After a surprise panda birth in DC, anxiety awaits

FILE - In this file photo taken Wednesday, July 11, 2012, a hand holds the younger of a pair of twin giant panda cubs born at the panda research center in Wolong in southwest China's Sichuan province. The birth of a panda cub this weekend at Washington?s zoo was cause for celebration. But behind the joy there?s also concern. Panda cubs are born hairless and helpless, about the size of a stick of butter. The tiny cubs are susceptible to infection and so small that it?s not unheard of for panda moms to accidentally crush their young. For the National Zoo, which has only had one panda cub survive, the memories of past tragedies are real.? (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

FILE - In this file photo taken Wednesday, July 11, 2012, a hand holds the younger of a pair of twin giant panda cubs born at the panda research center in Wolong in southwest China's Sichuan province. The birth of a panda cub this weekend at Washington?s zoo was cause for celebration. But behind the joy there?s also concern. Panda cubs are born hairless and helpless, about the size of a stick of butter. The tiny cubs are susceptible to infection and so small that it?s not unheard of for panda moms to accidentally crush their young. For the National Zoo, which has only had one panda cub survive, the memories of past tragedies are real.? (AP Photo) CHINA OUT

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The birth of a panda cub this weekend at Washington's zoo was cause for a party, but behind the excitement there's also some nail-biting.

Panda cubs are born hairless and helpless, about the size of a stick of butter. The tiny cubs are at risk for infections and so small that it's not unheard of for panda moms to accidentally crush their young. For the National Zoo, which has only had one panda cub survive, the memories of past tragedies are real.

"This first week we are at 100 percent attention, watching to make sure she's taking care of her cub," said giant panda curator Brandie Smith of panda mom Mei Xiang. "Every week that passes we become a little more confident the cub is going to survive."

The zoo's first panda couple, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, who arrived from China in 1972, had five cubs during the 1980s, but none lived more than a few days. One of the cubs was stillborn, two others died of pneumonia within a day, another died from lack of oxygen after birth, and the final cub died of an infection after four days.

Another danger comes down to size. Panda mothers are about 1,000 times heavier than their cubs, which are particularly vulnerable at birth. The hairless cubs weigh between three and five ounces, and they are born with their eyes closed. The delicate cubs have died in the past when accidentally crushed by mom. That happened in two different zoos in China in 2009 and 2010 when mothers killed their young while attempting to nurse.

There are more routine concerns, too. Panda moms have to ensure their cubs stay warm and are getting enough to eat.

"It's kind of a nerve-wracking period for the folks that are monitoring mom and cub," said Rebecca Snyder, the curator of mammals at Atlanta's zoo, one of only two other American zoos to have had cubs.

Atlanta has had three cubs, and the San Diego zoo has had six, including a cub born this year. A panda couple in Memphis has yet to have a cub, despite several tries. No other U.S. zoos have pandas.

Still, keepers and officials at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington are hopeful. Officials said Monday that the cub's cries, which sound like high-pitched squeals and grunts, are strong. And panda mom Mei Xiang is also now an experienced mother.

Mei Xiang gave birth to her first cub, Tai Shan, in 2005. Laurie Thompson, one of the zoo's half a dozen panda keepers, says that in 2005 it took the new mother a few minutes to pick up the cub. This time, it was more immediate. The new cub also seems to be a little quieter than its older brother, an indication perhaps that Mei Xiang is meeting the cub's needs more quickly.

At this point, though, zookeepers have yet to examine the cub. Instead, they are trusting Mei Xiang's mothering and watching the pair on video cameras, the same way the rest of Washington is watching through an online "pandacam." The zoo's website recorded more than 237,000 visits Monday, the day after the panda's birth. Zoo officials won't have a chance to examine the cub in person for several weeks, when Mei Xiang starts venturing out from the nest she has built.

While they're waiting to meet the zoo's newest addition, zoo researchers are going to be studying the pregnancy closely. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated each year beginning in 2007 but failed to conceive five times. Scientists at the zoo worried she had become infertile and believed there was a less than a 10 percent chance she would become pregnant. Now they'll be looking to find key indicators of pregnancy. Those might be tied to eating, hormone levels or behavior.

Zoo officials will also be working on a name for the cub and waiting to find out its gender. Following Chinese tradition, the cub will be named after 100 days, on Dec. 24. At the time it will be about the size of a loaf of bread and weigh around 10 pounds.

___

Follow Jessica Gresko at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-09-18-National%20Zoo-Panda%20Worries/id-8dc63c80ae404d118fd6e26a1127a1c7

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U.S. net-zero lab: all the comforts of home, except people

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland (Reuters) - Perched on a hilltop outside Washington, the U.S. government's net-zero energy laboratory looks a lot like the luxury houses nearby, with two significant differences: it will make as much energy as it uses, and only sensors, not people, live in it.

Designed to fit in a typical residential neighborhood, the 4,000 square foot (372 square metre) net-zero lab on the suburban campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is so energy-efficient that over the course of a year it is expected to produce as much energy as it needs.

Its total energy consumption should be "net zero."

To measure energy use, researchers at NIST have created a virtual family of four - two imaginary working parents, a 14-year-old and an 8-year-old - and scripted their every meal, move and shower. The energy use of this typical family will be monitored.

Sensors and computer programs will simulate virtual people entering the living area or moving from room to room, taking a bath, cooking a meal, turning on a computer, a television or a toaster. The appliances and plumbing do exist and are controlled from a command center of sorts, located in the detached garage.

Small devices will simulate the heat and humidity that actual humans produce in the two-story, four-bedroom structure.

"This family is very cooperative, they do exactly what we want them to do, every minute of the day," Hunter Fanney, chief of NIST's Building Environment Lab, said at the project's official launch last week.

To gauge water use, the master bedroom's shower is fitted with a scale. Step into the shower stall and onto the scale, and a weight read-out appears outside. When the lab is in use, the system will figure out by weight whether the virtual parents or children are taking a shower, and how much hot water they use.

The simulations assume that the 14-year-old will take the longest showers, Fanney said.

TESTING ENERGY-SIPPING TECHNOLOGY

Solar panels on the roof generate electricity and heat water. There are no roof gutters, partly as an aesthetic statement, but also because the lab-house is surrounded by a deep layer of gravel through which rainwater can percolate.

The garage is built across a breezeway from the main house so all the heat from the monitoring equipment doesn't add to the lab's energy load. There's an electrical outlet for an electric car and a wheelchair lift that allows no-stair access to the main floor of the building.

This is not the only net-zero house in the United States, but it is the first created to look and feel like an amenity-filled suburban home, according to NIST. Most net-zero homes make it to net-zero by cutting down on size and amenities.

A house similar to the lab was built in Concord, Massachusetts, for about $600,000, exclusive of the cost of the land, said Betsy Pettit of Building Science Corporation.

A lower-cost not-quite-net-zero home was built for Habitat for Humanity for about $150,000, Pettit said, but that one was about 1,200 square feet (111 square metres), less than one-third the size of the NIST lab.

NIST's lab cost $2.5 million, because it will do more than monitor energy use, and the monitoring equipment is costly; after the first year, it will be a test bed for new technology.

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which made environmentally friendly construction a priority, almost every component of the structure was made in the United States.

The one exception was an air exchanger made in Canada. The project got a waiver to buy it when this item could not be found in the United States, a NIST spokeswoman said.

More information and images can be found online at www.nist.gov/el/nzertf/index.cfm

(This story was refiled to fix website link at end of story)

(Reporting By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent; Editing by Fred Barbash and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-net-zero-lab-comforts-home-except-people-142156169.html

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RIPE NCC handing out its last block of IPv4 addresses, tries to fend off internet survivalism

In a world where IPv6 lives and IPv4 addresses are scarce, network providers must fight for survival... or at least, claim their IP blocks quickly. The RIPE NCC, the regional internet registry for Asia, Europe and the Middle East, warns that it's down to assigning its last set of 16.8 million IPv4 addresses as of this weekend. That sounds like a lot, but we'd do well to remember that the registry churned through about 5.2 million addresses in just the past two weeks. What's left won't be around for long, folks. To cut back on the number of Mad Max-style battles for dwindling resources, RIPE NCC is rationing out IPv4 for local registries in 1,024-address chunks -- and only to those who both have IPv6 assignments as well as proof of a need for IPv4. With just a bit more than half of the RIPE NCC's customers currently on IPv6, that could still trigger a shortfall among networks that haven't prepared for the internet protocol apocalypse. We'd advise that companies stock up on IPv6 supplies before launching the raiding parties.

Continue reading RIPE NCC handing out its last block of IPv4 addresses, tries to fend off internet survivalism

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Spain takes 1st step toward bid to win 4 straight

By PAUL LOGOTHETIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:51 p.m. ET Sept. 10, 2012

MADRID (AP) - Perfect in qualifying for tournaments since 2007 with 22 consecutive victories, Spain visits Georgia on Tuesday to take its first step toward the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and what would be an unprecedented fourth straight major title.

Spain retained the European Championship title earlier this year without career scoring leader David Villa, who returned from a broken leg for Friday's 5-0 exhibition rout of Saudi Arabia. Spain's last competitive loss was to Switzerland at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"Playing in a World Cup in Brazil is something really important," midfielder Xavi Hernandez said on Monday.

Villa scored in his first international match since last year, adding to an already potent attack led by Fernando Torres, David Silva and Pedro Rodriguez. No team has won consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

"Being world and European champion doesn't guarantee you anything," Xavi said. "These are difficult matches. It's not going to be easy at all to get to the World Cup, even if some already think it's a done deal."

European qualifying began Friday, with Italy the only top team that failed to start with a victory.

A 2-2 draw at Bulgaria in Group B angered supporters. The Azzurri host 139th-ranked Malta.

"Our performance in Sofia was unacceptable," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "It's right that the marks in the newspapers were low. The squad was the most experienced that I've had in my two years as coach, which shows that the things you learn can be forgotten."

The Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, England and France all will try for 2-0 starts. While England routed Moldova 5-0 in Group H and the Dutch beat Turkey 2-0 in a potentially tricky Group D opener, Portugal was far from impressive in rallying to defeat Luxembourg 2-1.

Germany was expected to beat Faeroe Islands by a bigger margin than 3-0. France, which is in the same group as Spain, defeated Finland 1-0.

On Tuesday, France takes on Belarus - the team that stunned Les Bleus with a surprise 1-0 win in Saint-Denis at the start of Euro 2012 qualifying - and coach Didier Deschamps wants more from his forwards, who haven't scored in the team's past five matches. Karim Benzema has not scored in 11 games for club and country.

"We need to become more dangerous," said Deschamps, who also has Spain to contend with in qualifying. "Getting an attack to function is the hardest thing to do. (Against Finland) either we held onto the ball too long, or we didn't give it properly, or there weren't enough numbers up front."

Germany travels to Austria buoyed by a seven-match winning streak over its neighbor.

"It's going to be a heated encounter between neighbors in a sold-out stadium," Germany captain Philipp Lahm said.

England will be without Chelsea defenders Ashley Cole and John Terry for its home match against Ukraine due to injuries.

After its biggest road margin of victory in 19 years, England figures to have a tougher test in Ukraine. England beat Ukraine 1-0 in the first round of this year's European Championship.

"Ukraine are a quality team. They showed that in glimpses in the game during the European Championship," England midfielder Frank Lampard said. "They are certainly going to come to Wembley with intentions to make it difficult for us and show what they are about, so we will have to be on top form."

There are 25 qualifiers in Europe, while in South America, Argentina is likely to maintain its lead atop the standings.

Argentina defeated Paraguay 3-1 on Friday with goals from Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain, and will be favored at Peru.

Through six matches, the Argentines lead South America with 13 points, followed by Chile and Ecuador with 12, Uruguay with 11 and Colombia with 10.

Radamel Falcao has carried over his club form to the national team after scoring in a 4-0 rout of Uruguay. The Atletico Madrid striker has seven goals in his past three games.

Colombia, whose last appearance at the World Cup was in 1998, faces a tough trip to Chile. Paraguay plays Venezuela, and Uruguay faces Ecuador.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48973936/ns/sports-soccer/

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Apple television plans still bogged down in media negotiations

For those waiting on a full-on Apple television set, or even an enhanced Apple TV will more traditional capabilities, it looks like you'll have to keep waiting, at least for now. While Apple is likely ready to go from a technology standpoint, they can't seem to come to agreements with entrenched, terrified media companies over the future of the living room interface and experience. Adam Satariano and Alex Sherman report for Bloomberg:

In recent negotiations, the main stumbling blocks with cable companies have included a tussle for control over the software that determines the screen interface -- the look and feel of the viewer?s experience, said people familiar with the discussions.

Bloomberg also succinctly sums up what Apple's plans are for the living room:

Since the middle of the last decade, Apple?s engineers have been working on a more advanced product to allow viewers to quickly find shows and movies, blending both live and recorded material, the people said. It would recommend content based on interests and work seamlessly with Apple?s family of other devices. An iPhone or iPad would double as a remote control, the people said.

According to Bloomberg, Apple most recently focused on deals to gain access to live programming from cable companies, without having to make completely new content deals. Apparently, however, the cable companies are worried that Apple will intermediate their customer relationships and don't find the prospect of more future-thinking business models appealing enough to risk the old, decaying ones.

And that's the downer in all this -- even if Apple's negotiations pan out, the best we'll get with this type of deal is an Apple TiVo, and not the product Apple really wants to make. Short of using some of that $100 billion in the bank to buy cable companies -- and they could never buy enough, globally enough -- and drag them kicking and screaming into a new and better world, we're all going to be held hostage to the fears, contracts, and comfort of the past.

Read the whole, sordid story via the link below.

Source: Bloomberg

Apple Television

Apple Tv

News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/f72IUaf24hc/story01.htm

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Help and hope for Paralympic former military heroes

to

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/olympics/olympic-news/help-and-hope-for-paralympic-former-military-heroes-8113368.html

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Jay-Z belts out '99 Problems' with Pearl Jam

By Dan Hyman and Joe Pinsker, Rolling Stone

On the second and final day of Jay-Z's Budweiser Made in America Festival in Philadelphia, conversation remained centered on its host. After bringing out Kanye West and most of his G.O.O.D. Music crew on the first night during his headlining set, the Brooklyn emcee returned on Sunday, joining Pearl Jam for an airtight, riffing take on his "Black Album" cut "99 Problems," a version of the song only comparable to a 2004 collaboration with Phish.

Jay's surprise appearance highlighted what was a momentous set by Eddie Vedder's crew. Over two hours, the rock vets satiated all levels of fans, mixing set staples ("Better Man," "Alive," "Even Flow") with unexpected gifts, including a full ride through the "Vs." cut?"WMA" and a brief interlude into the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" during the outro of "Daughter."

A day earlier, Jay-Z screened a PSA from President Barack Obama for audience members, urging them to vote in the upcoming election. Almost exactly 24 hours later Vedder also dabbled in political gesture: "I want to talk about one of the political parties," he told the crowd before charging through the Clash's protest anthem "Know Your Rights." "I won't mention any names, but one of the parties wants to make it harder for you to vote. " This sermon followed a Vedder discourse on the dwindling job market before the appropriately titled "Unemployable."

Drake, wearing a white-on-white jean-and-tank combo, delivered on the unenviable task of warming up the stage for Pearl Jam. The Young Money rapper, who revealed he's "working on a new one right now," linked up with G.O.O.D Music's 2 Chainz for a fierce take on the Atlanta rhyme-slinger's? "No Lie" and MMG's day-one absentee French Montana for "Pop That." The rapper, who got somber during the singsong plea of "Marvin's Room," balanced it out with humor ("You got a tank top on and your nipples are out," he told an audience member).

Performing for the first time since the 2002 murder of co-founder Jam Master Jay, seminal hip-hop crew Run-D.M.C. reunited for a triumphant Sunday afternoon set. Surviving members Joseph "Run" Simmons and Daryl "D.M.C." McDaniels paid tribute early and often to their late partner ("Jam Master Jay was everything to us, so we put a silence on the group," Run explained of the group's decade-long hiatus), even having the late DJ's two sons, Jason "Jam Master J'Son" Mizell Jr. and TJ "Dasmatic" Mizell, behind the decks. Run, decked out in full Adidas regalia, made no secret of his elation over returning to the stage: "Damn, this feels good," he said at the start of a 40-minute set that peaked with "It's Tricky" and "Mary, Mary."

Immediately after Run-D.M.C. left the stage, rap's newest generation of talent was put on display with a set from Odd Future, which featured an abundance of "Wolf Gang" chants and six of the collective's rappers, including Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and Hodgy Beats. Late in the set, Tyler debuted a blistering, as-yet-unfinished song, sarcastically prefacing it with a false disclaimer: "It's really calm," he said. It wasn't, and Odd Future catalyzed the formation of the only mosh pit Rolling Stone saw all weekend.

Punk rockers X attracted a thin crowd late Sunday night at the Liberty side stage; today's punks were nowhere to be found, as the band brought in a markedly older demographic. The foursome appeared a little stiff onstage, but aurally speaking, any Eighties cobwebs were thoroughly dusted off as the band nailed classics like "Los Angeles" and "Johnny Hit and Run Paulene."

Earlier in the day, with rain falling intermittently on the crowd, Rita Ora ? Roc Nation's up-and-coming artist (and a finalist for Rolling Stone's Women Who Rock contest)?-- looked like a street Beyonc? (think beanie and bangs) as she wilded out to her forthcoming debut's Biggie-inspired, reggae-tinged single "How We Do (Party)" and "Hot Right Now."

The Hives, wearing their usual top hats and tuxedos, followed Ora's performance with an occasionally comical but always full-throttle showing. "You got hands, clap them. You got asses, shake them," frontman Pelle Almqvist instructed the crowd before launching into their new cut "Take Back the Toys."

One of Sunday's biggest draws was Afrojack, whose set spawned a veritable diaspora toward the Freedom Tent after Drake's main stage performance, siphoning off a considerable number of festivalgoers from X's set on the nearby Liberty Stage. The DJ and producer spun crowd-pleasers like his remix of Martin Solveig's "Hello" as his smoke machines were on in full force.

"We're going to make it feel like sunshine," Philly native Santigold promised after inviting a handful of eager fans onstage for "Creator." Fellow Philly singer Jill Scott did her part to keep the mood lively, calling on the city's own Eve for a surprise performance of "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," a song which had the hometown crowd singing along with every word.

More music news:

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/04/13659642-jay-z-joins-pearl-jam-for-99-problems-at-philadelphia-festival?lite

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If they are not careful handled and directly poured into the river or ...

Garbage dumpster rental is a necessary evil for most people. Irrespective of what the problem, you must ensure that you never ever put your hand inside the garbage disposal and turn it on. A quality company will find ways to keep the dumping fees to a minimum. With Thanksgiving just around the corner having this skill can get you and extra piece of Pumpkin Pie. Some people separate garbage from the recyclables, but trash nonetheless builds up. Garbage is a big contributor to many illnesses spreading worldwide.

This is done by soaking the paper and breaking it up into small pieces in giant washers, then treating it with chemicals that loosen the ink so that it can be rinsed away

This is because the shredders are not designed to shred any non food material and in fact, this can break down the shredders, causing the appliance to malfunction. Explain the benefits of recycling. For it might be the cause of ones immediate death and the commercial trash compactor.

Garbage is one main cause of health and even environmental problems especially in our surroundings. People are getting way too comfortable with doing as they please and disrespecting other spaces that arent theirs, which is why these signs are so important. But they accept specialized wastes like glass, asphalt, plastic, paper etc and transport them to recycling centers. Some kinds of food materials also must not be thrown into the garbage disposal.

Thus, prevention and management of garbage becomes a new important task for us.

Always try to avoid throwing big pieces or fiber content present in food. Additionally it has the capaneighborhood to raise their bed and roll off the container on the unloading area with the commercial trash compactor. Even though there are systems in place for a proper waste management, yet it is proving to be the hardest thing to bring it under control.

When taking a load to the dump, be sure that it is securely covered by tightly tying a tarp over the load with some rope or bungee cords.

To tell you what recycling is and what the word actually embodies may seem strange to you. The truck can contain large portions of wastes since they compress them tightly inside the container. With this service you pay a company to come and pick up your trash for you.

Paint can, aerosol cans can be recycled

At the same time, another container would be put on the truck to accept another load of wastes. At some point recycled paper has to be mixed in with virgin material, and eventually after repeated uses, it ends up in a landfill or and incinerator.

There are some things that you must keep in mind to ensure that the your appliance is working fine. Trash trucks are the most important vehicles to keep our surroundings clean and healthy. The no dumping sign is a fairly recent addition to commercially produced signs. Garbage disposal is one of the important appliances in the kitchen and it is often the most neglected one.

Author: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_compaction

Source: http://www.flyingeagleenterprise.com/if-they-are-not-careful-handled-and-directly-poured-into-the-river-or-simply-placed-or-even-illegally-resold-some-communicable-disease-would-spread/

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Don't let your public speaking skills limit your potential ? Mark ...

Finding your voice ? could be the easiest way to accelerate your business or careers success.

Whether you are a business owner or executive trying to get ahead, your success will be severally limited unless you can master the art of public speaking.

Standing out from the crowd is an essential element of success for people and businesses alike. Public speaking is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to stand out in the crowded market place.? ?Whether it is how you speak at meetings or getting a speaking engagement at trade conferences.

Some people love public speaking, others dread it? but whether it?s speaking to conferences, sales calls or just plain networking and major meetings; it is clear that even to day in the digital age you need to master the art of speaking to get ahead.

Only 7% of message impact comes from the words we use. The rest from the way we deliver it. ?The way that you deliver ?your words?, comes from how we process things internally and can be reprogrammed.

To develop confidence and passion into your speaking here are a few tips:

Personal brand ? Consciously own a style

Too often the inexperienced speaker will put on their ?speaking voice?, inadvertently becoming someone other than themselves on stage. Generally that ?speaker voice? is a poor version of you and they are selling you short. Save the being someone else to the professional actors. The easiest person to be is you.

Get clear about who you are and what your personal brand stands for. Develop a written list of key characteristics of your person brand, values and style in your normal non-speaking business life. Then use this list to encourage and challenge yourself to be that on stage. Remember being ?consciously competent? is the step in learning before ?unconscious competence?.

If you work for a corporate do not loose your individualism and personal brand completely to the company brand. For ?owner managers?

Use a topic you are passionate about to start

Ask yourself ?What part of my topic am I most passionate about??? Use this in your opening, if you are truly passionate about it, your body will change its physiology and you will become alive on stage.

Stand for something: Have a few ?soap box? topics

Have a few pet topics that you can speak on, so that given short notice you always have something to talk about. Make a bold claim; debate is one of the most powerful ways to engage audiences.

Just Do it

Yes nothing will get you better at speaking than practice. Take every opportunity to practice. Start by always asking questions at conferences and large meetings. Hunt down speaking opportunities; industry associations are a good place to start.

If you lack speaking opportunities join a toastmasters club. Toastmasters provide a friendly and inspirational environment to learn and improve every week. I personally got a lot out of attending a club for a while and was blown away by the relaxed format and inspiration speeches I heard.

Get Help

The quickest way to improve you learning is to get some one on one coaching and critique.

Basic steps to finding your voice:

1. Personal commitment to fix it
2. Process of creating a conscious personal brand ? and using it as a strength in presentation style
3. Learning some mechanics / tools of delivery that are compatible to you
4. Creating the message to deliver for the voice medium.
5. Personal coaching on all above ? including follow up coaching

At GMC we help business owners and executives who want to ?find their voice? in the business environment, ?helping you discover what to say and how to say it. Unlike traditional speaking coaches we get business and business people ? and come from a business perspective rather than entertainer or actor mind-set.

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Source: http://succinctstories.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/dont-let-your-public-speaking-skills-limit-your-potential/

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Fighting Through the Pain

Love hurts, but its worth the pain.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Fighting Through the Pain?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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You may edit this first post as you see fit.

An artist is a neurotic who cures herself with art.

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Self-Help Equals A Happier You And A Happier Life - ProjectPB ...

Personal development is an umbrella term that encompasses both mental and emotional improvement. In order to reach your personal development goals, it is necessary to educate yourself on the various personal development strategies and techniques in order to find out what does and does not work. This article contains a number of personal development tips to help you get started.

Avoid shopping as a way to comfort yourself. Replace shopping with a hobby or a sport. Shopping for comfort can quickly become very expensive, and the bills will add to your stress.

TIP! Start organizing your life. Bringing structure to your life will give you a great sense of accomplishment, and living a more organized life will boost your confidence.

Make sure that you have specific and tangible personal development goals. The more specific your goals, the easier it will be to chart a course from where you are now to where you want to be in the future. Specific goals give you a way to measure your progress.

Exercising is not only a way to lose weight. There are many physical and mental benefits to a regular exercise program. Exercise stimulates the production of substances in your body that help calm you.

Can?t find a date? Try the Internet. There have been quite a few couples these days that have met on the web. There could be someone out there waiting to find you. Each has pros and cons.

TIP! Regardless of your surroundings, you should be ready to record ideas when they come to mind. Carry paper with you everywhere.

One way to make progress in your life is be humble. Understand that you are one part of the bigger picture. You will want to learn all you can, once you realize that you have only scratched the surface of all there is to be known. Once you understand this concept, your natural desire to learn and grow will kick in, inspiring you to improve who you are.

Dealing with situations rationally is a skill that you can learn from others or teach yourself. If you learn how to handle the most stressful situations in life, then the smaller stuff will feel manageable, making your daily life better. When facing stress, make sure you relax and take deep breaths to regain your control.

If you suffer from anxiety, try going to see a movie with a friend. Doing this will allow you to get out, and be social. However, you don?t have to be so social that you are uncomfortable. This will give you the chance to get acquainted with the idea of being around more people.

TIP! Always look for new challenges. Discovering new challenges is a great way to open yourself up to new possibilities.

Pinpoint exactly what is blocking your progress. Figuring this out is daunting for most people. The first step in dealing with our weaknesses is actually identifying them. If you are successful in moving obstacles out of your way, you may find that your life?s path is easier to navigate.

Treat yourself right by respecting your body. If you feel thirsty, hungry, etc., you need to correct that issue right away. Doing so will enable your body to function efficiently down the road. Ignoring those needs may cause your body to ignore you.

Sexual capital is a trait worth developing in your quest for personal improvement. It?s not as naughty as it sounds. This isn?t about sexuality, but rather about personal charisma. Many people aren?t born with excellent social skills, but developing them can make achieving your other personal development goals easier.

TIP! One part of depression you may not thought of to look at is your diet and increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates that you consume. Proper production of serotonin, a neurochemical that helps improve mood, requires plenty of complex carbs.

It is often helpful to focus on one single improvement at a time. You may wish to improve several different things about yourself, but you are more likely to succeed if you stick to one self-improvement project at a time. It is also more likely that the change you make will stay with you in the long term if you narrow your focus to one single habit.

Give yourself a boost of confidence by reciting all the things you like about yourself. Keep a list of your good qualities in your wallet. Keep this card with you, and read through it when you feel your confidence flagging. Even better, you should videotape yourself, reading the list into the camera and watch this video frequently. What good would this do?

Remaining humble will always benefit you. We are but a cog in our universe. No single individual is omniscient, yet each individual possesses some grain of unique and valuable knowledge. Keep this in mind, and you will have limitless potential for growth. If you?re open-minded, you?ll begin learning more from people.

Seek out other like-minded individuals. Surrounding yourself with negative people can have a poor influence on your mood and can rub off on your way of thinking.

Focus on the things you want, create a plan to get them, and keep the following things in mind. You have to take an active role in you life, and not just passively accept the things in your life that you want to change. If you act only as a spectator, no one will really pay attention to you, so be active!

It is said that you have two ears and one mouth, because you should listen more than you speak. This is definitely true during personal development. Listen to your thoughts and learn to recognize your desires. You will not know what you want out of life when you do not heed your instincts.

TIP! Having written goals can help you experience more personal growth. If you?re looking for confidence, for instance, write that down as a goal.

You can see that personal development and growth is important to your sense of well being. It is important to focus on strategies that work, as opposed to those that do not work for you,u in order to succeed. The first few steps can be achieved with the help of the advice listed here

Source: http://www.projectpb.net/blog/index.php/personal_development/self-help-equals-a-happier-you-and-a-happier-life-3/

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September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Your Health ...

From Melodika?..

It?s a rare point of agreement in a world of fractious issues ? not a cause for celebration, but a rallying point for those who care about America?s children and her future.

September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and everyone from scientists to celebrities is looking for ways to build awareness and solve the problem.

Even in an election year, solving childhood obesity is a priority for some in Congress. Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11), sponsor of the original resolution declaring September 2010 the first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, said, ?During Childhood Obesity Month, and throughout the year, we must focus on and remain committed to the needs of our children, ensuring that they have access to wholesome foods and safe environments for exercise and play. I am committed to the prosperity and health of our children, and will continue to advocate for them.?

Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller, a cancer survivor, is also a health/fitness advocate. She stressed the importance of helping children and youth meet physical activity guidelines. ?I caught the gymnastics bug early and enjoyed participating all the way to the highest levels of the sport,? she said. ?That?s a rare privilege, but all kids should be able to enjoy sports, exercise and physical activity, and stay active for life. Nutrition is a big part of staying fit and healthy, but so is being physically active. Let?s help all kids enjoy exercise. It?s one of the greatest gifts we can give them.? Miller?s video about COAM is online at http://youtu.be/8saR169Vosg.

Janet Walberg Rankin, Ph.D., is an expert in nutrition and obesity interventions and president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr. Rankin said, ?Solutions to childhood obesity are as complex as the problem itself, and yet they begin with the fundamentals that science has revealed. Everyone needs good nutrition for good health, as well as a daily dose of physical activity. When these habits are ingrained in childhood, they tend to foster healthy lifestyles across the age spectrum. That means better health for the individual and lower health care costs for us all.?

Tools for Action

Statistics on childhood obesity abound ? and a few helpful ones appear in an online toolkit at http://www.coam-month.org, along with sample news releases, social media messages and letters to the editor. Concerned individuals and an array of public/private sector organizations are acting in support of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, educating parents, policy makers and others about the problem and encouraging preventive action on childhood obesity. Mayors and governors have issued proclamations based on sample language in the toolkit.

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=3907

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Reporter Goes Inside Karl Rove Billionaire Fund-Raiser | FOX2now ...

(CNN) ? Karl Rove, a former adviser to President George W. Bush and now head of the conservative super PAC American Crossroads, had some biting words for Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, following the Senate candidate?s controversial comments about rape and pregnancy.

?We should sink Todd Akin. If he?s found mysteriously murdered, don?t look for my whereabouts,? Rove said Thursday at a private fundraiser, according to a Businessweek reporter who was not supposed to be there.

The reporter, Sheelah Kolhatkar, said in her article that she was invited to the fund-raiser as the guest of a financier whom she described as a ?significant Republican donor.?

?The financier knew that I was a journalist. At no point was I presented with, nor did I agree to, restrictions regarding the information I heard,? Kolhatkar writes in the article. ?Upon my arrival at the breakfast, I was not asked if I was a journalist. I gave my name, identified the person who had invited me, was handed a wristband, and ushered into the dining room.?

Her story further details Rove?s pleas for money from those at the event, a crowd of about 70 hedge fund billionaires and investors. It was held on the final morning of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida on Thursday.

Rove, she writes, was raising money for Crossroads, which has spent tens of millions on conservative candidates and causes this cycle. In his remarks, he presented data from focus groups on how best to try to sway supporters of President Barack Obama to the GOP column this fall.

??If you say he?s a socialist, they?ll go to defend him. If you call him a ?far out left-winger,? they?ll say, ?no, no, he?s not.?? The proper strategy, Rove declared, was criticizing Obama without really criticizing him-by reminding voters of what the president said that he was going to do and comparing it to what he?s actually done. ?If you keep it focused on the facts and adopt a respectful tone, then they?re gonna agree with you,? Kolhatkar writes.

Rove said the group is two-thirds on its way to reaching its $300 million fund-raising goal. According to Kolhatkar, Rove said $200 million was budgeted for the presidential race, $70 million for the Senate, and $32 million for the House.

He also brushed on some of the major Senate races this cycle, including the one Akin is fighting in Missouri. The congressman, who sparked an uproar after saying a woman?s body has biological means of preventing pregnancy in ?legitimate rape,? drew heavy scorn from his own party over the comments. But he has refused to withdraw his candidacy and vows to continue campaigning against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill, a vulnerable Democrat.

American Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio, however, took issue with the reporter?s presence at the closed event and questioned her journalistic standards.

?Bloomberg?s reporter unethically misrepresented herself to gain access to a private meeting, while reporters who followed the SPJ code of ethics were turned away,? Collegio said.

He was referring to the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics, which includes the line: ?Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story.?

? & ? 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Source: http://fox2now.com/2012/09/01/reporter-goes-inside-karl-rove-billionaire-fund-raiser/

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Choosing Between Direct and Online Marketing Channels in the ...

Travel agencies follow certain processes to identify tourists of their choice and to communicate with them to ascertain and influence their needs, requirements and motivations at local, national and international level. The main purpose is to develop and adapt their offerings in accordance with the optimal satisfaction of their clients and maximize the objectives of tourism.

Tourism marketing is a branch of marketing specialising in the tourism industry. There are various ways of deploying a successful marketing campaign. In this article we discuss proposals which are relevant to all the forms it takes when applied to the tourism industry. These can be offerings that are designed, produced and promoted in the tourism market to serve specific needs for various clients according to their wishes. Tourism marketing is shaped and determined by the nature of demand and operating characteristics of the industries they supply. The forms of promotion and distribution used for tourist services also have their own characteristics that distinguish their use compared to other industries.

Online marketing
Online marketing or e-marketing is the promotion of products or services through the Internet which has created many unique benefits due to the considerably low costs in distributing information. The interactive nature of online marketing connects the creative and technical aspects of the Internet with the main functions of design, development, advertising and sales. Online marketing includes search engine marketing, display advertising, e-mail marketing, affiliate marketing, interactive advertising, blog marketing and viral marketing.

E-marketing like traditional marketing requires a solid plan with strategies based on research, market knowledge and common sense. Effective campaigns consist of a comprehensive strategy that matches the client?s business model and meets the company?s sales targets focusing on target markets through proper choice of advertising channels and planning.

Comparison of online and direct marketing
There are some fundamental differences between online and direct marketing on an implementation level. For example, when it comes to market research traditional marketing uses primary data for consumers and competitors that are available in the market and secondary data from research companies. In online marketing, companies can collect data directly via online questionnaires and surveys as well as consumers profiles.

With regards to the market segmentation, direct marketing distinguishes target groups based on psychometric and demographic characteristics and treats customers with similar profiles accordingly. Usually such methods depend on data that are not always up to date and it takes a considerable amount of time for new data and profiles to be created. In online marketing the statistical approach is more dynamic and is based on current user behaviour.

Furthermore, in direct marketing product development is closely related to in-house resources and available technology while business activity is mainly focused on a small number of different business areas. In most cases, product testing is limited before it is released in the market. Online marketing offers a greater versatility via constant interaction between the company and the clients. Feedback from this interaction is used for the development of new products as well as for modifying existing offerings and services.

Finally, the pricing in traditional marketing lacks transparency and price differentiation while informing customers about new offers and discounts is a process that increases the operating cost of a business. Using email marketing, distributing this information can be less expensive, faster and more efficient. At the same time there is a better level of price transparency between different markets and businesses are able to lower their prices further due to savings realised by such methods.

Travel Trade Recruitment offers a nationwide recruitment service specialising in the recruitment of travel staff for both permanent and temporary travel jobs.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Source: http://www.smitcowebmarketing.com/choosing-between-direct-and-online-marketing-channels-in-the-travel-industry-bypeter-percival/

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Shaw Completes Sale of Energy & Chemicals Business to Technip

BATON ROUGE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SHAW) today completed its previously announced divestiture of substantially all of its Energy & Chemicals business to Technip (NYSE Euronext Paris: TEC), effective Aug. 31, 2012. Proceeds from the transaction were approximately $290 million in cash.

The completion of this transaction also satisfies one of the conditions of the recently announced agreement for CB&I (NYSE: CBI) to acquire Shaw.

The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SHAW) is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2011 annual revenues of $5.9 billion, Shaw has approximately 25,000 employees around the world and is a power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record?s list of Top 500 Design Firms. For more information, please visit Shaw?s website at www.shawgrp.com.

Important Information For Investors And Shareholders

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (?CB&I?) will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (?SEC?) a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include a proxy statement of The Shaw Group Inc. (?Shaw?) that also constitutes a prospectus of CB&I. CB&I and Shaw also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed agreement. A definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to shareholders of Shaw. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF SHAW ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about CB&I and Shaw, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by CB&I will be available free of charge on CB&I?s internet website at www.cbi.com under the tab ?Investor Relations? and then under the tab ?SEC Documents? or by contacting CB&I?s Investor Relations Department at 832-513-1200. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Shaw will be available free of charge on Shaw?s internet website at www.shawgrp.com under the tab ?Investor Relations? and then under the tab ?SEC Filings? or by contacting Shaw?s Investor Relations Department at 225-987-7372.

Participants in the Solicitation

CB&I, Shaw, their respective directors and certain of their executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Shaw in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Shaw is set forth in Shaw?s proxy statement for its 2012 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on December 15, 2011. Information about the directors and executive officers of CB&I is set forth in CB&I?s proxy statement for its 2012 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 22, 2012. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements set forth in this communication that are not historical facts, including statements regarding future financial performance, future competitive positioning and business synergies, future acquisition cost savings, future accretion to earnings per share, future market demand, future benefits to shareholders, future economic and industry conditions, the proposed merger (including its benefits, results, effects and timing), the attributes of Shaw as a subsidiary of CB&I and whether and when the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement will be consummated, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The words ?believe,? ?expect,? ?anticipate,? ?plan,? ?intend,? ?foresee,? ?should,? ?would,? ?could? or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the companies' control, which could cause actual benefits, results, effects and timing to differ materially from the results predicted or implied by the statements.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the failure of the shareholders of CB&I or the shareholders of Shaw to approve the merger; the risk that the conditions to the closing of the merger are not satisfied; the risk that regulatory approvals required for the merger are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the merger; uncertainties as to the timing of the merger; competitive responses to the proposed merger; costs and difficulties related to the integration of Shaw?s businesses and operations with CB&I?s business and operations; the inability to or delay in obtaining cost savings and synergies from the merger; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the merger; litigation relating to the merger; the inability to retain key personnel; and any changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions.

Shaw and CB&I caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in Shaw?s and CB&I?s most recently filed Annual Reports on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other SEC filings. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning Shaw, CB&I, the proposed transaction or other matters and attributable to Shaw or CB&I or any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Neither Shaw nor CB&I undertakes any obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof.

Source: http://feeds.businesswire.com/click.phdo?i=409176a7326ea3a7c71dd3818627e593

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Unexpected finding shows climate change complexities in soil

Friday, August 31, 2012

In a surprising finding, North Carolina State University researchers have shown that certain underground organisms thought to promote chemical interactions that make the soil a carbon sink actually play a more complex, dual role when atmospheric carbon levels rise.

In a paper published in the Aug. 31 edition of Science, North Carolina State University researchers show that important and common soil microscopic organisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), play a role in sequestering carbon below ground, trapping it from escaping into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.

Yet at the same time, the study shows, elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide also increase a number of underground decomposing interactions that cause carbon to be released back into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. This greenhouse gas release essentially offsets any carbon sink benefits, the researchers found.

AMF have a win-win relationship with plants. The fungi take carbon from plants and provide nitrogen and other useful soil nutrients that plants need in order to grow and develop. Present in the roots of about 80 percent of plants that grow on land, AMF help hold this carbon in the ground by putting the brakes on the decomposition of soil organic matter, which prevents the carbon in the decomposing material from escaping into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.

But in four independent experiments described in the paper, the researchers show that plants increase their demand for soil nitrogen in the form of ammonia when atmospheric carbon levels rise. Sensing this need, AMF spur other soil micro-organisms to help fill the plant's need for ammonia. To do so, soil micro-organisms decompose soil organic matter, which allows the carbon to escape into the atmosphere.

"We showed that the fungi previously thought to control carbon in the soil can increase carbon decomposition when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are elevated," says Dr. Shuijin Hu, associate professor of plant pathology at NC State and the corresponding author of the paper. "But if we effectively manage the nitrogen transformation process in the soil, we have a chance to manage carbon sequestration in the soil."

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Drs. H. David Shew and Thomas Rufty co-authored the paper, as did Drs. Fitz Booker and Kent Burkey, who work at NC State and the USDA's Agriculture Research Service. The paper's first author is former NC State graduate student Lei Cheng; postdoctoral researchers Cong Tu and Lishi Zhou also co-authored the paper.

###

North Carolina State University: http://www.ncsu.edu

Thanks to North Carolina State University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/123145/Unexpected_finding_shows_climate_change_complexities_in_soil

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