Innovative ways to finance a startup | Increase RSS - Increase traffic ...

If you are a new entrepreneur, then procuring funds for your small business is your biggest challenge. How you are going to overcome this challenge becomes a big and pertinent question for you. You can take into consideration different financing options for your startup that are available in the market and go for the one that suits your specific needs. Always remember that financing a startup business is a daunting task and you will have to face many hurdles to make it a successful one.
Questions you should ask before looking for finance for your startup
Given below are certain questions that you should ask:
??When and for how much time do I need the finance?
??How much finance do I need?
??Am I ready to relinquish some extent of ownership or control of the start-up business reciprocally for investment?
??What security (if any) can I furnish? Key areas that you should take into consideration while financing a startup At the time of financing a startup, the following are the key areas that you need to take into consideration:
??Establishment costs (the costs that are necessary prior to the commencement of business operations)
??Working capital ? also described as current assets minus current liabilities. Current assets include the stocks required by the enterprise or organization, for instance raw materials, cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaid liabilities and short-term investments. Current liabilities include accounts payable and other outstanding expenses.
??Initial investment (the fixed assets required prior to commencement of business operations)
??Maturity and prosperity (for example, additional investment in capacity)
Innovative ways to finance a startup
Some innovative ways to finance a startup are given below:
1) Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping is financing your business on your own or without anybody?s help. For example, you can take a home equity loan to finance your startup.
2) Tapping your family and friends
This is also another good option. If you know people who can lend you money with simple repayment terms and conditions, you can borrow from them without keeping any hesitation in your mind.
3) Small business administration (SBA) loans
This is another useful source of startup financing. You cannot directly finance your startup through SBA but it can partly back your loan that has been secured from an insurance company, bank or any other financial services provider. However, keep in mind that there is plenty of paperwork involved.
4) SBTT and SBIR grants from the government
Both small business technology transfer grants and small business innovation research grants are excellent sources of startup financing, provided you are eligible for these loans/grants. These are popular federal grants that are available from the departments of Energy, Agriculture, Defense and also some other agencies.
5) Angel Investors
Angel investors also work as a reliable source of startup financing. This is a form of equity financing. If any angel investor is financing your small business, they will also enjoy a part of the ownership of the enterprise and it is the rule. However, you should not expect a huge investment on their behalf into your firm.
6) Bank loans and bank overdrafts
You can also finance your small business with bank loans and overdrafts. In comparison to bank overdrafts, bank loans are available for more extensive periods. You need to provide a security against the loan and the interest rates are usually less than that of a bank overdraft.

.

Source: http://increaserss.com/innovative-ways-to-finance-a-startup/

super bowl 2012 josephine baker ben gazzara nfl hall of fame 2012 ufc diaz vs condit super bowl start time target jason wu

Business and Career Opportunities Jobs | beenetworknews

Department of Labor

Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Job Announcement Number:
DE-13-NY-OSHA-11
Location Name:
Buffalo, New York
Department:
Department Of Labor
Agency:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Occupation Code:
Safety and Occupational Health Management
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Permanent
Opening Date:
Friday, January 25, 2013
Closing Date:
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$32,089.00 to $41,712.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
05 to 05
Who May Apply:
Public
Job Summary:
This position is with the U.S Department of Labor/Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Buffalo Area Office. The position is inside the bargaining unit. Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Regional Administrator

Job Announcement Number:
DOL-SES-OSHA-13-06
Location Name:
Atlanta, Georgia
Department:
Department Of Labor
Agency:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Occupation Code:
Safety and Occupational Health Management
Pay Plan:
ES
Appointment Duration:
Permanent
Opening Date:
Friday, January 25, 2013
Closing Date:
Monday, February 25, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$119,554.00 to $179,700.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
00 to 00
Who May Apply:
Public
Job Summary:
The mission of the U.S. Labor Department?s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regional Offices are to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; serve as a principle point of contact between the OSHA and cognizant labor, industrial, business, State government, local and public interest sectors in the identification, explanation, and defense of Occupational Health and Safety programs, and in their implementation; as well as, provide technical and programmatic assistance on specific operational problems; and ensure the efficient and effective management and direction of Regional administrative and program efforts

Program Analyst (Public Assistance Grants)-GS-0343-12

Job Announcement Number:
MG-2012-01385-KAS-825935COR
Location Name:
Denton, Texas
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Management And Program Analysis
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Temporary
Opening Date:
Friday, January 25, 2013
Closing Date:
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$72,733.00 to $94,551.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
12 to 12
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Who May Apply Current FEMA Employees Only For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Recovery Division, Public Assistance Branch, Region 6. The primary mission is to perform analysis and oversight of Regional Public Assistance Grants Analyst functions, in coordination with the FEMA Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) and other necessary state and local agencies. These functions are established to provide direct assistance to Regional and FEMA by performing, obtaining, and rendering a large variety of administrative, financial, budget, program support analysis and management services needed to support the mission of Public Assistance Branch, and the OCFO. The position starts at a salary of $72,733. (GS-12). The full performance level for this position is at the GS-12 level. Apply today to become a valued member of the Region 6 Office. This position is being announced under FEMA?s CORE Program (Cadre of On-call Response/Recovery employees). These positions are authorized under P.L. 93-288 to perform temporary disaster work and are funded from the Disaster Relief Fund. Appointments are excepted service, temporary appointments. This is a 2 year temporary appointment in the Excepted Service. EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: For all nonbargaining unit positions, the following applies: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

Staff Assistant, GS-301-9/11

Job Announcement Number:
MG-2013-T0092-BLG-831788D
Location Name:
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Miscellaneous Administration And Program
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Permanent
Opening Date:
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Closing Date:
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$51,630.00 to $81,204.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
09 to 11
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Who May Apply All US Citizens Persons eligible under an Interchange Agreement (click here to view a list of covered agreements) Veterans? preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions after substantially completing at least three consecutive years of active duty (click here for information on veterans) For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here This position opportunity is also being advertised under Merit Promotion at the GS-9/11 grade levels. Please see vacancy announcement numbers MG- 2013-T0092-BLG-831478MP This position is ideal for a staff or professional who is interested in providing administrative support that requires discretionary and discerning judgment in working for the Chief of Staff. This position starts at a salary of $51,630(GS-09) and $62,467(GS-11). Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the Office of the Administrator. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: For all nonbargaining unit positions, the following applies: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

Grants Management Specialist-GS-1109-11/12

Job Announcement Number:
MG201301658-821048-KST-COR
Location Name:
Atlanta, Georgia
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Grants Management
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Temporary
Opening Date:
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Closing Date:
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$59,987.00 to $93,470.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
11 to 12
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Who May Apply All U.S. Citizens For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here This position is ideal for a Grants Management Specialist looking for an opportunity to demonstrate their experience administering grants, working with grantees and grant making agencies to assure that Federal grant dollars are achieving the work approved under grant awards in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. This position starts at a salary of $59987.00 (GS-11), with promotion potential to $93470.00 (GS-12). Apply for this opportunity to become a member of the Grants Management Division, Grants Business Branch in Region IV located in Atlanta, GA. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. This position is being announced under FEMA?s CORE Program (Cadre of On-call Response/Recovery employees). These positions are authorized under P.L. 93-288 to perform temporary disaster work and are funded from the Disaster Relief Fund. Appointments are excepted service, temporary appointments. This is a 2 year temporary appointment in the Excepted Service. EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: For all nonbargaining unit positions, the following applies: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

Information Technology Specialist (Network) CORE

Job Announcement Number:
MG2013-T0093-SAA-831965CORE
Location Name:
Cumberland, Maryland
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Information Technology Management
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Temporary
Opening Date:
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Closing Date:
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$68,809.00 to $89,450.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
12 to 12
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA.Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. This position is located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Office of the Chief Information Officer, Operations Branch, Site Support Section, Field Support Team. The incumbent serves as on-site technician supporting all Information Technology Infrastructure and services at FEMA Distribution Center. This position is being announced under FEMA?s CORE Program (Cadre of on-call Response/Recovery employees). These positions are authorized under P.L. 93-288 to perform temporary disaster work and are funded from the Disaster Relief Fund. Appointments are excepted service, temporary appointments. This is a 2 year temporary appointment in the Excepted Service. EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: For all non-bargaining unit positions, the following applies: Every FEMA employee has a regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

Information Technology Specialist, (Data Mgmt.), CORE, GS-2210-13

Job Announcement Number:
MG2013-8301-FLB-824736D
Location Name:
Winchester, Virginia
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Information Technology Management
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Term
Opening Date:
Friday, January 25, 2013
Closing Date:
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$89,033.00 to $115,742.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
13 to 13
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
DHS components work collectively to prevent terrorism, secure borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard cyberspace and ensure resilience to disasters. The vitality and magnitude of this mission is achieved by a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS. When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Who May Apply All U.S. Citizens Current federal employees serving under a career or career-conditional appointment Former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility Persons eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authorities (click here for a list of authorities) Persons eligible under an Interchange Agreement (click here to view a list of covered agreements) Veterans? preference eligibles or veterans who have been separated from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions after substantially completing at least three consecutive years of active duty (click here for information on veterans) For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here The person selected for this position will provide senior technical authority in information technology; formulating and developing implementing strategies, standards, and guidelines for FEMA programs and functions. This position starts at a salary of $89,033 (GS-13) and ends at $115,742 (GS-13). Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Mission Support Bureau, Administration Division, in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: FEMA employees are subject to 24 hour on-call in the event of any emergency. This service may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites that require functioning under intense physical and mental stress. Relocation expenses may be authorized for this position.

Lead Mitigation Specialist, GS-301-13

Job Announcement Number:
MG-2013-01665-SLC-825715DE
Location Name:
Denton, Texas
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Miscellaneous Administration And Program
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Permanent
Opening Date:
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Closing Date:
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$86,489.00 to $112,434.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
13 to 13
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Who May Apply All U.S. Citizens For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here This position opportunity is also being advertised under Merit Promotion Procedures and at the GS-13 grade levels. Please see vacancy announcement numbers MG-2013-01665-SLC-825692MP for additional information. This position is ideal for an expert in providing policy interpretation of Federal and state grants management processes for disaster/post-disaster mitigation grant programs. This position starts at a salary of $86,489 (GS-13). Apply for this exciting opportunity to become a member of the Mitigation Division with Region VI, in Denton, TX. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: For all non-bargaining unit positions, the following applies: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

CORE Program Specialist GS-0301-12

Job Announcement Number:
MG-2013-T0059-LNG-831640COR
Location Name:
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Department:
Department Of Homeland Security
Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Occupation Code:
Miscellaneous Administration And Program
Pay Plan:
GS
Appointment Duration:
Term
Opening Date:
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Closing Date:
Monday, January 28, 2013
Job Status:
Full-Time
Salary:
$74,872.00 to $97,333.00 / Per Year
Pay Grade(s):
12 to 12
Who May Apply:
United States Citizens
Job Summary:
When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Who May Apply All U.S. Citizens For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here This position is ideal for a professional with experience providing budgetary support to program operations. The position starts at a salary of $74,872.00 per annum at the GS 12 grade level. The position is located within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Recovery Directorate, Business Management Division, Washington, DC. This position is being announced under FEMA?s CORE Program (Cadre of On-call Response/Recovery employees). These positions are authorized under P.L. 93-288 to perform temporary disaster work and are funded from the Disaster Relief Fund. Appointments are excepted service, temporary appointments. This is a 2 year temporary appointment in the Excepted Service, which may be extended per management?s discretion . EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: For all nonbargaining unit positions, the following applies: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee?s official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

PREVIOUS BUSINESS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES JOBS

Related articles

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://beenetworknews.com/2013/01/26/business-and-career-opportunities-jobs-41/

today show powerball katt williams greg mcelroy new york post kate middleton bob costas

Addressing Critical Business Issues Through Strategic Planning ...

In the past we?ve talked about addressing risks, assumptions and impediments during strategic planning, but what about current critical business issues? Should those be solved outside the process of strategic planning or be brought into the strategic loop of business forethought?

Strategic Planning Is Also About the Present, Not Just the Future

Strategic planning is not just about an organization?s future. Current critical business issues can also be strategic in terms of their immediate and long-term impacts and must be solved in harmony with the organization?s strategy. H.L. Mencken said that ?for every complex problem there is a simple solution? and it is always wrong.? Critical business issues are usually tangled up with lots of business process, organizational structure and threads of the enterprise?s strategy. The simple solution of assigning a task force, key executive, or consultant (or taking other ostensibly obvious steps) in times of urgency may not be the best approach to serving an organization?s mission. Such isolated approaches to problem resolution can disconnect the solution from the integrated actions already underway or in development as part of the corporate strategic planning process.

The present and the future tension existing between the tactical and the strategic should not be cause for concern. We have referred before to this ?yin and yang? duality that always exists when strategic planning is done well. Both must be represented within the strategic plan in order for the programs comprised in the strategy to be both forward-thinking and remain realistic in addressing the immediate needs of the business (see #8 in our list of Eight Critical Success Factors For Improving Strategy Execution for more on this topic).

This tension represents a dichotomy between solving immediate critical business problems, addressing basic organizational issues and other tactical short-term work to be accomplished in a balanced plan that also accommodates larger sweeping strategic initiatives. A good strategic planning process moves everyone out of their comfort zones, systematically challenges their own assumptions and leverages an un-biased prioritization approach to find the best strategy and sequencing of programs that support the organization?s mission (see Managing Assumptions, Risks and Impediments In Strategic Planning). It is a fact that certain elements of strategy are dependent on having organizational impediments, risks and critical business issues addressed in order to pave the road for faster progress later on in the process.

The reality is, strategic planning is also about the present, so identifying and addressing true critical business issues is the right course of action in most cases.

What Constitutes A Critical Business Issue?

A critical business issue can be thought of as ?A problem or opportunity that is critical to the overall success of the organization?.

A simple rule of thumb for categorizing a problem as a critical business issue is to determine if two or more of the following are true:

1. The problem is related to a core organizational function
2. The problem affects a significant number of people directly or indirectly
3. The problem is adversely affecting customers and/or key stakeholders, is promoting illegal activity or causing a break in regulatory compliance

When taking action on such a problem is tantamount to the overall success of the organization, it constitutes that the issue not only be considered for its criticality, but also its strategic implications. When critical business issues have strategic implications, they need to be addressed as part of organizational strategy and not in some disconnected loop that operates outside of the planning process and strategy governance structure (see more about The Office of Strategy Management).

Leverage Your SWOT Analysis To Identify Critical Issues

Organizations should proactively be seeking to identify critical business issues as a part of their planning process. Since most companies already utilize some form of SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) analysis, that can be a starting point for targeting critical issues as a part of the planning cycle. SWOT, which has been in use since the 1960s, is a simple tool that can help companies address critical problems (perhaps addressing an area of weakness) by building on strengths and/or opportunities. Strengths are characteristics of the business that give it an advantage over others. In the SWOT context, weaknesses are characteristics that place the organization at a disadvantage relative to others. Opportunities are therefore elements or core competencies that the can be leveraged to the businesses advantage.

A critical business issue could also be identified as a current (actual) or potential (risk) gap between the company?s business performance and one of the following:

• A key competition?s performance
• Customer?s expectations
• Executive?s performance expectations

Likewise, an opportunity might exist to make significant improvements in a business area currently experiencing no performance problems ? but at risk of decline based on market intelligence. In some cases, the critical business issue can be very large-scale, requiring the implementation of a major change in the organization.

Policy and Process Example

Las Vegas Sands Corp. has overhauled its compliance procedures to address potential money-laundering schemes tied to international bank transfers.? The company added ex-FBI agents with the right expertise to help strengthen an area of weakness and has made significant process changes to address the critical business issue.

Market Trend Example

Dell, the personal-computer maker that lost almost a third of its value last year, is said to be in the process of a leveraged-buyout to take the company private. The critical business issue Dell faces is a rapidly declining PC market in recent years as consumers shun desktop and laptops in favor of tablets and smartphones. The strategy is to go private to allow the company time to overall its business and begin focusing primarily on B2B computer sales as well as IT services.

Recap

Strategic planning is not just about an organization?s future. It is also about what is causing the organization pain at this moment. By planning strategically and refreshing plans operationally in shorter cycles, strategic critical business issues can be addressed as a part of the overall strategy and not in disconnected ?special-projects? loops.

***

Resources for Taking Action

Free Strategic Planning Article Compilations and PDFs:

1??????? Free access to the Strategic Planning Monthly: Archive

2??????? Free Online Strategic Planning Articles Library

3??????? Free Strategic Planning PDF Downloads

4??????? Information about Strategic Planning Learning and Development Programs

Source: http://blog.vistage.com/business-strategy-and-management/addressing-critical-business-issues-through-strategic-planning/

carmen whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll i will always love you whitney cummings maine caucus whitney houston has died

This Little Devil Won?t Change His Ways, But He?s Still Worth Saving

To many, the Tasmanian devil is a just a rowdy, screeching Looney Tunes character. But to those in Australia, the devil is a national symbol and was once a common sight in its wildlife landscape. However, now this beloved creature is being severely threatened by a strange contagious cancer.?

The cancer is fast spreading and extremely deadly? it's already killed 84 percent of the Tasmanian devil population. To date, there are only around 35,000 of the devils left in the wild.?

The gravity of the situation can be seen in scientists? most recent plan to ensure the species? survival: 15 cancer-free Tasmanian devils were released onto nearby Maria Island.? The scientists hope to create a healthy population of devils in case the cancer wipes out the remaining ones in Tasmania.? In addition to the Maria devils, 500 healthy devils have also been placed in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.? The devils on Maria Island will safeguard the species from becoming too domesticated to survive in the wild, which could happen if they were solely bred in zoos.?

These extreme measures are necessary due to the unique nature of the Tasmanian devils? cancer.? Officially called the Devil Facial Tumor Disease? (DFTD), this fast-moving cancer is contagious.? It can be spread from devil to devil, unlike most cancers, which cannot be spread through contact.? A contagious cancer is especially problematic for Tasmanian devils; the devils are violent animals that greet each other by fighting and biting each other?s faces. The biting is the reason that the cancer has spread so quickly.? It also explains why DFTD usually presents first as facial tumors before spreading to the rest of the body.?

Dr. Elizabeth Murchison of the University of Cambridge was one of the first to discover the unusual nature of the devils? cancer.? As she explained in her TEDx talk, Murchison used DNA from one devil, Jonas, to investigate its contagiousness: ?Being a geneticist I?m always interested in looking at DNA and mutations ? When I looked at the sequence of the DNA and compared the sequence of Jonas?s tumor to that of the rest of his body, I discovered that they had a completely different genetic profile?What this told us was that Jonas?s tumor did not arise from cells on his own body.??

Since her talk, Murchison has led the effort to sequence hundreds of genomes from devils? tumors.? She hopes that researching the facial tumors further will lead to a vaccine for DFTD.? Still, until a vaccine is developed, the Tasmanian government is putting its efforts into establishing an insurance population on Maria Island.? ?

Conservationists are hoping for a breakthrough as quickly as possible, so the devils can serve as more than fodder for cartoons, but as integral members of the country's ecosystem.

Related Stories on TakePart:

??Does White Nose Syndrome Solution Lie in Foreign Bat Caves?

??Closing Caves to Save Bats from Killer Plague

? When Tourists Attack: 9 Crocodiles Stoned to Death at Chinese Zoo

---

Jenna Shapiro is a high school senior in New York City who is passionate about writing and environmental issues. She has previously worked with EcoLogic Solutions.?In her free time she can be found reading, biking, or walking her adorable dogs!?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/little-devil-won-t-change-ways-still-worth-214024198.html

joe biden jennifer lawrence michelle obama school closings beyonce lupe fiasco jason wu

Garment factory fire kills 7 in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) ? A fire swept through a two-story garment factory in Bangladesh's capital Saturday, killing at least seven female workers and injuring another five, police and fire officials said.

The fire at the Smart factory occurred just two months after a blaze killed 112 workers in another factory near the capital city, raising questions about safety standards and treatment of workers in Bangladesh's $20-billion garment industry that exports clothes to leading Western retailers. The country has more than 4,000 garment factories

The cause of the latest fire was not immediately known, fire official Abdul Halim said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Monzurul Kabir told The Associated Press that the bodies of seven women were recovered from the top floor of the factory in Dhaka's Mohammadpur district. He said the factory was making pants and shirts, but could not provide further details.

Halim said it took firefighters about two hours to bring Saturday's blaze under control.

Volunteers joined firefighters in battling the blaze as a large crowd gathered outside the factory awaiting word on the fate of relatives. Family members were seen crying near the body of a female worker named Josna, who was only 16.

Kabir said the factory was making pants and shirts, but could not provide details.

Earlier this month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. alerted its global suppliers that it will immediately drop them if they subcontract their work to factories that haven't been authorized by the discounter. The stricter contracting rule, along with other changes to its policy, comes amid increasing calls for better safety oversight after the deadly late November fire at a factory owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd. that supplied clothing to Wal-Mart and other retailers. Wal-Mart has said the factory wasn't authorized to make its clothes.

Wal-Mart ranks second behind Swedish fast fashion retailer H&M in the number of clothing orders it places in Bangladesh. Before the fatal fire there, Wal-Mart had taken steps to address safety, such as mandating fire safety training for all levels of factory management.

Building fires have led to more than 600 garment work deaths in Bangladesh since 2005, according to research by the advocacy group International Labor Rights Forum.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/garment-factory-fire-kills-7-bangladesh-201555103.html

ludwig mies van der rohe jamie lynn sigler mega millions jackpot black panther party frank martin pink slime eagle cam

New tool for mining bacterial genome for novel drugs

Jan. 25, 2013 ? Vanderbilt biochemists have discovered that the process bacteria undergo when they become drug resistant can act as a powerful tool for drug discovery.

Their findings -- reported this week in the Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- should give a major boost to natural products drug discovery -- the process of finding new drugs from compounds isolated from living organisms -- by substantially increasing the number of novel compounds that scientists can extract from individual microorganisms.

Bacteria have traditionally been the source of important drugs such as antibiotics and anticancer agents. Researchers looking for new bacterially synthesized drugs have long known that bacterial genomes contain a large number of "silent genes" that contain the instructions for making drug-like compounds. But, until now, scientists have found it is very difficult to find ways to turn on the production of these compounds, known as secondary metabolites.

While investigating how bacteria develop drug resistance, Vanderbilt biochemists Brian Bachmann and John McLean discovered that strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria express hundreds of compounds not produced by their progenitors, many of which are potential secondary metabolites.

"It's as if the bacteria respond to the assault by the antibiotic with a 'save-all-ships' strategy of turning on hundreds of silent genes," said Bachmann, associate professor chemistry at Vanderbilt.

"This technique is something like fracking in the natural gas industry. We've known for a long time that there were large amounts of underground natural gas that we couldn't extract using conventional methods but now we can, using hydraulic fracturing technology. In a similar fashion we think we can use bacteria's antibiotic resistance to intensively mine the bacterial genome for new drug leads," he said.

The original purpose of the study was to take the most detailed look yet at what happens when microbes develop drug resistance. Bachmann is an expert in natural products drug discovery and McLean, an assistant professor of chemistry, is a pioneer in the development of analytical instrumentation and chemical techniques that can identify thousands of different biological compounds simultaneously, such as ion mobility-mass spectrometry.

"One of the daunting challenges is to rapidly inventory the tens to hundreds of thousands of molecules the bacteria construct to live, and then to read this inventory to understand how the bacteria compensate for their changing circumstances. To complicate matters further, we are looking for new drug-like molecules, so by definition we are looking for something that has not been seen before," said McLean.

Working with Research Assistant Dagmara Derewacz and graduate students Cody Goodwin and Ruth McNees, Bachmann and McLean started with the well-characterized soil bacterium Nocardiopsis. They exposed the bacterium to two different antibiotics -- streptomycin and rifampicin -- and observed the results.

"The first thing that happens is almost all of the bacteria die. Less than one cell in a million survives," said Bachmann.

The chemists then cultured the survivors (six streptomycin-resistant strains and five rifampicin-resistant strains) without the antibiotic and used McLean's instrumental methods to profile the drug-like compounds that they produced.

They discovered that the differences were much greater than they expected. The survivors had undergone extensive mutations, not only in the genes that produce secondary metabolites but also in the housekeeping genes that alter the way they make RNA and proteins. As a result, they determined that the resistant strains produced more than 300 compounds that were not expressed by the original organism.

"The cells appear to be 'de-repressing' as many of their silent genes as possible. This seems like a very drastic way to become drug resistant," Bachmann said.

McLean's team has developed strategies that allow them to automatically identify and compare the relative uniqueness and the relative abundance of tens of thousands of molecules from which the hundreds of novel compounds were found.

"What we are looking for are new species of molecules in the mutants that are the most unique and the most abundant," said Bachmann.

In the antibiotic-resistant Nocardiopsis strains the researchers found a total of five compounds that were both unique enough and abundant enough to isolate, determine their molecular structures and test for biological activity.

"Normally, we only find one compound per organism, so this is a significant improvement in yield, allowing us to get many new compounds from previously mined microorganisms," Bachmann said.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Vanderbilt University.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. D. K. Derewacz, C. R. Goodwin, C. R. McNees, J. A. McLean, B. O. Bachmann. Antimicrobial drug resistance affects broad changes in metabolomic phenotype in addition to secondary metabolism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1218524110

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/gKQifxjDSfg/130125142039.htm

nba playoffs rosario dawson young jeezy world wildlife fund gsa keith olbermann andrew bynum

Assange: WikiLeaks film script leaked to WikiLeaks

LONDON (AP) ? If you're making a movie about WikiLeaks, this is the kind of thing you probably see coming.

Julian Assange says he has obtained a leaked copy of the script for "The Fifth Estate," a DreamWorks film about the maverick computer expert and his famed secret-busting site. In a speech before the Oxford Union debating society earlier this week, Assange said his unauthorized sneak peek has left him convinced the film is a hit piece.

"It is a mass propaganda attack against WikiLeaks, the organization (and) the character of my staff," he said, adding that the movie ? the opening scenes of which Assange described as taking place in Tehran and Cairo ? also hyped Western fears over the Islamic Republic's disputed atomic energy program.

"It is not just an attack against us, it is an attack against Iran. It fans the flames of an attack against Iran," he said.

A DreamWorks spokeswoman declined to comment on Assange's claims.

In a telephone interview late Friday, Assange said that the film's plot revolves around a fictional mole in Iran's nuclear program who discovers that the country has nearly finished building an atom bomb and will soon be in a position to load it onto ballistic missiles. The film has the informant fleeing to Iraq when WikiLeaks publishes his name among its massive trove of classified material.

Assange says the whole story is "a lie built on a lie," claiming that the U.S. intelligence community generally believes that Iran stopped comprehensive secret work on developing nuclear arms in 2003, and that, in any case, the world had yet to see evidence of a case in which WikiLeaks had exposed a CIA informant.

"They tried to frame Iran as having an active nuclear weapons program. Then they try to frame WikiLeaks as the reason why that's not known to the public now," Assange said, comparing the movie to Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty," another film whose artistic liberties with recent history have drawn allegations of political bias.

Assange declined to say where he got the script, although he hinted that he had been supplied with several copies of it over time. He also declined to say whether the script would be posted to the WikiLeaks website, saying only that "we are examining options closely."

"The Fifth Estate" stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Assange and Daniel Bruhl as Daniel Domscheit-Berg, an early Assange ally who eventually fell out with WikiLeaks.

The film is due for release in November, and in a statement earlier this week director Bill Condon was quoted as saying that those behind the movie want "to explore the complexities and challenges of transparency in the information age" and "enliven and enrich the conversations WikiLeaks has already provoked."

Assange made his comments to the Oxford Union on Wednesday via videolink from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he has been holed up for more than six months in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden as part of a long-running sex crimes case.

___

Online:

Assange's speech before the Oxford Union: http://bit.ly/Vcokdo

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-25-WikiLeaks-Film/id-a1fe9d10268d4afa95b8a80eb00c72dc

2012 ncaa bracket john carlson greg smith catamount mike dantoni bulls heat goldman sachs

NH Sex Offenders and Social Media - DWI | Criminal Law ...

The New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that the New Hampshire sex offender reporting statute covers a new MySpace account. New Hampshire law requires NH sex offenders to notify law enforcement when they create new ?online identifiers.?

Proponents of the law believe that it will remove an avenue for sex offenders to attract and abuse new victims. However, the law?s critics contend that there is no actual evidence that the statute has done anything to prevent sexual abuse, and only curtail the constitutional rights of those that have paid their debt to society.

In New Hampshire v. White, the defendant, who is a registered sex offender, was charged with failing to register prior to using a MySpace account. The defendant was originally convicted in 1994 of aggravated felonious sex assault on a child and related felonies, and then convicted of indecent exposure and lewdness in 2005.

The trial court judge dismissed the indictment since the MySpace account was created using the defendant?s real name and a previously registered email address.

The NH Supreme Court ruling reversed the trial court. The New Hampshire Supreme Court noted that MySpace is a ?social networking? website, where users can create profiles and interact with other members. While accessing MySpace and browsing profiles does not require a membership or user profile, posting information does require both registration and a user profile.

As a result, the Supreme Court held that the requirement to make a profile triggers the obligation to report the account?s creation to law enforcement.

The Supreme Court rejected the defendant?s argument that using his previously registered email to create the profile should remove the requirement to register his MySpace profile. The Supreme Court noted that the New Hampshire sex offender statute separately references user profiles and email addresses, which shows the legislature?s intent for separate registration.

The Supreme Court finally noted that the legislature clearly wanted the statute interpreted broadly, in order to allow law enforcement to fully monitor registered sex offenders.

Sex offenders in NH should certainly take particular note of this case. The New Hampshire Supreme Court sent a clear message that the rules of using the Internet are different for sex offenders than everyone else.

While the constitutionality of such statutes and registration requirements is questionable, it is the current law of the land and failure to obey could land you in hot water. It is simply best to assume that any Internet usage, and particularly the use of social networking sites, will be both heavily regulated and heavily monitored.

In addition, this case also shows the inherent ambiguity of the New Hampshire sex offender statute. The line between what constitutes new accounts related to profiles and add-on services is not clear at all. For example, with regard to third party photo sharing websites and services, there is no guidance regarding whether they require registration with law enforcement as a new ?online identifier? or if they are considered part of the primary account.

With the confusing nature of the regulations regarding Internet and social networking usage for sex offenders, it is extremely important to discuss any questions or concerns with an experienced NH attorney. An experienced attorney will be able to answer any questions regarding the sex offender statute and help steer you clear of trouble with law enforcement.

Source: http://blog.russmanlaw.com/criminal-defense/sex-crimes/nh-sex-offenders-and-social-media/

Jenni Rivera Funeral aspergers Richard Engel Daniel Inouye steelers scarlett johansson tim tebow

Yanks GM: Possible A-Rod could miss entire season

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012, file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez prepares to hit in the sixth inning during Game 4 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says it's possible that third baseman Alex Rodriguez could miss the entire season while coming off hip surgery. He made his remarks Friday on WFAN radio in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012, file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez prepares to hit in the sixth inning during Game 4 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says it's possible that third baseman Alex Rodriguez could miss the entire season while coming off hip surgery. He made his remarks Friday on WFAN radio in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 18, 2012, file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez watches from the dugout during Game 4 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says it's possible that third baseman Alex Rodriguez could miss the entire season while coming off hip surgery. He made his remarks Friday on WFAN radio in New York. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says it's possible third baseman Alex Rodriguez could miss the entire season while recovering from hip surgery.

Cashman says "there's no guarantees in this stuff" that Rodriguez will be able to play this year.

The 37-year-old Rodriguez had surgery on his left hip last week. The team said the rehabilitation time was expected to be six months, which would sideline the star slugger until the All-Star break.

On Friday, Cashman said it was possible A-Rod could be out all year.

"Yeah," Cashman told WFAN radio. "I think because (of) the serious nature of the surgery and the condition that he's trying to recover from, you know, there is that chance."

"I can't say it's not possible that he won't be back," he said.

The Yankees signed free agent Kevin Youkilis during the offseason to play third base while Rodriguez is out.

Cashman said Rodriguez is doing everything "in his power to put himself in the position to get back and be healthy and productive."

"Best case scenario, yeah he should be back," Cashman said. "Worst case scenario, he won't be back, or there might be something in between."

A 14-time All-Star, Rodriguez hit .272 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs in 122 games last year. The three-time AL MVP was benched in three of nine postseason games and pinch hit for in three others, batting just .120 (3 for 25) with no RBIs in the playoffs.

Rodriguez had surgery on Jan. 16 to repair a torn labrum and reshape a bone to alleviate an impingement. He has 647 career homers and is due $114 million over the next five years as part of his record $275 million, 10-year contract.

NOTES: RHP David Robertson and the Yankees reached a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration. The reliever had asked for $3.55 million and the team offered $2.85 million.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-25-BBA-Yankees-Rodriguez/id-24e3926a0434492984fcc5fc88d23dcb

rosh hashanah rosh hashanah boardwalk empire iOS 6 Release Date Canelo Alvarez Chavez vs Martinez Yunel Escobar

Housing recovery spurs pickup in remodeling

9 hrs.

John W. Schoen , NBC News

More American homeowners are repairing and remodeling their houses again as the overall housing market begins to show signs of life.

"It had been quite dismal for most remodeling contractors,? said Tom O?Grady, president of O?Grady Builders, based in Drexel Hill, Pa. ?I had gone two years without doing a significant home addition. Very few inquiries even. And now I?ve got two. That tells me it?s coming back.?

Much like the recovery in the overall housing industry, the pickup in remodeling comes as home prices have staged a convincing bottom in most of the country, said O?Grady. Just as falling prices discouraged homeowners from repairing or expanding a house, rising prices have given them confidence to undertake a delayed project. Rising home equity is also helping to finance the work, he said.

The remodeling industry is also benefiting from the need to fix up the swollen inventory of foreclosed houses in many distressed markets, according to a?report released Wednesday by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

?All those homes that have gone through foreclosure or short sales are now coming back on the market,? said Kermit Baker, a senior fellow at the center. ?In a lot of cases these properties have been abandoned for the last few years. So you?ve got some properties in pretty tough shape.?

Until about a year ago, the remodeling industry was also in tough shape. From a 2007 peak of more than $325 billion, revenues had fallen by 16 percent in 2011. At the height of the housing boom, home remodeling accounted for some 327,000 construction industry jobs before falling to 216,000 at the start of 2010. Employment has been gradually coming back but closed out last year at 250,000.

O?Grady had five full?time employees on his payroll at the peak. Now he has two.

"I don?t think anybody in our business is saying ?I think it's time for me to go back to my level of employment that I had back in 04-06,'" he said. "I think a lot of remodeling contractors are going try to stay away from having a full stable of employees because they felt so bad about letting them go."

O?Grady, who heads a research committee for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, said two-thirds of the trade group?s members expect to see a continued pickup in demand this year.

Some of that demand continues to come from homeowners looking to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, a spending category that held up well through the downturn, said Baker. That was partly spurred by government incentives during the economic?stimulus program along with worries about volatile energy costs.

Some contractors in areas that sustained heavy damage from Superstorm?Sandy told a recent NARI survey they were seeing an uptick?in business for storm-related work.?

Older homeowners fixing up their home for retirement are also a major source of new business for the remodeling industry, said Baker.

?Their share of spending went up pretty dramatically because they have more equity in their home compared to younger households," he said.

That trend is expected to continue, as many aging baby boomers decide to retrofit their homes to better accommodate their retirement years.

Younger households are also expected to move ahead on long-delayed projects to accommodate growing families. Some deferred repairs can only be postponed for so long.

As long as the overall economy continues to improve gradually, O?Grady expects remodeling demand to continue to pick up.

?There a whole lot more feeling of certainly that the economy is on the rebound and homeowners have more certainty about their ability to retain their employment,? he said.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/housing-recovery-spurs-pickup-remodeling-1B8068229

kevin kolb sarah shahi george clooney rutgers dharun ravi george clooney arrested ravi

How Siri almost became Verizon -- and Android -- only

Siri very nearly became a staple of the Droid line of Android phones before Apple purchased the company in 2010. Originally a standalone app available for iPhone, Verizon had signed a deal with Siri in late 2009 in order to put the service on every Droid phone, but the deal was cancelled after Apple purchased Siri for themselves. According to the Huffington Post:

When Apple swooped in to buy Siri, it insisted on making the assistant exclusive to Apple devices, and nixed the Verizon deal. In the process, it narrowly avoided seeing Siri become a selling point for smartphones powered by its biggest rival, Google.

Though the deal with Apple eventually found Siri integrated right into iOS itself, there have been sacrifices made in order to see that happen. Expanding the capabilities of Siri has been slowed in order to make the localization process easier, enabling Apple to put Siri on as many iOS devices around the world as possible. In fact, the current iteration of Siri has lacks some of the capabilities and context awareness that made the original app so impressive. Siri only regained the ability to make restaurant reservations with iOS 6. While Apple is continually tweaking and making improvements to Siri, it?s difficult not to wish for the Siri that was.

While some might worry that Siri has lost some of its more powerful advocates within Apple, which included Steve Jobs and Scott Forstall, Apple still seems to be committed to the project. A recent Apple job posting indicates that Apple is looking to expand Siri?s personality, something that is key for successful interaction and engagement with users. If Apple plays it right, Siri could rise to new heights, and become more than just a nice addition to iOS, but an essential part of the Apple experience.

Source: The Huffington Post, The Verge, Android Central

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/hVoW3wkGTFk/story01.htm

ncaa bracket predictions jeff foxworthy heather morris the bachelor finale march madness bracket south by southwest i want to know what love is

Cleaning Brick and Stone ? Outdoor HowTo From Home Work With ...

Home Work With Hank is the leading source for tips and tricks when it comes to handling hardscape, landscape, and any other outdoor do-it-yourself (DIY) project around your home. In this project, Cleaning Brick and Stone, Home Improvement expert Hank Camosse provides tips on how to choose the right cleaner for your brick and stone and demonstrates the most effective way to clean off those grimy and dirty bricks and stones! This video is part of Home Work With Hank, hosted by Hannk Camosse. For more videos on home repair and restoration, check out Hank?s Channel, www.youtube.com/HowToWithHank
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Source: http://landscapes.pmahorizon.com/cleaning-brick-and-stone-outdoor-howto-from-home-work-with-hank/

myocardial infarction What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan michael jackson courtney stodden

Jeni's Influenza Sorbet A Hot-Seller For Cold, Flu Season

Would you spend $12 a pint for a booze-infused frozen dessert to ease your flu symptoms?

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is counting on it.

The Ohio-based company's Influenza Sorbet has apparently become a sort of prescription du jour among foodies.

"This year, with the early start of the [flu] season and it being particularly nasty, the flavor is sort of having its moment," Jeni's spokesman Ryan Morgan told The Huffington Post. He said it has been the company's best-selling flavor in January.

The sorbet contains a blend of honey, ginger, orange juice, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and Maker's Mark bourbon. (The latter ingredient is trace enough to be kid-friendly, Morgan assures HuffPost.) Together, the ingredients create a flavor resembling "a whiskey sour with a spicy kick," the Los Angeles Times notes.

As for some of the sorbet's relief-providing properties, the honey coats the throat and the cayenne helps clear the nose, owner Jeni Britton Bauer told ABC.

Jeni's website reinforces the message: ?This is our flu-season fix. It?s proven to clear nasal passages, ease a sore throat, and soothe the body."

According to the site, Bauer got the idea for the flavor -- a Jeni's staple since 2004 -- from a heated-up cough syrup concoction of whiskey, honey and lemon juice that her mother and grandmother used to make.

On a sour note, flu vaccine co-developer Doris Bucher told the Inquisitr that the product was cute but lacked the science behind it. Similarly, the Times reminded readers that Influenza Sorbet is not a cure.

But that doesn't put Bauer's spirits down.

?It?s not a miracle. It?s an at-home remedy ? like chicken soup," Bauer told the news outlet.

Influenza Sorbet is available online and at Jeni's outlets in Columbus, Cleveland and Nashville through the winter.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/influenza-sorbet-cold-flu-season_n_2524822.html

buenos aires train crash argentina train crash nancy pelosi nancy pelosi gop debate republican debate lewis black

House bill would allow government to borrow through May 18 (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/278724050?client_source=feed&format=rss

kobayashi margaret sanger paul george eddie long ufc 143 weigh ins micron ceo glenn miller

Tokyoflash Kisai Adjust watch tells time with triangles, trippy colors (video)

It almost goes without saying Tokyoflash watches aren't always very scrutable. The company's newly launched Kisai Adjust, however, is thankfully one of the more legible examples -- as the name suggests, it even goes out of its way to accommodate the wearer. The fan-designed timepiece uses LED-lit triangles to offer the time and date in any one of six colors, including a slightly mesmerizing "candy," with the option to display digits horizontally in those moments it's not on a wrist. It's USB-rechargeable, too, for those averse to wall outlets; expect about a month of dazzling (or confusing) friends between battery top-ups. Tokyoflash is selling the Kisai Adjust today, although you'll want to buy the watch within the first 48 hours to pay $149 instead of the regular $179. Head past the break for a video that helps explain the Adjust's changeable ways.

Filed under: Wearables

Comments

Source: Tokyoflash

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/I0HJQN6L-gM/

magic mike trailer Alan Turing brave Stephanie Rice Meet the Pyro Karen Klein Colorado fires

Replacement Windows Can Increase Energy Savings for Your Home

For many homeowners in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, saving money on utility bills and other expenses is a top priority. Not only is it an effective way to preserve natural resources, but it can have a significant impact on your monthly budget. Yet, discovering the most productive course of action can be challenging.

Although there are numerous ways to increase energy savings in your home, replacement windows can produce an immediate and substantial utilities cost reduction. While beautifully enhancing the interior and exterior appearance of the property, this home improvement offers superior climate control for?increased comfort and home resale value.

According to the EPA, substituting outdated, single panes with energy efficient, home replacement windows can save homeowners up to $35.00 per month on utility bills, and some local utility companies also offer substantial rebates on windows with certain environmentally approved ratings. There are also a number of qualifying tax incentives for homeowners who make the upgrade with home replacement windows.

R-Value and U-factor Ratings

Because of improved standards, most window manufacturers that construct home replacement windows, provide energy efficiency ratings for each product. This may include an R-value, or a U-factor, depending on the maker.

An R-value measures the thermal resistance of home replacement windows. Essentially, how easy it is for heat to pass through the substance. The number value indicates how resistant the window is to heat loss, the higher the value, the more energy efficient.

However, the U-factor indicates the level of heat transfer, factoring in the solar energy created by sunlight passing through, combined with the effects of wind, and indoor and outdoor temperatures. Most new home replacement windows incorporate this rating, a lower?value indicates the best insular quality.

Optional Ratings

VT Level ? Window glass can be treated to allow or hinder sunlight. The VT level measures the amount of light that will be visibly transmitted through the home replacement windows. The higher the VT rating, the more light that can enter the room; thus, requiring less electricity during daylight hours.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient ? Similar to a greenhouse, light entering your home becomes heat when passing through certain materials, including windows. The SHGC indicates how much of the light will be converted to heat. The lower the value, the better the home replacement windows will prevent temperature fluctuations caused by sunlight.

Air Leakage ? This rating calculates the amount of air that can pass through the window frame area, using a cubic feet ratio formula. The stronger the seal and the less air infiltration, the lower the value.

Gas Fill Options

New home replacement windows can be purchased with chemical fills between panes, designed to increase energy efficiency ratings. Certain gases have properties that act as an invisible barrier that can reduce conduction and heat transfer.

Inert Argon and Krypton gases are denser than air and provide superior heat flow prevention. When suspended between the panes, these odorless, non-toxic gases form a barrier that improves the window?s performance.

Due to innovative advancements in window design, increasing energy savings in your home can be as simple as choosing new home replacement windows. The substantial value, beauty, and comfort will enhance your living space and produce lasting effects by providing a sound investment and helping conserve our world?s energy resources.

Thinking about home replacement windows? Call 419.476.9600 for your complimentary evaluation of the energy efficiency of your current windows.

Source: http://www.arnoldshomeimprovement.com/replacement-windows-can-increase-energy-savings-for-your-home/

ufc jones vs evans watergate mlb pregnant man outside lands 2012 lineup beloved ufc results

New Church of England national energy audit with Shrinking the ...

22 January 2013

Church members are being encouraged to use January's freezing temperatures as a starting point for monitoring their building's energy useage, as part of the Shrinking the Footprint national energy audit, using sMeasure.

The free, easy to use toolkit from Shrinking the Footprint, the CofE's national environmental campaign, enables all church buildings - historic and modern - to understand and reduce energy use and costs along with cutting their carbon footprint

The online tool simply requires regular meter readings to be submitted at www.shrinkingthefootprint.smeasure.com. ?Users will also be provided with tips for saving money and reducing their carbon footprint.? Staff support and advice in energy monitoring and reduction are available as well as technical help.

In a new CofE videocast published today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdDk2icT7tQ ) the Revd Ruth Lampard, Associate Vicar at St Mary the Boltons in London Diocese shows how regular meter reading can lead to energy saving initiatives with significant long-term benefits. The church, which has made energy and financial savings, even has a thermometer in the pulpit to make sure the congregation is warm enough but not overheated.

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, chair of Shrinking the Footprint, said: "It is a God-given imperative that we guard the earth for future generations. This energy audit aims to build a better understanding of our energy usage and total carbon footprint for our national network of 16,000 parish churches, so we can support energy saving actions and meet our commitment to protecting God's creation".

The national energy audit has been successfully piloted in more than 300 churches and schools; the pilot was funded by LEAF - Local Energy Assessment Fund - a Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) grant administered by the Energy Saving Trust.

Once 20 buildings in a diocese are taking part in the energy audit a diocese peer group will be created on the website. This will allow the diocese to track and benchmark combined building energy and carbon emission results and identify buildings that require additional support.

The Diocese of London has been measuring and monitoring the energy use of its churches since 2005 through its annual return, and has been using the Diocese's bespoke system of Energy-saving Benchmarking since 2009. Since 2005, cumulative year-on-year savings of 3% in energy use and carbon emissions have been recorded. Energy-saving Benchmarking, which is also used by a number of dioceses in the south west*, will sit alongside sMeasure's new online energy monitoring tool, with the aim of combining them into a fully integrated Church of England system.

Notes:
The national energy audit uses the sMeasure online tool and is available for free to all Church of England buildings. It displays energy data in a range of charts, including comparing heating use with local outside temperatures to identify the building's efficiency and grading the building's energy performance against other similar buildings. The ability to analyse regular meter readings enables a greater understanding of energy use, leading to energy saving actions and the ability to quantify and evaluate consumption, cost and carbon savings from these actions.

Find out more about energy monitoring and how your building can take part at www.churchcare.co.uk/shrinking-the-footprint or get started straight away at www.shrinkingthefootprint.smeasure.com.

Shrinking the Footprint is the Church of England's national environmental campaign aimed at helping the Church's 44 dioceses and 16,000 churches reduce their carbon footprint. www.shrinkingthefootprint.org.

The campaign was set up in 2005 when General Synod voted to set a carbon reduction target for the Church, now 80% by 2050, in line with UK government commitments. Shrinking the Footprint is a cross-divisional campaign involving both Cathedral and Church Buildings and Mission and Public Affairs.

The Diocese of London's Energy-saving Benchmarking tool assesses the energy use and carbon emissions of individual churches in the Diocese. This allows an understanding of how efficient their churches are, compared to each other and a common standard - taking account of their size, attendance and a church's various activities. A perecentage savings target for energy and carbon is set for each church, and an action plan offered for how to achieve it.

* Energy-saving Benchmarking is also used by Bath & Wells, Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Salisbury and Truro Dioceses.

Individuals can make use of iMeasure - a free web-based energy and carbon monitoring solution for households that uses weather data to accurately assess homes' energy efficiency. http://www.imeasure.org.uk.?

?

ENDS

?

?

Source: http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2013/01/church-heating-up-switch-on-to-the-new-national-energy-saving-audit.aspx

marijuana huffington post