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Source: http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/tax-365811-board-state.html
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Monday, July 30, 2012
Vertical Is The New Horizontal: How The Cloud Makes Domain Expertise More Valuable In The Enterprise
Editor's note: Gordon Ritter is a founder and general partner at?Emergence Capital focused on cloud companies.? In the days before the cloud, on-premise software providers that focused on selling into a vertical market were considered second-class citizens to the ?big guns? selling into the broader horizontal marketplace. The real ?win??in market share, wallet share and ultimately, profits?was the broadest approach. The notion of specializing in solutions that serve a market niche or specific industry was considered limited unless it was just the start of something more horizontal.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/erVeA6FOHt0/
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OxbloodRuffin: Twitter Doghouse Lets You Temporarily Dump Annoying Tweeps http://t.co/RsDOV0YH
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Source: http://twitter.com/OxbloodRuffin/statuses/229637288458592257
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Sunday, July 29, 2012
Two years after oil spill, town and its creek are reshaped
Life has returned here, and it hasn't.
The water in Talmadge Creek runs clear now, and small schools of minnows shoot after each other, ducking behind creek rocks that seem too awkwardly settled to have been placed there by nature.
That's because they weren't. In the two years since one of the worst inland oil spills in U.S. history ? when a pipeline break in a nearby marsh sent 819,000 gallons of toxic sludge sliding into the Talmadge and then down more than 30 miles of the Kalamazoo River ? cleanup workers have dredged and rebuilt this creek from the bottom.
Now, Talmadge Creek is slowly headed back to normal, insomuch as normal is possible. The same could be said for the human ecosystem and the empty homes still surrounding the spill area.
The disaster itself was overshadowed by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that same summer, but it offers lessons for other communities and for other pipeline companies eager to tap Canada's lucrative oil sands market for American dollars.
"We believe that these companies are not unique," Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said recently of the corporate and regulatory failures that have allowed such spills to happen. "People need to read these reports and understand our recommendations with an eye toward the future."
Government investigators concluded that the pipeline's Canadian owner,Enbridge Inc., knew about the crack that led to the spill five years before the accident. They also found that when the break did occur, employees mistakenly continued to pump oil into parts of southern Michigan.
Like the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, Enbridge's pipeline carried a heavy crude oil called diluted bitumen, derived from tar sand oil in Canada. As lighter chemicals in the oil vaporized, it settled at the bottom of the Kalamazoo River, out of reach for an easy cleanup.
Before the spill, many residents weren't even aware a pipeline ran through their community. By the time they smelled the fumes and Enbridge trucks took over the roads, the damage had been done. Within a day, Marshall became an oil town in the worst way imaginable.
'We lost our neighbors'
In the long two years of evaluating and dredging and apologizing that followed, Enbridge, like BP in the gulf, staked its image on the well-being of the affected communities, right down to the identical promises to "make things right."
Officials shut down 39 miles of the Kalamazoo River for nearly two years as Enbridge threw thousands of employees and contractors at the cleanup process. The workers filled local hotels and eateries as the company backed community projects, even joining the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.
The company also bought about 150 homes near the spill, altering the social landscape as much as the reinvented Talmadge Creek. Shrouds of weeds now surround the oil-inundated houses of the homeowners who sold to Enbridge.
"It was just a tough emotional experience," nearby resident Carol Kellogg said of the spill and the Enbridge offer to buy her home. In the end, she turned it down. "From the get-go, [my husband] said, 'We're not moving,' and I said, 'Well, let's wait for the appraisal.' It can divide a family. We saw that happen."
She added, "We lost our neighbors. Now it's quiet."
Ralph Dollhopf, the Environmental Protection Agency's on-scene cleanup coordinator, says the ongoing spill cleanup has become more passive.
Instead of dragging the river for sludge, officials now wait for tiny bits of the oil, buried in the muck at the bottom of the Kalamazoo River, to move downriver to natural sediment accumulation points. There, workers gather them up for disposal.
"When you are too invasive with cleanup activity, you run the risk of injuring ecosystems, farm areas, habitat, critical vegetation, bank stability ? all of which can lead to the demise of the river system or even cause more damage than the oil itself," Dollhopf said.
At the end of June, a week after officials reopened the Kalamazoo River, the Michigan Department of Community Health lifted a do-not-eat order for fish caught in the affected stretch of the river, ending a two-year moratorium. The department says the remaining oil doesn't pose any long-term cancer or health risks other than a little skin irritation if touched.
But Rita Chapman, who monitors clean-water issues for the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club, disagreed with the reopening of the river.
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Sony BRAVIA KDL32BX330 Product Review
For a review, we have the Sony BRAVIA KDL32BX330. This is a multipurpose product which can be used in the home of the user for viewing movies, watching news and other domestic purposes or in public places for commercial use, it can used in theaters, bars, clubs, shops and various other places without any restriction. Sony has manufactured the product while incorporating a wide variety of features which probably put it in the higher tier of HDTVs that can be found in the market.
Main features of the Sony BRAVIA KDL32BX330
720p High Definition Clarity
You will get a pretty good view of various programs that include sports, movies and television broadcasts on the high quality wide screen. You can opt to transfer the display to 16:9 panel screen as well as other wide screen sizes. The 720p screen resolution isn't amazing, but should be decent for most viewing purposes.
4 HDMI lnputs
With the Sony KDL32BX330, you can make use of 2 HDMI inputs for a wide range of sources that include home theater entertainment system and HD cable boxes, PS3 system or even the Blu Ray disc players, another single HD input can be used for HD television while another one can be used for PC inputs that use the HD-15 pin, this gives you the opportunity transform your Sony BRAVIA KDL32BX330 as a computer monitor.
lnput for USB
This will allow you to view all your favorite digital photos on its large screen and even listen to music right from the Sony BRAVIA KDL32BX330 speakers. All you have to do is insert the USB of your camera, MP3 player and any other electronic that supports USB storage into the USB input of your Sony BRAVIA KDL32BX330. It offers fast and convenient access to your media without any hassle.
Reduced digital noise
This is an modern television that will allow you to watch high quality image and sound output right at home with your family. The reduction of produced digital noise allows the user more detailed watching and information capture, in addition to this, it has fast processing that will assist in the clean up of video input for PC sources thereby allowing you a high quality display.
Reduction in energy loss
The Sony Bravia KDL32BX330 offers an extra advantage of reduced use of energy that is made possible by the inclusion of three components that allow saving on energy. It has a quick action energy switch, a sensor that detects the viewer's presence and a modern technology backlight that will allow for a reduced usage of power. This means that the Sony Bravia KDL32BX330 is friendly to the environment.
Wireless connection
This TV feature wireless technology. This means you will be free from the agony of using wires in your house. Be aware that the wireless connections do not result in reduced image quality.
Steve is a technophile whose unbiased and authentic HDTV Reviews are a big help for anyone looking to get a great deal on an HDTV. Take a look at HDTVzen.com for TV Reviews and HDTV Buyers Guides to help you make a good buying decision.
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The mirage called a dream home - Real Estate India
??|?? July 28, 2012 ?? 07:01pm ??|
When Lalita booked her first flat at the age of 35, after painstakingly saving for almost ten years to meet the down payment in an upcoming project in Greater Noida five years ago, she was elated that finally she would have a home that she could proudly call her own.
That journey has been a nightmare for her, as her dream home is nowhere near completion, even though the developer promised delivery more than two years ago. Lalita can seek solace from the fact that her plight is shared by many other prospective homeowners.
According to a recent report by real estate analytics firm PropEquity, on an average, 45 per cent of housing projects have been delayed, often by more than a year. The National Capital Region has the worst record with a delay of nearly 75 per cent, followed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Bangalore.
WHY THE DELAY?
There are number of reasons for delay in delivery. Let us examine the case of a developer who has acquired the land and is about to start construction. There are numerous challenges to be surmounted.
To begin with, the approvals process is tedious. A residential project requires anywhere between 30-70 permissions from a range of government agencies, which takes up to three years to have all of them in place.
The tendency of developers is to obtain some to get the project started and then obtain the rest as the project progresses. However, over the last couple of years, particularly after high profile land and housing scams, the process has slowed down in major markets.
Next, there are a number of project implementation-related challenges that the industry is facing. Rising material costs, lack of formal finance for the sector in general, and shortage of labour.
There is then, the mala fide intentions of some developers, which assumes forms such as changes in design, incomplete submission of documents to the authorities and in some cases, wilful delays caused on account of siphoning funds.
REGULATORY ATTEMPTS
Even as the draft Real Estate Regulatory Bill is being debated, the Maharashtra government has introduced the Housing (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2012 that has been passed by the Legislative Assembly, the first state government to take a step in introducing a regulator for the sector.
The Bill requires developers to make full and true disclosure of land title; provide complete details of their enterprise, architects, structural engineers, contractors and also the project plan. They have to also disclose time schedule of completion of each phase of the project and the date for giving possession of the flat with all amenities. Developers will not be able to market the project until they have got regulatory approval.
To keep speculators at bay, any sale transaction which requires a buyer to put in an advance of more than 20 per cent has to be registered under the Registration Act, 1908.
Developers are required to maintain separate account of sums taken as advance and have to utilise the amount for the purpose for which it has been taken. Once disclosed, plans cannot be altered without their consent. In case of delays, there is a provision for refund of amount paid with interest. Developers would also be held liable for any defects in building and material noticed within three years of handing over possession.
The key question is will the Bill, which is well-intentioned, be a game changer for the industry?
The Bill addresses buyers? concerns in an academic way. However, the malaise in a development project begins much before marketing it. Having observed the industry for long, in my opinion, there are two major areas where maximum graft happens ? land acquisition and construction.
THE GROUND REALITY
Developers acquire land through land aggregators or brokers. The modus operandi is simple ? given the complexities surrounding land titles and lack of finance for buying land, instead of outright purchase, developers enter into a joint development arrangement with land owners.
Here, the landowner provides land with clean title on a power of attorney basis and the developer puts the project together and gets all the necessary permissions. For this, landowner gets an upfront cash payment and the rest is in the form of built up space in the project after construction is complete.
Developers still need cash for getting the project running. They approach high net worth individuals or investors and they lend cash for built-up space through an agreement with the developer. This is not an open market process and is done through private deals.
The land aggregation process itself, which besides land acquisition involves change of land use enhances the value of land by as much as ten times in some cases. Moreover, many of the land sale transactions are cash based, which are not easily accountable. Developers can easily inflate cost of land, which results in high brokerage for land aggregators, who may be one of the developer?s group concerns.
After land is acquired and approvals obtained, construction activity starts. The process appears simple as it should involve only labour and materials for which, there should be a competitive market now that we live in a liberalised economy. Given that the construction industry is huge, it would be unthinkable that developers do not get into forward contracts with material suppliers to hedge against price escalation.
The reality is that the vendor selection process is opaque, which sometimes leads to payments for services not rendered or have been supplied at inflated costs. It is quite common for developers to use one of their group concerns for supplying goods and provide loans to these group companies and thereby divert funds.
In addition, any change in plan or design could lead to major cost escalation.
The problem of the last five years has been that developers have spread themselves too thin as the upswing of property cycle has lasted long and there has been no way to put a check on them as most of the financing was happening through investors in private deals or from buyers.
Consequently many projects got stuck and in many cases after buyers have paid almost the full agreed amount. While the Maharashtra Housing Bill, 2012 addresses the consumer side of the housing market, it addresses the regulatory needs in the real estate sector only partially.
What should buyers do? Be more vigilant. Demand certified copies of all approvals, titles, construction schedule and monitor the progress.
Until a regulator is in place, the best forum appears to be the consumer courts and the National Consumer Redressal Commission (NCDRC) that, within its constraints, has managed to give home buyers their due.
News Published Under:?? Real Estate India | No Comments ?
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Source: http://www.indianrealtynews.com/real-estate-india/the-mirage-called-a-dream-home.html
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Saturday, July 28, 2012
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Olympic Opening Ceremony Puts Glastonbury Tor On The Map (PHOTOS)
Glastonbury Tor, the rocky outcropping rising from southwest England's Somerset Levels, is soaking up the international spotlight thanks to being the most prominent part of the set for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.
Though the Tor -- the word is Celtic for hillock -- is a well known destination for Brits, who hike up it to visit St. Michael's Tower, which crowns its crest, it is likely unknown to foreigners.
The Tor's most notable feature -- tower aside -- is its reputation: This hump in the see of fields has been associated not only with Authurian legend, in which it is said to sit atop an underworld kingdom, but with all sorts of stories about fairies, saints and the like. The mysterious terraces on the side of the Tor are said to be a neolithic labyrinth.
Protected by Britain's National Trust, the Tor is a popular destination for those interested in the U.K.'s Celtic history and those interested in modern rock, who congregate nearby for Glastonbury's renowned annual music festival.
As for the tower, it is a fairly modern addition. Though a fort has sat atop the Tor since roughly the 5th century, St. Michael's Tower was built in the 15th century. Today it looks weathered but majestic, a combination that makes it popular with photographers and, apparently, film directors organizing Olympic Ceremonies.
As the Opening Ceremony set shows, the area around the tower is rustic bordering on cliched. Even though it is a mere two and a half hours from London, this is the sort of place where walking sticks are considered as de rigeur as cable-knit sweaters made from local wool, of which there is a great deal.
After the British media announced the Tor's starring role in the opening ceremony, Glastonbury Councillor Alan Gloak requested that the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games allow some of the region's sheep to participate in the event according to local reports. In a decision that mirrored the Chinese use of a beautiful young lip syncer during the Beijing ceremony, the Committee denied the request.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/the-olympics-opening-cere_n_1707633.html
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Mutations! A corrupt PKMN story! OPEN
This is a world where Scientists are starting to comprehend the science of Pokemon evolution, and are using Pokemon as lab rats in various experiments. When word goes viral on a successful Pokemon Hybrid, part pokemon and human mix, it starts a frenzy.
Owner:
Game Masters:
Topic Tags:
Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.May I please reserve a pokebrid please I can have the profile up either tonight or tomorrow
Oh and is there a smelly I can use or do we just put what we think is necessary
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ceh12 - Member for 0 years
Hello Snow May I reserve a Pokebrid? I also must point out something. In the RPG rules it states.
Roleplay titles must be consistent with publishing guidelines.
Please do not denote the roleplay's status, add unnecessary punctuation, or use ALL CAPS in your roleplay's title.
INCORRECT:
~BLOODY CHAINS 2 (OPEN!!!)~
CORRECT:
Bloody Chains 2: Broken Links
I don't mean to be a kill joy but i am also just trying to help out, Perhaps change your title to something like this.
"Pokemon Mutations!" It looks a bit more professional.
Also add pictures to the opening page so it doesn't look so dull and plain, it attracts roleplayers in to the story more when they have something to base their visualizations off of. Perhaps put pictures of the lab or even just a picture of Pokebrids! Something to make the main page say "I am serious about running this roleplay!"
Oh, also if you want I can build up a quick skeleton for you.
~Finalhazard
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Finalhazard3 - Member for 3 years
Post a reply
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Friday, July 27, 2012
A New Holistic Community Blooms in the City of Roses
Portland, OR, July 26, 2012 ?(PR.com)? Portland?s recent launch on CityHolistic.com marks the fifth community established on the site, following St. Louis, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Like its predecessors, the Portland site will include a directory of holistic practitioners, goods, and services as well as blogs, a job board, event board, and helpful hints for leading a holistic life.
While CityHolistic.com staff chose the first four cities, the CityHolistic.com community voted Portland as the newest addition.
?CityHolistic.com really is a community, and we wanted to embrace that by letting our supporters and members decide where to launch next,? stated Beth Kessler, Member Services Coordinator. Surveying CityHolistic.com visitors proved to be an effective method for choosing the next city. ?We were very pleased with the results of our survey, Portland is known for being a holistic and forward-thinking city.?
With more than 900 members and counting, the directory is already growing rapidly. Portland residents will find an array of holistic goods, services, and practitioners, including acupuncturists, naturopaths, and nutritionists.
CityHolistic.com has no intention of slowing down after Portland. Plans are already underway to launch its sixth community in Phoenix. Announcements of this next lunch will be coming soon later this year.
About CityHolistic.com
CityHolistic.com brings local holistic communities together one city at a time! Search the site directory to find the best holistic and organic providers in your area. Holistic providers can get listed as a member in the site directory and share their expertise in different holistic health modalities, products, and services. Connect with your local holistic community and learn more about holistic providers on CityHolistic.com. The website currently holds online communities in St. Louis, NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.
Contact Information:
CityHolistic.com
Cara Naeger
888.637.3118
Contact via Email
www.cityholistic.com
Click here to read the full story: A New Holistic Community Blooms in the City of Roses
Press Release Distributed by PR.com
Source: http://health.rambergmedia.com/a-new-holistic-community-blooms-in-the-city-of-roses/
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Cuba broadens economic reforms, plans new measures
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba adopted a new tax code this week and said it would loosen regulations on some state companies while turning others into cooperatives, as one of the world's last Soviet-style economies moves in a more market-friendly direction.
The plans were announced at a session of the National Assembly, which passed the country's first comprehensive tax code since the 1959 revolution on the communist-ruled island.
Foreign journalists were barred from Monday's meeting, only portions of which were later broadcast by the official media.
President Raul Castro, 81, has liberalized regulations for small businesses and farming, and begun leasing small state retail outlets to employees since taking over for his ailing older brother Fidel in 2008. But he now appears ready, says Cuba expert Phil Peters, "to put some meat on the bone."
Marino Murillo, head of the Communist Party commission responsible for implementing reforms approved at a party Congress last year, characterized the tax law as providing the basis for "?bringing up to date the economic model," while releasing few details of the code.
The new law takes effect next year and is scheduled for publication next month.
Castro's point man for reform said it would gradually replace an old Soviet-style system and eventually require everyone to pay income and property taxes for the first time since the 1960s.
Murillo, in a two-hour presentation to the National Assembly, announced that an unspecified number of state companies would be partially deregulated by the end of the year.
He said the companies, previously part of various ministries, would be able to make day-to-day business decisions without waiting for government approval, manage their labor relations and set prices. After meeting state contracts, they will also be able to sell excess production on the open market.
The companies will be self-financed, including through bank credits, and expected to cover their losses, versus handing over all profit to the state and receiving financing and subsidies from the treasury.
Instead of being micro-managed by the ministries, Murillo said the companies would be evaluated by "four or five indicators" such as earnings, the relation of productivity to salaries and their ability to meet the terms of state contracts.
Murillo also announced that 222 small to medium-sized state businesses were preparing to become cooperatives, ranging from restaurants and produce markets to shrimp breeding and transportation.
The cooperatives will lease state property and equipment at 10-year renewable intervals, operate on a market basis, pay taxes like other companies and divide profits among members as they see fit, Murillo said.
"SLOW BUT STEADY"
"They have been rolling things out one by one on a slow but steady timetable and my guess is they will continue to do so. It's a timeline that goes to 2015," Peters, a vice president of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute, said.
"Now they are getting to the things that really have the ability to increase the size of the private sector and create the savings in the state sector that they say are their targets," he said.
Cuba, with a foreign debt of more than $22 billion according to Reuters' estimates and still mired in a post-Soviet crisis after 20 years, has no choice but to change its inefficient ways, government insiders say.
Marino said as much during the National Assembly meeting.
"We are not calling for turmoil ... but the reality of life shows we cannot maintain (a command economy)," he said.
The five-year reform plan calls for moving from government administration of just about the entire economy to managing it through ?"indirect" means such as taxes and bank credits.
Most retail services and minor production and farming are scheduled to go over to a ?"non-state" sector that will account for more than 40 percent of the labor force, compared with the current 15 percent.
At the same time, the Communist Party plans to move away from a paternalistic state system of collective work and consumption to one where individual effort is better rewarded. Across the board subsidized goods and services are to be replaced by targeted welfare.
Castro, who closed the National Assembly meeting, said the new measures would ?"permit the state to forget about the administration of a set of secondary services and productions and concentrate on improving the management of the basic means of production which will remain as socialist state companies."
Murillo also announced that the government would lease to its employees more than 1,000 small cafeterias, following in the footsteps of barbershops, hairdressers and a host of other minor services let go over the last few years.
The former state establishments now must compete head to head with a burgeoning small business sector of more than 300,000 mom-and-pop operations, including restaurants and other small companies.
Murillo said the new tax code would cut small business taxes on average by between 3 and 7 percent and provide other benefits for start-ups, such as eliminating the labor tax for those with five employees or less.
The new law will also benefit small farmers, he said.
(Editing by Tom Brown and Anthony Boadle)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-broadens-economic-reforms-plans-measures-000720791.html
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Towork.se - Finnish-speaking technical support agent. - Poolia IT
| Arbetsgivare: | Poolia IT |
|---|---|
| L?n?/?Kommun: | Stockholms l?n (Stockholm) |
| Varaktighet: | Tillsvidareanst?llning |
| Arbetstid: | Heltid |
| Antal platser: | 5 st |
Sista ans?kningsdatum: 2012-07-31
Poolia IT
Presentation
We are looking for several Finnish-speaking technical support agents. The position is full time with placement in Stockholm. The assignment will start very soon and we encourage you to apply today. This is a longterm assignment.
Arbetsuppgifter
The technical agent is responsible for handling all technical inbound calls.
Main tasks involve;
- answer inbound technical calls within the time constraints, and quality, as determined by the client.
- investigate problems and provide customers with technical solutions to various problems.
- ensure that knowledge is up to date by doing online training courses.
- educating customers on how to find solutions on the web.
- keep up to date on all necessary technical and business related changes communicated
Utbildning/erfarenhet
Finnish must be fluent in speaking and understanding. English skills must be good. No requirement of knowledge in Swedish.
Technical education is a plus but interest in technology is highly valued. The assignment will start with 17 days of education
Required Skills/qualifications
- excellent customer service and communication
- ability to interpret and understand a variety of instructions provided in written and oral format
- demonstrate telephone skills and to control call direction
- ability to troubleshoot technical issues over the telephone
- demonstrate ability to type at least 30 words per minute
- team player and ability to work under pressure
- willingness to learn new skills and concepts
- attendance and punctuality
F?rm?ner
We take good care of our consultants and we offer social activities, as well as help in planning your future career. Your consultant manager is well experienced from your field, and knows how to get the most out of your assignment.
As a Poolia employee, you are included in the requirements concerning agreements on terms of employment by Unionen. Moreover, you get a grant for working out at your choice of place. You are also covered by a health insurance.
F?retagsbeskrivning
Poolia is a leading Recruitment Consultancy, located in more than 20 cities in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom. Poolia performs temporary staffing and permanent placement assignments within Accounting & Control, Banking & Finance, IT & Technology, Office, Human Resources, Payroll, Engineering, Sales & Marketing, Law and Life Science. In 2010 net sales totalled 13g million Euro. Poolia was founded in 1989 and has today more than 2.000 employees
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Thursday, July 26, 2012
In shift by Egypt, president meets Hamas leader
CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) - Gaza Islamist leader Ismail Haniyeh met Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on Thursday in an official visit that signaled a big shift in Cairo's stance toward the Hamas movement after the election of a Muslim Brotherhood head of state in Egypt.
A Palestinian official said the head of Egyptian intelligence had promised measures to increase the flow of fuel supplied by Qatar to Gaza via Egypt and needed to ease the small Palestinian territory's power shortages.
But there was no immediate sign that Cairo was ready to open up its border with Gaza to the extent sought by Hamas, something analysts partly attributed to the influence still wielded by the Hosni Mubarak-era security establishment.
"Mursi's heart is with Hamas but his mind is elsewhere," said Hany al-Masri, a Palestinian political commentator. "He will give them as much as he can but he won't be able to give them much because his powers are restricted," he said.
Mursi's victory was celebrated in Gaza as a turning point for a territory whose economy has been choked by a blockade imposed by Israel and in which Egypt took part by stopping everything but a trickle of people from crossing the border.
But as head of state, Mursi must balance support for Gaza with the need to respect international commitments, including Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. "He will be very cautious," said Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid, an Egyptian analyst. "The intelligence and the military will have their say on this."
After Haniyeh's meeting with Mursi, the Hamas delegation left the presidential palace in Cairo without comment.
Mursi's spokesman said the meeting had touched on subjects including "lifting the siege and the suffering of the people in Gaza" and reconciliation with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas.
Sworn in on June 30, Mursi is trying to stamp his authority on an Egyptian state still influenced to a large degree by a council of military generals led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's defense minister for two decades.
MURSI, HANIYEH SHARE RAMADAN MEAL
Mubarak had regarded Gaza's Islamist rulers with suspicion bordering on outright hostility reflecting his enmity towards the Brotherhood, the ideological parent of Hamas that was outlawed for decades in Egypt until last year's uprising.
Mubarak never recognized the Hamas administration which has governed Gaza since 2007, when its forces defeated Abbas' Palestinian Authority. Earlier this month, Mursi received both Abbas and Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas leader in exile.
On Thursday, Haniyeh and Mursi shared a Ramadan iftar - the meal with which Muslims break their fast during the holy Islamic fasting month. Earlier, Haniyeh had met chief of intelligence Murad Muwafi, reflecting the role still played by the Egyptian security establishment in managing Palestinian affairs.
The Egyptians said the quantity of fuel supplied via Egypt to Gaza would be more than doubled next week, a Palestinian official familiar with the talks told Reuters.
The fuel supplied by Qatar goes from Egypt into Israel, from where it passes through a crossing into Gaza in accordance with the existing arrangements on how goods pass into the territory that was captured by Israel from Egypt in a 1967 war.
Israel withdrew settlers and soldiers from Gaza in 2005.
Earlier this year, Brotherhood officials had lobbied for the fuel to be sent straight across Egypt's border with Gaza - a move sought by Hamas and which would have marked a major step towards opening the border to trade and commerce.
In another apparent gesture triggered by Mursi's election victory, Egypt is to ease restrictions on Palestinians travelling through Egyptian territory on their way in and out of Gaza, Egyptian border officials said this week.
Palestinians on that route have complained of mistreatment including detention at their port of arrival ahead of their deportation to the Rafah crossing.
A diplomat familiar with Cairo's policies on Gaza did not expect Mursi to open Rafah to trade. But all else could be discussed, he said, including "improving conditions at crossings and increasing the number of passengers and Egyptian aid".
(Additional reporting by Marwa Awad)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shift-egypt-president-meets-hamas-leader-202804985.html
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Long-planned Colorado debate may force Obama, Romney to talk guns
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gun control advocates are looking ahead to this year's first presidential debate, set to be held in Denver, Colorado, as a chance to keep pressing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney on U.S. gun policy.
The first debate between the two is scheduled for October 3 at the University of Denver, about 10 miles from the cinema in Aurora, Colorado, where a gunman killed 12 people on July 20.
A nonpartisan commission announced the debate schedule in October 2011, long before the shooting.
Obama and Romney "will be asked about what they would do to prevent gun violence and the public will expect them to offer solutions," said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, at a news conference on Thursday.
Neither Obama nor Romney has given a detailed statement about gun policy since the Aurora shooting, though White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday that Obama may have more to say "in the future."
The first presidential debate is scheduled to focus on domestic policy. It will be divided into six, 15-minute segments, each devoted to a topic determined by a moderator, according to the debate commission.
The identity of the moderator has not been announced.
Colorado was home to another high-profile shooting in April 1999, when two teenagers killed 13 at Columbine High School.
The Brady Campaign, based in Washington, D.C., is the largest U.S. gun control lobbying group. It was largely credited with the 1993 passage of a law imposing federal background checks on some gun purchases.
The group is named for Jim and Sarah Brady, who became prominent advocates for gun control after Jim Brady, as President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, was severely wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan.
Gun control advocates have been overwhelmed in recent years by the political strength of the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups, who draw influence from a legion of passionate, often rural supporters.
In 2004, for example, Congress did not renew a 10-year ban on many semiautomatic rifles similar to one used by the shooter in Colorado.
Gross said "political pundits and the media" have been too quick to dismiss the possibility of change after the Aurora shooting. "The skepticism out there has been overwhelming, but they've been wrong," he said.
Obama should be applauded for raising the possibility he will do more on gun control, but it is not enough, Gross said. "The president said very similar things in his last campaign. A speech is not a plan. An endorsement of a measure is not a solution," Gross said.
The Brady Campaign has launched a new website, wearebetterthanthis.org, to gather signatures for petitions in favor of new gun control measures.
Supporters of gun rights have countered that the days after a shooting is not the time to talk about changes in laws, saying instead that the focus should be on victims.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/long-planned-colorado-debate-may-force-obama-romney-163535457.html
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IMF says China's economy reached 'soft landing'
SHANGHAI (AP) ? The International Monetary Fund says China has achieved a "soft landing" in its economic slowdown, though more sweeping reforms are needed to ensure healthy growth in the longer term.
In a report released Wednesday, the IMF praised China's leaders for adjusting policies to help counter the malaise plaguing the global economy that has also slowed robust growth in China and other emerging nations.
The report followed IMF consultations with Beijing.
It notes that China has reduced some imbalances in the economy, such as its once huge trade surplus, and brought inflation under control. But it pointed to risks from excessive bank lending and urged more effective regulation to ensure financial stability.
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Quarterback Scramble Aims To Tackle Childhood Obesity
July 24th, 2012 by Len Saunders
From Shore News Today?..
Ron Jaworski?s football-themed Quarterback Scramble, a 5K run and 1-mile walk for participants of all ages will take place 8-10 a.m. Sunday, July 29 at 82nd Street Park in Stone Harbor.
The event benefits benefit the Jaws Youth Playbook, a program aimed at tackling childhood obesity.
Register online at QBscramble.com or in person 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Windrift in Avalon or 6:30-8 a.m. Sunday at 82nd Street Park in Stone Harbor. Those who are already registered can pick up their pick up their race number, race shirt and goody bag at that time.
The event will begin 8 a.m. with the Kids Touchdown Run, a 100-yard dash open to kids 10 and younger.
Kids TD Run participants will receive a T-shirt, race number and snacks at the goal line, and Rookie of the year awards be given for first, second and third place.
The 5K will step off at 8:15 a.m., followed by the walk at 8:20.
A post-race tailgate with 5K and team awards is scheduled for 9 a.m.
The USATF certified course for the 5K will loop through Stone Harbor with the start and finish line on First Avenue at 82nd Street Park.
There will be water stations along the course, as well as at the finish line.
To read the full story?..Click here
Entry Filed under: Health / Fitness Articles
Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=2418
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Hot Water Dispenser - An Exciting Array of Water Dispensers to ...
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Hot Water Dispenser More Details about Hot Water Dispenser here.
Modern living has become highly sophisticated and a lot of pressing concerns can cause elevated stress and physical breakdown. Good thing water dispensers came into the consumer world to help alleviate the high demands on time and energy. A wide array of under sink water chiller and hot water dispenser brands is available and each comes with a price tag that suits every budget. Exciting designs and features will surely dazzle even the most meticulous customer. The following sections discuss two types of water dispensing machines that are great value for money. The first one is able to provide sparklingly chilled water as really delightful refreshment. The second one produces boiling hot water needed to make coffee, tea and other hot drinks. Under Sink Water Chillers These water dispensing machines eliminate the cost and hassle of spending precious time going to the supermarket whenever bottled water has run out. They are equipped with a technologically advanced in line filtration system that can adequately provide a consistent source of chilled and filtered water. The water tastes absolutely great and it does not have the odors oftentimes associated with a mains water supply. The under sink or under counter water chillers are cost effective as well as environmentally friendly. They are directly connected to the mains water supply and the water passes through the in line filtration system. Organic chemicals and undesirable tastes and odors are effectively removed. The filtration process then yields crystal clear and fresh tasting water that is dispensed via the available tap of the machine. There are other essential features that every consumer must watch out for. It is best that the dispensers are built of stainless steel for durability while the coating is ideally of scratch and impact resistant plastic. The refrigeration system must be efficient and silent if possible. With a static condenser, the operation will be incredibly great, providing considerable energy savings. The sealed ice bank of the cooling system must be ensured at all times. Doing so will retain the hygienic levels of the dispensed water. There will then be a continual supply of ice cold water that is free from bacteria obtained from external sources. Also, the need for regular sanitization is reduced. The maintenance of the units is very easy and economical for the filter change and sanitization are done once every 6 months. The product supplier has replacement filters and sanitization kits readily available to prevent any hitch in the use of the machine. The most important thing to consider is that the dispensers bear the CE mark to ascertain that they have passed the European standards for product safety and usability. Hot Water Dispensers These appliances dispense water at near boiling point or at about 94 degrees Centigrade. They are commonly known as boiling water taps. They are available in two models such as hot only, and hot and cold water types. They are kettle like product items that boil and dispense single mugfuls of water. They normally have variable settings in the quantity of water being dispensed. A few seconds is all it takes to dispense water via the hot water dispensers. This means potential energy saving benefits can be acquired because only the necessary amount of water is boiled. The other types of hot water dispensing machines include boil on demand heaters, tank dispensers and thermo pot water dispensers. The boil on demand types of heaters is small, portable and cheap. It does not need installation and is an energy saver. The hot water tank type of dispensers needs to be plumbed directly to the water supply. The water is then heated and dispensed via the faucet. It has a built in filter and thermostat. The thermo pot type of hot water dispensers combines the features of an electric kettle and a hot water flask. It is potable and requires no installation. Water dispensers have innovative designs and awesome features to choose from. Remarkably, they possess both beauty and functionally that make modern life less stressful. There is a choice between countertop and under sink water chiller models, depending on individual preferences. Also, various hot water dispenser brands are also being offered and they serve as great alternatives for the traditional way of boiling water using a kettle.Beant Bajwa writes articles for PHS Waterlogic, a leading supplier of Water Dispensers in Europe. PHS Waterlogic has an exciting array of under sink water chiller items available. Hot Water Dispenser models are also being offered by PHS Waterlogic as part of its water dispenser line.
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
A Baby Shower for Harper!
Perhaps you recall a few months back when I posted the DIY tutorial for these cute pennant baby shower invites. Well, there actually was a baby shower to follow! I just haven?t gotten around to posting it (that is until now) because I wanted to make sure that it truly gets the attention it deserves as it was for a very special baby girl named Harper and her mama, Maaike. When we all heard Maaike was expecting her first baby, everyone wanted to throw her a baby shower as she is both a master entertainer and one of the most kind and generous people you?ll ever meet. While a group of us were in the throes of baby shower planning, baby Harper had a different plan and decided to arrive 12 weeks early! Needless to say, Maaike, her hubby Erik, baby Harper, and their entire families had many long and exhausting months ahead of them, but they made it (!!!!) and just before they came home, we were so thrilled to be able to throw this baby shower for them!
Maaike did not want frilly and pink. Her style is mason jars, beautiful flowers, and rustic elements, and we knew Harper?s nursery colors were yellow and red so we decided to go with a pennant theme. I found a book of scrapbook paper in fun patterns and the right colors and used it to make the invites along with this pennant bunting in which I simply used twine to connect each pennant.
Because there were so many people who wanted to celebrate Harper?s arrival, we decided to stick to cocktails, appetizers, and desserts for the late afternoon gathering.
Squat mason jars are perfect dip bowls, especially if you?re on the go.
Remember the wine barrel Lazy Suzan our friend Kim picked up when Maaike introduced us to Newburyport? It was perfect as a cheese platter and the centerpiece of the coffee table.
The vintage soda crates I picked up on my first trip to Brimfield were the perfect way to tote the mason jars we used to serve the lemonade.
I made a pennant bunting for the cake which the bakery made to coordinate with the invites and flags for the cupcakes.
Time to cut the cake!
In addition to the red and yellow theme, we also wanted to make sure that we pulled in some elements from Maaike?s Dutch heritage as it?s very important to her. Tulips, her favorite flowers, were an obvious choice. As baby showers are mostly an American tradition, there aren?t really any Dutch baby shower traditions, however, there is a tradition of serving a special type of cookie called a beschuit met muisjes. With the help of Maaike?s mother, we were able to get our hands on some.
Another Dutch tradition is to write your wishes for a bride and groom and attach them to a tree branch at their wedding. While this wasn?t a wedding, we thought this would still be a fun thing to do by using paper flowers from Paper Source and writing our wishes for baby Harper.
Then it was spoil Maaike and Harper time!
Amy picked up a onesie from one of Maaike?s favorite shops in Key West, Besame Mucho.
Maaike?s niece offers a basket of favorite items that have been passed down through generations of their family?so sweet!
And our friend Jenny brought this beautiful ?Welcome Baby? lilac flower arrangement.
And lastly, we lined the front porch with potted daisies wrapped in tissue and raffia to send home with our guests.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD BABY HARPER!
You are one lucky little girl to have the most wonderful parents, and we all can?t wait to watch you continue to grow into the amazing person we know you?re destined to be!
Image sources: ?Sarah Fernandez, Kate Filloramo, Maaike Bernstrom Photography
Source: http://chateauandbungalow.com/2012/07/25/a-baby-shower-for-harper/
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In This World, A Software Engineer Gets Paid - Business Insider
VMware's $1.26 billion acquisition of tiny startup Nicira was as much about grabbing talent as grabbing? technology, Valley insiders say.
VMware has been the target of much raiding because the timing is right. The company went public about five years ago. Early employees have likely fully vested their shares.
So says Jedidiah Yueh, CEO of Menlo Park-based Delphix. (He has a history with VMware's majority share owner, EMC, who acquired his previous startup Avamar in 2006 for $165 million. He stayed at EMC for about a year.)
His current startup?Delphix is now at 100 people, many of them from VMware, he says, including VMware's former vice president of product management, Karthik Rau.
"[Why did] VMware buy a company with under $10 million in revenue for over a billion dollars? It's a talent problem," says Yueh.
There is a major and "vicious recruiting" war going on in the Valley, says Big Switch cofounder Kyle Forster. Big Switch now has 44 employees and is hiring as fast is it can. But it hasn't been easy.?
Forster?says he turned down six of Cisco's distinguished engineers interested in working for him because they only knew hardware. A DE is the highest technical honor a Cisco employee can earn. When?Forster found a DE that also knew VMware, not only did he hire the guy, but the company is "paying him more than we pay the CEO." (Big Switch's CEO is cofounder Guido Appenzeller.)
Meanwhile, Insieme, a Cisco-backed startup,?has been raiding Nicira, VMware, and other companies for talent, too, and offering insane amounts of money?reportedly up to $2 million as an eventual payoff.
Why don't they hire from within Cisco? They do, but they are also in desperate need of software engineers. Insieme?is run by an engineering team well-known to Cisco: Mario Mazzola, Prem Jain and Luca Cafiero. Cisco has backed them before with what's called a "spin-in" strategy, where Cisco has an option to buy the company but employees can earn startup-like paydays.
This team was responsible for Cisco's super successful server product, UCS, and its next-generation Nexus switches from a previous spin-in called Nuova Systems. But Nuova had a secret weapon: VMware cofounder Ed Bugnion. Bugnion was the guy that knew software, while the Mazzola, Jain, and Cafiero knew hardware. Bugnion left Cisco to get his PhD at Stanford about a year ago and a source close to him says he's got no plans to join Insieme.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/enterprise-networking-recruiting-battle-2012-7
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1st US spacewoman, Sally Ride, pushed frontiers
FILE - In this June 1983 photo released by NASA, astronaut Sally Ride, a specialist on shuttle mission STS-7, monitors control panels from the pilot's chair on the shuttle Columbia flight deck. Ride, the first American woman in space, died Monday, July 23, 2012 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61. (AP Photo/NASA, File)
FILE - In this June 1983 photo released by NASA, astronaut Sally Ride, a specialist on shuttle mission STS-7, monitors control panels from the pilot's chair on the shuttle Columbia flight deck. Ride, the first American woman in space, died Monday, July 23, 2012 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61. (AP Photo/NASA, File)
FILE - This undated file photo released by NASA shows astronaut Sally Ride. Ride, the first American woman in space, died Monday, July 23, 2012 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61. (AP Photo/NASA, File)
FILE - This undated photo released by NASA shows astronaut Sally Ride. Ride, the first American woman in space, died Monday, July 23, 2012 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61. (AP Photo/NASA, File)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? Sally Ride loved everything about space. What she didn't like was being the first American woman to experience it.
It took years ? if not decades ? for her to get comfortable with her galactic status.
What drew her out was her San Diego-based education company, Sally Ride Science, which promotes science and math careers for girls and young women. She was determined to give back and she did, a thousand times over before her death of pancreatic cancer on Monday at age 61.
Ride burst onto the public stage when NASA chose her to be the nation's first woman in space.
With her catchy space-flying name and rock-solid science credentials, Ride inspired females the world over with her historic shuttle flight in 1983, five years after she and five other women gained entry to NASA's exclusively male astronaut club.
Some of those girls who looked up to Ride, way back when, went on to become astronauts themselves. Ride, a physicist, proved that women could be equal partners in space and that they, too, could aspire to such heights.
Ride was intensely private, though, and spurned the news media.
Her astronaut ex-husband, Steve Hawley, recalled Monday how she found herself "a very public persona," and "it was a role in which she was never fully comfortable."
"While she never enjoyed being a celebrity, she recognized that it gave her the opportunity to encourage children, particularly young girls, to reach their full potential," Hawley said in a statement.
In all, Ride flew just twice in space, both times aboard Challenger. A third shot at orbit vanished when the Challenger blew up. She found herself investigating the 1986 launch accident and in 2003 was back on a presidential panel looking into Columbia's destruction during its trip back to Earth, the echoes, as she put it, coming in loud and clear.
She lamented the fact that on the 20th anniversary of her record-breaking spaceflight, she was presiding over yet another shuttle tragedy.
Yet she said she'd jump at the chance to fly again on a shuttle, even after such horrific events, provided she could skip all the hard work that went into a mission.
There were times, though, that she wished she hadn't been first. Her female astronaut colleagues back then said they were glad it wasn't them.
The scrutiny, in and outside NASA, was off the scale. Ride was bombarded with sexist questions by reporters before her maiden voyage.
One newsman asked whether Ride wept when things went wrong. Another reporter asked if she planned to have children, and another wondered if she'd wear a bra in space. "There is no sag in zero-g," she replied.
At one point, Ride complained, "It's too bad this society isn't further along and this is still such a big deal."
She refused this reporter's request for an interview on the 10-year anniversary of her flight, but accepted a chance at reminiscing on the 20th.
"It was a huge honor," Ride said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2003. "On the other hand, it sure did complicate things. I'm the sort of person who likes to be able to just walk into the supermarket and not be recognized. I can do that most of the time now."
"A lot of people recognize the name. Very few recognize my face. That's very good," she said, laughing. "That is very good."
Ride was encouraging and highly supportive when astronaut Eileen Collins became the first female shuttle pilot and, consequently, commander back in the 1990s.
Collins was among the young women inspired by Ride's courageous journey and, like so many others, were stunned to learn of her death.
"Sally left us too soon," Collins said in a statement put out by NASA. "God Speed Sally, you will be greatly missed."
___
Online:
Sally Ride Science: https://www.sallyridescience.com/
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