The Why of Spirit World ? Spirit World Girl

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This morning I was chatting with some fellow business owner friends about an important topic:?Why does our business exist??It seems like a fundamental question that a business owner would easily be able to answer. But believe it or not, I think there are many business owners who have never really thought about it, or haven?t contemplated it in a long time. We get bogged down in the day-to-day processes of running the business and forget to think about the big picture. But understanding the answer to this question is what keeps us motivated and inspired.?

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Why do we get out of bed every day and do what we do? Why does what we do matter??

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I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you why what we do here at Spirit World matters to us: It is our sincere belief that?good food and drink enriches the enjoyment of our lives. The most important thing in life is family and friends, and often our experiences with family and friends revolve around food and drink. Whether we?re celebrating, honoring, mourning or just spending time together, food and drink play a big role in the way we interact with our loved ones. We at Spirit World believe that those experiences should be as special and memorable as possible, and that good food and drink play a role in that. If we make a delicious dessert tray that makes a baby shower feel a little more special, we feel honored. If we make a wine recommendation that a family enjoys over a nice dinner together, it makes us proud.?

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We strive to enhance your lives by providing the delicious food and drink that you?ll share with your family and friends, and we hope to be even a small part of creating special moments that bring you happiness. We appreciate the opportunity to provide that to our customers, and want to thank?them for?their business.?

Source: http://spiritworldgirl.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/the-why-of-spirit-world/

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Singer Bobby Brown arrested in LA for drunken driving: police

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Europe, and Israel?s ?day after?

For many years, the EU has pressed for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, European officials have said such an accord is a key strategic objective.?Here is a thought from one who spends time in European capitals, shares the goal of an enduring two-state deal, and values Europe?s potential role.

It is not enough to think about how to get from here to the day of an agreement. More focus must be given in Europe to ?day after? scenarios, especially regarding Israel?s security. Otherwise, potential progress only becomes more difficult.

In any conceivable deal, Israel would be asked to yield territory, making the small nation still harder to find on a world map. That creates additional risks. There are no two ways about it.

Israel is in a part of the world where violence remains endemic, regimes are fragile, and political Islam is ascending.

But sometimes I get the impression in Europe that invocations about Israel?s security are little more than rhetorical flourishes, part of the expected language when discussing the region, but not always thought through sufficiently.

In a telling display of cognitive dissonance, there can be anguished expressions of horror about what is taking place in Syria, but little thought given to the fact that Syria actually shares a border with Israel. Now imagine for a moment if Assad?s targets were Jews, not Arabs!

Meanwhile, Hezbollah controls Lebanon, a second neighbor of Israel, while maintaining a separate militia and arsenal. It is active in Syria and remains a client of Iran. Yet, Europe, undermining the credibility of its own voice, is still incapable of declaring Hezbollah what it has been from the start ? a terrorist group. That it may (or may not) also help ?widows and orphans,? or be a ?legitimate? political party, is quite irrelevant, given its genocidal world view and documented record of terror.

Hamas is entrenched in Gaza, a third neighbor of Israel, and, like Hezbollah, aspires to a world without Israel.

The picture is quite bleak wherever one looks, all the more so with the looming threat of a nuclear Iran.

Yet it is precisely into this vortex that the EU would wish to press Israel, as the ?stronger? party, to make one more, and then one more, ?gesture? for a two-state peace deal with the Palestinians.

The EU needs to obsess less about the next Israeli concessions, and devote more thought to what security for Israel would mean in a post-deal environment. No, under no imaginable circumstance would any Israeli government subcontract its national security to the EU, but that does not mean there is no role.

?The EU needs to obsess less about Israeli concessions.? EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (photo credit: Gaby Farkas)

It does suggest, though, less lip service to, or solemn pledges about, Israel?s security, which might ring a bit hollow in Israeli ears.

After all, the European record on this score is spotty.

To be sure, certain countries have been extremely helpful at key moments, but not always and not all countries.

France was critical to Israel?s national defense until 1967, at which time Paris imposed a crippling arms embargo at a crucial moment in Israel?s life.

When the US decided to provide vital equipment to Israel during the protracted 1973 Yom Kippur War, no European country gave American transport planes permission to land and refuel, until the US managed to use one of the Azores Islands.

In 1991, when Saddam Hussein?s Scud missiles were landing in Israel, only two European countries offered direct assistance ? Germany and the Netherlands.

The experience of EU monitors at the Rafah border crossing in Gaza was not an encouraging one, however well-intentioned.

And the participation of European forces in UNIFIL in Lebanon is admirable, but has not resulted in any containment of Hezbollah, which today boasts a missile and drone arsenal reportedly capable of reaching all of Israel.

For its own stature in urging the peace process forward, Europe needs to do a better job of showing Israel, the party that will take the most tangible risks for a deal, that it truly understands the dangers.

It should also remember that if the Jewish people can at times be skeptical about promises, it may be because history casts a long shadow and memories of the consequences of abandonment are still fresh.

And, importantly, the EU should draw on its own remarkable experience in ending the prospect of war among member states. Notwithstanding the obvious differences between Europe and the Middle East, steps can be taken by the EU to help create a new security environment by focusing, among other things, on integrated development.

If Europe wants to help move Israelis and Palestinians to the ?day of,? then thinking more systematically about the ?day after? might well accelerate the process.

The opinions and facts here are presented solely by the author, and The Times of Israel assumes no responsibility for them. In case of abuse, click here to report this post.

Source: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/europe-and-israels-day-after/

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Cleveland Browns outgoing president Mike Holmgren doesn't rule out return to coaching

BEREA, Ohio -- Instead of riding off on his Harley-Davidson into the sunset, outgoing Browns president Mike Holmgren just might roar up to another head coaching job.

Holmgren, who will leave the franchise at the end of this season -- or before -- admitted in his exit press conference Tuesday that he's still infected by the coaching bug and almost sounded as if he regretted not coaching here.

Does he have one more stint left for that playoff-studded 23-year coaching resume?

"I don't know," he said. "I know this: I learned a lot of things in the last three years. One of the things that I thought I knew and now I'm sure, I do miss the coaching part of it. I really do, so ..."

So why didn't Holmgren, 64, descend from his ivory tower in Berea and don the whistle again in 2010 after firing Eric Mangini? For starters, no one really twisted his arm.

"I thought about it," he said. "At the time we were compiling a list of coaching candidates, I asked [GM Tom Heckert], the selection people, the guys who were involved in that, I said 'you don't have to say yes, but tell me tomorrow, should I be on the list?' And, I don't know if they were afraid to come to me and say, 'Are you kidding, an old guy like you, you shouldn't be on that list.' But they didn't. It gave me a chance that evening to think about it a little bit more and I did what I did."

What he thought about and discussed with his wife Kathy, was that perhaps he wasn't up for an all-consuming return to the field.

"At that particular time, I wasn't ready to do it again," he said. "I thought I'd be shortchanging the organization."

But what he discovered was, as president, how often he felt utterly helpless.

"What happens on the field, you have no control over really," he said. "You're just watching. Whereas when I was coaching, I always thought there was some way I could fix this."

Now that his job has been cut short by two years -- he was in the third year of a five-year deal that pays him about $8 million a year -- Holmgren feels there's more football left in him.

"I'm leaving it open," he said. "I said this was my last great adventure. I thought it was going to be longer and so we'll see what happens. My first goal is, if I can, help this team and these coaches this season. Then I'm going to sit back and catch my breath and look around a little bit and see what happens."

Holmgren made no guarantees he'll stick around through the season, which is what owner Jimmy Haslam initially said he planned to do. With new CEO Joe Banner hanging his shingle on Thursday, Holmgren realizes it might be awkward.

"We're going to take it a day at a time and see how it goes," said Holmgren. "My emphasis is going to be the football side of it. I don't have to do the business stuff any more. If I can help one player be a little bit better this season or one coach be a little bit better and I feel I'm contributing, then that could happen."

Holmgren, who was never offered a credible role with the new regime but understands why, has assured Haslam and Banner he won't be a distraction.

"I'm not gonna rock the boat," he said. "I'm not gonna get in anybody's way that way. I think I can help a little bit, but if it gets cumbersome or uncomfortable for anybody, then, heck, I don't want that to happen."

He hasn't made his pitch to Banner yet, but has extolled the virtues of coach Pat Shurmur and Heckert to Haslam.

"Jimmy knows what I feel about them," he said. "I don't think you can get a better general manager than Tom Heckert. I think he's tremendous. Hard-working guy, great personality, knows the college players, knows how to put a winning team together. He's very, very good.

"And Pat is a bright, new coach who's had to go through some stuff that not many of us had to go through when we were starting out. I believe in him as well."

He feels he left the Browns a better place, in part, because of emerging rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden, whom he believes is a franchise quarterback. "I think so. I really do. I think Brandon is off to a good start. He's an excellent passer. I like how he leads.

"People don't cut him quite as much slack because he's 29. [But] he's done very well and I think there's a bright future because we've -- the organization has found its quarterback."

Holmgren, who profusely thanked Randy Lerner for the opportunity, is proud of overhauling the organization and infusing the roster with young talent. His biggest regret is not seeing it come to fruition yet.

"I so much wanted to put a product on the field and win some games for Randy Lerner," he said. "He certainly deserved that. I wish we'd won a few more games [but] I think there's light at the end of the tunnel."

The Browns are 10-29 since Holmgren took over. He said there were no regrets about the youth movement this year -- 26 of 53 players have one or two years' experience.

"I know how we were trying to build the team and I wouldn't change that," he said. "I'm hoping the table is set for the future."

He apologized for snapping at the media a few days after Colt McCoy's concussion last season and warning reporters not to come to him for playoff tickets -- a sound bite that's been played over and over.

"It wasn't my proudest moment," he said. "I apologize to you. I shouldn't have said it." Then he added with a smile, "so because I've confessed this to you, may I phone you for tickets when the time comes?"

Holmgren's legacy will include creating the Browns Ring of Honor and reviving the Legends program. It will include a two-year rift with Hall of Famer Jim Brown that he repaired this season. Ultimately, it could include the foundation for success, which would mean he was one himself.

"I think we're close, I really do," he said. "We've been in every ballgame this year really, and I think it's gonna be OK. I honest-to-goodness feel there are good times ahead -- soon. And I'll be rooting hard for this group from wherever I am in the next couple of years, because I think it will happen."

That's something Haslam and Banner could get revved up about.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/10/cleveland_browns_outgoing_pres.html

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EUR/USD: Euro rose buoyed by Spanish elections, trading lower ...

GCI Forex News - EUR/USD: Euro rose buoyed by Spanish elections, trading lower this morning

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EURUSD Movement

For the 24 hours to 23:00 GMT, EUR rose 0.38% against the USD and closed at 1.3071, after Spanish regional election results indicated support for the austerity policies of Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy.

On Sunday, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy won elections in his home region of Galicia, a boost for his austerity-focused government that removed a potential obstacle to him asking for a bailout.

Adding to the positive sentiment, the European Commission stated that it hopes Greece and its international creditors would reach an agreement within next few days to get its next tranche of bailout funds.

The Euro was also buoyed after the European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board member, Joerg Asmussen, stated that the ECB would do everything it can to show that the Euro is irreversible.

According to a survey by the Conference Board, the leading economic index in Germany declined 0.3% (MoM) to 102.3 in August, after a 0.2% fall in the previous month.

In the Asian session, at GMT0300, the pair is trading at 1.3053, with the EUR trading 0.13% lower from yesterday?s close, after Moody?s Investors Service lowered its rating on Catalonia and four other Spanish regions.

The pair is expected to find support at 1.3024, and a fall through could take it to the next support level of 1.2995. The pair is expected to find its first resistance at 1.3083, and a rise through could take it to the next resistance level of 1.3113.

Trading trends in the pair today are expected to be determined by the release of business climate in France and Euro-zone?s consumer confidence.

The currency pair is showing convergence with its 20 Hr and 50 Hr moving averages.

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Source: http://forexnews.gcitrading.com/currencies/eurusd/eurusd-euro-rose-buoyed-by-spanish-elections-trading-lower-this-morning.htm

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The 5 Ways to Optimize Your Email Marketing for Mobile | Business ...

Don?t Forget the Smart Phone!

We?ve all heard the now familiar and slightly gross statistic pictured to the right: 4.8 billion people worldwide own a cell phone, while only 4.2 billion own a tooth brush. It?s shocking just how much mobile phones are taking over our lives. Smart phones and internet-enabled devices are experiencing the largest area of growth. The phenomenon of iPhones has grown 10 times faster than the last technology revolution, America Online. If you?re using email marketing to nurture your leads into clients and your clients into repeat sales, you can?t ignore mobile optimizing.

Over 75% of smartphone users are reading emails on their phones regularly. If you fail to send out emails they can open and read, chances are they might not open the content in the future. We?ve compiled several useful tips and tools to ensure the 91% percent of American adults who keep their cell phones in reach 24/7 won?t miss your message:

1. Ditch the Tiny Links

Unlike the days when a cursor was the primary means of web navigation, your leads? fingers are going to be their primary method for smart phone navigation. If you want your links to get clicks, they can?t be difficult to access or hard-to-see. Make your links visible and accessible by prominently placing call-to-action buttons that even the clumsiest smart phone user can?t avoid clicking.

2. Get Your Timing Right

It?s probably not hard to realize that email marketing efforts sent out on a Monday morning might get buried. Timing is everything when it comes to email marketing, and research by Return Path has found that your open rate could very well correlate with smart phone usage, particularly if your buyer personas tend to be pretty plugged-in. Mobile email typically remains steady during the work week, though usage is highest on Fridays and Saturdays. Use tapers on Sunday. It goes without saying that only you can determine what days and times work best for your market. Track your open rates, click-throughs and other analytics to determine when your segments easiest to engage.

3. Test and then Test Some More

Do your images load correctly? Can you easily open the links and does the layout display well?? Check it on a variety of different devices ? if you can test out both tablets and smart phones, all the better. Just because your email marketing effort looks gorgeous on your graphic designer?s computer screen doesn?t mean it?s going to be quite as appealing on a much-smaller smart phone. Some experts recommend keeping your images between 500-600px wide, though some Blackberries can?t display anything larger than 320 px.? Make sure no one is stuck waiting for your email template to load, because they?ll likely lose interest during that period of time.

4. Don?t Beat Around the Bush

Put yourself in the shoes of your smart phone-using buyer personas. They?re most likely pretty busy, enough so that they?re multi-tasking and opening emails on the go. You can?t afford to waste their time with extraneous language or irrelevant information. If you haven?t ditched the boring company newsletter, built buyer personas and started segmenting your? email list, don?t delay these crucial steps and risk the hit to your sender score if someone marks the message as spam. Wondering how to really hit a home run? Let them know your offer or discount? is only available for mobile users. e-Dialog research has found that maneuver results in an 18% mobile opt-in average.

5. Keep Your Subject Lines Really Short

35 characters. That?s less than 1/3 the length of a Tweet and it was typically the recommended length for an email subject line in the days before mobile was so predominant. It?s hard to communicate much in such a short phrase, especially considering that research has found that your open rate will soar if you describe your offer in an accurate and enticing way. Are you starting to sweat? Too bad, because mobile-optimizing your email marketing dictates even shorter subject lines that jive well with smaller screens. 15 characters is thought to be a good target by some email marketing experts.

6. Test the Text, too

While most smart phones can read and display an email marketing campaign in HTML, some aren?t quite smart enough to open that format. Make sure you text out the text version of your email. Make any necessary edits you need to ensure that the links are big enough to use and images have been removed.

Mobile email is not going anywhere. As smart phones continue to get smarter and their owners continue to become busier, the rate at which we check, read and send emails from our phones will keep soaring. Radicati Group estimates that by 2016, over 730 million accounts will be regularly accessed from smart phones. Don?t ignore the impact this segment could have on your bottom line! Optimize with clear Ctas, clean text and short, snappy subject lines.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/the-5-ways-to-optimize-your-email-marketing-for-mobile-0309170

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A whale with a distinctly human-like voice

ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) ? For the first time, researchers have been able to show by acoustic analysis that whales -- or at least one very special white whale -- can imitate the voices of humans. That's a surprise, because whales typically produce sounds in a manner that is wholly different from humans, say researchers who report their findings in the October 23 issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

"Our observations suggest that the whale had to modify its vocal mechanics in order to make the speech-like sounds," said Sam Ridgway of the National Marine Mammal Foundation. "Such obvious effort suggests motivation for contact."

It all started in 1984 when Ridgway and others began to notice some unusual sounds in the vicinity of the whale and dolphin enclosure. As they describe it, it sounded as though two people were conversing in the distance, just out of range of their understanding.

Those unusually familiar sounds were traced back to one white whale in particular only some time later when a diver surfaced from the whale enclosure to ask his colleagues an odd question: "Who told me to get out?"

They deduced that those utterances came from a most surprising source: a white whale by the name of NOC. That whale had lived among dolphins and other white whales and had often been in the presence of humans.

In fact, there had been other anecdotal reports of whales sounding like humans before, but in this case Ridgway's team wanted to capture some real evidence. They recorded the whale's sounds to reveal a rhythm similar to human speech and fundamental frequencies several octaves lower than typical whale sounds, much closer to that of the human voice.

"Whale voice prints were similar to human voice and unlike the whale's usual sounds," Ridgway said. "The sounds we heard were clearly an example of vocal learning by the white whale."

That's all the more remarkable because whales make sounds via their nasal tract, not in the larynx as humans do. To make those human-like sounds, NOC had to vary the pressure in his nasal tract while making other muscular adjustments and inflating the vestibular sac in his blowhole, the researchers found. In other words, it wasn't easy.

Sadly, after 30 years at the National Marine Mammal Foundation, NOC passed away five years ago. But the sound of his voice lives on.

Audio file of whale: http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/48866.php?from=224114

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Sam Ridgway, Donald Carder, Michelle Jeffries, Mark Todd. Spontaneous human speech mimicry by a cetacean. Current Biology, 2012; 22 (20): R860 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.08.044

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/EHg1DKoiJqc/121022122052.htm

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Stem cell bodyguards: Rare immune cells keep blood stem cells youthful

ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) ? Hiding deep inside the bone marrow are special cells. They wait patiently for the hour of need, at which point these blood-forming stem cells can proliferate and differentiate into billions of mature blood immune cells to help the body cope with infection, for example, or extra red blood cells for low oxygen levels at high altitudes. Even in emergencies, however, the body keeps to a long-term plan: It maintains a reserve of undifferentiated stem cells for future needs and crises. A research team headed by Prof. Tsvee Lapidot of the Institute's immunology Department recently discovered a new type of bodyguard that protects stem cells from over-differentiation. In a paper that appeared in Nature Immunology, they revealed how this rare, previously unknown sub-group of activated immune cells keeps the stem cells in the bone marrow "forever young."

Blood-forming stem cells live in comfort in the bone marrow, surrounded by an entourage of support cells that cater to their needs and direct their development -- the mesenchymal cells. But the research team, which included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Aya Ludin, Prof. Steffen Jung of the Immunology Department and his group, and Ziv Porat of the Biological Services Unit, discovered another type of support cell for the stem cells. These are an offshoot of the macrophage family -- literally the "big eaters" of the immune system that are important, for instance, for bacterial clearance. The team found that a rare sub-population of the bone-marrow macrophages has another role to play. Each of these rare macrophages can take a stem cell under its wing and prevent its differentiation.

Probing more deeply, the researchers revealed, in precise detail, how these macrophages guard the stem cells. They secrete substances called prostaglandins, which are absorbed by the stem cells. In a chain of biochemical events, these substances delay differentiation and preserve the youthful state of the stem cells. In addition, the prostaglandins work on the neighboring mesenchymal cells, activating the secretion of a delaying substance in them and increasing the production of receptors for this substance on the stem cells, themselves. This activity, says Lapidot, may help the non-dividing stem cells survive chemotherapy -- a known phenomenon. Macrophages also live through the treatment, and they respond by increasing their prostaglandin output, thus heightening their vigilance in protecting the stem cells.

The bodyguard macrophages also increase their activity in times of infection. While other members of the macrophage family are recruited to fight the pathogens, their cousins in the bone marrow are hard at work ensuring that a pool of stem cells will resist the urge to differentiate.

In previous work in Lapidot's lab, it was discovered that prostaglandin treatments can improve the number and quality of stem cells. This insight is currently being tested by doctors in clinical transplantation trials for the use of stem cells from umbilical cord blood to treat adult leukemia patients. These trials are showing that prior treatment with prostaglandins improves migration and repopulation potential, enabling the small quantities of cord blood stem cells to better cure the patients. "The present study hints at the possibility of further increasing the support for bone marrow stem cells by exploring this intriguing connection between the immune cells and stem cells," says Lapidot. "An understanding of the mechanisms at work in these cells might improve the success of stem cell transplantation, especially that of umbilical blood."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Weizmann Institute of Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Aya Ludin, Tomer Itkin, Shiri Gur-Cohen, Alexander Mildner, Elias Shezen, Karin Golan, Orit Kollet, Alexander Kalinkovich, Ziv Porat, Gabriele D'Uva, Amir Schajnovitz, Elena Voronov, David A Brenner, Ron N Apte, Steffen Jung, Tsvee Lapidot. Monocytes-macrophages that express ?-smooth muscle actin preserve primitive hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. Nature Immunology, 2012; 13 (11): 1072 DOI: 10.1038/ni.2408

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/_IOohmboVyU/121022113605.htm

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ALA encourages librarians to give a shout out to libraries on Digital ...

The American Library Association is once again supporting Digital Learning Day as part of our continued effort to shine the light on the work libraries do every day to support digital literacy. Digital Learning Day, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, is the culmination of year-long activities in K12 schools, public libraries, and among educators from all walks of life. This year?s culminating event in Washington, D.C. on February 6, 2013, will celebrate educators who collaborate to create inspirational learning opportunities for young people by effectively integrating technology use and practices in and out of the classroom.

Through our ongoing work with the American Library Association?s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) Digital Literacy Task Force we have learned about the critical role librarians play in developing resources for classroom teachers, guiding students through the difficult challenges of digital citizenship, teaching administrators and library boards about the powerful learning opportunities afforded by appropriate technology use, and supporting the continuing education of their peers. We have heard stories about the challenges librarians grapple with to provide rich experiences to their patrons (experiences that they know are possible and in many cases necessary): school librarians who struggle with the reality of filtering in the school environment that inhibits what students can access online and blocks the collaborative tools that can be used to create content and work with peers; public librarians who often juggle their responsibilities to help new computer users navigate online resources; and academic librarians who continually motivate students to take advantage of the support and research resources available through the library.

Fortunately, librarians are a tenacious bunch and we have a broad collection of success stories and examples of best practices. Just this year, OITP recognized the team at New Canaan High School in Connecticut for its integration of tools like Facebook, iPads, Twitter, and Google Apps into multi-disciplinary projects where students are encouraged to take charge of their own learning and are becoming solid digital citizens.

Many public libraries are responding to the needs of their patrons by developing a suite of options for digital literacy and skill-building support. Queens Public Library in New York offers formal computer classes using the resources created by library staff, as well as on demand and self-paced online tutorials for patrons and classes on using social media. Other libraries are bringing classes and resources into the community such as the Free Library of Philadelphia with its Hot Spots program that uses wired spots located throughout the city to offer access to computers, printers, the Internet, reference materials from the Free Library, and trained staff to provide one-on-one guidance. The library also is seeking community partners to connect with its Techmobile, the library?s 25-foot vehicle outfitted for digital literacy training and outreach.

In an effort to reach students and make them aware of the resources offered in academic libraries, academic librarians are striving to work closely with university administrations and professors to integrate information literacy skills into the student learning process. For example, at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, librarians helped to write the basic English curriculum, making sure that the standard course ? which reaches 78 percent of freshmen ? aligned with the Association of College and Research Libraries information literacy standards.

Now it?s your turn. What is your library doing that should be highlighted as part of recognizing the important work going on every day in all types of libraries? Help spread the word and participate in this year?s Digital Learning Day. The Digital Learning Day Website lists numerous ways you can participate but here are a few: submit your story or video that shows innovative teaching and learning; write a blog about your experiences; or plan an activity on Digital Learning Day and share a video on the website.

Give librarians the shout out they deserve.

Source: http://www.districtdispatch.org/2012/10/ala-encourages-librarians-to-give-a-shout-out-to-libraries-on-digital-learning-day-2013/

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Video: Only in Florida: Strange stories of the Sunshine State

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49493651/

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Trendspotting: US States Warming up to Renewable Energy Heating ...

by travisbradford on October 20, 2012

Of the fifty U.S. states, four territories and one District of Colombia, almost forty of them have some kind of renewable energy requirement on the books and of those forty, only about fourteen allow some type of thermal renewable energy to meet at least a portion of its renewable portfolio standard. But that might be changing.

A quiet trend is emerging with two states leading the way.? In recent months, both Maryland and New Hampshire have tipped the scales in favor of thermal renewables by passing or amending innovative, groundbreaking laws that will significantly drive up the use of thermal renewable energy in their states and beyond.

via Trendspotting: US States Warming up to Renewable Energy Heating and Cooling, Part 1 | Renewable Energy News Article.

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Source: http://prometheus.org/2012/10/20/trendspotting-us-states-warming-up-to-renewable-energy-heating-and-cooling/

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Antique Living Room Home Improvement | Trend Decoration

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Publised: October 21st, 2012 Category: Living Room
Tags: elegant Dining Room Design, elegant Living Room Design, elegant Living Room Design Ideas
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Antique Living Room Home Improvement

Spirit of Living Room design mix all of style in these inspiring space and equipped with touch of dazzling accent. What do you think about dazzling Elegant Kitchen Design with exciting concept that give us an inspiration to upgrade our home Living Room concept. Trendy, the design above is unique result of good Living Room tone, this Antique Living Room Home Improvement is related with elegant Living Room Design Ideas that we have write some time ago. Using simple accent and ornament surely will embellish your Living Room. The designer has put on this Charm interpreting of Antique Living Room Home Improvement inspired by modern Living Room design and Elegant Kitchen Design, showing a Charm style.

If you like this Living Room touch we are recommend you to check out the Beautiful Living Room below. Need more idea? get the another Great Living Room trend similar with Antique Living Room Home Improvement in Elegant Living Room Furniture topic.

Dramatic Bedroom Lighting Decorating With Antique Designs

Source: http://www.trendecoration.com/antique-living-room-home-improvement.html

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CEOs' rosy spin whitewashes weak results

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Corporate America has been talking a good game this earnings season, but a closer look shows the results are not nearly as strong as CEO optimism might lead investors to believe.

In fact, a number of companies are coming up short on either earnings or revenue as measured against Wall Street estimates, even as their leaders try to paint a picture of steady returns and solid prospects for 2013. Some investors say earnings expectations have been managed so low they are easy to beat, even if sales come up short.

The 24 hours through Friday morning - the busiest period yet in this earnings season - serve as a good example of the phenomenon.

Between Thursday morning and Friday morning, nearly 40 companies in the S&P 500 reported quarterly results.

Some, like insurer Travelers Cos Inc and the railroad operator Union Pacific Corp, reported record figures, born mostly of pricing strength in their businesses.

But more companies had quarters like those reported by Internet search heavyweight Google Inc or fast-food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, whose core markets appear to be slowing quickly, much to the consternation of shareholders.

Even though a majority of S&P companies have beat expectations overall this season, 79 percent of the S&P companies that reported results in the last day missed earnings and/or revenue estimates.

It is a further confirmation that USA Inc is facing a challenging environment that does not look likely to turn better anytime soon.

As for the CEO comments, Reuters analyzed the news releases issued by those companies, specifically isolating the lead quote from the chief executive in each one.

Some were brief, just a sentence or two. Many were lengthy paragraphs. All totaled, they expended 2,669 words explaining how their corporations did in the last three months.

Phrases in the releases point to a general sense of well-being that might be at odds with the actual results.

Excluding generic words, the most common phrases were "we made good progress," "we are well positioned," "we are pleased with" and "we are pleased to."

In fact, there was not a single four-word phrase anywhere in any of the reports that indicated a negative sentiment. Experienced investors are not necessarily surprised by the behavior, the numbers notwithstanding.

"I think this is business as usual," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank in Chicago. "You tamp down your expectations, you beat them, then you thump your chest."

INCONSISTENCY REIGNS

Investors are growing increasingly frustrated by the drum beat of weak figures, seemingly without explanation. General Electric Co was the latest example on Friday morning.

"There it is again, this whole revenue story. They hit on the earnings number, but revenues keep missing. That is the story that we are hearing across the line," said Ken Polcari, managing director of ICAP Equities in New York.

It "further solidifies the same story that people are concerned. And although these companies are beating these numbers, the numbers are much lower so the beat is not that difficult. But clearly they are all missing on the revenue line, which is a concern."

The beat rate for revenue forecasts so far this season is 41.4 percent, trailing both the 55 percent average over the past four quarters and the long-term average of 62 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

But if they are actually doing that badly, they certainly are not talking about it.

Breaking it down excluding generic words, the most common word was "growth." It appeared some 30 times.

GE talked about continuing to "execute on our growth strategy." Huntington Bancshares Inc was pleased that results "reflect steady growth in a number of key strategic areas." Tool maker Snap-on Inc reported "continued progress along our defined runways for coherent growth."

To be sure, not everyone was so rosy. Some companies acknowledged a lack of forward momentum or challenges in expanding in the current environment.

Among them, Boston Scientific Corp is "focused on executing our strategy to drive this organization back to revenue growth," while Capital One Financial Corp said it could sustain strong returns, "even in an environment with low industry growth."

After "growth," the next-most common non-generic word was "strong," which appeared 19 times. In contrast, some derivation of the word "weak" was used only six times.

Lower down the list, "progress" showed up six times - and despite the shaky economy, "uncertainty" turned up only once.

That said, some corporate chiefs tried to embrace their circumstances and at least reassure investors that, current challenges notwithstanding, there is reason to think things will get better - someday, anyway.

"While our sales momentum and current financial results reflect today's challenging conditions, we continue to see significant long-term opportunities for brand McDonald's and remain confident in the underlying strength of our business model," McDonald's Corp CEO Don Thompson said.

(Additional reporting by Charles Mikolajczak and Rodrigo Campos.; Editing by Edward Tobin, Leslie Adler and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-ceos-rosy-spin-whitewashes-weak-results-182615904--sector.html

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Top Tips To Promote Your Business Online Home Business . - Get ...

If you have a home based business, you know how important it is to have a good promotion plan. After all, you never have success if people do not even know you exist. Fortunately there are several ways to promote your business to reach around the world. The first thing you do to promote your home business to develop a plan also called for promotion or marketing plan. This plan will expose everything you want to do to make your promotion.

In preparing it, make sure you have a guide to strengthen the different stages of commercialization. Many people overlook this step because they think that simply can promote as they progress. This is relatively true, but if you have a promotional plan everything will be much more successful. One of the best ways to promote your home business is through the use of a website. By having a website, you are available worldwide. (A valuable related resource: Cowan Financial Group).

There was a time when this option was not available, but those days have come and gone. If you want your home business to succeed, you must have a first class website where you can trust. In addition to promoting your home business with a website, there are other ways you can use to promote your business online. Placing ads in magazines, has proved a successful tool. The main advantage is that you can reach a target audience that is interested in your product. This is much better than just placing an ad in a publication that is not even related to what your business offers. Of course, promoting your home business can also be done in a more traditional. Many people think that direct mail is still a good way to promote your business. This can be done by obtaining an email list, and then sending some materials to arouse the interest of the people who are in touch. Although this method is a little dated, can still be very successful if done correctly. Promoting your home business, is the only way you have to make it grow. By starting with a plan, you ensure that you took the right path. Remember, there are hundreds of tactics available for promotion. Choose the appropriate promotional campaign for your home business and forth, to conquer success!

Source: http://albertagetrich.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/top-tips-to-promote-your-business-online-home-business.html

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Do you cheat in online games?

Great discussions are nothing new here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

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To join or start great discussions on any topic, be sure to visit the Openthread forum. And today being Friday, don't forget to check out this week's Open Thread.

If you've got a cool project, inspiration, or just something fun to share, be sure to let us know in our Tips forum.

Happy Lifehacking, everybody!

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/e50Iv73FleE/do-you-cheat-in-online-games

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