30 September 2012Last updated at 13:19 ETBy James GallagherHealth and science reporter, BBC News
An epidemic of a deadly strain of Salmonella has swept across the whole of Africa by "taking advantage" of the spread of HIV, according to an international team of researchers.
Their study, published in Nature Genetics, is the first to identify the separate cases as a single epidemic.
One in four people in Africa infected with the strain died.
It is thought to be the first time a single strain of an infection has spread so widely in the wake of HIV.
Cases of this form of invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella have been recognised in Africa for more than a decade. It causes fever, headaches, respiratory problems and sometimes death.
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It quite clearly parallels the emergence of HIV in Africa?
End QuoteProf Gordon DouganSanger Institute
The research team analysed the genetic code of 179 batches of Salmonella from different parts of Africa and the rest of the globe. Using techniques similar to a large-scale DNA paternity test, they were able to construct the strain's "family tree" and then how it spread.
It happened in two waves. The first started in south-eastern Africa about 52 years ago and the second wave started 35 years ago from the Congo Basin.
Prof Gordon Dougan, from the Sanger Institute in Cambridge in the UK, told the BBC: "It quite clearly parallels the emergence of HIV in Africa."
HIV attacks the immune system and leaves people more vulnerable to other infections. It is thought the strain of Salmonella Typhimurium took advantage of this weakness and spread. The research team said the bacterium was given the chance to "enter, adapt, circulate and thrive".
There is poor monitoring data for the disease across the whole of the continent, but Prof Dougan said it was affecting "thousands and thousands" of people and that 98% of adult cases were in people with HIV.
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It's actually quite a huge problem and it seems to be getting worse because there are many susceptible people, it's got a grip in Africa?
End QuoteProf Brendan WrenLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
He said this spread of Salmonella Typhimurium had been different to that of other infections commonly associated with HIV, as it had been a single epidemic "people were completely unaware" of and there "were not really any other examples" of that happening.
Dr Melita Gordon, a gastro-enterologist at the University of Liverpool, said: "It's the first time this has been described right across a continent in such an obvious way."
She added: "The highest mortality associated with the disease is 80%. What's happened over the years is mortality has fallen down and down and down to between 20% and 25% as doctors inside Africa recognise it."
The genetic analysis also showed the strain was resistant to the first choice antibiotic, chloramphenicol, which means more expensive drugs would be needed to treat the infection.
It is thought that improving HIV treatment across Africa could reduce the prevalence of the Salmonella infection, as it would reduce the number of people with vulnerable immune systems. However, the researchers urged "vigilance" in case the Salmonella strain mutated again to become able to infect people with healthy immune systems.
Commenting on the study, Prof Brendan Wren, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC: "It's actually quite a huge problem and it seems to be getting worse because there are many susceptible people, it's got a grip in Africa.
"HIV, I think it's fair to say, provided a springboard for it to take off."
However, he thought the disease was "near its peak" as HIV was more controlled in other continents giving it little room to spread.
When I heard that my colleague and fellow PT blogger,?Meredith Resnick?a writer and licensed clinical social worker, had recently published an e-book on the topic of narcissim, I thought the topic might be of interest to readers of this blog, especially those who suspect that someone around them, either a friend or family member, may have the disorder.??
Irene:
What led you to write your e-book on the topic of narcissism?
Meredith:
I worked for two decades in healthcare, but it was through my personal journey in a few relationships that I began to learn, really learn, about narcissism, and its damaging effects. I wanted to heal from the effects, and it took me some time and a concerted effort to sort out exactly what was going on. There is a certain, convoluted, ?smoke-and-mirrors' aspect of the disease of narcissism, given all the projection that goes along with it. But once I began to understand and see the nuances, I felt my own healing from the relationships really take hold. I wanted to share what I'd learned to help other people who might be suffering from the same feelings I'd had (and others have had as well).?
Irene:
What are the hallmark signs of a narcissistic personality???
Meredith:
There are several, but here I'll mention three. I associate lack of empathy with narcissism, but also understand that a person who is narcissistic might appear to "care." I've found, for me, it's been helpful to view the relationship as a whole, to look at patterns. For example, non-empathy might appear as little digs, as a protracted period of coldness followed by what appears to be warmth (followed by icy coldness, and so on).
Projection is another key sign, which includes relegating their own (typically negative) feelings onto you, claiming they belong to you and/or that you alone are responsible for them feeling this way.
Another sign is a tendency to be exploitative in their relationships without even thinking about it, to get what they want in big and little ways.?
Irene:
Why do we often tend to miss these signs at first?
Meredith:
It may be because people with narcissism can and do present themselves quite charmingly. They may be fun; the life of the party. Or, they may be sweet and helpful, focusing on you and how great you are. When the tide turns with such individuals, it can come as a shock. (Bear in mind there are many truly authentically nice, kind, wonderful people. But with them, we won't experience the breach being discussed here. And when we experience the breach, we know it!)
Or, it may be for entirely different reasons. If a person was surrounded by self-absorbed people early in their lives, it's possible that person developed a kind of blind spot to problems in their friendships, or maybe they keep choosing friends who demand lots of attention. This might happen when an individual is not accustomed to keeping the focus on herself in a healthy way, and, so, finds friends who want her attention to be on them!?
Irene:
Is it possible to have a mutually supportive friendship with a narcissist or is the friendship doomed? Do narcissists ever change their stripes or do I simply need to walk away from a close friendship with a narcissist?
Meredith:
To these questions I would suggest re-evaluating what the individual really means by "mutually supportive," and encouraging them to think about what they like about the relationship, and accepting it for what it is. Perhaps two people can still have fun together, but maybe other aspects of the relationship they are seeking need to be found or developed in other friendships. ? ?
Meredith's new e-book, available on Amazon, is called?Narcissism: Surviving the Self-Involved - A Little Primer on Self-Care. Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Psychology Today, JAMA, Orange County Register, Culinate, Dancing at The Shame Prom and others. She is currently working on a companion e-book,?Stronger Every Day: 366 Thoughts, Meditations and Ideas to Help You Overcome the Effects of Narcissism?(2013).?
For film tech nerds the world over, this documentary about the advent of digital filmmaking and what it means for the old school film purists is an engaging must-see. Keanu Reeves narrates and interviews an impressive roster of directors, cinematographers, editors, actors, and execs through this highly technical history and many of the subjects are truly game. I think their candidness is largely due to Reeves being there. Most seem to feel really comfortable around him, which is essential to getting some of the gold that comes out of the likes of Steven Soderbergh and David Fincher in particular. Editor Anne Coates, the 86-year-old editor of such classics as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) and OUT OF SIGHT (1998) brings a refreshing and surprising perspective. Just when you expect the film vs. digital argument to have lines drawn depending on age, Ms. Coates shows a delightful openness to the new technology. This is an astounding time capsule piece which demonstrates how truly far we've come in digital image quality, particularly just in the past few years. There are times where you'll go back and forth about how you feel, because ultimately, both sides make great points. I couldn't believe how terrible some of the earlier digital films looked (TADPOLE or CHUCK AND BUCK anyone?). This may feel really too inside baseball for the layperson, but if you have any interest in how we experience filmed stories, this is essential viewing.
FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2012 file photo, newly-appointed President of Olympus Corp. Hiroyuki Sasa, left, speaks as his predecessor Shuichi Takayama, second left, and two outside directors of the company, Hiroshi Kuruma, second right, and Yasuo Hayashida, attend a press conference in Tokyo when the entire board of scandal-tainted Olympus resigned and the new president was tapped to lead a turnaround at the Japanese medical equipment maker. Sony and Olympus have agreed on a business alliance that will see Sony Corp. invest 50 billion yen ($640 million) for an 11 percent stake in the embattled medical equipment and camera company. Olympus has been on shaky ground after its British chief executive turned whistleblower and helped unearth a scandal involving a systematic cover-up of massive losses. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2012 file photo, newly-appointed President of Olympus Corp. Hiroyuki Sasa, left, speaks as his predecessor Shuichi Takayama, second left, and two outside directors of the company, Hiroshi Kuruma, second right, and Yasuo Hayashida, attend a press conference in Tokyo when the entire board of scandal-tainted Olympus resigned and the new president was tapped to lead a turnaround at the Japanese medical equipment maker. Sony and Olympus have agreed on a business alliance that will see Sony Corp. invest 50 billion yen ($640 million) for an 11 percent stake in the embattled medical equipment and camera company. Olympus has been on shaky ground after its British chief executive turned whistleblower and helped unearth a scandal involving a systematic cover-up of massive losses. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
FILE - In this April 12, 2012 file photo, office workers leave the headquarters of Sony Corp. in Tokyo. Sony and Olympus have agreed on a business alliance that will see Sony invest 50 billion yen ($640 million) for an 11 percent stake in the embattled medical equipment and camera company. The deal, announced Friday, Sept. 28, was widely expected as Sony president Kazuo Hirai had expressed interest in such a move as part of a turnaround at the Japanese electronics and entertainment company. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
TOKYO (AP) ? Sony is expanding its sprawling electronics to movies business empire with a new venture ? looking inside the human body.
The company on Friday said it will spend 50 billion yen ($640 million) for an 11 percent stake in Olympus Corp., an embattled maker of endoscopes, which are the long thin camera-equipped instruments that allow medical professionals to peer inside the body.
The deal was widely expected as Sony president Kazuo Hirai had expressed interest in moving into the medical equipment business.
Olympus Corp. is the world's biggest maker of endoscopes and is also known for its cameras. It has been on shaky ground after its British chief executive Michael Woodford turned whistleblower and helped unearth a scandal involving a systematic cover-up of massive losses.
Sony Corp. has its own problems and is hoping new businesses will be part of its turnaround. Sony has reported losses for four straight years as it fell behind in portable music players, flat-panel TVs and smartphones. Sony's red ink for the latest fiscal year through March was the worst in its 66-year history.
The two companies said they will set up a new medical equipment company together later this year, 51 percent owned by Sony and the rest by Olympus.
The alliance between Sony and Olympus will focus on the camera business as well, and both sides can benefit from sharing their technology, and working together to become more competitive, they said. In such alliances, companies can share in procurement on parts, boosting their bargaining power with suppliers and lowering costs.
"I will do my best to make this meaningful and profitable for both Olympus and Sony," Hirai said in a statement. Sony will become the biggest shareholder in Olympus after acquiring the 11 percent stake.
Olympus President Hiroyuki Sasa said working with Sony will help shore up Olympus' finances, and that its endoscope business would benefit from Sony's image-sensor technology.
Sasa and Hirai plan a joint news conference Monday morning in Tokyo, where they will likely face questions about how two troubled Japanese companies getting together might lead to them competing more successfully on the global stage.
Earlier this week, Sasa was at the Tokyo District Court to enter a guilty plea for Olympus, along with three former executives who faced charges as individuals, in the opening session of a trial into the fraudulent financial reports.
Olympus has said it hid 117.7 billion yen ($1.5 billion) in investment losses dating to the 1990s.
Prosecutors outlined in detail the elaborate schemes concocted over the years, using overseas bank accounts, paper companies and transactions controlled behind-the-scenes, all to keep massive losses off the company books.
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Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at http://twitter.com/yurikageyama
MOGADISHU, Somalia --?Troops launched an amphibious assault before dawn Friday on the al-Qaida militant group al-Shabab's last stronghold in Somalia.
Other African Union forces were traveling overland to link up with the joint Kenyan-Somali force in the port city of Kismayo.
The commander of the U.N-backed African Union troops, Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti, said the aim was to "liberate the people of Kismayo to enable them to lead their lives in peace, stability and security."
Col. Cyrus Oguna, the Kenyan military's top spokesman, said the attack met minimal resistance, but al-Shabab denied that the city had fallen and said fighting was taking place.
Oguna told The Associated Press that al-Shabab, which formally merged with al-Qaida in February, had incurred "heavy losses" but that Kenyan forces have not yet had any injuries or deaths.
"We came from the beach side and we're moving towards the main city. Our surveillance aircraft are monitoring every event taking place on the ground," he told Reuters.
"For now, we're not everywhere. We've taken a large part of it without resistance, I don't see anything major happening," he said.
Born in the USA, but now among Somalia's Islamist terrorists
Residents in Kismayo, a city of about 193,000 people, contacted by The Associated Press said that Kenyan troops had taken control of the port, but not the whole city.
"Al-Shabab fighters are on the streets and heading toward the front line in speeding cars. Their radio is still on the air and reporting the war," resident Mohamed Haji told The Associated Press. Haji said that helicopters were hitting targets in the town in southeastern Somalia.
At an international one-day summit Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said the world would "pay a price" if it fails to help Somalia overcome terrorism, piracy and starvation. ITV's Lee Comley reports.?
Another resident, Ismail Suglow, told Reuters that he could hear shelling from the ships and that the rebels were responding with anti-aircraft guns.
"We saw seven ships early in the morning and now their firing looks like lightning and thunder. Al-Shabab have gone towards the beach. The ships poured many AU troops on the beach," he added.
Expert: War on terror at 'critical' point as al-Qaida looks to regroup in Africa
On Thursday, residents said planes had dropped leaflets on Kismayo warning civilians to evacuate within 24 hours, Reuters reported.?More than 10,000 residents fled Kismayo in the last several weeks.
Resident Faduma Abdulle said Friday that she is now leaving too.
She said al-Shabab made an announcement on its radio station Friday to trick residents into moving toward the invading troops.
"They told residents through their radio to loot a Kenyan ship that washed up on the coast, but instead the residents who rushed there were attacked by helicopters," she said. "Some of them have died but I don't know how many. The situation is tense and many are fleeing. It's a dangerous situation."
A U.S. military spokesman, Lt. Cdr. Dave Hecht, said the U.S. Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, is closely monitoring the situation but that "we are not participating in Kenya's military activities in the region."
Militants: Taking city not 'a piece of cake' Al-Shabab said it would not give up Kismayu easily.
"Going into Kismayo is not a piece of cake. We are still fighting them on the beach where they landed," Sheik Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabab's spokesman for military operations, told Reuters on Friday. "For us, this is just the beginning, our troops are spread everywhere."
Oguna said the assault is part of a four-prong attack involving Kenyan forces currently in villages outside Kismayo.
The amphibious assault landed between 10:30 p.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday local time (3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday ET)?, he said. Some of the troops had night-vision goggles, he said.
Somali Olympic chief killed in Mogadishu suicide blast
African Union troops pushed al-Shabab out of Mogadishu in August 2011, ending four years of control of the capital by the fighters.
The Ugandan and Burundian troops that make up the bulk of the African Union force in Mogadishu have slowly been taking control of towns outside of Mogadishu.
The expanding control by AU troops sent al-Shabab fighters fleeing south toward Kismayo, north to other regions of Somalia and across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen, according to American and African Union officials.
Kenya police: Imminent attack by suicide bombers thwarted
Al-Shabab still holds sway across many small, poor villages of southern Somalia. The loss of Kismayo would be significant.
The militants taxed goods coming into its port. Al-Shabab lost its major source of financing last year when it was pushed out of Bakara market in Mogadishu, where it also charged taxes.
The march toward Kismayo by the Kenyan forces has been nearly a year in the making.
Masked 'goons' kill at least 17 in attacks on churches in Kenya
Kenyan troops entered Somalia last October after a string of kidnappings inside neighboring Kenya, including of Westerners in and around the beach resort town of Lamu, which is also seeing the construction of a new port and could one day be final point of a new oil pipeline from South Sudan.
Kenyan forces were bogged down by rain and poor roads for months but have making slow and steady progress toward Kismayo in recent weeks.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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There are two distinct retirement plans that can give you a return on your investment and an income for the future. One is an IRA and the other is a 401K. Both have benefits for savers, but there are also differences. When discussing the advantages of an IRA vs 401K plans, look to maximum contribution limits, individual vs employer plans, investment options, and matching employer contributions.
Maximum contribution limits constitutes the differences between the two retirement accounts. Each account has a maximum you can contribute. A 401K allows you to contribute more to your account every year than does an IRA. As an example 401K contribution limits are $15,400 per year or $22,000 a year if you are over fifty. You can only contribute a maximum of $5,000 or $6,000 a year to an IRA account.
Another difference with IRA vs 401K is who offers these accounts. You get 401Ks from an employer but with an IRA you need to set it up on your own and manage it by yourself. Self-employed individuals can set up solo 401Ks, but the majority of 401K plans are through employers and you can take advantage of matching contributions from your employer. In addition to the money you directly contribute into your 401K is the employer?s contribution to this account. An IRA account does not have matching contribution provisions.
IRA vs 401K plans do have various security and investment options. You can put the funds into bonds, stocks, or mutual funds. IRAs have more investment choices, but 401Ks only have a few types of secure investment sources where monies are stored.
To better understand IRA vs 401K, you need to know that there are two types of IRAs; traditional and Roth named after the late congressman who set up the fund. The Roth IRA eligibility has an income limit of $120,000 a year for individuals and $175,000 for couples. If your earnings become higher than those limits you will no longer be able to contribute to a Roth IRA. There are no income limits when contributing to a traditional IRA. Both IRA plans have a yearly limit of $5,000 or $6,000 contribution. Roth IRAs will be taxed upon contribution while traditional IRAs are taxed at withdrawal. The traditional IRA vs 401K carries the same 10 percent early withdrawal penalty but a Roth IRA can be withdrawn any time after the fund has sat for five years. In order to determine the best IRA accounts for you, add up the cost savings between early withdrawal and tax penalties and taxed contributions.
If you are looking to maximize your retirement dollars, a no fee Roth IRA can be ideal. You have the option of contributing up to $5000 in this IRA and if you find the right broker you will have no set up or administrations fees for a period of time. IRA vs 401K plans provide you with retirement security, but if you are looking for no-age limit withdrawals, and the opportunity to invest in multitudes of funds one type of IRA is best. If you are not good at saving, direct contributions from your paycheck into your 401K plan can be ideal.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi assigned himself the heavyweight's role in the Middle East on Wednesday, declaring in his first speech to the United Nations that the civil war raging in Syria is the "tragedy of the age" and must be brought to an end.
In a wide-ranging address that touched on all major issues confronting the region, Morsi also decried Israeli settlement-building on territory Palestinians claim for a future state and condemned a film produced in the United States that denigrates Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
He urged all U.N. member nations to join in an effort to end what he called "the catastrophe in Syria" that pits the regime of Bashar Assad against opposition forces trying to end 40 years of dictatorship. More than 30,000 people have been killed in the 18-month conflict.
Morsi has called for Assad to step down and said Wednesday that "the bloodshed in Syria and the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded must be stopped."
Morsi, an Islamist and key member of the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, opened his remarks to the U.N. General Assembly by celebrating himself as Egypt's first democratically elected leader who was swept into office after what he called a "great, peaceful revolution" that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.
He then quickly inserted himself into the thorniest issues in the Middle East, demanding that the United Nations grant membership to the Palestinians, with or without a peace agreement with Israel.
"The fruits of dignity and freedom must not remain far from the Palestinian people," he said, adding that it was "shameful" that U.N. resolutions are not enforced.
The Palestinians are expected to again ask for U.N. recognition and formally make application to the world body in November, after the U.S. presidential election. President Barack Obama said when the Palestinians sought recognition last year that Washington would block the move until there was a peace deal with Israel. The focus of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which have been on hold for four years, is a two-state solution that would formally grant the Palestinians the rights of an independent country.
In his bid to end the violence in Syria, Morsi has invited Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia to join a contact group, though the Saudis have not yet participated and the fighting in Syria continues unabated. While Morsi wants Assad to step aside, he said Wednesday that he opposes any foreign military intervention.
The U.N. Security Council, which could call for intervention or global sanctions against Syria, is deadlocked because Russia, Assad's main protector, and China have blocked a series of resolutions brought by Western governments.
Morsi also denounced as an obscenity the anti-Islam video that portrays the Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer, a child molester and a fraud, insisting that freedom of expression does not allow for attacks on any religion.
He also condemned the violence that swept Muslim countries last week in reaction to the video. At least 51 people were killed, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans targeted in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.
"Egypt respects freedom of expression. One that is not used to incite hatred against anyone. One that is not directed toward one specific religion or culture. A freedom of expression that tackles extremism and violence. Not the freedom of expression that deepens ignorance and disregards others," Morsi said.
He appeared to have been responding to Obama's General Assembly speech Tuesday in which the U.S. leader again condemned the video but sternly defended the U.S. Constitution's free speech guarantees.
In Cairo, Egyptians watched Morsi's speech closely for signs of how he would conduct his presidency. Sahar Abdel-Mohsen, a 31-year architect, praised Morsi's condemnation of the Assad regime, but questioned his assertions about free speech.
"How can he talk about freedom of expression when there are many protesters in detention in Egypt, including minors, and when people are locked up for the so-called contempt of religion?" she said.
The head of the Arab League, meanwhile, called for the international community to criminalize blasphemy, warning that insults to religion pose a serious threat to global peace and security.
Nabil Elaraby's comments to a special session of the U.N. Security Council put him at direct odds with the United States and its Western allies, which are resolutely opposed to restrictions on freedom of expression. However, Elaraby said that if the West has criminalized acts that result in bodily harm, it must also criminalize acts that cause "psychological and spiritual harm."
Earlier Wednesday, Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known for past fiery denunciations of the United States and Israel, spoke at length about his vision for a new world order without the "hegemony of arrogance."
Of Israel, he cited what he termed the "continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation."
The U.S. delegation boycotted Ahmadinejad's speech in response to the "paranoid theories and repulsive slurs against Israel" included in a separate address delivered by the Iranian president on Monday.
"It's particularly unfortunate that Mr. Ahmadinejad will have the platform of the U.N. General Assembly on Yom Kippur, which is why the United States has decided not to attend," Erin Pelton, spokeswoman for the U.S. Mission to the U.N., said in a statement.
Thousands of protesters in yellow vests emblazoned with photos of Iranian dissidents they said were killed by the Iranian regime gathered outside U.N. headquarters during the Iranian leader's speech. Speakers included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, and former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.
Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was threatened by members of the protest crowd as he walked near the United Nations. He was confronted by the angry mob, said New York police spokesman Paul Browne. The diplomat flagged down police officers, who helped him get to a safe spot. Browne said the threats were believed to have been verbal.
In his speech on Wednesday, Ahmadinejad did not refer to Iran's nuclear program. Israel and Western nations contend that Tehran is using what it insists is a peaceful nuclear program as a cover for developing the ability to build atomic weapons.
Tough sanctions have been imposed on Iran as punishment for its failure to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency to prove the peaceful nature of its drive to enrich uranium to levels that could be used to build a nuclear weapon.
Israel has threatened a military strike against Iranian nuclear installations, but Obama insists there is still time to solve the dispute through diplomacy. He has vowed, however, to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear arsenal.
Outside the U.N., Alex Mohammed, 40, a restaurant manager from Chicago, stood next to a mock jail cell with a noose next to it, and a cartoon of Ahmadinejad standing under a series of hanged Iranians' legs and the inscription: "We don't have political prisoners in Iran ? anymore."
"It's getting worse in Iran, because the dictator is taking away more freedoms, including freedom of speech, and jailing journalists," said Mohammed, who has family in Tehran.
___
Associated Press writers Maggie Fick and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo, Verena Dobnik in New York, and David Stringer and Ron DePasquale at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Tuesday, the?Federal Home Finance Agency?s Home Price Index (HPI) showed home values rising 0.2% on a seasonally-adjusted basis between June and July 2012, and moving +3.7% on an annual basis.
Home values have not dropped month-to-month since January of this year ? a span of 6 months.
For today?s home buyers and sellers throughout San Juan County , though, it?s important to recognize on what the HPI is actually reporting.
Or, stated differently, on what the HPI is not reporting.?The Home Price Index is based on home price changes of some homes, of certain ?types?, with specific mortgage financing only.
As such, it excludes a lot of home sales from its results which skews the final product. We don?t know if home values are really up 0.2% this month ? we only know that?s true for the home that the HPI chooses to track.
As an example of how certain homes are excluded, because the HPI is published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and because the FHFA gets its access to home price data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, it?s upon data these two entities upon which the Home Price Index is built.
Home price data from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), from local credit unions, and from all-cash sales, for example, are excluded from the HPI because the FHFA has no awareness that the transaction ever happened.
In 2006, this may not have been a big deal; the FHA insured just 4 percent of the housing market at the time. Today, however, the FHA is estimated to insure more than 20% of new home purchases. Furthermore, in August,?more than 1 in 4 sales?were made with cash.
None of these home sales were included in the HPI.
Furthermore, the Home Price Index excludes certain home types from its findings.
Home sales of condominiums, cooperatives, multi-unit homes and planned unit developments (PUD) are not used in the calculation of the HPI. In some cities, including Chicago and New York City, these property types represent a large percentage of the overall market.?The HPI ignores them.
Like other home-value trackers, the Home Price Index can well highlight the housing market?s broader, national trends but for specific home price data about a specific home or a ZIP code, it?s better to talk with a real estate agent with local market knowledge.
Since peaking in April 2007, the Home Price Index is off 16.4 percent.
The Fujisawa City project in the Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo brought together nine companies and the government to develop an energy-smart community. Image: Panasonic
In this interview by Singapore?s Energy Market Authority, Panasonic Asia Pacific managing director Yorihisa Shiokawa reveals how manufacturers can contribute to an energy efficient society through innovation, collaboration and careful management.
Energy Market Authority: Panasonic?s ambition is to be the leading ?Green Innovation Company? in the electronics sector. What steps is Panasonic undertaking to achieve this target? What impact will this have on consumers and the environment?
Yorihisa Shiokawa: We want to become the number one Green Innovation Company in the electronics sector by 2018. Through our ?eco ideas? strategy, we create innovative businesses, products and services that are energy-efficient or have smart energy features, and therefore are more environmentally-friendly. But they also help consumers save money. We are on track to achieving 80 per cent of our total sales in Asia Pacific from these eco products.
Panasonic Group is also focused on developing Total Energy Solutions that involve energy creation, storage, savings and management. We set up the Panasonic Energy Solutions Development Centre Singapore in July this year to develop total energy solutions not only for the region, but also to commercialise them globally. Panasonic is working closely with the local authorities in Singapore to test-bed some of our urban solutions at the?Punggol Eco-Town project.
We have a Panasonic Eco Learning Programme, which will help 200,000 students across Asia Pacific to develop environmental awareness and an understanding of how virtually zero CO2 emissions can be achieved through technology. We will continue to spread the word so that more will come together to create a positive impact on the environment.
Panasonic applies the ?eco ideas? strategy to our own business. We aim to reduce the environmental impact of our business operations by making the best use of resources and energy through green innovation. We have set a goal of a 600,000-tonne CO2 reduction in our operations versus a ?business-as-usual? level (based on our fiscal year ending March 2005).
We are also developing three more ?eco ideas? factories by March 2013, which will demonstrate our sustainability solutions and capabilities. These factories adopt green solutions and exemplify how reductions in CO2 emissions, managing waste generation and chemical substance releases and maintaining energy efficiency can be achieved in manufacturing facilities.
EMA: In difficult economic times, some consumers may not be inclined to pay for green-certified appliances. What role can global manufacturers play in raising the awareness of the importance of such appliances?
YS: Global manufacturers can take the lead to help imbue eco-consciousness among consumers though championing environmental awareness programmes and education initiatives. Industry players must work with governments worldwide to ensure their products are compliant with the energy regulations of each country. In Singapore, Panasonic?s air conditioners and refrigerators meet the standards which are required for The Energy Label, mandated by the National Environment Agency (NEA).
Asia Pacific also has many environmental challenges in emerging and rapidly growing markets. Economic growth can create environmental pressures ? especially in creating and providing a stable supply of energy and meeting the demand for improved living standards. Product customisation for particular markets is important. In India, for example, the CUBE air-conditioner takes into account specific Indian climatic conditions and space limitations. This kind of product customisation will encourage customers to purchase green-certified appliances.
EMA: Businesses, especially manufacturing companies, are some of the biggest consumers of energy. How do you think businesses can and should conserve energy through their own business practices?
YS: Business growth must be achieved with an eye on conserving the planet for future generations. We are committed to promoting environmental sustainability and reducing the impact of our business operations. There are two ways to achieve this:
First, look at reducing CO2 emission. Panasonic has been using meters and gauges to manage energy consumption during production, as well as replacing fluorescent lights with energy-efficient Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights in our factories. By doing so, we have been able to reduce CO2 emissions by 560,000 tonnes in our Asia-Pacific operations as of the end March this year.
Second, companies should set assessment criteria on the environmental impact of their products. This needs to be done right from the planning and design stage. Improved environmental performance can be based on criteria such as energy savings, resource savings and chemicals management.
EMA: There is much being said about public-private partnerships in developing solutions that lower energy consumption. How have Japanese companies, for instance, collaborated with the Japanese government to help meet nationwide energy intensity goals?
YS: In Japan, such collaborations are increasingly important for a nation that is dependent on imports of virtually all fossil fuels. For decades, Japanese energy policy has focused on efficiency, diversity and development of indigenous energy sources.
One such recent project is Fujisawa City in Kanagawa Prefecture, situated about 50km west of Tokyo. This collaboration sees nine companies coming together with the government to build an innovative smart town deploying services and energy systems based on Panasonic?s ?eco ideas? for green lifestyles. The companies include developers, manufacturers and service providers and will see an eventual actual operation of the town with about 1,000 households. The smart town is to be built on the vacant lot of Panasonic?s former factory site and is targeted to open in the fiscal year ending in March 2014.
Apart from these large-scale collaborations, there are other ways to contribute to the nation, especially in times of crisis. At the end of March 2011, Panasonic donated a Life Innovation Container to the Miyagi Prefecture, which suffered widespread devastation in the Great East Japan Earthquake. The container is a standalone power system equipped with solar panels and rechargeable batteries to deliver electricity to areas without access to electricity.
But such collaborations are picking up in other parts of Asia as well. For example in Singapore, we are partnering with the Housing Development Board (HDB), Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Economic Development Board (EDB) to test-bed total energy solutions on an existing public residential building in Punggol Eco-Town. This project aims to achieve zero CO2 emissions for common areas of public housing in Singapore, and provide residents with a complete total energy solutions package that helps monitor and better manage their energy consumption.
EMA: Do you think companies can combine making contributions to the environment with business growth? Do you think legislation, such as those enacted in Japan and soon to be enacted in Singapore, will push companies to be more energy-efficient?
YS: Our belief is that we must integrate environmental conservation with business growth.? As such, we strive to achieve the highest achievement levels in reducing CO2 emissions, recycling resources, the size of our energy systems business and the sales ratio of environmentally-friendly products. These are our ?Green Indexes? and they are just as important as our Global Excellence Indexes, which look at sales, operating profit and return of equity.
Legislation also has a role to play in driving mindset changes in energy consumption and the nation?s energy mix.? In July 2012, the Japanese government rolled out feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for renewable energy. The Japanese FiTs are significantly higher than those offered in both Germany and China. Such clean energy investments shift Japan?s reliance on nuclear energy. Government subsidies benefit solar panel makers such as Panasonic, spurring them to manufacture even more energy-efficient products and services.
We also applaud the Singapore government for introducing the Energy Conservation Act, which comes into effect in 2013, to improve energy efficiency across different sectors. It will also drive energy efficiency in business. The legislation requires factories that consume more than 15GWh of energy a year to implement minimum energy management standards, such as the appointment of an energy manager, reporting of energy use and submission of energy efficiency improvement plans.
This is likely to help households make more informed choices about purchasing energy-efficient appliances since the legislation stipulates the minimum energy performance standards and energy labelling scheme for common household appliances such as air-conditioners and refrigerators.
Yorihisa Shiokawa is Managing Executive Officer, Regional Head for the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa of Panasonic Corporation, as well as Managing Director of Panasonic Asia Pacific. He assumed his role from April 2011, after three decades of building the brand name Panasonic in markets such as Europe, notably its digital audio-visual product and home appliance businesses.
This article was originally published on the Singapore International Energy Week 2012 website, and has been republished with permission.
Merchant products are promoted on 3rd party (affiliate) websites. When visitors click through from the affiliate site to the merchant site and make a purchase then an agreed fee is paid to the affiliate.
If you advertise your products Online, affiliate marketing is an efficient way to generate additional business. It is a cost effective form of advertising for merchants, and a simple way for affiliates to earn revenue from their website.
B ? Banner Advertising
Banner advertising generally has a low response rate, often yielding about 2 visitors per thousand banner impressions. Despite the relatively poor value of banners for driving traffic, banner advertising can be particular useful in certain circumstances such as raising brand awareness.
C ? Categorise
Structuring your site well can be worth its weight in gold, not just to
users of your site, but also to search engines. A well structured site
in terms of infrastructure (i.e. directory structure, page naming
convention) will not only tell your visitor what the page is about
quickly, but also provide the search engines with an idea of what the
page is about before it is indexed.
D ? Differentiation
A unique Marketing Campaign that allows a company and/or its products and services to stand out from its competitors. Having a niche product or service makes the job of marketing your product or service much easier. If your service is not unique, it is often possible to identify a ?unique selling point? of your product or service.
Focus on your unique selling points, those products or services that differentiate you from your competitors, and ensure you portray these to your potential customers.
There are many aspects that can make you similar to your competitors, so ensure your unique selling point is clear to your customers. This can make a significant difference between success and failure.
E ? E-Mail Marketing
Using e-mail as a means of communicating commercial messages to an audience (Direct Marketing) can be a profitable addition to your marketing strategy.
This could take many forms:
Targeting your existing client base with additional services or products.
Targeting your existing client base with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a client with its current or old customers and to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
Targeting your existing client base with the purpose of selling 3rd party products for a fee.
Purchasing a list of client email addresses for the purpose of marketing your products to a new client audience.
Adding your advertisements to e-mails sent by other companies to their client base and marketing your products to a new audience.
Direct marketing is popular with companies online as it is:
LOW COST : Compared to direct mailing or printed newsletters the costs are negligible. The advertiser does not need to pay for production, paper, printing or postage.
IMMEDIATE : It is instant, as opposed to a mailed advertisement, an e-mail arrives in a few seconds or minutes.
TRACKABLE : It is easy to track. An advertiser can track hits, conversions and rise in sales. Real-time.
FAR REACHING: Direct marketing can reach substantial numbers of e-mail subscribers who have opted-in (consented) to receive e-mail communications on subjects of interest to them.
F ? Focus
Keep it relevant! There is no point spending hundreds or thousands of pounds on advertising on your site, and then sending a potential customer to a non-related ?landing page?. There are two scenarios as regards online marketing where this is especially true, namely
PPC advertising ? Send your customers through to a targeted page. Many companies send clients through to the homepage, or worse, a non related page to what the term is. By sending potential customers through to a relevant page, you reduce the number of clicks required to find the product, at the same time reducing the number of exit points, which have the effect of making the money spent on sending the client to the site redundant.
Affiliate Marketing ? These days may clients are using companies such as Tradedoubler and Miva to drive traffic to their site. However, the number of times I have seen companies use the extra functionality such as product feeds that these Affiliate Marketing companies provide, and then under utilise them is staggering. By again targeting the users directly to the product/service they are searching for you are reducing the chances of the customer leaving the site before he/she has even
viewed your product.
G ? Gift Vouchers
Gift vouchers can be a good way of influencing users to your site to buy a product/service. Gift vouchers can be a very good way of building up customer loyalty to both your products and your brand, ensuring long term those customers keep coming back to your site and purchasing your products/services
H ? High earners vs Low returners
Differentiating what products/services offer the highest return on
investment is often one of the best ways of Increasing your bottom line, and as a result your return on investment (ROI). This may sound like common sense, however many companies overlook this, and continue offering products or services that never make any positive ROI.
The same applies to search engine marketing as a whole. For example, If you have a pay-per-click campaign, and are using very generic terms, you may find by tweaking the terms, and making these more specific, you decrease the amount you are spending on your PPC campaign, and increase your ROI as a result.
I ? Informative
Having a site that is informative, interesting and unique is one of the
best ways of keeping visitors coming back to your site, whether they be human or robots. Visitor loyalty is invaluable. This can be achieved via a number of ways whether it be a niche product, well written technical articles, your companies own PR or even just something that is just unique, funny or controversial.
J ? Just keep it simple
Over complicating the conversion process is often the biggest barrier to obtaining a successful sale. Many companies place barriers in the way, giving customers more reasons to pull out of a sale before completion, whether it is up-selling, over zealous data capture, or an inaccessible website.
A recent client?s buying process involved 10 clicks from site entry to sale completion. By reducing the number of clicks required to complete the sale from 10 to 6, sales increased by 400%. This involved streamlining the buying process, ensuring that the customer completed in as little time as possible.
In the modern era, time is money. Therefore time can be expensive so keep the time required to make a purchase to a minimum.
K ? Keywords
Research thoroughly the keywords that your website can realistically be ranked for. If you have a new website in a highly competitive market then ranking naturally for the major terms will be close to impossible, so consider less competitive and more targeted terms.
Higher levels of visitors do not necessarily mean an increase in sales. A more focused set of keywords may mean lower traffic but the quality of the traffic can lead to a better ROI.
L ? Landing Pages
This is another asset of search engine marketers that is either
over-optimised for search engines or under-utilised for visitors. Both can
have a detrimental effect on sales conversions and ultimately your ROI.
If you are using landing pages for any of your online
advertising/marketing, it is highly advisable to keep these landing
pages tailored to their requirement. You will find that by sending
potential customers directly to the area/product they are looking for,
you will significantly increase your sales as a result, and ultimately
your ROI.
M ? Mod Rewrite
A Mod Rewrite engine is a piece of web server software used to modify URLs, for the purpose of making your dynamic URLs more user friendly to customers and search engines.
A rewritten URL is easier to use if it is short but descriptive. The URL should have some text describing the content, but should not be too long.
N ? Navigation
Good navigation structure is an essential ingredient for any successful web site. If visitors find your navigation confusing or overly complicated then they will simply give up and look for another website offering the same products or service. E-Gain New Media work on the basis of a three click rule. In other words, try to keep any customer focussed page within three clicks of your homepage.
Navigation on a page should be clear, concise and relevant. Many a potential client has been put off a sale by entering a page and then exiting the site completely once they find out the page is not relevant to what they are looking for.
O ? Online Marketing
Online marketing is a term that encompasses several methods to raise awareness of your web site and increase sales. These methods can include either, or a combination of banner advertising, e-mail marketing, search engine optimisation or Pay-Per-Click. These technologies used together or alone, can, if thoroughly researched and implemented signicantly increase relevant traffic, customers and ROI.
P ? Press Releases
Press Releases as a medium for generating new traffic and customers are
often overlooked in favour of other aspects of search engine marketing
such as SEO and Affiliate Marketing. However press releases are an
excellent way of building up an online brand, whilst at the same time
generating both significant traffic, linkage and custom to your
website.
Developing your press releases should be the first step, ensuring that your content is clear, concise and unique. Branding your article is nearly as important as the content, make sure you get your sales message across in the article, and use the various sources of syndication available on the web (such as PRWeb, Newsisfree, http://www.press-release-writing.com) to target your article to the applicable sources.
Q ? Questionnaire
Questionnaires can be a good way of gauging customer perception.
Customers are often the biggest critics and the best testers. Involve
Customer?s views of your website, and harness both
suggestions and criticisms of the site. Integration of the best of
these into your website, can be a good way of evolving your website,
into a user friendly and ultimately profitable website. One of the best
examples of this is Amazon, once known as the biggest online retailer
to not make a profit, and now turning over millions of pounds profit as
well as being one of the brand leaders in e-tailing.
R ? Customer Retention
Many companies overlook the value of customer loyalty when selling on
the Internet, focusing on new customer acquisition instead, and trying
to extract every last cent from that client. This however can be
detrimental to a business long term, as the cost of acquiring a new
customer is often much higher than keeping an existing customer.
There is a saying ? ?It is seven times harder to get a new customer
than it is to retain a current customer?. This is especially true when it
comes to E-Commerce/E-Services, when many avenues of customer
acquisition such as PPC, Affiliate Marketing and the like may involve
significant effort and funding in order to generate new customers.
This is not to say that new customer acquisition should be ignored, just
that by focusing on what you already have, you can increase your profits
significantly.
S ? Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
A set of marketing methods aimed at increasing the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs). The three main methods are:
Search engine optimization ? Improving rankings for relevant keywords in search results by changing the website structure, and content so that the website can be better understood by the search engines.
Search engine advertising ? Paying the search engines for a guaranteed high ranking or for an advert to be displayed prominently beside the natural results (commonly known as pay per click advertising).
Paid inclusion ? Paying the search engines for a guarantee that the website is included in their natural search index.
Search engine marketing companies are experts who explore the weaknesses and strengths in the methods and individual products to find the best way to promote a particular website on the search engines.
T ? Targeting
A set of methods such as content matching or profiling aimed at delivering a marketing campaign that targets the individual interests of a specific user base. By targeting your campaign you can increase the quality of leads and increase your return on investment.
This is particular useful when planning your affiliate marketing, pay-per-click strategies or email marketing campaigns, as knowing your demographics means you are more likely to convert a higher percentage of your targeted audience.
U ? User tracking
Do you know where customers drop out during the conversion process? You would be surprised at how many companies are not aware of exactly where they are losing customers, and therefore they do not fix a problem that is potentially the difference between success and failure. Knowledge is Power, no decision can be made without sound knowledge, and as such the more knowledge you have of your customers and their behaviour, the better armed you are to ensure that these customers convert to sales.
There are various log analysis software packages available such as Clicktracks and Google Analytics that will perform these functions. Use the tools at your disposal, and ensure that the path from entry to conversion is a quick, sleek and ultimately easy process for your customer to make.
V ? Value for Money
You don?t have to have the lowest prices or the next ?must have? item, however, providing there is a reasonable compromise between the two, then you have a potentially saleable product. Generally customers purchasing products will pay a premium for that little extra service such as better, quicker delivery arrangements or extended product guarantees.
It is therefore possible to tip the balance towards your product, by including these types of ?value-adds? as part of your product. If visitors think they are getting a better priced deal in comparison with your competitors, then they are more likely to buy.
At the end of the day, everyone likes a bargain. If a customer feels like they are getting a good quality product at a good price, then they are more likely to choose you over your competitors and thus increase your return on investment as a direct result.
W ? Word of Mouth
Propagation of a brand, through human interaction. This can include personal emails, forums, blogs and personal web pages. Referrals from a third party are often far more likely to convert than referrals from any other type of referral.
In terms of Online Marketing, conversions from ?online word of mouth sources? are invaluable, due to the limited effort and cost required in order to generate new business.
X ? XML Feeds
If you sell products online then XML Feeds are a must. By creating an XML feed of your products you can market your goods using services such as Froogle, Google Base, Yahoo shopping, Shopzilla and more. Other feed marketing services such as RSS and podcasting are becoming more and more popular, and these markets are expected to grow significantly over the next couple of years as the use of RSS as a medium for advertising increases.
Y ? Yes, Yes, Yes
Imagine going to a holiday site and seeing the description
?Surrounded by golden white beaches? or ?set in an acre of dense forest woodland?. Straight away your customer can imagine themself there.
By putting a positive focus on the products or services you sell, you
can create a positive impression.. By portraying a positive impression of your wares, you are already creating a favourable impression with your customers, and as a result, you may find a significant increase in conversions.
Z ? Zine or E-Zine
A part-promotional, part-informational newsletter or magazine distributed over the Internet via E-mail, or a web site that contains regularly updated articles, advertising and other components of a magazine.
More How Do I lose weight Quickly Yahoo Articles
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PRLog (Press Release) - Sep 25, 2012 - Los Angeles/Las Vegas - Local Leads HQ and Strategic Edge Profits, a premier marketing, business consulting and technology company, in a recent survey and ranking by Inc. Magazine of the fastest-growing companies in America was rated as "#1 Los Angeles Marketing Company." The Inc. 500 list has Local Leads HQ overall rank at #173 with an overall growth of almost 3,000%.
The Chairman and CEO of Local Leads HQ, Louis F. Vargas (former CEO of a Hispanic ad agency), recently spoke with a Global Press subsidiary about the recent announcement, "This is Local Leads HQ second consecutive year on the list and we are honored. It reflects the dedication to success and growth our national team members have."
According to Mr. Vargas, "Our sole mission is to focus on key factors that will 'move the sales needle', then to immediately implement our marketing, management and business technology and sales systems. We look at decreasing possible inefficiencies in production/distribution and increasing sales efficiency.
Our business growth systems dramatically increase company visibility/branding, multiple manners of customer engagement and follow-up (before & after a "sale"), traffic (both online & offline), in-bound calls, walk-in's (for retail businesses), sales conversions, we also look to create additional products or services for increase customer frequency (up-sells) and, lastly, joint-ventures with non-competing products or services for enhanced side revenue streams. In addition, we have world-class sales training so businesses do not waste any of the increase in customer traffic."
Vargas further explained," We get traffic that matters, whether it be organic search engine traffic from, for example, ?Google, Yahoo! or Bing, paid traffic through PPC, Social Media from Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus (which we manage), Mobile Marketing & Phone Apps (which we custom design), or affiliate traffic from partners such as Linkshare, Commission Junction or Google Affiliate Network we work with our co-advertisers, clients and our JV partners to ensure all available cross channel marketing methods bring the highest traffic and repeat business for the lowest possible ROI."
Local Leads HQ has a marketing network/pool of over 8,000 affiliates and works with companies who have products or services seeking to dominate in their local market area. According to Louis F. Vargas, "We've seen $5,000 to $20,000+ sales increases per week after implementation of our suite of marketing strategies, business technology and systems. We typically like to work with and engage in joint-ventures with select companies that have a minimum $500,000 to $10 million in gross sales.
You can visit the Local Leads HQ site at http://www.LocalLeadsHQ.com or contact them directly at 1-888-682-6609.
About Local Leads HQ/Strategic Edge Profits
Local Leads HQ is a premier national business marketing, consulting, advertising and technology company based in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Since 1999, its parent company and subsidiaries have offered proven Direct Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Video Production & Marketing, Direct Response Marketing (TV/Radio/Cable/Online), Search Engine Optimization, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Apps, among other services, and implementation of their patented Software/Technology Systems designed to "Dominate The Local Market" and increase sales quickly.
In addition its subsidiary, Strategic Edge Profits, according to Mr. Vargas, "Is where Wall Street meets Main Street", and offers strategic business consulting, growth strategies, mergers and acquisitions consulting, funding and IPO consulting through its resource network, and JV opportunities designed for hyper-growth. Average client revenue growth increase, after engaging LLHQ, is 55% in 12 - 18 months.
Industry experience and expertise includes automotive (dealers/services industry), insurance, medical/dental/healthcare, real estate, finance/banking, manufacturing, consumer products, legal, construction/services and retail.
Sure, you can turn your smartphone into a bike computer, but if you'd rather not put your pricey piece of tech anywhere near harm's way, Wahoo Fitness' RFLKT Bike Computer offers an alternative. Instead of packing all the brains, the device sits atop a bicycle's handlebar and displays data it's fed via Bluetooth 4.0 from cycling apps running on an iPhone 4S or 5. At launch, the hardware will support the firm's own Cyclemeter application and Wahoo Fitness App which can monitor ride information ranging from location to speed, in addition to heart rate with an additional accoutrement. Aspiring Alberto Contadors can page through data and even sift through tunes on their playlist with the help of buttons on the device's side. Gently tipping the scales at 2 ounces, the RFLKT measures up at 2.4- x 1.6 x 0.5-inches and boasts a one-year battery life on a single coin cell. Wahoo's gadget is slated for a December launch, but there's still no word on pricing. For more specifics, take a gander at the full press release below.
Fourteen seasons in, an all-star version of Dancing With the Stars was just what the doctor ordered. Monday night's Season 14 premiere featured the usual sparkly garb, fun music and wise cracks from its panel of eccentric judges. But it also offered a parade of past contestants with a proven ability to generate buzz—whether by dancing well or some other means.
Hello there, guys and gals. My name is Sean, but you can call me Intricacy for ease (or even just 'Int' if you like, however mathematically absurd it may seem). I'm a student from Glasgow in Scotland, studying BSc Computing, and also a professional graphics designer and semi-professional gamer, however, I'm looking to find a different way to spend some of my time, whilst still being able to quickly respond to my clients... that's how I found RPG.
Roleplaying was always something I enjoyed as a kid, even in my early teens, and now I want to revisit it, and look forward to meeting some great people to roleplay with. Hopefully, there are some kindly players who will help me get involved with a nice casual but committed group of players, and we'll work on from there.
I also want to create a zombie themed roleplay - I'm sure there are plenty of them, but I have some ideas. :)
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll catch you on the character sheets, ~Intricacy
License requirements for being an esthetician vary from state to state. This is why this question is so hard to answer and why there isn't one place on the internet to go for this type of information. There are however some standard "Must Dos" that all states will require before issuing an esthetician license. They include:
Attending a licensed school
Completing the state's minimum number of training hours
Having to pass a licensing exam that's issued by the state
I recently stumbled upon a valuable link, thanks to Beauty Schools Directory:
Cosmetology License Requirements by State
This link is the closest thing I have found to a one-stop-shop for all information regarding licensing requirements for each state. This link has a searchable field that will help you find licensed schools in your area. It also provides licensing information for all 50 states in the country. Each state is listed alphabetically. Once you click on a state, you'll be directed to a page that lists all of the licensing requirements and required hours for a cosmetologist, barber, nail technician and esthetician for that state. There's also information listed about how to renew your license within the state and reciprocity. If you have ever wanted to transfer your license from one state to another, this would be considered reciprocity.
One thing to keep in mind is that continuing education classes are not always required by each state to maintain your license. It's always a good idea to invest in continuing education, even if its not license requirement. Continuing educations helps:
Keep you inspired
Educate you on new industry trends and technology
Put you one step ahead of competitors that don't invest in continuing education
Provide a great way to network with other industry professionals
Be sure to check out this nifty Beauty Schools Directory link. Contact information for each State Board of Cosmetology is also provided in case you have questions that might not be easily answered from the information that's provided here.
If you're thinking about going to beauty school, you'll want to bookmark this link. This is a quick reference for any licensing questions you might have.
There are two distinct retirement plans that can give you a return on your investment and an income for the future. One is an IRA and the other is a 401K. Both have benefits for savers, but there are also differences. When discussing the advantages of an IRA vs 401K plans, look to maximum contribution limits, individual vs employer plans, investment options, and matching employer contributions. 
Tuesday, the?Federal Home Finance Agency?s Home Price Index (HPI) showed home values rising 0.2% on a seasonally-adjusted basis between June and July 2012, and moving +3.7% on an annual basis.
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