get a sense of the excitement small business owners have for hiring Indian virtual assistants. The hope is to hire an entry-level, college-graduate backoffice employee for around $5 per hour. But it's not as easy as putting up a flyer at the local community college. Working with someone remotely (ie., not physically in your office), and in another country, presents some unique challenges.
In the end, it'll cost about $10-15 per hour, but you'll have an employee that is a college graduate (sometimes with advanced degrees) at around minimum wage. And if you hire a firm, instead of an individual, you can get multiple expertise in "one employee."
Following are 10 tips for finding, vetting and hiring a virtual assistant.
1. Don't expect them to be experts.
A VA is not a super-human who can do every task you have to assign. Don't expect your VA to have specific industry expertise or to be able to accomplish higher level business strategy thinking. For those higher level tasks, you'll need to hire a specialized consultant or firm.
For project based work, it might make more sense to contract out that project specifically. The benefits of hiring on a project basis include:
- a clear end date, so you're not stuck in a long-term contract with a badly performing employee;
- greater expertise because presumably, you're hiring a firm or freelancer who specializes in that type of work.
Sometimes you have a need for a mix of project and ongoing work. For example, let's say you need to build a website or ecommerce storefront. It might make more sense to hire a web design firm that specializes in building ecommerce stores (flat project fee), and then sign a retainer contract with them for maintenance work.
To clarify, you can hire all kinds of expertise, from IT gurus to business consultants and everything in between, from India and other popular outsourcing nations. But they aren't selling their services as "virtual assistants." They're specialized service providers, and hiring that group of contractors is not what we're talking about here.
2. Think of your VA as an entry-level college grad willing to work for minimum wage.
Good tasks to outsource to a VA are ones where the procedure is relatively simple, there aren't a lot of decision points (if any) in the workflow, and is a repetitive process. For example:
- data entry: like entering hundreds of products into your ecommerce store;
- blog or website maintenance: blog posting, comment moderation;
- research and report: as in doing Internet research and compiling summaries of the data.
3. Make a list of your tasks and categorize them based on the type of work.
Before looking for a VA, spend a week or two writing down all the tasks you may want to outsource. Consider both tasks you need to do but don't like doing and tasks that you like to do but haven't found the time. Once you have this list, organize tasks based on the following criteria:
- requires domain or industry expertise vs. anyone can do with training;
- one-off task vs. ongoing tasks.
Tasks that don't require domain expertise are better for outsourcing to an offshore VA. First of all, it's easier to train them to do the task properly. Second, if the task requires specific expertise, you're better off hiring a specialty consultant and/or a full-time, long-term employee who can grow with your company.
Tasks that are ongoing are better for assigning to a VA because you'll get a bigger return on the investment of writing up instructions.
4. You'll save some money, but it's not going to make or break your business.
Speaking very broadly, the minimum hourly rate of an entry-level, college-educated employee in India starts at about $2 per hour. Here in the U.S., the equivalent rate is around $10 per hour (minimum wage plus benefits and perks).
At first glance, it seems like you will be able to shave 80% off your administrative payroll, but working with someone thousands of miles away adds significant transactional costs. It will take you more time to explain a task and train them to do it. And since hiring an employee (especially one in a different country) can be a big risk, you may be more confident working with a firm. The firm will have overhead, and will need to turn a profit themselves.
In practice, a capable VA that produces good work will cost around $10-15 an hour. For very simple data entry or data compilation (ie., copy-and-paste work), you can find an individual or small firm off Upwork for $5 per hour. For tasks more involved than copy-and-paste, and for quality you'd trust for engagement beyond one project, expect to pay around $10-15 per hour for a VA.
5. A firm is better for most small business needs.
VA service providers come in all sizes. Big VA specializing firms include Brickwork India (India), Get Friday (India), and BPOVIA (China). And there are thousands of boutique firms and one-man operations on Upwork.
Firms are better if you have diverse tasks. When working with a firm, you'll be assigned one lead VA, who will be your single point of contact. This VA may do the tasks you assign herself, or she could delegate them to a team of other VAs.
Firms are also good for slowly scaling up the number of hours you outsource. A freelancing individual will be less able to handle swings in contracted hours from month to month.
An individual is good if you're always assigning the same task. For example, if you want help for managing the product pages on your ecommerce store — and only that specific work — then it might make sense to hire a freelance expert for that task. Without the overhead of a firm, individuals can have a lower hourly rate if you commit to more hours.
6. Interview your potential VA on the phone before hiring them.
Whether you're hiring a firm or individual, be sure to talk to them on the phone before you hire them.
Have prepared for the interview:
- Tasks you want to offload. When talking to a firm, this information helps them assign a VA to you that is qualified for your type of work.
- Number of hours you expect to buy. VAs want to know how many hours a week/month you're committing to so they can plan their own cashflow, client portfolio, and work schedules.
- Daily expectations of availability. Do they need to be at work and online at the same time as you?
- Typical task schedule. Are you assigning tasks that need immediate resolution or ones that can be worked on at any time over the next few days or weeks?
Ask for this information:
- Resume. Check their educational and work experience.
- Examples of prior work. Get actual work product, rather than just descriptions of work done, whenever possible.
- Non-disclosure agreement. This contract should be standard with any hire.
- What are some recent movies they liked? (See tip #10 regarding cultural considerations.)
7. India isn't your only option.
In fact, there are plenty of remote workers right here in the United States. Even if you hire from the U.S. (onshore outsourcing), there may be significant cost savings based on the different minimum wages imposed by states and the wide ranging costs of living.
Going offshore, India isn't your only option. Europe, Asia (especially the Philippines), and South Africa are becoming big producers of VA providers themselves. The common thread? They all have large English speaking populations and much lower costs of living (compared to the U.S.).
8. Don't forget about security.
Another reason to go with a big firm -- they tend to have security policies and procedures in place. At a bare minimum, sign a non-disclosure agreement with the service provider. When working with a firm, make sure they also have NDAs with their employees. Also ask the provider what other security measures they take. Some examples:
- Do they permanently delete your data once the task or contract is up?
- Do they have regular backups of data? Do they store these backups offsite?
- How do they secure physical access to your information? Who can get into the building? Who can get into the data center where the servers are kept?
- What procedures do they have in place to prevent employees from walking away with sensitive data? (Eg., not allowing USB thumb drives to access work computers, NDA with employees.)
9. Try before you buy.
Try hiring freelancers for one-off projects from Upwork first. This will give you some experience in dealing with a remote worker. Plus reading the submitted bids and browsing the providers on Upwork will give you a sense of the quality and expertise available out there.
Upwork is like eBay for individual freelancers and boutique firms. It's better than doing a Google search because on Upwork, the service provider has at least articulated their expertise in a concise form and have established a reputation based on reviews from past clients.
I've hired people on Upwork for data entry, writing, video editing, and Internet research. Not surprisingly, the lowest cost providers inevitably produce the lowest quality work. And conversely, the providers with the most number of reviews and past jobs provided the best quality work. Just like in real life, (a) you get what you pay for, and (b) nothing beats previous experience and employer references when evaluating a potential new hire.
You can also try buying blocks of time from outsourcing firms. Brickwork India and Get Friday offer prepaid blocks of time in 10 hour increments. You'll pay a higher rate (about $15) per hour but it's a good way to fieldtest a firm.
10. Consider legal, cultural and language issues when working with offshore help.
If you're hiring offshore, remember that your VA lives and works in a different country.
If you deal with sensitive customer information, consider the legal ramifications before you outsource your entire business to your Indian VA.
Although American culture has been exported worldwide in movies and websites, there are still many cultural differences. Even if the tasks you assign don't need your VA to deal with customers or other people, it's still important to consider cultural and language familiarity. This is one reason why a voice interview is so critical before hiring offshore help. It's an important test for whether or not you'll be able to communicate (and work with) your VA.
Next week, I'll have 9 tips for working with your newfound virtual assistant.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This is an outstanding idea when you're working from home. As much as working from home seems like a dream arrangement, one of the real negatives is that when you get busy, or really need to concentrate on a major project, there's no one to hand the extra work off to. And you generally can't afford or don't have enough work to keep an employee on a regular basis.
Greg, Thanks for the "how to" on it.
Elance.com is a great place to find VA's. I also have had some success on Twitter finding people to help out with projects. the best way of course is through recommendations.
I read this, then I had to step away from it for awhile before I responded. I am an admin for 7 clients: I answer their phones, take messages, transcription and any other work they need. We are an independent secretarial company. My clients hire us to represent them. None of their clients even know that I am not that persons personal assistant. Unfortunately do to some retirements, and people needing to cut costs the company I have worked for, for 6 years is closing at the end of this month. You unfortunately have hit a raw nerve for me by recommending VA's who are out of India. With more people using this cheap mode of assistants the business I work in has a harder time staying afloat and in business.
FORTUNATELY, all of my clients are going to just do their own phone answering, and if they need any typing done I will do if for them from home-------here in the United States of America! Whenever I have to make calls either for myself personally, or for my clients the first thing I ask is what country are you in? You can ask to be transfered to someone in the US. My clients will not do business with anyone who is not based here or outsourcing any of their business needs.
Please do not promote outsourcing to India, this has cost me my job!
I, too, read this and got more than a little angry. My husband has been out of work for the past fourteen months. His job was outsourced.
10. Consider legal, cultural and language issues when working with offshore help.
How about considering the market issues? How can you attract customers if nobody can buy your products because no one has a job because they've all been sourced overseas?
Hey, how about also considering the moral and ethical issues while you're at it? I think an ethical business person must also consider the impact of his decisions on his community.
I'd like to add that ODesk is also a good source of virtual assistants.
For those who are angry that this article talked about outsourcing to India, I'd like to say that it also mentioned that when you pay more you generally get better quality work. Anyone is able to sign up for an account on a site like Elance or ODesk and provide services. I have seen a lot of Americans on ODesk making $20 to $30 an hour doing virtual assistant type work. They get the jobs at the rate they ask for because they are good at it and they have built up a reputation that proves that they are worth more. So I would say that Americans who are mad about not having a job should really try to sell their own skills and build up their credentials first before blaming the immigrants and outsourcing. It may sound harsh, but you are not entitled to a job just because you are American in this global economy, and small businesses or individuals can hire whoever they want to.
Okay, now I am mad. No where did I say I was entitled to my job. I am 49 and have been working since I was 18, this is the first time I have ever lost a job. I work hard, I am always on time, I appreciated my job and my clients appreciated me. They also appreciated that I spoke English, and that their clients never had to ask me to repeat myself to be understood. I was going to immediately look for a job, but I am in a situation where my husband has a good job that there is no possibility of him being laid off from. I can also collect 72 weeks of unemployment now. I have never not worked before so this will be something new for me to stay home and get projects done. I can take my time and find the right job for me. Oh, wait I shouldnt have to look for a job, they should come to me!
I'm sorry to hear about your husband being laid off. I really am. I can only imagine the shock and frustration that must follow, and I think we can do more in this country to help people who have been affected by outsourcing cope and find new work. Here at Wise Bread, we try to do what little we can to help folks who have lost their job.
Thank you all for your comments.
Since the advent of the Internet, we all live and work in a global community now. The new global economy has forced all of us to adapt, even if Indian outsourcing isn't directly involved.
For example, my dad is going to close his small auto parts shop after 25 years because of competition from BigCos who are getting leaner and cheaper because they are sourcing labor and materials globally.
American small businesses (including microbusinesses and solopreneurs/freelancers) are under seige from all around -- distributors turned competitors, a lousy economy, and yes, the global marketplace. The only thing small businesses can do is to play on the same global scale, and I hope this post helped small business owners stay competitive.
I want to highlight point #7 -- we're not just talking about India here.
The point of the article is to teach small businesses how to find and hire a remote employee. India just happens to be the biggest source of administrative labor available at the moment.
But plenty of remote work is being done here in the US. From Elance, I've personally hired a video editor from Ohio, a transcriptionist from North Carolina, and copywriters from Ohio and Florida. I live in California.
I haven't checked out oDesk. I'll have to go take a look. Thanks!
if companies didn't have to pay for health care they could compete better. for the future survival of our country, we need to move to a single payer health care system.
When are we going to learn to help ourselves and our own first? My local rag is loaded with desperate folk trying to make ends meet by offering their services. This should be the first stop for small business (I AM a small business btw). Global outsourcing should only be a last resort if all local/country resources have proven unsuccessful.
Trying to save a buck on labor is for the greedy corporations and they're finding out that it's not always such a deal.
All I have to say is again, THANK YOU Susan, you get it. I too owned a small hair salon that was eaten up by a franchise type salon. So after 15 years I moved into a different field of work, that I thought would be more stable. But, unfortunately nothing is stable now. And if more people thought like Susan, maybe, just maybe my boss would not have to be shutting down our secretarial business this month.......
CT is considering raising taxes on businesses to help the state raise funds lost by the poor economy.
Okay, so businesses save money by using overseas labor (and we're not taking American labor here because that costs more, even through these outsourcing units). Then they're going to have to pay more in taxes to cover the unemployed they think are too expensive to hire.
Where did they win?
Sorry, but use of non-American labor, at this particular point in time, is Anti-American.
I have a company of my own, it's a kind of small business. So I need to find a way to reduce the costs as much as possible, of course at the same time, I need to have someone do things efficiently. Therefore, I choose to hire a VA.
I quite agree with author about the point 7 : India isn't your only option!
I like BPOVIA (www.bpovia.com). I have a long-term relationships with them. And they are very professional. To your surprise, their price is not high at all. They know what exactly I want, they help me both at work and in daily life. Sometimes they can provide me some fresh ideas. They really do great help to my business!


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The Boston-based non-profit Citizen Schools has long been working with corporate partners to bring exciting STEM experiences into the classroom and give students access to STEM professionals. Now, Citizen Schools will working with corporations on the US2020 project with the goal of having 1 million STEM professionals mentoring K12, college, and graduate students throughout their careers by the year 2020. In addition to changing the landscape of STEM education by giving students these opportunities, they also hope to change the workplace for those in STEM careers by making volunteering a common occurrence. Citizen Schools will be incubating this project until June 2014. Cisco, Cognizant, and SanDisk are the founding corporate partners. ~Shannon Morey
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As we mentioned earlier this year, the next DARPA Grand Challenge will remove all those spanky autonomous vehicles from the desert and drop them onto city streets, albiet mocked-up ones. Entrants, like VW's and Stanford University's Stanley the Touareg (pictured), must follow all traffic laws to find their way around urban obstacles like buildings, traffic signs, other cars, and guys carrying huge, silver radios on their shoulders [Keep the jokes in this decade, Mr. Kotter — ed.]. The simulated course will be 60 miles long , part of which will involve pulling into a parking lot, buying beer and avoiding a simulated juvie officer [Better — ed.]
Robot cars will race in real traffic [New Scientist]
Anthem For a New Tomorrow: Robot Cars Will Save Us! [internal]


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2019 Brand Report Card
Consumer Reports ranked which car brands make the best vehicles. See how Subaru performed against the competition.
New Car Profiles
See what Consumer Reports has to say about all 2019 Subaru models.
Car Brand Reliability Ranking
See how Subaru compared to other brands in Consumer Reports "Road Report: Reliability."
"10 Top Picks of 2019"
Learn why the Ascent and Forester made the list of "10 Top Picks of 2019" by Consumer Reports.
"Best New Vehicles Under $30,000"
See which Subaru vehicles Consumer Reports named a Best New Vehicle Under $30,000.


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http://mmajunkie.com Recent rumors that Karo Parisyan (19-6) is returning to action at an upcoming Shark Fights event are untrue, the former UFC welterweight today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Parisyan was rumored to meet Strikeforce veteran Paul Bradley (15-2), and while the matchup was originally targeted for Shark Fights 15, it has since fallen by the wayside.
"There was some contractual stuff for us to go to California that we decided to pass on," Shark Fights President Brent Medley added.
The promotion has not yet designated a venue for the event, which is targeted for April 22.
Parisyan said he had been training to fight Bradley and now hopes to fight sometime in the near future, possibly in Canada.
The one-time welterweight contender has been inactive since a TKO loss to Dennis Hallman at UFC 122, after which the promotion released him. The fight was billed as his last chance at an octagon career after he withdrew last-minute from a fight with Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106.
"Karo Parisyan's going to have to pull himself together and get his life together," UFC president Dana White said following UFC 123. "Karo Parisyan's going to have to figure out the next chapter of his life."
"A few months ago, White told MMAjunkie.com he only allowed Parisyan back in the UFC because he had assurances he was making progress in his personal life. He was involved in the efforts. And though White said he'd never put a fighter in danger, he didn't see enough at UFC 123 to think Parisyan is ready to compete against the world's best fighters.
"I'll never put a fighter in harm's way," White said. "But Karo came in here tonight and proved he can't compete at this level anymore."
Medley said official matchups for Shark Fights 15 will arrive in the coming weeks.
(Pictured: Karo Parisyan)


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Restoration delayed by weather
PUBLISHED: 11:00 14 November 2012
Councillors in Honiton get painting to restore a red phone box, which is one of only two left in the town.
Honiton councillors are far from ready to hang up on a red phone box and have started work to restore it.
Painting has commenced on the phone box, in Joslin Road, which is only one of two left in the town, last week, with councillors Les Bayliss, Sharon Pavey, John Zarczynski and resident Roger Sleeman getting work under way.
However, work to restore the phone box has been hampered by bad weather.
A council spokeswoman said: "In 2008 the town council adopted the redundant red phone box in Joslin Road under the BT scheme to local councils.
"It has considered various uses for this box but is unable to move it at the moment due to budget constraints. A group of councillors is working on refurbishing the box to bring it up to a good standard while a final decision on its future is made."
Last year the town council issued a plea to the community to help restore it.
The cost of moving it had been previously estimated to be around £600 in 2009 which would be in addition to further costs involved in making a planning application.
Previous suggestions on ways it could be used included a community book swap.
Anyone interested in helping with restoration work or has any ideas on what it could be used for is urged to call the town council on 01404 42957.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Midweek Herald. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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While 2012 saw some spectacularly large IPOs like Facebook and Workday, it also had its share of major mergers and acquisitions.
In the tech sector, the acquisitions of Instagram, Yammer, and Nicira Networks were especially big news. Companies also made buys in the health and science sectors worth many millions of dollars.
We've compiled a list of the top 10 VC-backed mergers and acquisitions from National Venture Capital Association. The data ranks each of the acquisitions by value and the amount of debt each company takes on in the deal. Here's the list, with many deals you'll likely remember well from the year:
1. Boston Biomedical: $2.63 billion
Boston Biomedical may not be a well-known company, but its price tag is certainly something you'll want to know about. In the biggest acquisition of the year, Japan's Dainippon Sumitomo purchased BB in February in a deal worth $2.63 billion. BB focuses on cancer drugs, and it boasts that two of its drugs are "likely to become the first anticancer drugs in the world targeting cancer stem cells." If the medications are commercially successful by 2015, BB investors will receive the full $2.63 billion payout.
2. Cameron Health: $1.35 billion
In June, Boston Scientific closed its $1.35 billion acquisition of Cameron Health, a large private health company that offers the "world's first and only commercially available completely subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator." In simple terms, Cameron Health's defibrillators are a major tech breakthrough: Doctors can implant them just beneath the skin without impacting the heart and blood vessels. This is a major breakthrough for anyone who is at risk for a heart attack.
3. Nicira Networks: $1.26 billion
Nicira Networks' $1.26 billion acquisition by VMware in July was a big shocker. That kind of a price tag isn't usual for a company that just came out of stealth mode in the same year. But VMware believes Nirica's forward-thinking "software-defined networking" will come in handy as more companies invest in cloud networking.
"By combining Nicira's technology with VMware's market-leading server virtualization and cloud products, VMware today creates a clear path to becoming the most important infrastructure company across servers, networks, and storage for the next 10 years," major investor Ben Horowitz wrote when the two companies announced this deal.
4. Yammer: $1.2 billion
Another major acquisition that opened eyes throughout the tech world was Microsoft's $1.2 billion buy of enterprise social network Yammer. The deal signaled to many that Microsoft's collaboration software, SharePoint, had largely failed. Yammer, which claims that employees from more than 85 percent of the Fortune 500 companies use it, gives Microsoft a second chance at this key market.
Yammer might have been a bit pricey, but it's clearly a smart buy for Microsoft, which wants to remain one of the influential providers of enterprise software. Even with the purchase, Yammer continues to make steady improvements, and its new owner isn't slowing it down.
5. Avila Therapeutics: $925 million
Celgene purchased Avila Therapeutics in a buyout worth $925 million in January. Avila specializes in covalent drugs, and some of its most promising drugs treat cancer, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases. Avila investors were paid $350 million upfront and will receive up to $575 million based on its drugs hitting certain milestones.


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Although Mohamed El-Erian had long advocated for aid to troubled Europe (with an obvious interest in mind), he wants strong strings attached to any lending, especially when it comes to the International Monetary Fund.
"At this weekend's G20 meeting, European countries are likely to press for an increase in the International Monetary Fund's resources as a means to bolster the firewalls against the eurozone debt crisis. The other G20 members must resist such pressure until Europe starts showing more signs that it's getting its act together," he writes Friday in the Financial Times.
The organization that consists of with 187 member countries is already overexposed to the eurozone countries that are in crisis, he argues. Greece, Ireland and Portugal combined account for almost 60% of outstanding loans even before the fund's participation in the latest bailout for Greece announced earlier in the week.
"Europe is attracted to IMF financing for four reasons," he notes. "It is a very cheap source of funding, especially for countries that are essentially shut out of private markets. It can act as a catalyst to unlocking other public and private financing. It is accompanied by a set of policy conditions, including both quantitative and qualitative performance targets. And it can come with technical assistance to strengthen the borrowing country's administrative capabilities."
Europe has pressed the IMF very hard to make exception after exception over the course of the past few years, he adds, and it has succeeded, which has resulted in a "number of firsts by an organization that prided itself on the 'uniformity of treatment' for member countries."
"All this has understandably raised concerns among the other members, most acutely in Asia and Latin America where people still have vivid memories of what they were made to go through before receiving what now seem like relatively small loans compared to Europe," he concludes. "It has also damaged the standing of the IMF in the private sector."


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The wishlist has already reached the maximum number of products
Plasma displays illuminate their pixels with the following three steps.
1. An electric discharge is used to generate ultraviolet rays.
2. The ultraviolet rays illuminate phosphors.
3. The light from the phosphors is emitted from the panel.
The NeoPDP technology further improves the efficiency of all of these steps to achieve about four times*1 the luminous efficiency of our 2007 models. This results in better image quality and saves more power.
*1: Comparing full-HD models in existing sizes with the same-size 2007 Panasonic models.
To take maximum advantage of the inherently superior black expression of self-illuminating plasma displays, the newly developed panel allows the PF20 Series to emit light without the use of a pre-discharge. Its high contrast teams up with deeper black reproduction — which forms the basis of image expression — to render rich textures in images with subtle shading and color differences.
*1: The dark-room contrast ratio of the panel unit that can be displayed simultaneously on the same screen. Measured in "Dynamic" picture mode using a white signal in a 4% window.
Panasonic plasma displays achieve rich shading with an incredibly accurate 6,144 equivalent steps of gradation in all scenes. These displays deliver richer gradation from brilliant whites to robust blacks, and faithfully reproduce the textural quality of the original video source.
High-definition broadcasts are based on the HDTV standard, rather than the conventional NTSC/PAL standard. Panasonic plasma displays reproduce a wide color gamut exceeding the entire color range specified in the HDTV standard (ITU-R, BT.709). This results in a natural and faithful color reproduction on a large screen. Digital Color Reality technology also assures images with immaculate details.
*1: Comparison based on color gamut
The superb moving picture resolution of the plasma display panel ensures that even fast-moving action is displayed clearly with full detail and with minimum afterimages. Panasonic Professional Plasma Displays deliver beautiful, high-resolution images from 1080p Full HD sources.
*1 Moving picture resolution is a quantitative measurement of detail in displayed motion pictures discernible by the human eye. Using a measurement method developed and applied by the APDC (Advanced PDP Development Center Corporation).
Panasonic plasma display panels use self-illuminating pixels to provide more vivid colour and sharper images that never appear faded, even when viewed at an angle. Panasonic plasma displays deliver high-resolution images without losing the quality of the original video source
The Panasonic plasma display panel offers a long life of approximately 100,000 hours*1, under normal operating conditions — providing gorgeous HD images for many years.
Panasonic plasma displays can also be set up in a vertical format, allowing for more efficient use of limited space configurations. The long life of approximately 100,000 hours*1 and superb image quality are completely unaffected by vertical installation. When the portrait mode is selected in the initial display settings, the on-screen display rotates 90-degrees for easy reading. The cooling fan control also changes automatically for portrait mode.
*1: Guideline operating hours before the panel brightness is reduced to half when the panel is used to display motion pictures in the Standard mode. Afterimages (burned-in images) and malfunctions are not taken into consideration.
The front of the plasma display is covered by a hard glass panel that provides strong resistance to impact and breakage, thereby providing extra assurance against damage when used in busy public spaces. It virtually eliminates any need for additional protective covering.


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Your career is your most valuable asset!
Financial advisors remind us to manage our money, but what about our careers? Creating a career plan and managing your career will provide the resources you need to not only enjoy life, but enjoy your retirement years. That's where we want to help. We've lined up the nation's top career authors to give you the knowledge you need to transition into any stage of your career – from student to retirement!
Watch the video to the right to learn which career webinar series is right for you!
Join others who are continuing to build their professional networks. Students reach out to alumni, while alumni reach out to students and fellow alumni. The more connections you make, the greater the opportunity you have to enrich your personal and professional life. Click here!
The Alumni Online Community includes a comprehensive list of all alumni. You can find an old roommate, locate alumni with similar business interests, or reach out to others for help in finding a dream job. Click here to get started.
Research is suggesting 80 percent of us get jobs through people we know. So your job is to expand your networking groups to build more relevant relationships across space and time! LinkedIn has over a hundred thousand networking groups. Click here to get started.
Peter will introduce you to principles and practices of the Career Fitness System, a unique program for building up the strength, reach, and endurance of your career. You will learn how to develop your qualifications and position yourself in the workplace so that employers will compete to hire you.
Tony provides a proven methodology and step by step outline that shows you how to get a job. Tony is author of ½ a dozen books, a frequent guest on the Dr. Phil Show, and has personally placed over 8,000 people in jobs during his 30-year career. Learn proven job search techniques from Dr. Phil's go-to guy.
Think of your career as a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be continually working on your career plan in order to compete with a global workforce. Visit CareerNews frequently to learn the latest job search skills and what you need to know to keep your job!
There are hundreds of career tools available today that will not only help you find the job you really want, but to also help you explore new career opportunities, build your brand, improve your resume, and perfect your networking skills. We've identified some of the best! Check them out!
Join others to discuss job search techniques and issues you face in your job today. Our discussion board will introduce you to others who are going through similar experiences so that you can gain and share ideas and insights.
You can watch live or recorded presentations by the nation's top career authors.
Join other professionals in discussing career-related issues.
Build a career strategy to get where you
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Sweet! Can Willie unseat Dorothy?
Unlike most of the movies that have been remade in the last few years, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was an ideal candidate. It has a cult of fans who originally saw it at an impressionable age or in an impressionable chemical state, but it wasn't a great movie.
Two things unavailable in 1971 were needed to make an ideal film version of Roald Dahl's novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (a title retained by the remake): director Tim Burton, whose visual imagination perfectly complements Dahl's bizarre storytelling; and computer-generated effects, which give live-action films the flexibility of animation. In fact, it's hard to tell where the trailer for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (animated) ends and the opening sequence of Charlie... (live-action) begins.
"Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) was the luckiest boy in the whole world. He just didn't know it yet," Dahl wrote. Charlie lives in a literal lean-to with his parents (Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor) and all four grandparents (including David Kelly as Grandpa Joe). They're poor but loving, a close-knit, functional family. This is a fantasy, after all.
Their town's skyline consists of one building, Willy Wonka's candy factory. Formerly a major employer, it's now a mysterious, gated edifice which no one enters or leaves.
But five children are about to go in. As a sales promotion, Wonka has hidden golden tickets in five candy bars to be sold somewhere in the world. The tickets entitle the bearers to a tour of the factory, with one of them to receive an extra prize "beyond your wildest imagination."
Charlie's hopes of winning sink as the first four tickets are found– by Augustus Gloop (Philip Wiegratz), a fat German; Veruca Salt (Julia Winter), a spoiled Brit; Violet Beauregarde (AnnaSophia Robb), a gum-chewing karate kid from Atlanta; and Mike Teavee (Jordan Fry), a gamer from Denver.
Miraculously, Charlie gets the fifth golden ticket and tours the factory, led by Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) himself. It should be noted that Wonka's longish hair, high voice and gray skin may remind you of Michael Jackson, which could make you suspect his reasons for escorting children through a factory that resembles a theme park.
But fear not. He obviously doesn't like the kids, and his motives will be fully explained later.
In the factory we meet the tiny Oompa-Loompas (all played by Deep Roy), who were imported from Loompaland to replace the local labor force. In addition to making candy, they sing and dance on occasion, especially when a visiting child misbehaves and is punished fittingly.
Along the way we get some of Willy's backstory, how he was forbidden to eat candy by his father (Christopher Lee), a dentist, and had to leave home to find success as a chocolatier.
In this children's story for all ages, Burton winks at the audience with references to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Psycho, Oprah, and various musical styles. When they come to an area where pink sheep are being sheared and Wonka says, "I'd rather not talk about this one," is the wool being used for cotton candy or Ed Wood's angora sweaters?
The PG rating may be for the line, "Don't touch that squirrel's nuts. It'll make him crazy." There's nothing here to harm any child mature enough to sit through a movie.
The messages, about the importance of family and flossing, may be heavy-handed, but they're appropriately sugar-coated. Working from an excellent screenplay by John August (Big Fish) Burton makes magic happen constantly. The movie is endlessly inventive and relentlessly weird– in a good way.
A line about "the most something something of any something that's ever been" comes close to describing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It may be too soon to start comparing it to The Wizard of Oz, at least on a single viewing, but we're definitely talking about a classic fantasy film here.


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1-day and 3-day tickets are period tickets you can use for unlimited travel within the area stated on the ticket for 24 hours with a 1-day ticket and for 72 hours with a 3-day ticket.
1-day and 3-day tickets on a Västtrafikkort become valid when they are used for the first time, but no later than 30 days after purchase, otherwise they expire. Unactivated 1-day and 3-day tickets can be exchanged within 30 days of purchase.
24-hour and 72-hour tickets and tickets bought using the Västtrafik To Go app are activated at the time of purchase.
24-hour and 72-hour paper tickets become valid at the time of purchase and cannot be exchanged.
If you are over the age of 20 and have an adult period ticket, three people under 20 can travel with you for free. Great for those travelling together!
How the offer works
- The offer is valid for period tickets and 24-hour and 72-hour tickets for adults and those with a Senior citizen card.
- It is valid on Västtrafik's trains, buses, trams and ferries within Västtrafik's operating area (Västra Götaland region and Kungsbacka municipality).
- It is valid on Öresundståg trains between Gothenburg and Åsa.


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Share the Safety
Share the Safety Press Conference
fileShare the Safety speech sharethesafety-speech+images.pdf, 742,5 KiB
linkShare the Safety
Share the Safety is a "Buy One, Give One" program: for every gun sold at retail price through this revolutionary online portal, the NRA, with the generous support of Smith & Wesson, will donate a defensive firearm to someone who cannot afford one. Share the Safety will open its digital doors on July 4.
Share the Safety's first focus will be residents of impoverished inner city neighborhoods who cannot afford the tools necessary to defend themselves against violence committed by the authorities. Starting July 4, at ShareTheSafety.org, qualified residents of ten poor neighborhoods across the country will be able to apply to receive a free self-defense handgun. Buyers, meanwhile, will have the pleasure of knowing that for each firearm purchased, one will be donated to an at-risk American citizen in the urban center of their choice.
"We know that the only protection from bad guys with guns is good guys with guns," said Hensley Cocker, Program Director of Share the Safety. "Tragically, the people who need to protect themselves most—the urban poor—are often unable to afford a lifesaving firearm. We're excited to watch the impact this will have on one of our nation's most underserved groups."
Share the Safety is an important next step in the NRA's ongoing effort to spread the freedom and security that come with gun ownership, and to ensuring that every American, regardless of income, can exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Prospective purchasers, as well as recipients, can now preview the portal at www.ShareTheSafety.org and sign up to be notified when it opens for business on July 4.
Watch the video at www.ShareTheSafety.org/media.
Hensley Cocker
Program Director, Share the Safety
About the National Rifle Association
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Five million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and is the leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit http://www.nra.org.
A permanent copy of this press release is located at:


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SAMJ: South African Medical Journal
versión On-line ISSN 2078-5135
versión impresa ISSN 0256-9574
MOONASAR, Devanand et al. Field evaluation of a malaria rapid diagnostic test (ICT Pf). SAMJ, S. Afr. med. j. [online]. 2009, vol.99, n.11, pp.810-813. ISSN 2078-5135.
BACKGROUND: Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (MRDTs) are quick and easy to perform and useful for diagnosing malaria in primary health care settings. In South Africa most malaria infections are due to Plasmodium falciparum, and HRPII-based MRDTs have been used since 2001. Previous studies in Africa showed variability in sensitivity and specificity of HRPIIbased MRDTs; hence, we conducted a field evaluation in Limpopo province to determine the accuracy of the MRDT currently used in public sector clinics and hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to determine the sensitivity and specificity of an ICT Pf MRDT. We tested 405 patients with fever with ICT Pf MRDT and compared the results with blood film microscopy (the gold standard). RESULTS: The overall sensitivity of the ICT Pf MRDT was 99.48% (95% confidence interval (CI) 96.17 - 100%), while specificity was 96.26% (95% CI 94.7 - 100%). The positive predictive value of the test was 98.48 (99% CI 98.41 - 100%), and the negative predictive value was 99.52% (95% CI 96.47 - 100%). CONCLUSIONS: The ICT Pf MRDT is an appropriate test to use in the field in South Africa where laboratory facilities are not available. It has a high degree of sensitivity and acceptable level of specificity in accordance with the World Health Organization criteria. However, sensitivity of MRDT at low levels of parasitaemia (<100 parasites/µl of blood) in field conditions must still be established.


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Birthday Wishes gets wish during HOPE Week
NEW YORK -- When a group of young kids walked into Suite 62 at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, their eyes opened wide and their mouths agape with surprise.
Standing in front of them were Yankees pitchers Mariano Rivera, CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, David Phelps, catcher Chris Stewart and bullpen coach Mike Harkey, giving them a birthday surprise they will likely never forget.
The children were there with a group called Birthday Wishes, a nonprofit organization that aims to help homeless children build self-esteem by ensuring their birthdays are recognized and celebrated. On Thursday, the Yankees invited Birthday Wishes and a group of children from local homeless shelters to Yankee Stadium as part of HOPE Week.
The group stared in awe as they walked into Yankee Stadium, posed for pictures on the field, took a seat in the Yankees' dugout and met vice chairperson Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal.
After that, they were brought upstairs for their surprise. There was food, candy, memorabilia and gifts, as well as a magician, a keyboard the kids could play with and artists spray-painting the kids' names on T-shirts and hats.
And, of course, there were Yankees there, too. Even though he's out for the season, first baseman Mark Teixeira stopped by to spend part of the game watching it with the kids.
"They'll never forget this day," said Lisa Vasiloff, one of the founders of Birthday Wishes. "I'll never forget this day."
Vasiloff helped form the group in November 2002, along with Karen Yahara and Carol Zwanger. The trio, who had each volunteered in several homeless shelters, wanted to do something to help kids living in these homes to feel normal, like "regular kids."
They found that something simple as recognizing and celebrating a birthday can provide validation for these children and help them feel like they are normal members of society. Now, Birthday Wishes serves more than 175 shelters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Long Island.
"So many of these kids live in really dark places," Vasiloff said. "When you're sitting back and watching them during a party, laughing their heads off, just pure joy -- you know that they do not experience that very often. So I know that that's helping their development."
On Thursday, they got to experience the birthday party of a lifetime. They got autographs, Yankees memorabilia, cake and a great seat to watch shortstop Derek Jeter's first game of the season. They even got to cheer on Rivera, Sabathia, Hughes, Phelps, Stewart, Harkey and Teixeria, who sang them "Happy Birthday."
For the Yankees, that's what HOPE Week is all about.
"Seeing how excited they are now, to be getting all the gifts and the candy and everything, it's a lot of fun," Sabathia said. "To be able to make this day special for them is cool for us."
"We've been blessed with so many things in our lives, so anytime we can give back, it's kind of our duty," Phelps said. "We're glad to do it. Any chance we get, we're glad to do it."


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Dozens of chatbots and automations. Ready to use
Thanks to the chatbots AI (Artificial Intelligence) bots can recognise customers' query and act based on it (e. g. answer "where is my package?" question). They can also save your abandoned carts, offer discounts, generate leads, and much more - everything happens 24/7, even when you're offline.


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Warde wrestlers get another shot at dominant Danbury
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For all the accolades and titles that have been attained by the Danbury High wrestling program, it's the one that got away that will always serve as extra motivation for the team.
Nobody on the current roster was on the team that Saturday evening at New Canaan High on Feb. 12, 2010 at the FCIAC championships when Fairfield Warde shook up the state wrestling world by ending the Hatters' 23-year reign as conference champions.
Danbury seniors such as Kevin Jack and Chris Bryant were still in middle school waiting for their chance to join the storied Hatters' program. Another FCIAC title banner being added to the wrestling gym on Clapboard Ridge was as sure a thing as the first day of school.
"They have always been the best team in the state that everybody looks toward trying to beat," said Warde coach Jason Shaughnessy, who picked up his 300th career victory this season. "When we beat them at that time it showed that they are beatable, but they have come back strong since then."
Danbury (15-2) has won the FCIAC title every year since that second-place finish to Warde and is currently No. 1 in the state poll. Meanwhile, No. 7 Warde (15-3) has remained among the top teams not only in the FCIAC, but in the state.
The two wrestling powers are set to meet in their annual dual-meet clash Wednesday night at 6 at Fairfield Warde. The impending snowstorm may change those plans if school is cancelled -- Danbury coach Ricky Shook said the match will not be made up -- but the focus remains on the mat for the two rivals.
"These current guys don't know much about that," Shook said, referring to the 2010 FCIAC championships. "But I bring it up all the time before we wrestle them. I have to look up and see that's the banner missing."
Despite ending the Hatters' FCIAC title run, Warde and the rest of the FCIAC teams have failed to figure out a way to top Danbury in a dual meet. The last time Danbury lost an FCIAC dual was in January 1986 when Greenwich earned a 37-24 victory. The Hatters' streak stands at 363 straight FCIAC wins.
It's appeared for a while that if any team is capable of ending the Hatters' streak it would be Warde.
"This is our FCIAC tough match of the year," Shook said. "Trumbull is up there, too. Every year it's usually us and them for FCIACs and it should come down to us two again. Warde does a great job and Jason is a great coach."
Warde is on pace to enjoy another strong postseason with a deep team that has done well in both dual meets and tournaments. The Mustangs reclaimed the title at their own tournament earlier this season by beating defending champion Simsbury.
"The season has been pretty good," Shaughnessy said. "We have wrestled close to our potential. We've had a few bumps in the road, but have shown a lot of depth. We were happy to get our own tournament title back."
Warde has benefitted from the continued development of senior heavyweight Ahmed Hourani, who is undefeated this season, according to Shaughnessy.
"He's a lot more motivated this year to be in top shape," Shaughnessy said. "He's attacking legs more and wrestling well from the top. He's become a complete wrestler for us."
Other top performers for the Mustangs have been senior captain Dylan Bender (138), junior Dan Ebert (126), sophomore Jack Price (106) and freshman Tim Kane (120)
Price has provided a big boost to the lineup.
"He has done exceptional," Shaughnessy said. "He's a first-time varsity wrestler. He was undersized at 106 last year, weighing only 95 pounds. He worked hard to add some weight."
Danbury goes into the match having its only two losses this season coming at the hands of New England powers Mt. Anthony of Vermont and Timberlane of New Hampshire. The Hatters lost a heartbreaking 33-29 loss to Timberlane last Saturday in the finals of the New Fairfield Duals. It was a see-saw meet that wasn't decided until the final match.
"There were a lot of tough matches," Shook said. "We don't get many of those. I wish we had those all the time. We had a loss in overtime and three one-point losses against Timberlane. We wrestled good for the most part, but just didn't get it done. I don't like losing.
"We will be fine. The losses humble your team. We know what we have to do for New Englands."
Besides Jack and Bryant, the Hatters are receiving big efforts this season from sophomore Jeremy Fields (113), junior Juan Garcia (182), freshman Andrew Marquis (152), sophomore Matthew Adam (170) and senior Tristan Jakobson (220).
"Danbury is a very strong team as usual," Shaughnessy said. "We will just focus on individual matchups. We know we are a big underdog to them. We just need everybody need to do their job. We want to compete with the best."


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Tomovic, Rodriguez, Savic
Cuadrado, Aquilani, Pizarro, Valero, Pasqual
Jovetic, Toni
Ranocchia, Juan Jesus, Chivu
Schelotto, Gargano, Cambiasso, Nagatomo
It is the battle between fifth and sixth place on Sunday when Fiorentina host Inter, with the visitors all but out of the title race.
Their task has been made all the more difficult after they lost striker Diego Milito to a serious knee injury in their 2-0 win over Cluj on Thursday.
The Argentine's nine goals make him the Nerazzurri's top goalscorer this season and with that in mind the attacking burden will now fall even more heavily on the shoulders of likely starters Antonio Cassano and Rodrigo Palacio, the latter of whom scored twice in midweek.
New signing Mateo Kovacic also impressed on Europa League duty and looks to have done enough to start again, but Inter will still be without Walter Samuel, Gabi Mudingayi, Luca Castellazzi and Joel Obi through injury.
A 2-0 defeat to Juventus in their last outing was by no means a disgrace for Vincenzo Montella's side, but he will be wary of the need to get a result following a run of just one victory in seven games.
Giulio Migliaccio and Alberto Aquilani return from suspension, but Matias Fernandez, Giuseppe Rossi, Ahmed Hegazy and Michele Camporese all remain on the treatment table.
Inter go into the game as favourites with an impressive unbeaten record against the Viola in their last 15 meetings.
- The Nerazzurri have won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six games.
- Andrea Stramaccioni's side have lost five of their last six away games in Serie A.
Fiorentina will be encouraged by a fantastic home record that sees them undefeated in 15 of their last 16 contests at the Artemio Franchi.
- There have been less than 2.5 goals scored in Fiorentina's last three home games in Serie A.
Stevan Jovetic (pictured, right) is Fiorentina's top goalscorer with nine strikes to his name this season.


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Mismatched to perfection. These one of a kind upcycled brass earrings are a geometric dream - add a pop of uniqueness to your 9-5 wardrobe or finish off your look for a night out.
- Dimensions: 1.5" drop on one earring; 1" drop on other
- Color/Materials: Recycled brass
To preserve the quality and shine of your up-cycled brass, we recommend limiting exposure to water. Please remove your jewelry while exercising, showering, or swimming and limit contact with perfumes, lotions and hair products. We recommend Brasso Metal Polish or lemon juice to shine your brass products. To clean with lemon juice, mix 1 part water with 1 part lemon juice. Soak your brass in the solution for 5 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly with water. Be sure to dry completely with a soft cloth.
Up-cycled brass, handcrafted by our partners in Kenya.