Safe glass facades

Public release date: 14-Feb-2013
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Contact: Oliver Millon
oliver.millon@emi.fraunhofer.de
49-762-890-50629
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Metropolises like San Francisco are in a state of constant flux. Excavators and wrecking balls tear down dilapidated old factories and houses that are beyond renovation, freeing up space for new structures. Entirely in this spirit of dynamism, a huge building complex will soon go up on a site where until recently a train station stood: the Transbay Transit Center, a five-story structure with glass facades, over 20,000 square meters of floor area, and a glass-covered park on the roof. A second phase will see the construction of an additional high-rise building. The budget is 4 billion US dollars.

The glass facades and glass roof add greatly to the building's esthetic appeal. But what about the safety of the huge areas of glass? What happens if a bomb detonates in the vicinity of the complex? This is precisely what a New York engineering office has commissioned researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach Institute, EMI in Efringen-Kirchen in southwest Germany to investigate. "We are using the 'Blast-STAR' shock tube to test different glazing structures of glass facades for their resistance to the pressures produced by explosions at various distances," says the EMI researcher Oliver Millon.

Testing safety glazing, windows, and doors

The principle behind it is this: the shock tube consists of a driver (high-pressure) section and a driven (low-pressure) section, which are separated by a steel diaphragm. Researchers can compress the air in the driver section to a pressure of up to 30 bar, i.e. to approximately 30 times atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. This permits the component to be subjected to a load pressure of 2.3 bar. When researchers set the appropriate amount of pressure, the steel diaphragm is ruptured: the air rushes out into and through the driven section and hits the glass section being tested, which is attached to the end of the shock tube, as a planar shock front. First the glass is forcefully pushed backward, before the pressure relents and the glass is sucked forward. Depending on the pressure the researchers set in the driver section, they can simulate detonations of different amounts of explosive at different distances from the building from 100 to 2,500 kilograms of TNT at distances from 35 to 50 meters from the building. Does the glass come through the procedure undamaged? Or does it crack or even shatter into tiny pieces? There are various DIN and ISO standards specifying the different pressures that windows and glass facades must withstand without cracking, and EMI researchers are testing different manufacturers' safety glazing, windows, and doors against the specifications laid down in these standards.

"Although shock tube technology is well known in principle, there are only a handful of shock tubes in existence worldwide," explains Millon. "The fact that extremely high stresses arise in the tubes makes them very complex to manufacture and operate." For example, the apparatus must be able to withstand abrupt changes in pressure across a large area; the glass sections being tested can be up to nine square meters in size. "In addition, we must ensure that we achieve a planar shock front at the glass section being tested, in other words that the shock wave reaches each part of the glass section at the same time," says Millon. To this end, the researchers carried out computer simulations prior to construction of the shock tube and subsequently confirmed the results by taking measurements in the finished apparatus.

The preliminary investigations into selecting suitable glass structures for the Transbay Transit Center have already been completed. Further investigations are planned for certified demonstration of the blast resistance of the pane types selected during the construction phase.

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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.

Public release date: 14-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Oliver Millon
oliver.millon@emi.fraunhofer.de
49-762-890-50629
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Metropolises like San Francisco are in a state of constant flux. Excavators and wrecking balls tear down dilapidated old factories and houses that are beyond renovation, freeing up space for new structures. Entirely in this spirit of dynamism, a huge building complex will soon go up on a site where until recently a train station stood: the Transbay Transit Center, a five-story structure with glass facades, over 20,000 square meters of floor area, and a glass-covered park on the roof. A second phase will see the construction of an additional high-rise building. The budget is 4 billion US dollars.

The glass facades and glass roof add greatly to the building's esthetic appeal. But what about the safety of the huge areas of glass? What happens if a bomb detonates in the vicinity of the complex? This is precisely what a New York engineering office has commissioned researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach Institute, EMI in Efringen-Kirchen in southwest Germany to investigate. "We are using the 'Blast-STAR' shock tube to test different glazing structures of glass facades for their resistance to the pressures produced by explosions at various distances," says the EMI researcher Oliver Millon.

Testing safety glazing, windows, and doors

The principle behind it is this: the shock tube consists of a driver (high-pressure) section and a driven (low-pressure) section, which are separated by a steel diaphragm. Researchers can compress the air in the driver section to a pressure of up to 30 bar, i.e. to approximately 30 times atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. This permits the component to be subjected to a load pressure of 2.3 bar. When researchers set the appropriate amount of pressure, the steel diaphragm is ruptured: the air rushes out into and through the driven section and hits the glass section being tested, which is attached to the end of the shock tube, as a planar shock front. First the glass is forcefully pushed backward, before the pressure relents and the glass is sucked forward. Depending on the pressure the researchers set in the driver section, they can simulate detonations of different amounts of explosive at different distances from the building from 100 to 2,500 kilograms of TNT at distances from 35 to 50 meters from the building. Does the glass come through the procedure undamaged? Or does it crack or even shatter into tiny pieces? There are various DIN and ISO standards specifying the different pressures that windows and glass facades must withstand without cracking, and EMI researchers are testing different manufacturers' safety glazing, windows, and doors against the specifications laid down in these standards.

"Although shock tube technology is well known in principle, there are only a handful of shock tubes in existence worldwide," explains Millon. "The fact that extremely high stresses arise in the tubes makes them very complex to manufacture and operate." For example, the apparatus must be able to withstand abrupt changes in pressure across a large area; the glass sections being tested can be up to nine square meters in size. "In addition, we must ensure that we achieve a planar shock front at the glass section being tested, in other words that the shock wave reaches each part of the glass section at the same time," says Millon. To this end, the researchers carried out computer simulations prior to construction of the shock tube and subsequently confirmed the results by taking measurements in the finished apparatus.

The preliminary investigations into selecting suitable glass structures for the Transbay Transit Center have already been completed. Further investigations are planned for certified demonstration of the blast resistance of the pane types selected during the construction phase.

###

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/f-sgf021413.php

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Akela Fallen Angel shared a profile on Twitter

I am Afraid, not of you but of me.
I am afraid of the scars that run so deep.
The scars of tears that were once shed,
Upon the wrists of sorrow; the passion of dread.
I wear my dress, the color of ebony,
To the sound of the piano as I walk out in the snow,

Walking towards the graves of you and me...
What else is there to know, but?

Continue

Source: http://nerdfighters.ning.com/xn/detail/1833893%3AUser%3A2402529?xg_source=activity

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Stronger US economy since 1st Obama State of Union

WASHINGTON (AP) ? As President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, he presides over an economy much healthier than the one he inherited four years ago. Yet growth remains slow and unemployment high.

In early 2009, the U.S. economy was in the midst of a full-blown panic sparked by the collapse of a housing bubble. Companies were slashing jobs. The unemployment rate was surging. Auto sales in January 2009 had reached a 26-year low.

"You don't need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis," Obama said in his first State of the Union address in February 2009.

The numbers were frightening.

Employers cut 794,000 jobs in January 2009 and 4.5 million from November 2008 through April 2009.

Home prices plunged 19 percent in the 12 months that ended in January 2009. Eventually, they fell by a third overall before bottoming in late 2011.

Perhaps the clearest barometer of the pain was soaring unemployment. The unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in January 2009, just below the current 7.9 percent. But only two months later, in March 2009, it was nearly a full point higher ? 8.7 percent. By October, it had peaked at 10 percent.

The recovery has been agonizingly slow. Consumers have been wary about spending after piling up debt in the mid-2000s. Local governments, squeezed by tight budgets, have cut 560,000 jobs in four years. And until recently, an anemic housing market discouraged the home construction that in past economic recoveries had powered growth.

Now, companies are hiring modestly but steadily. Employers added an average of 181,000 jobs a month in 2012 and 175,000 in 2011. Still, unemployment remains far higher than the 5 percent to 6 percent that economists regard as normal.

But home prices are finally rebounding as sales and housing starts have recovered. And Americans are buying cars again.

"During the last four years, the economy has stabilized," says economist Sung Won Sohn of California State University Channel Islands.

What has happened to the economy since 2009 likely would have happened whoever occupied the White House, Sohn says.

"We tend to give a lot of credit or blame (for the economy) to the incumbent president," he says. "The fact of the matter is, the U.S. economy is like an aircraft carrier. You can turn it around but not on a dime."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stronger-us-economy-since-1st-obama-state-union-111847182--finance.html

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Finding Self-Discipline in Others

See Inside

People who lack restraint seek out colleagues and friends who are not impulsive

By Wray Herbert

My high school classmate Tom Gordon was everyone's choice for ?least likely to succeed.? He drank too much and drove too fast, and he got busted for petty theft again and again. He skipped school as often as he showed up, and he was too undisciplined for sports or other organized activities. When he did get hired for part-time jobs, he would either quit or get himself fired soon after. He was a loser.

So imagine my bewilderment when I ran into Tom (whose name I have changed to protect his identity) some years later. He was sitting in a local diner, drinking coffee and reading several newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal. It turns out that a few years out of school, he had married one of our quieter and more studious classmates. He had started surrounding himself with her solid and conscientious friends, leaving the bad boys of high school behind. He no longer ran with a fast crowd, and he rarely even had a drink. He was an engaged father and had a small business. He lived a life of moderation.

Many people know a Tom Gordon or did at one time, and most of their stories do not have such a happy outcome. Indeed, most kids with poor self-control grow up to be adults with poor self-control. So what turned Tom around? Why didn't his undisciplined nature lead him inevitably into a life of trouble and failure, as we all had predicted?

New research may offer some insights into Tom's mysterious turnaround. A team of Duke University psychological scientists, headed by Gr?inne Fitzsimons, has been studying people with poor self-discipline, in particular the idea that the Tom Gordons of the world may be aware of their shortcomings?and compensate for them. Perhaps, they suggest, Tom deliberately chose a new social circle?both wife and friends?as a self-regulatory strategy, riding the disciplinary coattails of the more fortunate.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=74d734233c136c3cbe6c0b4cf7f310ab

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Triathlon Business International Announces Award Winners

• By Triathlete.com
• Published 13 hours ago

Triathlon Business International (TBI), an industry organization dedicated to promoting the sport and the business of triathlon, announced its 2012 award winners at last night?s award celebration dinner.

Ron Smith Triathletes of the Year:

• Jordan Rapp
• Kathleen McCartney Hearst and Julie Moss

Most Innovative Triathlon Product:

Best Triathlon Published Article and Image:

• ?Junior?s Roots,? article by Jay Prasuhn, published in Lava, June 2012
• ?Parting Shot of Manny Huerta,? photo by Nils Nilsen, published in Inside Triathlon, July/August 2012

Top 10 Retailers:

• Trisports.com, Tucson, AZ
• Nytro Multisport, Encinitas, CA
• All3Sports, Atlanta, GA
• Jack and Adams, Austin, TX
• Athletes Lounge, Portland, OR
• R&A Cycles, Brooklyn, NY
• Gear West Bike, Long Lake, MN
• Inside Out Sports, Cary, NC
• Triathlon LAB, Santa Monica, CA
• Speedy Reedy, Seattle, WA

Learn more about the award winners at Triathlonbusinessintl.com.

FILED UNDER: News TAGS: Triathlon Business International

Source: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/02/news/triathlon-business-international-announces-award-winners_70458

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Obama: U.S. to Help Allies in al-Qaida Fight, Withdraw 34,000 Troops from Afghanistan

The United States will help its allies confront an evolving?al-Qaida?threat and be more transparent with the American people in the fight against terror groups, President Barack?Obama?said Tuesday.

Al-Qaida?was now a "shadow" of the group that was behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.,?Obama?said in his annual State of the Union address.

But he warned lawmakers gathered in the imposing U.S. Congress: "Different?al-Qaida?affiliates and extremist groups have emerged -- from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving."

To battle the threat, the U.S. does not need "to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad, or occupy other nations,"?Obama?said.

"Instead, we will need to help countries like Yemen, Libya and Somalia provide for their own security, and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali."

The United States has been providing support to French troops, who deployed in northern Mali last month to help the Malian army flush out?al-Qaida-linked rebels who seized control of the area last year.

But amid a fierce debate about more secretive U.S. actions,?Obama?said Washington would not shy away from taking "direct action against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans."

The issue burst into the spotlight after?Obama?was forced last week to give lawmakers access to secret documents outlining the legal justification for drone strikes that kill U.S. citizens abroad who conspire with?al-Qaida.

The move came on the eve of the Senate hearing on?Obama's nomination of his top White House anti-terror adviser John Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency in his second term.

Some senators had warned they would use Brennan's confirmation as leverage to force the administration to share more information on the legal and constitutional grounds for the U.S. government killing its own citizens.

Obama?aides have insisted that killing?al-Qaida?suspects, including occasionally U.S. citizens, in hotspots like Yemen complies with U.S. law and the Constitution, even when no intelligence links the targets to specific attack plots.

Obama?said the administration had worked to keep Congress "fully informed" of counterterrorism efforts.

He acknowledged though that "in our democracy, no one should just take my word that we're doing things the right way."

"So, in the months ahead, I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world,"?Obama?added.

Obama also announced Tuesday that 34,000 U.S. troops will withdraw from Afghanistan in the next year and vowed the grueling, bloody U.S. conflict there would end by late 2014.

"After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home,"?Obama?said, winning applause and a standing ovation from lawmakers.

The long-awaited move effectively halves the size of the current 66,000-strong U.S. force in Afghanistan, as NATO troops prepare to hand over control for security operations to some 352,000 Afghan security forces.

Source: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/71684-obama-u-s-to-help-allies-in-al-qaida-fight-withdraw-34-000-troops-from-afghanistan

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Interval Leisure Group to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year ...

MIAMI, FL (Feb. 13, 2013) ? Interval Leisure Group (NASDAQ: IILG) will release its fourth quarter 2012 financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Interval Leisure Group will also host a related conference call beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET that same day, accessible via telephone and the Internet.

Craig M. Nash, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Interval Leisure Group, and William L. Harvey, chief financial officer, will review the company?s fourth quarter financial results. Following the review, there will be a question and answer session. The conference call is expected to last approximately one hour and an audio webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of Interval Leisure Group?s website at .

Investors and analysts may participate in the live conference call by dialing (888) 396-2298 (toll-free domestic) or (617) 847-8708 (international); participant pass code: 64691967. Please register at least 10 minutes before the conference call begins. A replay of the call will be available for fourteen days via telephone starting approximately two hours after the call ends. The replay can be accessed at (888) 286-8010 (toll-free domestic) or (617) 801-6888 (international); pass code: 10687913. The webcast will be archived on Interval Leisure Group?s website for 90 days after the call. A transcript of the call will also be available on the website.

About Interval Leisure Group

Interval Leisure Group (ILG) is a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to the vacation industry. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, ILG has more than 3,800 employees worldwide. The company?s primary operating segment is Membership and Exchange, which offers travel and leisure related products and services to about 2 million member families who are enrolled in various programs. Interval International, the segment?s principal business, has been a leader in vacation ownership exchange since 1976. With offices in 17 countries, it operates the Interval Network of nearly 2,800 resorts in more than 75 nations. ILG delivers additional opportunities for vacation ownership exchange through its Trading Places International (TPI) and Preferred Residences networks. ILG also has a Management and Rental operating segment that includes Aston Hotels & Resorts, Vacation Resorts International (VRI), and TPI. These businesses provide hotel, condominium resort, timeshare resort, and homeowners? association management, as well as rental services, to travellers and owners at more than 200 vacation properties, resorts and club locations throughout North America. More information about the Company is available at www.iilg.com.

Source: Interval Leisure Group

Source: http://www.insidethegate.com/2013/02/interval-leisure-group-to-announce-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2012-financial-results/

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Ruth Johnson, Michigan Secretary Of State, Says State Ranks High In Election Performance Study

Barack Obama, Carla Windhorst

President Barack Obama calls to thank volunteers in Wisconsin, at campaign office call center the morning of the 2012 election, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago. Carla Windhorst is seated next to the president. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Jabrylle McClendon, center, waits at the front of the line to vote with her nephew,Terrell Ford, 7, as a woman who only identified herself as Dolores, takes a seat next to them before their polling place opened on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Voters line up to cast ballots in the general election at Barrow County's Precinct 16 at Bethlehem Christian Academy, Tuesday morning, Nov. 6, 2012, in Bethlehem, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Voters line up to cast ballots in the general election at Barrow County's Precinct 16 at Bethlehem Christian Academy, Tuesday morning, Nov. 6, 2012, in Bethlehem, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Voters in Precinct 39 fill out their ballots while voting on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, at the First Church of the Open Bible in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama calls out to people outside a campaign office in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, after a visit with volunteers on the morning of the 2012 election. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama leaves a campaign office on the morning of the 2012 election, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago, after visiting with volunteers. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A woman who identified herself as Dolores, left, looks for an election worker to help her with her voting machine while casting her ballot on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama calls Wisconsin volunteers as he visits a campaign office call center the morning of the 2012 election, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Voters cast their ballots in Delias beauty salon, which was turned into polling place, on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, on South Side of Chicago. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A brand new tattoo showing his choice of political party is seen on the right hand of Victor "The Snake Mann" Wolder as he votes on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Montana voter

A voter enters Springhill School to cast her Election Day ballot in Belgrade, Mont., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. Springhill School is a polling station for Montana's Precinct 17, a place where ranchers, affluent professionals and retirees alike live and work. (AP Photo/Janie Osborne)

David Polley, right, looks over his ballot while voting on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama visits with people outside a campaign office the morning of the 2012 election, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

James Nash

James Nash prepares to hand out stickers to voters who cast their ballots at a polling place inside St. Leo's Catholic Church in Baltimore on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Food is set on a table by voting instructions at a polling place in a Mexican restaurant turned polling station, on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, on the South Side of Chicago. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A voter signs in to cast a ballot at the old Brown School on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in rural Wellsville, Kan. After a grinding presidential campaign President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, yield center stage to American voters Tuesday for an Election Day choice that will frame the contours of government and the nation for years to come. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama waves to people as he leaves a campaign office the morning of the 2012 election, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Classical studies major Omar Dyette, from Racine, Wis., front right, mans a table outside the polls on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. Dyette volunteered with the Ohio Public Interest Research Group to register college students prior to the 2012 election. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

A voter is handed an "I Voted" sticker after casting her ballot at the old Brown School Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in rural Wellsville, Kan. After a grinding presidential campaign President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, yield center stage to American voters Tuesday for an Election Day choice that will frame the contours of government and the nation for years to come. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A line forms outside a polling place as people gather to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Las Vegas. After a grinding presidential campaign President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, yield center stage to American voters Tuesday for an Election Day choice that will frame the contours of government and the nation for years to come. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Steve Swanson, left, helps his father Ben Swanson, 91, right, as he fills out his ballot on Election Day 2012 at the St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Parish in East Pembroke, N.Y., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. After a grinding presidential campaign President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, yield center stage to American voters Tuesday for an Election Day choice that will frame the contours of government and the nation for years to come. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots under a tent at a consolidated polling station for residents of the Rockaways on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Voters check in before casting their ballots under a tent at a consolidated polling station for residents of the Rockaways on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in the Queens borough of New York. Voting in a the U.S. presidential election was the latest challenge for the hundreds of thousands of people in the New York-New Jersey area still affected by Superstorm Sandy, as they struggled to get to non-damaged polling places to cast their ballots in one of the tightest elections in recent history. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots under a tent at a consolidated polling station for residents of the Rockaways on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in the Queens borough of New York. Voting in a the U.S. presidential election was the latest challenge for the hundreds of thousands of people in the New York-New Jersey area still affected by Superstorm Sandy, as they struggled to get to non-damaged polling places to cast their ballots in one of the tightest elections in recent history. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Voters cast their ballots in a Mexican restaurant turned polling place, on election day on the South Side of Chicago Tuesday Nov. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Voters cast their ballots in a Mexican restaurant turned polling station on Election Day on the South Side of Chicago, Tuesday Nov. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Voters wait in a long line to cast their ballots at Far Rockaway High School on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in the Queens borough of New York. After a grinding presidential campaign, Americans are heading into polling places across the country.(AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Voters wait to cast a ballot at P.S. 33 in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in New York. Voting in a the U.S. presidential election was the latest challenge for the hundreds of thousands of people in the New York-New Jersey area still affected by Superstorm Sandy, as they struggled to get to non-damaged polling places to cast their ballots in one of the tightest elections in recent history. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)

Voters wait for their chance to cast a ballot at P.S. 33 in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in New York. Voting in a the U.S. presidential election was the latest challenge for the hundreds of thousands of people in the New York-New Jersey area still affected by Superstorm Sandy, as they struggled to get to non-damaged polling places to cast their ballots in one of the tightest elections in recent history. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)

Voters wait to cast a ballot at P.S. 29 in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in New York. After a grinding presidential campaign President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, yield center stage to American voters Tuesday for an Election Day choice that will frame the contours of government and the nation for years to come. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)

Vernon Straw, Terry Petersen

Vernon Straw emerges from behind the curtain of a voting booth at the fire hall in Dunbar, Neb., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, to a waiting Terry Petersen, left. The village fire hall was too small to place cardboard voting stations, so election officials had to bring back the old style curtained voting booths. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Rocky Erickson

Rocky Erickson casts a ballot at a polling place on Election Day in Billings, Mont., Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Barack Obama

President Barack Obama calls Wisconsin volunteers as he visits a campaign office call center the morning of the 2012 election, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

On this election day, as they do every day, people gather for breakfast in the Nutcracker Restaurant, a 1950's-style diner, in Pataskala, Ohio on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. From left are Ken Armentrout, Lewie Hoskinson and Jack Cruikshank. Hoskinson, center, is a retired city worker who his friends claim is the only President Barack Obama supporter in the town of 14,000. "I'm sure there are others, but I'm the only one who will admit it," he said, as his buddies laughed. His friends acknowledged that they weren't exactly thrilled with Mitt Romney as an alternative but said Obama hadn't done enough to get the economy moving. (AP Photo/Michael E. Keating)

U.S. Citizens Head To The Polls To Vote In Presidential Election

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI, - NOVEMBER 6: U.S. citizens vote in the presidential election at Carleton Middle School November 6, 2012 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Recent polls show that U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are in a tight race. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION DAY

Voters wait outside the Metropolitan AME Church polling station to cast their ballots in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. Americans headed to the polls Tuesday after a burst of last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a nail-biting contest unlikely to heal a deeply polarized nation. AFP PHOTO/Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Citizens Head To The Polls To Vote In Presidential Election

MANCHESTER, NH - NOVEMBER 6: Voters cast their ballots at the Bishop Leo O'Neil Youth Center on November 6, 2012 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The swing state of New Hampshire is recognised to be a hotly contested battleground that offers 4 electoral votes, as recent polls predict that the race between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney remains tight. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION DAY

An election official mounts signs outside the polling station at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. Americans headed to the polls Tuesday after a burst of last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a nail-biting contest unlikely to heal a deeply polarized nation. AFP PHOTO/Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Citizens Head To The Polls To Vote In Presidential Election

MANCHESTER, NH - NOVEMBER 6: Voters cast their ballots at the Bishop Leo O'Neil Youth Center on November 6, 2012 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The swing state of New Hampshire is recognised to be a hotly contested battleground that offers 4 electoral votes, as recent polls predict that the race between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney remains tight. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION-VOTERS

Voters cast their ballots at the Stonewall Middle School November 6, 2012 in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia. After a long and bitter White House campaign, Americans began casting their votes on Tuesday with polls showing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney neck-and-neck in an election that will be decided in a handful of states. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Citizens Head To The Polls To Vote In Presidential Election

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - NOVEMBER 6: Lines of voters wait to cast their ballots as the polls open on November 6, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The swing state of Florida is recognised to be a hotly contested battleground that offers 29 electoral votes, as recent polls predict that the race between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney remains tight. (Photo by Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)

U.S. Citizens Head To The Polls To Vote In Presidential Election

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - NOVEMBER 6: Lines of voters wait to cast their ballots as the polls open on November 6, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The swing state of Florida is recognised to be a hotly contested battleground that offers 29 electoral votes, as recent polls predict that the race between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney remains tight. (Photo by Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION

Voters wait outside the polling station to cast their ballots at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. Americans headed to the polls Tuesday after a burst of last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a nail-biting contest unlikely to heal a deeply polarized nation. AFP PHOTO/Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION

Voters wait outside the polling station to cast their ballots at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. Americans headed to the polls Tuesday after a burst of last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a nail-biting contest unlikely to heal a deeply polarized nation. AFP PHOTO/Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION-VOTERS

Voters wait to vote at the Stonewall Middle School November 6, 2012 in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia. After a long and bitter White House campaign, Americans began casting their votes on Tuesday with polls showing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney neck-and-neck in an election that will be decided in a handful of states. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION

Voters wait inside the polling station to cast their ballots at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. Americans headed to the polls Tuesday after a burst of last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a nail-biting contest unlikely to heal a deeply polarized nation. AFP PHOTO/Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Citizens Head To The Polls To Vote In Presidential Election

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - NOVEMBER 6: Voters wait to cast their ballots on November 6, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The swing state of Florida is recognised to be a hotly contested battleground that offers 29 electoral votes, as recent polls predict that the race between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney remains tight. (Photo by Edward Linsmier/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION

People wait in line to vote at a polling station in a senior appartment complex in Chicago, Illinois in the US presidential election November 6, 2012 . The final national polls showed an effective tie, with either US President Barack Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney favored by a single point in most surveys, reflecting the polarized politics of a deeply divided nation. AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION-VOTERS

Voters cast their ballots at the Stonewall Middle School November 6, 2012 in Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia. After a long and bitter White House campaign, Americans began casting their votes on Tuesday with polls showing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney neck-and-neck in an election that will be decided in a handful of states. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER (Photo credit should read KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

US-VOTE-2012-ELECTION DAY

Voters kiss while waiting outside the polling station to cast their ballots at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC on November 6, 2012. Americans headed to the polls Tuesday after a burst of last-minute campaigning by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a nail-biting contest unlikely to heal a deeply polarized nation. AFP PHOTO/Mladen ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/ruth-johnson-michigan-election-study_n_2670118.html

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LAPD to reopen probe into fugitive ex-cop's firing

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) ? The hunt for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings continued in snow-covered mountains Saturday as the LAPD's chief said he would reopen the disciplinary case that led to the fugitive's firing.

Officials in particular will re-examine the allegations by Christopher Dorner, 33, that his law enforcement career was undone by racist colleagues, Police Chief Charlie Beck said. While he promised to hear out Dorner if he surrenders, Beck stressed that he was ordering a review of his 2007 case because he takes the allegation of racism in his department seriously.

"I do this not to appease a murderer. I do it to reassure the public that their police department is transparent and fair in all the things we do," the chief said in a statement.

Authorities suspect Dorner in a series of attacks in Southern California over the past week that left three people dead, including a police officer. Authorities say he has vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues whom he blames for ending his career. The killings and threats that Dorner allegedly made in an online rant have led police to provide protection to 50 families, Beck said.

A captain who was named a target in the manifesto posted on Facebook told the Orange County Register he has not stepped outside his house since he learned of the threat, and he was taking it seriously.

"From what I've seen of (Dorner's) actions, he feels he can make allegations for injustice and justify killing people and that's not reasonable," said Capt. Phil Tingirides, who chaired a board that stripped Dorner of his badge. "The end never justifies the means."

Saturday was the third full day of a massive multi-agency hunt for Dorner in the San Bernardino mountains, about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, where Dorner's burned-out pickup truck was discovered Thursday. A scaled-back search party took advantage of a break from stormy weather to search for Dorner using heat-sensing helicopters as vacationing families and weekend skiers frolicked nearby.

A law enforcement officer told the Associated Press authorities found weapons in the truck. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing.

Investigators have been examining the truck to determine if it broke down or was set ablaze as a diversion. Police say the truck had a broken axle. Investigators are trying to determine whether it was already broken when they found it, or whether it was damaged when it was towed away.

On Friday night, authorities served a search warrant and collected evidence from a Buena Park storage unit as part of their investigation. Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the evidence or say who had rented the unit.

Earlier Friday, another warrant was served at a La Palma house belonging to Dorner's mother. Officers collected 10 bags of evidence, including five electronic items.

In his online manifesto, Dorner vowed to use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.

Dorner served in the Navy, earning a rifle marksman ribbon and a pistol expert medal. He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records. He took leave from the LAPD for a six-month deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.

Last Friday was his last day with the Navy and also the day CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that contained a note on it that read, in part, "I never lied." A coin riddled with bullet holes that former Chief William Bratton gave out as a souvenir was also in the package.

Police said it was a sign of planning by Dorner before the killing began.

On Sunday, police say Dorner shot and killed a couple in a parking garage at their condominium in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that led to his firing.

Dorner wrote in his manifesto that he believed the retired captain had represented the interests of the department over his.

Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect in the double murder, police believe Dorner shot and grazed an LAPD officer in Corona and then used a rifle to ambush two Riverside police officers early Thursday, killing one and seriously wounding the other.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Christopher Weber, Greg Risling, Haven Daley, Michael Blood, John Antczak, Mark Evans and Julie Watson.

Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LATams .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lapd-reopen-probe-fugitive-ex-cops-firing-014700767.html

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5 Reasons to use a Realtor when Buying or Selling real estate.

Edmonton Home Seller/Buyer: 5 Reasons to use a Realtor when Buying or Selling real estate.

There are a gazillion reasons and articles written on this topic of which I am sure you have read a few?

?1. Market and Demographic Knowledge: ?is this a good deal?? or ?what?s the demographic like in this neighborhood/condo complex?? If you are new to either the market or the city having a REALTOR? at your disposal to navigate the unknown waters of value and demographics is a HUGE benefit and saves time to ? as they are able to direct you in the right direction. Demographic knowledge plays a big role when advising on an area/community/condo for downsizers ? or for those looking to buy their first condo/home and want to make sure they are buying into the ?right? neighborhood/complex.

?2. Representation: when the deal is signed that?s when a REALTOR??s work begins. If they want to get paid, they better make sure that they not only get any conditions/subject to?s satisfied, but also ensure that the buyer closes on possession day. When you sell on your own ? who ?takes care? of your buyer to ensure that they close and on time or at all?? I would gladly pay a REALTOR? to ensure my investment gets sold and closes on possession day.

?3. Qualifying Buyers: if I were selling my house ? I would only want qualified buyers to walk through the door ? otherwise it?s a waste of my time and prep time for the showing. REALTOR?s qualify their buyers ahead of time. SO the folks coming through your door are the ones that can actually AFFORD your property. REALTOR?s also have access to awesome Mortgage Brokers that aid in the process of qualifying clients. When you sell on your own ? how do you know if your buyer can qualify or afford your home when signing up the papers?oooh this is a recipe for despair!

?4. As a BUYER?S agent they are free to use! So why wouldn?t you use a REALTOR? when buying a home ? in addition to the above ? its FREE?and I?ll take anything that?s FREE!

?5. Assurance that the deal will get done. REALTOR?s have the knowledge and tools to get the job done. They are also only paid for results. So I know they are motivated to get the job done. They are the ones getting their clients into the homes/condos and making that happen. When you sell on your own ? who is working on your behalf to get the buyers in the door? We have 3000 REALTOR?s in town that are all hungry for a pay cheque. They all have access to sell your property. Wow ? do I need to go on? That one is a biggie ? for sellers anyway. When you FISBO it (for sale by owner) you lose the ability to access a 3000 REALTOR network. Now why would you want to do that?

So let me help you in all your real estate needs and lets get you moved!

Robyn Fisher

Associate | REALTOR?? KENNEDY Real Estate

?REALTORS? : Looking for a great Team environment to grow your business?see our Brokerage Model for info on how to make that happen!

?

Tags: areaspecialists lifestylemarketing edmontonrealestate edmontonrealtor, Edmonton Home Buyer, Edmonton Home Seller, home buying, home seller, robyn, Robyn Fisher, selling a home

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 9th, 2013 at 11:50 am and is filed under Edmonton Homes for Sale | Kennedy Real Estate | Edmonton Realtor, Home Buyer, Home Seller, Robyn Fisher. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://blog.kennedyrealestate.ca/2013/02/09/5-reasons-to-use-a-realtor-when-buying-or-selling-real-estate/

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How To Elevate Your Web Design Business Higher Through ...

Having a web design business is at full-throttle. You love what you are doing with your web design business which sometimes leaves you in an exhilarated mood at the end of the day. To keep you motivated, here a productive ways to help expand your web design business.

The best technique for your customers to understand what it is that you are selling is through an advertisement. A well-made advertisement communicates what is being sold and at what price, so that people will be able to make a better informed decisions before purchasing your product.

Conduct a survey for your target market. This can be implemented online, door-to-door, in a park or through any other technique in which you can make contact with a potential consumer. Offer an incentive, such as 20% percent off coupon to all who participate in the survey. This is an easy and direct way to obtain web design business and also useful information.

Social media marketing is also something you need to be aware of. You must assign your media department with the task of promoting the web design business over the social media. Sites such as Facebook can help you gain the necessary exposure leading towards increased sales.

You can easily and affordably market your web design business or web design consulting company by using some lapel pins or other small, needle mounted objects. Just write your initials and you are ready to make your move. Since this form of advertising is affordable, distribute as much as possible.

Owners can cultivate web design business relationships online. This facilitates communication with others in the same industry, but not necessarily the same geographic location, and allows comparative research in the service of looking for weaknesses and methods to improve. Successful web design businesses seek out their weaknesses and work to correct deficiencies.

Refining your target audience is a wonderful method to expand sales. If your web design business can somehow narrow down a specific group of people who are most likely to buy your products, you?ll be set for life. Every great web design consulting company knows precisely who they are trying to sell to.

Use Facebook to generate events. You can invite as many people as you want, and make it absolutely open to the public, permitting anybody to join. No matter if the event is a big sale or a party at your web design consulting company; this will grab everybody?s attention. Even if nobody comes, at least your name will have been promoted.

One common trait among very successful web design business executives is that they get an early start on their day. They state the hour or two in the morning before everyone else gets started is the most significant time of the day. This is a great habit to try.

Don?t forget to go to Bing and enter web design service salisbury when you are curious about discovering more about web design and development consulting next time you are online.

Related posts:

• Relevance Of Social Authority In Social Media Marketing Building a reputation in the world of business is not an easy task. But with the help of various marketing strategies, this is not impossible to do. Social authority is one of the key components in implementing an effective advertising plan....
• Your Customers Will Like This! Social Media Marketing For Your Business Successful businesses know how to be "seen." Social media websites are the easiest places to make that happen. It is a great idea to use these popular sites in your marketing endeavors. It could make the difference in how successful you are. Continue ahead to read about some great social marketing ideas that will help you succeed....
• Social Media Promoting Social Media Marketing is a term that demonstrates the use of social networks, digital communities, wiki pages, blogs or any other online media synergized for the purposes of sales, PR, selling and shopper service. Twitter, Plurk, LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, Flickr and blogs are the commonest tools for social promoting around....
• Availing Web Design Lehigh Valley Services One of the company's primary needs nowadays is a good website for advertisement and promos. Web design Lehigh Valley services can help your company with this issue because they can provide you the perfect site for your online transactions with your customers. The staffs of these services are specialists of technology, marketing strategies and programming languages....
• Successful Selling Propositions For Your Web Design Business There are times when you are feeling down and you are stuck with bad in your web design business. Don't be in despair as there are many ways to rebuild your web design business and make it grow. Here are the fundamental steps on how to grow your web design business....

Source: http://blog.onewaylinksite.com/how-to-elevate-your-web-design-business-higher-through-successful-marketing/

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LinkedIn's 4Q gets rave reviews from investors

FILE - In this Monday, May 9, 2011 file photo, LinkedIn Corp., the professional networking Web site, displays its logo outside of headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Linkedin is reporting their fourth quarter 2012 earnings on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

FILE - In this Monday, May 9, 2011 file photo, LinkedIn Corp., the professional networking Web site, displays its logo outside of headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Linkedin is reporting their fourth quarter 2012 earnings on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Online professional-networking service LinkedIn's fourth-quarter performance added another line to its sterling resume as a public company.

The results announced Thursday extended LinkedIn Corp.'s uninterrupted streak of exceeding analysts' projections for both earnings and revenue. It marked the seventh consecutive quarter since LinkedIn's May 2011 IPO that the company has pulled that off, to the delight of investors.

The run of pleasant surprises is one of the reasons that LinkedIn's stock has tripled from its initial public offering price of $45. The shares surged $11.71, or 9.4 percent, to $135.80 in extended trading after the numbers came out.

Besides a 66 percent increase in earnings from the previous year, the latest quarter was highlighted by an influx of 15 million accounts to propel LinkedIn's total membership beyond 200 million. Visitors to LinkedIn's website also viewed 67 percent more pages than the previous year, an indication that the company's efforts to add more business news and career tips from top business executives are paying off.

Wall Street's embrace of LinkedIn contrasts with the cold response given to other Internet services that have gone public during the past few years. Most of them are trading below their IPO prices. The most notable is Facebook Inc., whose stock is worth about 25 percent less than it was when it made its market debut in May.

Although both run websites devoted to connecting people with common interests, LinkedIn and Facebook are targeting different audiences. Facebook focuses mostly on letting friends and family share good times and swap stories, while LinkedIn concentrates on helping people advance their careers and helping companies fill jobs.

Facebook, which is based in Menlo Park, is the larger of the two services, with more than 1 billion active users and $5.1 billion in revenue last year. LinkedIn, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., has 202 million accountholders and revenue of $972 million in 2012.

But LinkedIn is growing more quickly, partly because it's less dependent on advertising than Facebook and most Internet services. In the fourth quarter, advertising accounted for 27 percent of LinkedIn's revenue. The remainder comes from various tools that it sells to help recruit workers and glean more insights from the information that its users post on its website.

Reflecting its belief that the member data are becoming increasingly valuable, LinkedIn said Thursday that it intends to raise some prices this year. Setting up a member profile remains free. The price increase reflects the additional information that the company has accumulated as its membership has more than doubled in less than two years, according to Steve Sordello, LinkedIn's chief financial officer. The company provided no specifics on the increases.

LinkedIn earned $11.5 million, or 10 cents per share, during the final three months of last year. That compared to $6.9 million, or 6 cents per share, a year earlier.

If not for the costs of employee stock compensation and certain other charges, LinkedIn said it would have earned 35 cents per share. That was far above the average estimates of 19 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Revenue soared 81 percent from the previous year to $304 million ? about $24 million above analyst forecasts.

LinkedIn's revenue outlook for the current quarter and all of 2013 were roughly in line with analyst estimates, setting the stage for the company to clear those financial hurdles once again.

Management's forecast for annual revenue of $1.4 billion this year appears conservative, given that it would translate into an increase of about 45 percent from last year. In 2012, LinkedIn's annual revenue rose 86 percent.

"We are trying to utilize a prudent approach to year-over-year growth," Sordello told analysts during an analyst conference call.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-07-US-Earns-LinkedIn/id-fef9fa0048da4fb3b660f24ef31df0f6

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First lady among hundreds mourning slain Chicago girl

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The national debate over gun violence took a highly personal turn for first lady Michelle Obama when a Chicago girl was slain near Obama's family home just days after she performed at the presidential inauguration in Washington.

The first lady and top federal, state and city officials joined hundreds of mourners on Saturday at the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton, 15, who was killed at a park near her Chicago high school, casting the bitter national debate over gun violence in personal terms for the Obamas.

The first lady met privately with members of Pendleton's family and with about 30 of her friends and classmates before the funeral. She sat in the church next to senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who once led the Chicago public schools, sat next to Jarrett.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and U.S. Representatives Danny Davis and Bobby Rush were also among the mourners.

"Hadiya's life has touched individuals, mothers, fathers, families and governments across this planet," her aunt, Linda Wilks, said. "If this does not demonstrate the power of light and love, we are a people deeply cloaked in darkness."

Pendleton's body rested in a silver casket, surrounded by flowers for the funeral service at Greater Harvest Baptist Church in Chicago.

Pendleton's mother, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, thanked mourners for an outpouring of support since her daughter's death and at times laughed when talking about her.

"You don't know how hard this is. For those of you who do know how hard this is, I'm sorry," Cowley-Pendleton said. "No mother, no father should ever have to experience this."

Pendleton was fatally shot in what police say was a case of mistaken identity in a gang turf war as she and her friends took shelter from a rainstorm in a park near her school.

GUN VIOLENCE CLOSE TO HOME

A sophomore at Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep, Pendleton had performed with her school band eight days earlier at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

A "We the People" petition on the White House website signed by more than 1,000 people called on the president and his family to attend Pendleton's funeral. The first family's home is about a mile from the park where Pendleton was killed.

The back of the funeral program included a copy of a handwritten note from President Barack Obama to Hadiya's parents, Cowley-Pendleton and Nathaniel Anthony Pendleton:

"Dear Cleopatra and Nathaniel, Michelle and I just wanted you to know how heartbroken we are to have heard about Hadiya's passing. We know that no words from us can soothe the pain, but rest assured that we are praying for you and that we will continue to work as hard as we can to end this senseless violence. God Bless."

Across the street from the church, Lance Robinson, 16, a high school friend of Pendleton's, stood with two other friends. All three wore sweatshirts with "rest in peace Hadiya" on them.

"She always did want to change the world," Robinson said. "It's just a shame she had to die to do it."

Jacqueline Johnson, 49, of Chicago, said she believed the first lady's attendance was a positive thing.

"I think she's sending out a message (about Chicago violence) and hopefully it'll work," Johnson said.

Pendleton's death follows a massacre of 20 first graders and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school in December that inspired an intense U.S. debate about the easy availability of guns. In response, Obama has called for new restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Pendleton's killing spurred calls from civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who also attended Saturday's service, and the families of murder victims for Obama to address the gun violence in Chicago, the third largest city in the United States.

There were 506 homicides last year in Chicago, a 17 percent increase from the prior year, and 42 more victims in January, including Pendleton.

(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by David Bailey; Editing by Greg McCune and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michelle-obama-attend-slain-chicago-girls-funeral-120411813.html

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CME Cuts Gold, Silver Margins | Zero Hedge

Any trader of paper gold and silver will likely never forget the endless and certainly parabolic barrage of margin hikes that the CME imposed in the spring and summer of 2011 which had only one purpose: to break the back of the relentless anti-fiat rally in the precious metals (and which culminated with the historic May 1 take down of silver when the metal plunged some 15% in the span of seconds). Since then, perhaps as a result of initial and maintenance margins still at residual levels indicative of when the S&P was some 30% lower and some $4 trillion less in slushing global central bank liquidity, the upside euphoria in gold and silver has been decidedly hobbled, perhaps so much that the CME is now scrambling to find a whole new set of gullible investors who will obediently put their money in the paper trap, only to see a surge followed by yet another mauling from soaring margin demands. After all, the CME needs trading volume to keep the cash flow flowing - killing the paper market in any one product suits nobody. Sure enough, moments ago, the CME once again cut margins in a slew of products, most notably gold and silver, by some 10% and 14%.

Good luck CME with finding people gullible enough to trust you this time around.

Average:

Your rating: None Average: 5 (5 votes)

Source: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-07/cme-cuts-gold-silver-margins

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7 million iPhones and iPads have been jailbroken in just four days

Dalton, the most prestigious co-ed private school on Manhattan's ultra-rich Upper East Side ? you know, the one with?the bomb suspect?alum ??is apparently engaging in some Mean Girl-style tactics: The school sent out a list of rejected applicants and parents of kids with pending applications, all in an effort to get alumni to push said parents into donating money to the already very well-off school, according to the New York Post's Page Six:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/7-million-iphones-ipads-jailbroken-just-four-days-162237375.html

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Power company takes blame for Super Bowl outage

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? The company that supplied electricity to the Super Bowl took the blame Friday for the power outage that brought the big game to a halt, explaining that a device designed specifically to prevent a blackout failed and plunged the game into darkness for more than half an hour.

The device called a relay had been installed as part of a project begun in 2011 to upgrade the electrical system serving the Superdome in anticipation of the championship game. It was supposed to guard against problems in the cable that links the power grid with lines that go into the stadium.

"The purpose of it was to provide a newer, more advanced type of protection for the Superdome," Dennis Dawsey, an executive with Entergy Corp., told members of the City Council. Entergy is the parent company of Entergy New Orleans.

Entergy officials said the relay functioned with no problems during January's Sugar Bowl and other earlier events. It has been removed and will be replaced.

All systems at the Superdome are now working, and the stadium was to host a major Mardi Gras event Saturday night, said Doug Thornton, an executive with SMG, the company that manages the stadium for the state.

The relay was installed in a building near the stadium known as "the vault," which receives a line directly from a nearby Entergy substation. Once the line reaches the vault, it splits into two cables that go into the Superdome.

Sunday's power failure cut lights to about half of the stadium for 34 minutes, halting play between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers and interrupting the nation's most-watched sporting event.

Not long after Friday's announcement, the manufacturer of the relay, Chicago-based S&C Electric Co., released a statement saying that the blackout occurred because system operators had put the relay's so-called trip setting too low to allow the device to handle the incoming electric load.

The equipment was owned and installed by Entergy New Orleans.

"If higher settings had been applied, the equipment would not have disconnected the power," said Michael J.S. Edmonds, vice president of strategic solutions for S&C.

In a follow-up statement, Entergy said that tests conducted by S&C and Entergy on the two relays at the Superdome showed that one worked as expected, the other did not.

Entergy spokesman Mike Burns said both relays had the same trip setting.

Entergy's announcement came shortly before company officials were to answer questions from a committee of the City Council, which is the regulatory body for the company.

During the committee hearing, council member Susan Guidry asked Entergy executives whether they were "fairly certain" that the relay was faulty.

"That is correct," Dawsey said.

However, when asked if the outage was caused by the design or a defect in a part of the equipment, Entergy New Orleans CEO Charles Rice said that had not been determined.

"The equipment did not function properly," Rice said. "At this particular time, based upon our analysis, we cannot say definitively that there was a defect in design. What we do know is that the equipment for some unknown reason, at this particular time, did not react the way that it should have."

Asked if Entergy and SMG still plan to hire a third-party investigator to get to the bottom of the cause, Rice said that possibility remains open.

"We'll work closely with SMG, and if there is a need for a third-party investigation, we will do that," Rice said, adding that Entergy was also working with the relay manufacturer.

Shabab Mehraeen, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Louisiana State University, said relays are common electrical fixtures in businesses and massive facilities such as the Superdome.

"They are designed to keep a problem they sense from becoming something bigger, like a fire or catastrophic event," he said.

The devices vary in size. Mehraeen, who was not familiar with the relay at the Superdome, said he "wouldn't be surprised if it was bigger than a truck."

The reasons the devices fail are the subject of much academic research into the interaction of relays with the complex electrical systems they regulate.

"It's not unusual for them to have problems," Mehraeen said. "They can be unpredictable, despite national testing standards recommended by manufacturers."

Entergy and SMG had both upgraded lines and equipment in the months leading up to the Super Bowl. Rice said the new gear, with the faulty relay, was installed as part of a $4.2 million upgrade by Entergy that included a new power line dedicated solely to the stadium.

In a separate project, SMG replaced lines coming into the stadium after managers expressed concerns the Superdome might be vulnerable to a power failure like the one that struck Candlestick Park during an NFL game in 2011. That outage was blamed at least partly on a transformer explosion.

Thornton stressed Friday that the dome was drawing only about two-thirds of its power capacity Super Bowl night. He said typical NFL games in late August or September can draw a little more.

City officials had worried that the Super Bowl outage might harm New Orleans' chances of getting another NFL championship game.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed that possibility, saying the league planned to keep New Orleans in its Super Bowl plans. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the city intends to bid for the game again in 2018.

___

Associated Press Writer Michael Kunzelman in New Orleans contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/power-company-takes-blame-super-bowl-outage-204931867--spt.html

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Slow and steady can win the diet drug race

(Reuters) - Vivus Inc, vying to create the world's first billion-dollar weight-loss pill, is taking a cautious approach to marketing in an attempt to overcome the skepticism, safety concerns and lawsuits that have dogged the diet drug industry.

The company has lost nearly half of its market value since lackluster sales tarnished the September launch of the first new weight-loss pill in the United States for 13 years. Two of its it's largest shareholders have questioned the company's strategy.

But Vivus, which sent out only 150 sales representatives to a target market of 25,000 doctors, is betting on slow, steady marketing of the Qsymia drug to win over customers. Its model, say analysts, could become the blueprint for diet drug makers.

"A slower launch that allows people some time to try and use the drug, and make sure the effects they are seeing are good and any risks are more modest, makes more sense both in the medical and financial sense," said Kurt Kessler of ZS Associates, which consults on pharmaceutical marketing.

Thomson Reuters Pharma estimates sales of Qsymia will reach $1.2 billion by 2017, up from $128 million in 2013, making it the largest weight-loss pill on the market. A drug with annual sales of $1 billion is known as a "blockbuster" in the industry.

That potential goldmine has analysts rating the stock of Mountain View, California-based Vivus highly.

Six of 12 analysts recommend buying Vivus stock and none has a "sell" recommendation, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine. Their mean price target for the stock is $20.30, more than 50 percent above its Wednesday close of $13.45 on the Nasdaq.

More than one-third of Americans are obese, a condition that can lead to problems such as heart disease and diabetes. A September 2012 report by lobby group Trust for America's Health estimated the annual burden on the U.S. healthcare system from obesity at between $147 billion and $210 billion.

The epidemic has inspired initiatives such as a ban on large sugary drinks in New York, calorie limits on school lunches and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama's childhood anti-obesity campaign, "Let's Move".

Demand for weight-loss pills is also high, which is why some investors were disappointed when Vivus earned just $41,000 from the first two weeks of sales of Qsymia. Analysts had expected it to earn nearly eight times as much.

'NO IDEAL PATIENT'

Vivus Chief Commercial Officer Michael Miller said the Qsymia launch was "focused and very educationally based."

Weight-loss pills, which typically work by suppressing appetite, are based on brain chemistry that is still not fully understood by science.

A slow rollout will allow time for post-marketing studies requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test for increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Leonid Poretsky, a physician with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, sees about 100 patients a week who need to lose weight. He says he is yet to meet "that ideal Qsymia patient."

"The drug combination (in Qsymia) is new, but the medications are not," he told Reuters. "The point is to learn a lot about it, and then try it on one or two patients who are appropriate for it."

Qsymia, the first pill to promise users 10 percent weight loss within a year, contains two previously approved medications that have encountered safety issues: the appetite suppressant phentermine and the anti-epilepsy drug topiramate.

Phentermine was part of the "fen-phen" drug combination, a diet medication pulled from the market in 1997 after causing severe heart problems. Its maker, Wyeth, now part of Pfizer Inc, paid out billions of dollars in damages to patients.

Topiramate, marketed as Topamax by Johnson & Johnson, has been shown to increase the risk of cleft lips in infants when taken by their mothers during pregnancy.

Women aged between 18 and 45 will be required to take a pregnancy test before being prescribed Qsymia. Neither is Belviq, a rival pill developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc and due to hit market soon, advised during pregnancy.

There are also reputational risks to failure.

John Singer, a marketing consultant involved in the 1999 launch of Roche's Xenical - the last diet pill to be launched before Qsymia - said part of the challenge faced by the drug industry today was to manage public perception.

Many patients, he said, shunned Xenical because of one embarrassing side-effect in particular: diarrhea.

"Xenical became a butt of jokes on late-night talk shows - Jay Leno, David Letterman, that kind of stuff. Very quickly, the side-effects profile of Xenical became front and center of the story of the drug," Singer said.

WORD OF MOUTH

Kessler of ZS Associates said drug manufacturers could arrange for patients and physicians to share their experiences with the new weight-loss pills in public forums.

"There is pretty high patient engagement in obesity," he said. "It's likely the drugs will get positive word-of-mouth."

Arena is awaiting regulatory classification for Belviq to determine the risk of abuse before it can launch its new pill, giving the company time to fine-tune its own sales strategy.

"Arena might sell (Belviq) at a lower price or do something clever with the pricing that would be an advantage," said Robin Davidson, an analyst with Edison Investment Research. A month's supply of Qsymia currently costs about $160.

Mindy Nichols, a Seattle-based dietician, said Belviq could also benefit from Qsymia's relatively higher risk profile.

"Even though Belviq's effectiveness is maybe three-quarters that of Qsymia, it could be prescribed more often," she said, adding that clinical trials have shown Belviq to have the additional benefit of fighting smoking addiction.

Starmine data shows the consensus price target among analysts on Arena is $9.17, or 5 percent above its Wednesday close of $8.72.

With health insurer Aetna Inc having announced it would provide coverage both for Qsymia and Belviq, the prospects for the adoption of both pills are good.

Referring to Qsymia, Vivus President Peter Tam said: "Once patients and physicians become aware and gain the experience of using the medication ... it will be a multi-billion dollar drug pretty quickly."

(Editing by Anthony Kurian and Robin Paxton)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slow-steady-win-diet-drug-race-190512558--finance.html

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