The basics to making sound investment choices is to put your money into areas that have historically shown a good return and for that you need to consider commercial real estate. By following some of the tips and advice that will be outlined you will be confident in wading into this particular segment of the market.
Most investors know that all property values will go up over time, but that does not mean that you should be buying real estate simply to collect it. Investment decisions should be made wisely. That means doing your homework to find out which types of commercial properties are in the highest demand, not just now but in the future. Sinking your money into a dying strip mall may not be the best use of your funds.
Commercial real estate is a broad market segment so you cannot be expected to be an expert in all aspects of it from the beginning. Break it apart into small pieces and research those so that you become intimately familiar with them. This will help you know if an opportunity is good or not and allow you to invest when the timing is right.
Every property has a finite lifespan. This means that unless you are buying a brand new commercial property at some point in the near future you will need to make upgrades or repairs. These costs need to be factored into the purchase price or you could see your profits being rapidly depleted.
Starting out in commercial real estate investment it definitely not the easiest thing in the world to do. That?s way you can save yourself a lot of frustration by finding a good mentor you can learn from. Look at local investor groups, online forums or talk with local real estate agents. Many seasoned investors are willing to pass on their knowledge to eager beginners.
When you do find a commercial property that you are interested in make sure you do not forget the little matter of insurance. The last thing you want is to buy a property and find out that insuring the property is a challenge. Make sure you tell your insurance company exactly what the property?s use is so you can get an accurate insurance quote.
Within the commercial real estate market segment industrial properties make up a large percentage. With many of these properties comes environmental issues that need to be considered. Soil testing and other environmental studies need to be completed before you commit to any industrial property or you might be struck cleaning up someone else?s mess.
Financing for commercial real estate is not as straight forward as it is for residential properties. Your bank may not want to give you a commercial loan. In these situations you may need to find a lender who specializes in commercial properties or you may need to partner with someone who has the funds and is willing to invest.
Although there is no guarantee that your investment will make you money history has proved that commercial real estate is a sound investment that offers good returns. Use these tips, speak with the professionals and you will be well on your way to becoming a successful investor in this segment of the property market.
Stefan Hyross is a real estate market watcher with an eye on Brampton property both commercial and residential.
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Tags: Commercial Property, real estate, real estate advice, real estate investing
Posted in: Real Estate by LoanPK on September 19, 2012 - 5:04 pm
SEO or search engine optimization is the fusion of art and science technology and marketing skills together into a finely tuned site to be search engine friendly, ranking well for specific keywords and phrases, and for your audience from the perspective of buyers and sellers. Although SEO is not completely a technical marketing process, it does require a fair amount of technical knowledge of what constitutes search engine-friendly web design. Certain web design elements can either help your search engine rankings or hurt them. You simply have to know which is which.
Most SEO?s should give you some information on where your site stands currently. You link, keywords, where you rank on major search engines etc? Or, do one yourself. My article ?Google?s Helping hand? show you free tools that can help you evaluate where you are on search engines. Don?t go into any seo work blindly. Know where you stand before and after. Similarly, as an SEO, if you don?t know what your client needs to see, in terms of numbers, how can you justify your income from them? If search engine referrals have gone up, but conversion haven?t then there is no immediate value to the client.
A keyword tag is for keywords, but not for any keywords. You can?t just stuff this tag with keywords that your entire site is related to. The tags should reflect keywords only on that particular page; not the entire site and not every keyword you think your site might be searched on. It is sometimes used as a replacement for or combined with a description tag. However, more and more people are using these to stuff keywords. Search engine optimiser likes Google is interested in what is on the page. More specifically, what visitors can view? In my opinion, the abstract tag has no place on a site. Seo agency Australia will help you a lot.
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Student Loan ? Some Useful Tips Application : Because not many people who can pay for higher education without financial assistance at some point most students must complete at least one student loan application. This process can be daunting, but fear completing student loan applications is no reason to forgo higher education. Unfortunately, sometimes a student loan much easier to apply for those with the worst terms.
For this reason, any student seeking financial aid must be familiar with the types of loans available and the student loan application procedures must be followed in order to qualify for loans. FAFSA : The first step in financing Education The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA is the most important scholarship and student loan applications that all students must complete.
It is also common to use more complex and boring for students and their parents. This is because the FAFSA requires a lot of detailed financial information, including tax, student and parents. While implementation takes time, form is very important for all students. Filing the FAFSA is not only the only method to obtain federal funding for education, including Stafford loans, but it is also a prerequisite for a comprehensive state program that most loans and institutional basis.
Since this type of loan programs tend to offer the most favorable conditions for students, presenting the FAFSA should be the first step of every student on financial aid for federal Aid Even process.Applying Although the FAFSA is free and can be completed online, the comprehensive nature which also causes many students to give and receive personal loans with high interest rates and favorable repayment schedule. A little preparation can help families avoid unwanted situations, however.
Anyone seeking financial assistance should be sure to file a tax return as soon as possible. Immediately after the tax return is done, the family must meet the full statement, bank statements and financial documents and complete the FAFSA. Have papers in hand will make the process faster, and early submission is very important to ensure eligibility for the maximum amount of assistance available.
It is important that families are not just handed the FAFSA before the deadline, but before the deadline for each school and private lending programs. A completed FAFSA is often required before students can even submit another application for student loans, and often deadlines earlier than the federal deadline. School-based college financial AidMost Financial has offices and offer various forms of financial assistance and advice to students.
While the FAFSA is usually required to be eligible for school-based programs, there are also additional applications to complete. Because the deadline for school-based assistance is usually very beginning, all students should contact the financial aid office at your school as soon as decisions are made and obtain registration documentation. This documentation will often include general financial aid, application for certain scholarships and student loan application specifically for the loans offered by the school.
These applications may require personal information, and financial information necessary for the state Loans Many FAFSA. State offer specific loan programs, including low-interest loans, incentive loans and loan forgiveness based on race. As with the school-based loans, they require completion of the FAFSA application and additional documents, often including a request for additional student loans, but worth investigating.
Because they are partially funded by the state, these loans are more favorable to the interests of private higher student loan. In addition, students who plan to go to the high demand careers or living in certain areas may find that they are eligible for all or part of their loans forgiven after they meet graduation requirements.
PLUS loans, careers and lives for Parents and Graduate Students The PLUS loan program allows parents or graduate students to borrow money to pay for higher education. Loan application process is student loans, such as loans described above, requires a simple credit check to determine creditworthiness single parent or graduate student.
Some schools also require a FAFSA on file before they will declare the eligibility of students to receive one of these loans. Those who qualify have the advantage of getting a loan with a relatively low interest rate guaranteed by the federal government.
This type of loan is useful for families when other types of loans based on the non-financial and credit is not enough to cover student loan education student Loans Private expenses Private require credit checks, but the process of applying for their student loans are usually simple, and no FAFSA required. This makes sense, because these loans are offered by banks and other financial institutions are trying to make a profit.
Therefore, the family?s ability to obtain favorable for thee loans based on credit ratings. The application process is simple for these loans has caused many students rely on private funding and ignore all other options. While personal loans are a valid way to use in education funding, which should not be the first option considered.
Even with great credit, after all, the loan terms are almost never going to be as profitable as it is provided by the government supported the Lower Line The loans. The student loan application cycle can be challenging, and students need to be informed and educated consumer loans.
Financially savvy families should meet records, taxes and file the FAFSA as soon as possible. After processing the FAFSA, you will need to fill out paperwork school and state financial aid, be careful to follow all the lines deadlines. Only after exhaustion should investigate other loan options.
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When you go to hire mcdonough law firm, Smith Welch Webb & White or any attorney, there are certain things you should look into. By doing so, you narrow down your list of choices while also screening those you are considering. What type of information should you request when taking this step? Here are some suggestions to get you started. You are sure to think of more as you go along. The more you know, the easier it will be to make a selection.
Biographical information-Often this information may be found on the law firm website and this is true of Smith Welch Webb & White. Ensure they have the expertise needed to represent you.
Make use of the Internet to learn more about these lawyers. Determine if they have any articles, blogs or other information on the web. This gives you more information about their expertise.
Learn what associations the attorney belongs to. Ones you may wish to check into include the state?s trial lawyers? association or the American Association for Justice.
Ask attorneys you make use of to recommend those in your area of need. Don?t use a real estate attorney for representation in a personal injury suit and the same is true in reverse.
Visit a courtroom and see lawyers in action. If you find one whose style you like, ask if he or she takes on cases such as yours. If not, ask if they can recommend someone who does.
Use the newspaper. Find attorneys who have taken on cases in your area with good results. Publicity is a good way to learn about lawyers as the press is trained to report the facts, rather than opinions.
Visit www.smithwelchlaw.com to learn more about the attorneys of this firm. See practice areas and learn about those who will be on your team, working to ensure you receive proper representation. As no two people have the same skills, the more working together on your case, the better you will be. Don?t rush this process. Take the time to research attorneys as you often only get one shot to present your case in court. You need to ensure the representation you receive is the best possible.
Ancient diatoms could make biofuels, electronics and health food -- at the same timePublic release date: 17-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Greg Rorrer rorrergl@engr.orst.edu 541-737-3370 Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. Diatoms, tiny marine life forms that have been around since the dinosaurs, could finally make biofuel production from algae truly cost-effective because they can simultaneously produce other valuable products such as semiconductors, biomedical products and even health foods.
Engineers at Oregon State University concede that such technology is pushing the envelope a bit. But it's not science fiction many of the needed advances have already been made, and the National Science Foundation just provided a four-year, $2 million grant to help make it a working reality.
In theory, and possibly soon in practice, these amazing microscopic algae will be able to take some of the cheapest, most abundant materials on Earth - like silicon and nitrates - and add nothing much more than sunshine, almost any type of water, and carbon dioxide to produce a steady stream of affordable products.
The concept is called a "photosynthetic biorefinery." Sand, fertilizer, a little sun and saltwater, in other words, might some day power the world's automobiles and provide materials for electronics, with the help of a tiny, single-celled microstructure that already helps form the basis for much of the marine food chain and cycles carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere.
"This NSF program is intended to support long-range concepts for a sustainable future, but in fact we're demonstrating much of the science behind these technologies right now," said Greg Rorrer, an OSU professor and head of the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. Rorrer has studied the remarkable power of diatoms for more than a decade.
"We have shown how diatoms can be used to produce semiconductor materials, chitin fibers for biomedical applications, or the lipids needed to make biofuels," he said. "We believe that we can produce all of these products in one facility at the same time and move easily from one product to the other."
Biofuels can be made from algae, scientists have shown, but the fuels are a comparatively low-value product and existing technologies have so far been held back by cost. If this program can help produce products with much higher value at the same time like glucosamine, a food product commonly sold as a health food supplement then the entire process could make more economic sense.
Much of the cost in this approach, in fact, is not the raw materials involved but the facilities needed for production. As part of the work at OSU, researchers plan to develop mathematical models so that various options can be tested and computers used to perfect the technology before actually building it.
The key to all of this is the diatom itself, a natural nanotechnology factory that has been found in the fossil record for more than 100 million years. Diatoms evolved sometime around the Jurassic Period when dinosaurs flourished. A major component of phytoplankton, diatoms have rigid microscopic shell walls made out of silica, and the capability to biosynthesize various compounds of commercial value.
"Regular algae don't make everything that diatoms can make," Rorrer said. "This is the only organism we know of that can create organized structures at the nano-level and naturally produce such high-value products. With the right components, they will make what you want them to make."
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Editor's Note: A digital image of a diatom is available online: http://bit.ly/Qkf8BR
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Ancient diatoms could make biofuels, electronics and health food -- at the same timePublic release date: 17-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Greg Rorrer rorrergl@engr.orst.edu 541-737-3370 Oregon State University
CORVALLIS, Ore. Diatoms, tiny marine life forms that have been around since the dinosaurs, could finally make biofuel production from algae truly cost-effective because they can simultaneously produce other valuable products such as semiconductors, biomedical products and even health foods.
Engineers at Oregon State University concede that such technology is pushing the envelope a bit. But it's not science fiction many of the needed advances have already been made, and the National Science Foundation just provided a four-year, $2 million grant to help make it a working reality.
In theory, and possibly soon in practice, these amazing microscopic algae will be able to take some of the cheapest, most abundant materials on Earth - like silicon and nitrates - and add nothing much more than sunshine, almost any type of water, and carbon dioxide to produce a steady stream of affordable products.
The concept is called a "photosynthetic biorefinery." Sand, fertilizer, a little sun and saltwater, in other words, might some day power the world's automobiles and provide materials for electronics, with the help of a tiny, single-celled microstructure that already helps form the basis for much of the marine food chain and cycles carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere.
"This NSF program is intended to support long-range concepts for a sustainable future, but in fact we're demonstrating much of the science behind these technologies right now," said Greg Rorrer, an OSU professor and head of the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. Rorrer has studied the remarkable power of diatoms for more than a decade.
"We have shown how diatoms can be used to produce semiconductor materials, chitin fibers for biomedical applications, or the lipids needed to make biofuels," he said. "We believe that we can produce all of these products in one facility at the same time and move easily from one product to the other."
Biofuels can be made from algae, scientists have shown, but the fuels are a comparatively low-value product and existing technologies have so far been held back by cost. If this program can help produce products with much higher value at the same time like glucosamine, a food product commonly sold as a health food supplement then the entire process could make more economic sense.
Much of the cost in this approach, in fact, is not the raw materials involved but the facilities needed for production. As part of the work at OSU, researchers plan to develop mathematical models so that various options can be tested and computers used to perfect the technology before actually building it.
The key to all of this is the diatom itself, a natural nanotechnology factory that has been found in the fossil record for more than 100 million years. Diatoms evolved sometime around the Jurassic Period when dinosaurs flourished. A major component of phytoplankton, diatoms have rigid microscopic shell walls made out of silica, and the capability to biosynthesize various compounds of commercial value.
"Regular algae don't make everything that diatoms can make," Rorrer said. "This is the only organism we know of that can create organized structures at the nano-level and naturally produce such high-value products. With the right components, they will make what you want them to make."
###
Editor's Note: A digital image of a diatom is available online: http://bit.ly/Qkf8BR
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In a world where we can hear what we want to at any time thanks to streaming music services like Spotify and Grooveshark, Tunes.io takes a different approach: The service starts each new day with a fresh playlist full of multiple genres and diverse artists, and you don't get a say in who's there. With luck, you'll hear?and fall in love with?something new.
Music discovery is a difficult thing to do these days?most streaming music services tend to offer up songs they think we'll like, often at the expense of opening our ears to different genres and musicians?or even worse, playing the same songs over and over again. Tunes.io is a simple answer: a medium-sized playlist, new every day, of different tracks and artists. If you like what you hear or want to hear more, hit the archive link at the bottom of the page to listen to previous playlists. Tunes.io is brand new, but so far the mix is interesting to say the least.
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's economy grew 6.28 percent in the second quarter of this year, driven by non-oil sector growth, while inflation fell for the second straight month in August helped by tight monetary policy, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported.
GDP growth in Africa's second largest economy accelerated in the second quarter, up from 6.17 percent in the first quarter, which was the lowest quarterly rise in three years.
"The non-oil sector was driven by growth in activities recorded in the building and construction sector, while oil sector output decreased (compared with Q2 2011)," the NBS said in a report on Sunday.
Nigeria's economy is expected to expand at a slower rate this year, after rising 7.4 percent in 2011, due to disruptions to oil production and economic weakness in developed countries that buy its gasoline-rich crude.
Consumer inflation eased to 11.7 percent year-on-year in August, down from 12.8 percent in July, largely due to a fall in food inflation which dropped to 9.9 percent in August from 12.1 percent the previous month, NBS said.
Average crude oil output from Africa's largest producer rose marginally to 2.38 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter, from 2.35 million bpd in the first quarter. This was down from 2.45 million bpd in the second quarter last year.
Oil accounts for more than 80 percent of Nigerian government revenue and around 95 percent of its foreign exchange earnings.
Although Nigeria's economy has been one of the fastest growing in the world, poor fiscal management, corruption and poor infrastructure has wasted some of these gains.
The NBS relies on data from the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp to compile its oil statistics.
It said high interest rates and lower food prices had helped temper inflation.
"The relative moderation in the index is attributable to the relative slower rises in both the Food and 'core' indices partly as a result of aggressive monetary policy initiatives by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), base effects and a much lower rise in several food prices," the bureau said.
The CBN monetary policy committee will meet next week and while the inflation numbers will feed some private sector demand for a loosening of monetary policy, most analysts are expecting rates to remain at 12 percent, as they have been since November last year. The rate decision will be announced on Tuesday.
Why You Need The Security Of OWNED Moorage Vs. A Rented Slip
Don?t buy a floating home in a rented slip when there are Seattle floating homes for sale with the security of an owned slip!!! ?Why on Earth would you want your investment to not be secure? ?The city of Seattle has been dwindling down the Seattle floating community for a hundred years with regular new ordinances and it is more important now than ever to make sure that you are purchasing a floating home that is either on a fee simple dock, a condominium dock, or a co-op dock. ?Leased slips are not secure and when you go to sell it, you will have trouble finding buyers who can obtain financing. ?The few lenders who lend on Seattle floating homes don?t like to do it on leased docks unless there is a long term lease in place. ? ? Can the seller obtain owned moorage from their landlord? ?Ask them! ? ?
Here is an example of a Seattle floating home for sale that is in its secure OWNED slip:
Enjoy life afloat in Seattle in one of the most private spots along Westlake:?Large kitchen & wonderful sleeping loft, plus a great office. Newer roof and deck ? Great access to Downtown, Queen Anne & Fremont, walking/cycling trails (including the Cheshiahud Loop) w/ all the perks of?living on Lake Union! ?If you are looking for Amazon Housing or other Housing near South Lake Union, then this is a GREAT Choice!
Offered at just $255,000
??(Co-op owned moorage is a very secure way to own the land that your??is in)?Owned Lake Union Moorage?Seattle floating home
LOW Taxes and dues (you will be shocked at the affordability compared to the warnings some might give you as to the affordability of a?Seattle floating home)
LOW?Mortgage?Interest rates available (ask me for referrals for your?Seattle Houseboat?financing?needs because it is different than a traditional mortgage in requirements and terms)
Sleeping loft with room to go up below city height restrictions.
extra room for office or second sleeping room
large bathroom can accomodate a full?laundry?suite
ridiculously large entertaining kitchen
Very friendly dock from my experiences there
Westlake Cove is quite protected from rougher waters in parts of Lake Union
This is a great Seattle floating home for sale ? you can compare it to other?Seattle houseboats for sale?right now and see that this one is a GREAT BUY! ?It is the most affordable Seattle floating home on the market with owned moorage.
Posted byCourtney Cooper, Realtor, Cooper Jacobs Real Estate, courtney@cooperjacobs.com, 206-850-8841onSeptember 16, 2012 at 12:26 pm| Permalink | Categories: Co-op Moorage, Condo Moorage, Houseboat Docks, Houseboat Financing, Houseboat History, Lake Union Moorage, Lake Union Waterfront Homes, Leased Moorage, Seattle Floating Homes, Seattle Houseboat Legislation, Seattle Houseboats, Seattle Houseboats For Sale, Seattle Waterfront Homes, Westlake, Westlake Cove, seattle houseboats realtors
For an particular to successfully generate an acceptable income, it is necessary to have good position of mind. Some company keepers claim having additional time on their hands as being the consultant made his or her?s procedure well organized. Just as many businesses may not thrive with a particular employee, a consulting firm also requires a strong team to give the best gains. Business consultancy services usually provide you these missing things that can not mainly turn a unable company round to a successful enterprise, but can also build at the success of an excellent firm and let it to even more dominate its current market. It has become surprisingly easy for them youngster should be identify the correct business expert regarding business. If a person owns an enterprise that is owning issues or if you are looking to available their business, it would be considered wise investment to search for assistance from a small company consultant. A consultant without delay recognizes the contours on the business by acquiring its weaknesses and also strengths. empresas consultoras.
It provides guidance when generating crucial business selections. Nor is it very essential that you have been through management or own held a referred to as position. Professionally create your resume to have good opportunity inside consultancy field. Gather feedback as a result of employees, advisors, creditors, customers, suppliers, managers and c-suite executives where are the virtually all urgent issues. You still here is a source of prior, present and foreseeable future customers. They can enable you to write your textual content, and create forceful promotional items. Normally, you will always be meeting clients where their particular business is established. consultoria a empresas
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A good industry consultant has experience in the and with an easy range of organisations. ? Business people know that increased marketing efforts, enhanced web growth, a good strategize your move plan, and many other items will increase his or her current and long-term profit. Many problems can arise threatening you?re the fabric of the companies existence. Action on your part is definitely the absolute ingredient that really must be added, and that?s your decision. You will participate in a team hence make sure it is just a team you need to be part of! Your business will be installed and operating faster with his or her?s assistance because they will let you avoid unnecessary techniques. consultores de empresas
Tags: consultores de empresas, consultoria a empresas, empresas consultoras
Mel Brooks and Harvey Korman in "Blazing Saddles."
Humor is subjective, but that doesn't mean certain comedies don't strike a chord with almost everyone. "A Christmas Story" is as popular as holiday presents, and who hasn't quoted "Airplane!" in appropriate situations?("Shirley, you can't be serious?") And then there are the Monty Python films. And semi-universal favorites such as "Caddyshack."?You get the picture...
A recent British survey?declared "Airplane!" the funniest movie of all time. That survey gets technical, even calculating?the exact number of supposed laughs per minute. For most of us, though, our reactions aren't quite so scientific. If it's funny, we laugh, and certain films just hit our funny bone over and over again.
We asked a few of our staffers to share their favorite funny flicks, and want to hear from you about the films that make you laugh the most.?
'Blazing Saddles' "Blazing Saddles" burns its way across the comedic landscape of the Old West with stereotypes, puns, wordplay, sight gags and even racial jokes (designed to disarm as much as entertain). ?The film's rightfully famous for several scenes, including bean-laden cowboys doing what bean-laden cowboys do around a campfire, and when muscle-bound henchman Mongo enters town and punches a horse to the ground. During the film's climax, horses go flying, fists go flying and reality flies right off the rails as the hordes of fighting outlaws and townsfolk invade first the film lots, then Hollywood, no doubt killing more men than Cecil B. DeMille.? ?--David Gostisha
?Team America: World Police? It?s tasteless and profane and I would be mortified my mom was sitting next to me while it was on, but ?Team America: World Police? is undeniably hilarious. And when it came out in 2004, just a few years after the 9-11 attacks, it was kind of cathartic, too. The team destroys Paris while fighting terrorists and celebrates while Parisians stand horrified in the rubble of their city. Kim Jong Il?s black panthers of death turn out to be adorable housecats. Middle Eastern puppets mimic the Cantina Band scene from ?Star Wars.? Puppets die bloody, flaming deaths and have really weird puppet sex. And the soaring, wonderfully jingoistic anthem ?America! (Bleep) Yeah!?, which praises American institutions from Starbucks to slavery, is an F-word filled classic. ?How is this not our national anthem?? writes one YouTube commenter. How indeed? ? ?Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
'A Christmas Story' A confession: I just can't look at, or even think about, the tongue-meets-icy-flagpole scene in "A Christmas Story." If you grew up in an icy climate like me, even if you were never triple-dog-dared to lick a metal flagpole, you know all too well that unnerving, creepy feeling when wet skin accidentally meets below-zero metal. But that aside, this has to be the funniest holiday movie ever. The pink bunny suit. "You'll shoot yer eye out!" The Major Award. The Bumpuses' dogs and the Old Man's beloved turkey. "A crummy COMMERCIAL?" Ralphie's holiday frustrations are enough to make anyone say "Fudge!" ? ?--G.F.C.
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?His Girl Friday? Movies didn?t always rely on fart jokes and bodily excretions to get a laugh. Back when screwball comedy reigned, words were the weapons designed to split sides. And there was no better example in 1940 than ?His Girl Friday,? a film that perfectly matched an athletic Cary Grant mugging as newspaper editor Walter Burns and a?mischievous?Rosalind Russell as his ex-wife/star reporter Hildegard ?Hildy? Johnson. She?s about to get remarried to Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy), the sappiest of saps, and leave the profession, and Walter won?t have it. Meanwhile, a condemned man has escaped from prison on the eve of his execution and Walter enlists Hildy to cover the story for old time?s sake. The pair run, flail, throw things and generally make a hectic mess of the courthouse press room as they trade verbal barbs with such crisp speed that it?s impossible to catch them all on a first go-round. Witty and smart, it?s a rollicking tale designed for the ADD generation. Stop the presses and check it out, now! ? ?--Randee Dawn
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?Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy? Because the real news is often the furthest thing from funny, give credit to Will Ferrell for elevating this spoof on a TV newsman in 1970s San Diego. Ron Burgundy is hilarious because of his overblown sense of confidence and self-worth in the face of repeated acts of stupidity. He?s only outdone in those categories by his cast of co-workers, including Brick Tamland (Steve Carrell) and Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd). Christina Applegate is perfect as Veronica Corningstone, the new female reporter ?who brings ?diversity? -- no that?s not a Civil-War era wooden ship -- to the newsroom. From the jazz flute scene to beloved dog Baxter getting kicked off a bridge, it?s clear why ?Anchorman? is kind of a big deal in comedy. ? ? --Kurt Schlosser
What's your favorite funny movie? Tell us on Facebook.
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There was nothing settled in Baltimore this weekend: the Yankees crushed the Orioles 13-3 on Sunday to earn a split of the four-game series and maintain a one-game lead in the AL East.
Curtis Granderson and Derek Jeter homered in the rout.
The Yankees took a 5-0 lead in a four-run fourth inning that included a pair of bases-loaded walks. Baltimore came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame, but that amounted to all of the team?s scoring on the day. The Yankees turned it into a laugher by scoring two in the seventh and five in the eighth.
Granderson became the first Yankee since at least 1918 to knock in five runs in a game in which he didn?t start. He pinch-hit for Andruw Jones after the Orioles replaced left-hander Zach Britton and had a solo homer, a two-run single and a two-run double in his three at-bats.
The Cubs? David DeJesus and the Athletics? Seth Smith have also had five-RBI games off the bench this year.
Joba Chamberlain got his first win of the year for the Yankees after relieving Freddy Garcia in the fourth and pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
While nothing was settled in the standings this weekend, it will likely prove to be a costly series for both teams. Nick Markakis is out six weeks with a broken thumb after being hit by a CC Sabathia pitch, and Mark Teixeira could be done for at least the regular season after aggravating his calf Saturday night.
An unidentified man on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk hands out cards advertising exotic dancers on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Las Vegas officials have passed a litter ordinance requiring such ?handbillers? to pick up after tourists who drop the materials. The American Civil Liberties Union says the new ordinance might violate free speech protections. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)
An unidentified man on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk hands out cards advertising exotic dancers on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Las Vegas officials have passed a litter ordinance requiring such ?handbillers? to pick up after tourists who drop the materials. The American Civil Liberties Union says the new ordinance might violate free speech protections. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)
An unidentified man on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk hands out cards advertising exotic dancers on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Las Vegas officials have passed a litter ordinance requiring such ?handbillers? to pick up after tourists who drop the materials. The American Civil Liberties Union says the new ordinance might violate free speech protections. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)
An unidentified couple on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk push a toddler in a stroller past a discarded pamphlet advertising exotic dancers on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Las Vegas officials have passed a litter ordinance requiring ?handbillers? to pick up after tourists who drop their materials. The American Civil Liberties Union says the new ordinance might violate free speech protections. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)
LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Some tourists try to dissuade them by directing icy glares their way. Others stare, zombie-like, into the Las Vegas Strip's ubiquitous video screens and light displays in an effort to ignore the pushy handbill distributors.
But some tourists accept the pamphlets and glossy cards that advertise all-but-nude exotic dancers. Then, more often than not, they toss the material in the trash. Or if a trash can isn't nearby, onto the sidewalk ? creating an endless X-rated litter problem that Las Vegas officials are now trying to clean up.
A new ordinance requires handbillers to pick up litter within a 25-foot radius on the sidewalk. But there's a hitch: The law might run afoul of the First Amendment.
"If someone takes some material, regardless of what it is, and then walks down the street and decides to drop it, that's the person who is littering. That's the person that is responsible, not the person who gave it to them originally," said Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for the Nevada American Civil Liberties Union.
Las Vegas police aren't enforcing the ordinance yet. The ACLU has been meeting regularly with the exotic dancer businesses and police to talk about how that will happen, as well as encourage handbillers to help keep the Strip clean. The group has not yet challenged the law in court.
Meanwhile, handbillers ? they're also called "card-slappers" for the noise they make to get people's attention ? are as in-your-face as ever.
"They're totally annoying," John Marquez, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, said on a recent evening. "I pretty much take them and toss them in the first garbage can I see."
One card he'd just grabbed near the Monte Carlo advertised a nearly nude woman named "Giesele" and a "$35 Special" but offered no other details on what the deal involved.
The legions of handbillers on the Strip on any given day include about 25 who work the Strip for Hillsboro Entertainment. They hand out some 50,000 handbills a week, according to the company's owner, Vincent Bartello.
Sure, he could probably get the law overturned, he said. He doesn't want to.
"We're not actually littering. It's the tourists, the people who come here. But if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here. And I want to be able to make something better for them," Bartello said.
Hillsboro Entertainment always has picked up after itself, he added. And his dancers absolutely are not prostitutes.
"We do not condone that. We send out dancers, entertainers, to entertain for customers that call," he said.
Prostitution is legal in most of rural Nevada but illegal in metropolitan areas like Las Vegas and Reno. Still, the sex trade flourishes in Sin City.
Las Vegas tried directly to prohibit handbilling in 1997. The ACLU intervened in court and won. Subsequent court rulings have established that sidewalks along the Strip are public thoroughfares where the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, Lichtenstein said.
Lately, rather than keep going after the handbillers, Clark County has been focused on a clean-up-the-Strip effort that also will examine where to put trash cans and whether handbillers are impeding pedestrian flow in some areas.
"People are having to wade their way through some of that stuff," Clark County Manager Don Burnette said.
To Lichtenstein, how police will enforce a law that requires handbillers to clean up their area no less than every 15 minutes is an obvious problem.
"I'm not sure the police even understand what they're supposed to be enforcing," he said. "Depending on what happens, we may be back in court again."
Police Capt. Todd Fasulo said the law is straightforward and, as with any crime, enforcement will be a matter of police priorities.
At least one visitor was more concerned about the use of so much paper than the sultry images being thrust at her husband.
"It's a waste of trees," said John Marquez's wife, Kaye. "There's got to be a better way to do advertising."
Or how about recycling? Last time they were in Vegas, they collected dozens of exotic dancer cards and stuffed them into birthday gift bags for friends back home.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? President Barack Obama is unleashing a new Medicare offensive against rival Mitt Romney, eager to shake his Republican challenger off his economic focus and turn the campaign on to territory more favorable to Democrats.
Campaigning for a second day in Florida, where older voters and workers approaching retirement hold sway, Obama on Sunday was expected to highlight a study by a Democratic leaning group that concluded that on average a man or woman retiring at age 65 in 2023, would have to pay $59,500 more for health care over the length of their retirement under Romney's plan.
The numbers are even higher for younger Americans who retire later, the study found. A person who qualifies for Medicare n 2030 ? today's 48-year-old ? would see an increase of $124,600 in Medicare costs over their retirement period.
The study was conducted by David Cutler, a Harvard professor and health policy expert who served in the Clinton administration and was Obama's top health care adviser during the 2008 presidential campaign. Cutler conducted the study for the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund.
A senior administration official said Obama would draw attention to the study on Sunday as he takes his two-day Florida bus tour to Melbourne and West Palm Beach on Florida's Atlantic Coast.
Romney would seek to contain Medicare costs by giving retirees voucher-like government payments that they could use to either buy regular Medicare or private health insurance. But Cutler says older Americans would have to pay more out of pocket to cover the rising costs of health care.
Obama aides believe they successfully forced Romney to temporarily drop his emphasis on the sluggish economy last month by raising the Medicare issue in the wake of Romney's selection of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate. Romney and Ryan countered by arguing that Obama planned to cut hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare spending over 10 years to pay for his health care plan.
Whether either side gained politically from that debate is unclear. But Republican analysts say it did take Romney off his economic focus, which they say is essential for him to win the election, especially after a bleak jobs report that showed meager job growth and more unemployed people choosing not to seek work.
Campaigning in Kissimmee, Fla., on Saturday, Obama had already worked Medicare into rally speeches.
"I want you to know I will never turn Medicare into a voucher," he told a high energy crowd of 3,000 at the Kissimmee Civic Center. "I believe no American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies. After a lifetime of labor, you should retire with dignity and respect."
Vice President Joe Biden, campaigning in Ohio, called the GOP plan "Vouchercare."
Biden said the Romney and Ryan plan would force "Mom" to go out into the insurance market and look for the best deal she can find. If the plan costs more than the voucher amount, "They say, 'Mom go borrow somewhere' " to pay for it, Biden said.
Cutler's Democratic affiliations make him vulnerable to accusations of partisanship. But much of his data is drawn from studies by the independent Congressional Budget Office, which has projected even higher costs to future retirees under a 2011 budget plan written by Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Budget Committee.
The budget agency said future retirees would pay more under Ryan's plan than if they went into traditional Medicare. By 2030, a typical 65-year-old would be paying two-thirds of his or her health costs, the agency said.
Romney spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said the vice president's comments were "further proof that the Obama campaign is unable and unwilling to talk honestly or substantively about the most important issues driving the country."
Romney and Ryan were planning to be off the campaign trail Sunday, although both men taped appearances on several Sunday talk shows.
As the campaign moves into its post-convention frenetic pace, the Obama campaign also began to tar Romney with guilt by association, accusing him of embracing extreme partisan policies.
The campaign accused Romney of not standing up to "the most strident voices in his party" because he acknowledged Rep. Steve King at an Iowa rally. King is a conservative congressman from Iowa who has taken tough anti-immigration stances, including suggesting an electrified fence along the Mexican border.
"This man needs to be your congressman again," Romney said at an event Friday. "I want him as my partner in Washington D.C."
The Democratic National Committee followed with a Web video Saturday that concluded in bold letters: "Mitt Romney & Steve King. Partners in extremism."
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden brushed aside the criticism. King "has been supportive of the governor and he's come to a number of our events in the past," Madden told reporters.
The Obama camp again accused Romney of "associating with some of the most strident and divisive voices in the Republican Party," after a Romney aide told reporters that the GOP nominee "spoke briefly" with conservative televangelist Pat Robertson at a campaign event on Saturday.
___
Daly reported from Chillicothe, Ohio. Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed from Virginia Beach, Va.
Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
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People insist on keeping illegal exotic pets, and illegal exotic pets keep inflicting severe injury on said people. That inevitable cycle is expedited, perhaps, when you feed your poor monkey a steady diet of Frosted Flakes and juice. A woman in Paso Robles, Calif., found out the hard way when her Javan macaque ? a monkey with a dog-like bite?? ripped into her arm and fingers.
The monkey is being held for 60 days at an animal conservatory, and is being fed a proper diet of fleshy fruits. [Source]
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Microsoft claims that people preferred its Bing search engine to Google by a margin of almost 2 to 1 in a test. The company's new "Bing It On" campaign aims to convince people that Bing's search results really are more relevant than Google's.
By Jeff Ward-Bailey / September 7, 2012
Microsoft says its Bing search engine delivers better search results than Google's search. Here, the BingItOn.com web site offers users a blind test to see which they prefer.
BingItOn.com
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Pretend, for a minute, that you're Microsoft. You've long claimed that people prefer your search engine, Bing, to Google's juggernaut. But only 15 percent of online searches are coming through Bing, while Google's got a massive two-thirds dominance of the market. Search habits, apparently, die hard. What to do?
Skip to next paragraph Jeff Ward-Bailey
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Jeff began writing for the Monitor's Horizons blog in 2011, covering product news and rumors, innovations from companies like Apple and Google, and developments in tech policy.
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How about a search engine version of the Pepsi challenge?
Microsoft is doing exactly that with the launch of the "Bing It On" campaign this week. The company claims that people preferred Bing over Google by a margin of almost 2 to 1 in an independent test, and it wants to prove that its search results really are more useful to the public. Head over to BingItOn.com, and you'll be invited to compare side-by-side search results (for search strings of your own choosing, of course) and select the more relevant of the two without knowing which is which. Best of five searches wins.
The site doesn't give a running tally of the results of everyone's tests, but at least it's upfront about telling you which search engine you preferred after five rounds -- Microsoft apparently feels pretty strongly that people will actually choose Bing. Microsoft CMO Mike Nichols wrote in a company blog, "Our mission is to show people it?s time to break the 'Google habit,'" adding that "Bing has reached a quality level that will make it easy to switch."
So, how does Bing stack up? You'll want to test it out with your own search strings, but in our test Bing did manage to edge out Google, albeit barely. Bing's results for "Christian Science Monitor," for example, returned the paper's own page first (complete with section headers and the ability to search within the site), followed by recent stories, popular Monitor subsections, and the Monitor's Facebook and Tumblr pages. Google had the same top results, but missed the paper's top stories (opting instead to show a single Monitor cover story that had been reprinted by another media outlet earlier in the week). Pretty close, but overall the Bing page was slightly more useful.
This isn't the first time Microsoft has tried to use blind tests to encourage customers to change their allegiances. The company held a "Windows Phone Challenge" earlier this year, which began with a video of a Microsoft employee betting people $100 that his Windows phone was faster than their Android phone or iPhone. That campaign fizzled, but Microsoft clearly sees value in the blind-test method of product evangelism. And a little exposure for Bing certainly isn't a bad thing -- assuming its search results really do stack up against Google's.
Do you have a search engine preference? Have you had good experiences with Bing, Google, or something else? (Please don't say AltaVista.) Let us know in the comments section below.
To receive regular updates on how technology intersects daily life, follow us on?Twitter @venturenaut.
Last Sunday, Paralympic favourite Oscar Pistorius was beaten to the gold medal in the T44 200-metre final by Brazilian Alan Fonteles Oliveira. Pistorius called the race unfair, saying Oliveira ran on excessively long blades that boosted his stride length.
To comply with regulations laid down by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), athletes' prostheses must not convey an "unrealistic enhancement". But working out exactly where enhancement begins is tricky. Officials can use limb measurements from able-bodied non-disabled people, and guess how long the legs of double amputees should be by looking at their body measurements, such as the distance between the sternum and the fingertips.
To give themselves the best advantage within the rules, double amputees are likely to pick prostheses as long as is legally allowed. Oliveira increased the length of his by 4 centimetres three weeks ago. Despite the extension, however, The Guardian points out that Pistorius's strides were 2.2 metres long on average, whereas Oliveira's only averaged 2 metres.
"I can see where [Pistorius] is coming from," says David James, a sports engineer at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. "You can tell by looking at [the athletes] that they can't really stand up ? it seems they've taken their heights to unnatural levels."
The IPC stood by its decision to approve Oliveira's blades. All the athletes participating in the race were checked before its start, the IPC said in a statement on 3 September. "All were within the regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook," the committee said. "The problem isn't [Oliveira's] prosthesis," says Graham Arthur, a member of the IPC classification committee. "That's the way sport works ? it's unpredictable. On the night, [Oliveira] just performed better." Nonetheless, the committee has agreed to talk to Pistorius at a later date about his concerns.
Double standards?
Others have less time for Pistorius's argument, pointing out that the sprinter is thought to have has deliberately kept his blades shorter than the maximum limit in order to also qualify for the Olympics. Pistorius had previously argued that his blades don't give him an advantage over his able-bodied competitors.
"Unfortunately, Pistorius has invalidated his reasons for being able to run in the Olympics as well as the Paralympics," says Steve Haake, also at Sheffield Hallam University. "To run in the Olympics, his team claimed that he had no advantage over non-amputees. Pistorius is now saying that you just need to lengthen your prosthetics to go faster ? something non-amputees cannot do."
James agrees: "Pistorius was given the green light to run in the Olympics on the basis that his blades give him no advantage," he says. "He seems to be devaluing his own argument."
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We have all experienced that ?brain goes blank? emotion at some time or other. Maybe it has occurred if you have gone for an interview or had to talk to a group and the most common reason is when faced with an or test of any sort. This anxiety that creates your mind to go blank is linked to an of failure.In many civilizations fear of failure is linked quite closely with failing an exam. So much exam stress is positioned on teenagers today, from early SATS checks to national assessments at GCSE and above. People are not immune from this degree of exam stress as they too encounter panic of this form as their job grows and more qualifications are required. Life long learning has a lot to reply for!This is what I?d recommend if you discover yourself with this ?intellect goes blank? situation:Take a deep breath in Release the breath gradually See the problem on the exam paper again Search for key term that the examiner has used Write these words and phrases on a sheet of paper Add to the page the rest of the words and phrases that can come in your thoughts You should not answer the question however Allow your brain wander and add more ideas Now re-read the question Commence to write your answer. Use the words and phrases you have mentioned to obtain you started. When you start to write you will surprise yourself how a great deal more information comes to mind.Why does this work?Often when we experience exam stress and anxiety it is because we discover others in the room writing and generally speaking looking as if they know what they are doing. This may or may perhaps not be correct. But, when we begin to publish things down ourselves we can begin to get the ?stream? going. By writing key words and phrases and connecting them with others which come into our minds we?ve begun the answering process. Sometimes it is just starting that is the hardest thing.Remember that the examiner is trying to help you.When an sets a question he is trying to help you by asking you to answer the question. When you answer comprehensively the question, you are demonstrating your knowledge and skills associated with the subject. This is exactly what an exam is about ? an opportunity to showcase your skills and knowledge. Make use of the hints and key phrases he?s giving you and your exam stress and anxiety levels will reduce leaving you to think more clearly.Other methods to help clear a blank mindUse visualisation to clear the mind. Perhaps you visit a dense fog when you are struggling with exam stress. By raising this fog in your imagination you?ll reduce your exam panic and so have the ability to begin to see the answers so a lot more clearly. There are therefore many ways that it is possible to picture a clear mind or get into the ?flow? in order to obtain exam success.Let fear of failure and exam nerves be a point of the past. Explore new methods for reducing exam stress ? your school teacher is unlikely to do this with you.Good fortune
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A good actuel rep broker should be able to give clients a good guesstimate with respect to the functional square footage of the space he?s shown a tenant.
Most tenants feel that leasing NYC office space resembles renting an apartment. Obviously it isn?t and setting up a small mistake as a result of lack of experience and knowledge may cost a company a fortune in the term of a hire. These two examples are simply a couple among several potential mistakes any tenant can make without appropriate guidance. Contrary to popular belief there are multiple varieties of electricity charges throughout commercial real estate leases. Sounds ridiculous but it?s true. The most widely used varieties are called rent add-on, submetered, and direct. Submetered electrical is basically the property owners way of metering a tenants electric and getting them a portion profit on top of your exact usage. Market prices on this surcharge are anywhere from 8% to as high as 15%. A great way to comprehend these pitfalls along with the many others not talked about here is toseek advice from a tenant portrayal commercial real estate broker. These are generally brokers whose single job is to signify tenants in purchases and instruct all of them on avoiding common costly errors when negotiating commercial real estate transactions. For more info on JSN Properties go to office space for rent JSN Propertes 1123 Broadway #308 New York, NY 10010
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