Futures higher before Bernanke speech in Wyoming

FILE- In this Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, file photo, traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks closed lower Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012, with investors too worried about gas prices and unemployment to be impressed by news that consumer spending is up. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE- In this Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, file photo, traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks closed lower Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012, with investors too worried about gas prices and unemployment to be impressed by news that consumer spending is up. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? U.S. futures moved sharply higher Friday less than an hour before Chairman Ben Bernanke was to address a Federal Reserve conference in Jackson Hole. Many investors are already pricing in expectations that the Fed will take no major action to reinvigorate the economy, at least no action just yet.

While all major indexes will likely end lower for the week marked by very light trading, it appeared that some investors had not completely written off some form of support from the Fed, even if the chances are slim.

Dow Jones industrial futures rose 114 points to 13,096. The broader S&P futures tacked on 12.4 points to 1,409.50 and Nasdaq futures gained 27.25 points to 2,781.

Many investors have remained on the sidelines all week ahead of the Fed meeting and they'll be looking for any glimpse of even potential action from fiscal policy makers.

Short of another round of bond buying, that could include potentially extending its forecast for lowered interest rates, perhaps until at least 2015.

Interest rates have been held at record lows since December 2008, but the Fed has begun to supply expiration dates, the first time through the middle of next year, and then, in January, through at least late 2014.

Many believe that the Fed will not pull the trigger on new measures now, instead holding its firepower in reserve in the event that the European economy deteriorates further.

The unemployment rate across the 17 countries that use the euro remained at a record high of 11.3 percent in July, official figures showed Friday.

The European Union's statistical agency, Eurostat, said 88,000 more people were without a job in July ? for a total of 18 million.

With an unemployment rate up 1.2 points from last year, the European Union has not faced such severe joblessness in the 12 years since the monetary union was formed.

Two countries at the center of the European crisis, Spain and Greece, saw joblessness rise again. In both countries, more than half of all young people have no jobs and few prospects for one.

In the U.S. Friday, the Commerce Department reports on monthly factory orders at 10 a.m. Eastern and economists expect a 2 percent gain for July.

But there are signs that the manufacturing sector, which had seen steady gains, may be faltering.

Demand for durable goods excluding the volatile transportation sector was down in July and has fallen for four of the past five months.

Part of that decline is tied directly to the crisis in Europe.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-08-31-Wall%20Street/id-ea5b4bf3ffca4558be09ba18fe005050

jodie fisher zooey deschanel yvette prieto hypertrophic cardiomyopathy kaye stevens michael jordan engaged kid cudi

How Twitter Uses Open Source

Twitter's Chris Aniszcyk gave the keynote this morning at CloudOpen and talked about how Twitter uses open source. His talk provided insights into how open source technology can also be used in an enterprise environment for scaling infrastructure. That's an emerging topic of interest in the enterprise world.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Ej5O1vY_Etw/

time magazine person of the year la clippers verizon galaxy nexus verizon galaxy nexus lawrence lessig lawrence lessig time magazine person of the year 2011

Get the latest news and info on South Asian / Middle East region ...

There is a need to be categorical about it

The latest terrorist attack at Kamra and the sectarian killings in August 2012 provide the latest evidence of the continuing threat of terrorist and armed religious groups. Though their capacity to terrorize the state and society has declined since 2009-2010, these groups can still use violence to advance their religio-political agendas, including the desire to create a domain of authority at the expense of the Pakistani state. The Kamra attack was neutralized in less time than the attacks of the Mehran Naval base and the Army headquarters, the fact that the militants can breach the security of the prime military installations is a matter of grave concern.

The August terrorist activity has also demonstrated that the politically active and vocal sections of the society are divided on the sources of terrorism and the methods for coping with it. They also diverge on who needs to change the policies for controlling terrorism: the government of Pakistan or the Taliban and other militant Islamic groups or the United States? The response of the Pakistani state and society to terrorism is characterized by ambiguity about terrorism and a tendency to avoid criticism of the Taliban and mainland based armed religious groups. Only a small number of people are categorical in criticizing and condemning the groups that engage in terrorism and sectarian violence.

The ambiguous and split societal disposition towards religious extremism and terrorism has sapped the will of the government to adopt a unified and clear-cut stand against the groups and organizations that engage in violence and terrorism.

Only three political parties officially take an anti-terrorism stance and view the Taliban and similar extremist and hardline groups as a threat to the state and the society. These political parties are: the PPP, the MQM and the ANP. They are partners in the federal government.

The opposition and other political parties and groups may express opposition to terrorism and religious extremism as a principle but they do not criticize any specific militant organization for its terrorist or sectarian activities. They blame the federal government of failure to provide security of life and property to the citizens.

The societal disposition towards terrorism is shaped mainly by partisan political affiliations or Islamic denominational affiliations or both. The right of the centre to far-right and Islamic groups and parties demonstrate varying degrees of sympathy for the Taliban and other militant Islamic groups. It ranges from avoidance of criticism, blaming the government of Pakistan and the military for taking action against them, claiming that those engaging in violence are not genuine Taliban but the agents of Pakistan's foreign enemies in the garb of the Taliban to open support.

A more prominent tendency among them is to hold the United States responsible for all the ills of Pakistan. The more a person is Right-wing and Islamist in orientation the more will be the tendency to see things in Islam versus others and that the U.S. is determined to destabilize Islamic Pakistan and grab its nuclear weapons. By implications there will hardly be any criticism of the Taliban and other militant groups.

Many political and religious groups and column-writers accused India, the U.S. and Israel for masterminding the Kamala attacks. Some of them argued that sectarian killings were also arranged by some of these countries and their agents in Pakistan. Some analysts argued that the attacks and killings were the punishment from the God.

Most Islamic parties and groups, especially those identifying with Deoband, Whabbi, Salafi and Ahle-Hadith traditions of Islam offer varying degrees of support to the militant groups of their respective denominations. The Islamic groups identifying with the Barelvi Islamic tradition are openly critical of the Taliban for the last two-three years. The Shia Islamic groups are also opposed to the Taliban and other sectarian groups that attack and kill the Shias.

Pakistan's civilian government and the military are unable to convince the people at large that Pakistan's participation in the U.S. led effort to eliminate terrorism served Pakistan's national interests. There are few takers of the policy that Pakistan is fighting the war for saving itself from terrorism. This perspective runs deep in Pakistani society, cutting across the denominational and political differences. It afflicts the government circles as well as the Pakistan military. The retired officers of the army are more vocal on this issue. These people may not publicly support the Taliban but their view of war on terrorism and Pakistan's role are similar to the Taliban.

The lack of unanimity on terrorism is also caused by four dimensional power struggles in Pakistan, i.e., the PPP-led federal government and the opposition; the federal government and the military; the federal government and the overactive Supreme Court; and the military's policy to play soft with some militant groups.

The federal government has to spend more energy in saving itself from pressures of the opposition parties, the Supreme Court and the military rather than improve governance. The military wants the civilian government to own the military operations in the tribal areas but it exerts its political clout if and when it feels that the civilian government disregards the military's sensitivities.

The federal government under siege spends more time and energy in surviving the political onslaught. It is unable to mobilize public support for the military's efforts to control the tribal areas.

The military has often overplayed anti-Americanism and sought the cooperation of pro-Taliban militant and Islamic groups and the Political Right to protect its institutional interests, i.e. the Kerry Lugar bill controversy (2009), the Difa-e-Pakistan conglomerate after the Salala border post incident. By now, anti-American sentiments have become so deep rooted that no rational approach to foreign and security policy can be implemented.

The elected government, the political players and the security apparatus may like to control religious extremism and terrorism but they lack the political will to take and implement difficult decisions. They are unable to evolve a shared disposition on terrorism. The key question is if the military can practically adopt a policy of treating all armed religious groups as a threat? It needs to convince the pro-military circles and retired officers to view countering terrorism as Pakistan's war and fully support the military on it. As this is not expected to happen in the near future, the confused and ambiguous policy for controlling terrorism against the backdrop of internal power struggle will continue.

Source: http://pakistanpal.livejournal.com/1174568.html

mountain lion hanley ramirez Christian Bale visits victims Perez Hilton national weather service kristen stewart Christian Bale

Experiencing Stress and anxiety Issues? Attempt These Pointers ...

In case you are experiencing anxious, it is difficult to start out every day. You can definitely find that you will be generating lots of excuses as you don?t wish to interact socially or take into account the stuff that every day requires. The result could be that you simply really feel alone and alienated from every person and everything. It is privileged which you stumbled on this short article.

A lot of people recognize how essential exercising is for decreasing nervousness, however they are unaware of which exercises are suitable for your. If you?re unclear where to begin, the most convenient methods to start off working out are having a straightforward move or walk given that they usually do not need any gear.

To keep stress and anxiety from evaluating way too heavily upon you, exercise routine every day to relax. Physical activity can generate endorphins, that help make you feel a lot more beneficial and maintain your thoughts clear of demanding opinions. Furthermore, exercise is perfect for your state of health.

People who have coronary heart problems do not have shame conversing with a physician. If you suffer with anxiety problems, there is not any cause you should feel embarrassed to bring it as much as a professional. This can be one more form of health issue, and yes it might require your doctor.

Are you presently informed about the saying ?the very best treatments is fun?? This is certainly something that is effective in the real world, especially regarding nervousness. When you aren?t developing an excellent time or begin to truly feel as well anxious, you could find some thing to have fun at and that will help you to relax.

Consider every one of the advice from the medical professional and let them know how you?re undertaking all through your remedy. Though your medical professional will offer the best recommendation or treatment options, for example medication, you will need to update your symptoms with him. If your physician is furnished with this data, your treatment can be modified and change when you improve.

Usually do not encircle yourself with those who are gonna tension you out. Adverse friends are the type you want to stay away from the most, remember this. These kinds of folks will only add anxiety to the existence and increase your anxiousness degrees.

You ought to establish desired goals yourself on a regular basis. This will help you to concentrate whilst keeping aside negative thoughts. Instead, your ideas may be put on areas that are much more conducive to sensing great.

Have obvious targets on a daily basis. By having an objective to which you endeavor every day, it is actually quicker to keep yourself targeted. Achieving this will keep your mind active, and will help prevent the occurrence of bad suggestions or feelings which bring about anxiety attacks.

You have to learn to agree to the unsure. Worrying regarding what might go improper won?t make life any longer satisfying and this will very seriously elevate your anxiety and anxiety. All it will do is prevent you from being able to appreciate every one of the great items that are actually taking place in your life. Instruct yourself to accept doubt as part of lifestyle you can?t transform and strive to make your ideas and measures inside the current.

Notify trusted close friends concerning your anxieties and problems in overstated tones. Following discussing this considerably exaggerated narrative and listening to how preposterous it appears, you might be able to envision your accurate concern coming from a new perspective.

Will not allow stress and anxiety prevent you from experiencing daily life. For a few people, nervousness concerns are crippling. Stress and anxiety is rarely some thing try to overlook or cope with alone. There are numerous drugs and therapies available. Use the details reviewed right here to explore different treatment solutions that will help you place your nervousness right behind you.

There is more information available about click look at Etsuko N. Redstone?s site there?s loads of information not covered in this post, take a look at Author?s website to uncover added details.

Source: http://all-articles-directory.com/experiencing-stress-and-anxiety-issues-attempt-these-pointers-now-3/

pat summit matt cain adastra holocaust remembrance day chesapeake energy dick clark death yom hashoah

Why no safe zone in Syria, yet? 5 complications

The idea of a safe zone for refugees in Syria was first proposed several months ago, but the flood of people entering Turkey ? as many as 5,000 a day for the past 10 days ? has ratcheted up the pressure for such a zone?s creation.

The UN refugee agency announced on Aug. 28 that as many as 200,000 Syrians may seek refuge in Turkey alone. Turkey says its threshold is 100,000, and it is leading the call for a safe zone so that Syrians can safely remain inside Syria.

But it?s complicated and carries risks that make the international community hesitant to implement it. Here are some complications:

1. It is a big promise to make.

By creating a safe zone, whether under the auspices of the United Nations or with a coalition of countries, the parties involved are vowing to provide safety, and committing to do whatever it takes to maintain it. ?Whatever it takes? can be a slippery slope that could draw other countries fully into Syria?s conflict.

2. It constitutes a military action.

The Srebrenica massacre, when outgunned peacekeeping forces stationed around the town were unable to stop Serb forces from killing thousands of Bosnian civilians in 1995, taught the international community that a well-armed security force is essential to the success of a safe zone.

"To be effective, a safe zone requires a serious armed force that can defend it and serious logistics to supply it and that means a lot of military boots on the ground and serious commitment," Emir Suljagic, a survivor of the Srebrenica massacre who had worked as an interpreter for UN forces based in the town, told the Associated Press.

Marc Lynch wrote in a briefing for the Center for New American Security in February that the degree of military involvement necessary would be ?equivalent to direct military intervention.?

In practice, safe areas would require carving out a part of Syria from the sovereign control of the state and providing the military means to defend it. Safe areas could most easily be established and protected in open rural land, but the threatened civilians live in dense urban centers. Creating and protecting urban safe areas would require establishing military control over those areas, which is effectively equivalent to direct military intervention.

But UN military action requires authorization from the Security Council. That?s unlikely to come ? Russia and China have consistently blocked any further action against Assad.

3. There are political costs.

A group of countries ? perhaps the US, Turkey, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, who have been the most vocal critics of Assad ? could go ahead with the safe zone without UN authorization, but that opens the door to accusations of the zone being a guise for a politically or sectarian-motivated intervention, AP reports.

"Since the powers that would establish any safe zone are also calling for Assad's ouster and supporting the Syrian opposition, a so-called humanitarian mission could easily be construed as the first step in regime change managed from the outside. There would be concerns about whether Syrian rebels are using any foreign-protected camps to stage attacks on regime forces, which in turn could try to launch long-range artillery or air strikes on those same locations inside Syria.?

Additionally, the safe zone would likely also become a base from which the Free Syrian Army could plan and execute attacks. Maintaining a safe zone being used by rebel forces to wage war amounts to taking a clear side in the Syrian conflict.

4. It would require a no-fly zone.

World leaders, such as French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, have acknowledged that a safe zone would be impossible without implementing a no-fly zone over that area.

Implementation would require backing from countries like France and the US. The US has shown little interest in providing the military support needed to enforce a no-fly zone, Reuters reports, although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier this month that it was an option.

The reticence likely has to do with the fact that implementing a no-fly zone comes with the implicit threat of military action if it is violated. It is ?tantamount to war,? Andrew Exum of the Center for New American Security wrote last week.

As I explored in a piece for the United States Naval Institute, imposing a no-fly zone in Syria would likely mean conducting intensive Suppression of Enemy Air Defense to destroy Syria?s air defenses and air force. Even a partial no-fly zone would likely require some strikes outside its limits in order to degrade Syrian airfields, early-warning radars and mobile or semi-mobile air defense systems.

Imposing even a partial no-fly zone would be tantamount to war, just as arming Syria?s rebels would be an act of war, and constitute foreign engagement in the Syrian civil war, and their success would rely on the combustible cocktail of passion, reason, and chance that all wars do.

As Mr. Lynch wrote in his briefing, a no-fly zone is a military action, and it is a commitment to further military action.

Additionally, any proposal for military action needs to be understood in a fully comprehensive manner. A no-fly zone (NFZ) cannot be established without some air strikes to eliminate air defenses. Any air strikes would require an NFZ that would allow freedom of action by the forces involved. Supporting ground forces or protecting safe areas or humanitarian corridors would also require an NFZ to provide the necessary mobility and operational support. None of the options usually proposed are truly discrete policy choices. While no prominent policy expert is currently proposing the deployment of Western ground forces into Syria, the debate over military action cannot ignore the prospect that the failure of less direct forms of intervention would lead to calls for an invasion.

5. Why not maintain the status quo?

Turkey has been firm that it is unwilling to risk a repeat of 1991, when Iraq?s Gulf War sent a flood of Iraqi Kurd refugees into Turkey. ?Turkey?s lesson from the early 1990s is that if you let a large number of refugees come in, they end up being your problem only,? Soner Cagaptay, a Turkey expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), told The Christian Science Monitor.

Turkey is close to reaching its self-prescribed threshold of 100,000 refugees with no sign of the numbers abating. It has been forced to hold thousands of people just over the border on the Syrian side, where they are receiving food, water, and some medical attention. The corridor has become an unofficial safe zone.

Why not continue with that?

The Monitor reports that an internationally recognized and implemented safe zone would be a stronger deterrent to any regime attempts to attack displaced civilians and would also provide greater reassurance to stranded Syrians that they are safe in Syria and do not need to cross over into Turkey or other neighboring countries.

Related stories

Read this story at csmonitor.com

Become a part of the Monitor community

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-no-safe-zone-syria-yet-5-complications-202139079.html

storm shelters nick lachey chevy volt christina hendricks lifelock camp david hawaii weather

Veterans Fuel Economy Via Franchising | Small Business ...

Franchises owned by military veterans have annual revenues of $41 billion annually and employ 1.5 million people, reports the International Franchise Association.

The franchise industry had developed several programs to recruit and train military veterans as franchisees.

One in four returning active duty military veterans is interested in launching a small business, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, but most don?t know where to start, said G.I. Jobs Vice President Sean Collins. ?The list is a transparent resource for veterans to compare franchise opportunities.?

The IFA initially launched its Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative ? VetFran for short ? in 1991 to encourage franchisors to offer discounts to military veterans who wanted to buy a franchise. By 2007, 66,000 franchises were owned by veterans, according to the U.S. Census.

Richard Ascolese, president and CEO of franchisor Coverall North America, explained, ?We have overwhelmingly found today?s returning veterans to be highly skilled people with excellent operational skills that apply well to business ownership. The independent thinking required in today?s military, combined with an emphasis on processes and systems, makes veterans a perfect fit for franchising.?

Tags: entrepreneurs, featured, franchising, military veterans and small business, veterans fuel economy, VetFran program, VetPreneurs

Category: Features

Source: http://www.sbomag.com/2012/08/veterans-fuel-economy-via-franchising/

Olympic Games Dana Vollmer phillies phillies Ryan Dempster Phelps NBC Olympics Live

Jordan wants to deport Syrian refugees who rioted

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) ? Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh said Wednesday that Syrian refugees responsible for violence in a camp near the border will be deported.

Tarawneh did not say how many refugees will be expelled. But a security official said there are 150 Syrian refugees in police custody, including an unspecified number of rioters as well as others who want to return home.

"We will be firm in the face of those who break the law and we will send people arrested for attacking police officers back to where they came from," he told reporters.

About 200 refugees went on a rampage late Tuesday at Zaatari Camp, a desert tent city that houses 21,000 refugees, to protest conditions there. Police said 28 officers were wounded in the riot, one of them with a fractured skull.

Many of the refugees have said they find the harsh environment in the camp ? set on a parched, treeless stretch of land ? a struggle, citing the constant dust storms, snakes and scorpions.

The security official said the suspected Syrian rioters will be sent back across the border, but away from Syria's state control out of concern that they will be prosecuted. He did not say when and spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to make press statements.

The rioting followed a similar incident in the camp Saturday night, when 200 refugees threw stones at Jordanian security guards, wounding several. The refugees were protesting conditions at the camp then as well.

Information Minister Sameeh Maaytah said that Jordan "will not tolerate" any such revolts in the future.

On Tuesday, dozens of protesters outside the U.N. refugee agency in Amman demanded the closure of the Zaatari tent camp due to its harsh desert conditions.

UNHCR representative to Jordan Andrew Harper acknowledged the situation at Zaatari was "difficult and tense" following the riot, but said it has calmed down. Harper called hosting the displaced Syrians an "increasing challenge" as their numbers rapidly grow and the capacity to assist them increases, creating logistical challenges.

"We have to focus on enhancing the delivery of services and support to the camp," he said.

Jordan hosts about 180,000 refugees from the civil war in Syria, the largest number in the region. Nearly 4,600 crossed the border in the past 24 hours, as fighting raged between rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Maaytah said.

Jordan is racing to open a second refugee camp to handle the influx. Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said the United Arab Emirates was helping to fund the camp in the nearby hamlet of Ribaa Sarhan, which is expected to host 20,000 Syrians.

___

Associated Press writer Jamal Halaby contributed reporting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jordan-wants-deport-syrian-refugees-rioted-194207020.html

dr. seuss dr seuss the temptations rush limbaugh sandra fluke green book some like it hot whale shark

#10: Excelvan F27 Fm Wireless Radio Adapter Transmitter with ...

• Written by admin
• Posted August 28, 2012 at 5:51 am

Excelvan F27 Fm Wireless Radio Adapter Transmitter with Automobile Car Charger for All Iphone Ipod Ipad by Excelvan Buy new: $22.98 3 used & new from $15.59 (Visit the Hot New Releases in Car Audio list for authoritative information on this product?s current rank.)

Cheap:
#10: Excelvan F27 Fm Wireless Radio Adapter Transmitter with Automobile Car Charger for All Iphone Ipod Ipad

Source: http://www.wiki-products.com/10-excelvan-f27-fm-wireless-radio-adapter-transmitter-with-automobile-car-charger-for-all-iphone-ipod-ipad/

abc store nate diaz vs donald cerrone ufc 141 lesnar vs overeem appetizer recipes alistair overeem alistair overeem

Legal Stories: Using Legal Guidance to Achieve Results

Legal Horror Stories:?This series is brought to you by eMinutes.com to help educate and inform young business owners.?See if you qualify to have your business incorporated for free today!

Today?s story comes from Geeta Raj The Global Sleepover?a start-up for children about fictional sleepovers all over the world.

On the whole, I rely on legal guidance to keep checks and balance. ?No, you can?t do this? or ?Yes, you can do this and here?s how.? Doing things correctly the first time around, even at early stages of a start-up, is invaluable.

The Global Sleepover is my first start-up; I?m particular in ensuring things are done right in efficient and affordable ways. Most of us can?t afford high hourly rates for legal advice that, with research and exploration, is actually available for free. It?s a great feeling of accomplishment when you put in some effort, play the guessing game, find answers to your legal questions and save that $200 ? $400. Then there are situations which merit spending the money in exchange for peace of mind.

My business partner and I set-up The Global Sleepover LLC and its related Operating Agreement using research and exploration. It worked beautifully. (See below for tips). Soon after, though, the terms of my partner?s involvement changed drastically. Worse case, myself individually and the business were suddenly vulnerable to future lawsuits, claims and blurry lines of ownership. This was further complicated by the legal implications of foreign ownership as he?s a UK citizen.

I didn?t have the patience or capacity to explore and research. My goal was to protect the business and ensure all legal obligations were satisfied. I called a lawyer who came recommended, told him what had happened and where I wanted to go, and handed it over to him. His response, for $200/hour, was: ?Yes you can do this and here?s how.? He told me what steps I needed to take, drafted all relevant documents, and the LLC was protected from future vulnerabilities. Putting the burden on the lawyer to ?get it done? also freed my time to manage the situation in other ways. It was worth doing right the first time around.

Tips for the Research and Exploration Method:

• Talk to anyone knowledgeable on the subject matter you?re working on. Your answer will come from piecing together answers from numerous sources.
• Don?t be afraid to ask questions. It?s amazing what people will tell you if you just ask.
• Keep informed! Book stores and libraries still exist. Go spend a few hours reading up. You have to know enough to be able to ask the right questions and make intelligent guesses.
• If you?re dealing with a legal issue that involves a government entity, call that government entity. Talk with them. If the person answering the phone isn?t helpful, hang up and call again.
• ?Some lawyers offer free consultations ? take advantage!
• ?Services exist where, for a small monthly fee, you can get a set amount of legal questions answered and documents reviewed. These can be worth the money.
• You can source the first-half of standard legal documents online for free. It?s a good start and you?re half-way there.
• You?ll naturally miss some things by doing your own research and exploration. Sometimes it takes a few tries to optimize. I re-wrote the Operating Agreement for my LLC numerous times.

Tips on Utilizing Legal Consultation Effectively and With Results

• Ask around for a recommended lawyer.
• Understand how you operate and work best ? this will help you maximize the lawyer?s time when you?re paying by the hour.
• Figure out, in advance, what you want to happen. Make sure you?re 100% clear on this.
• Rely on the lawyer as an enabling tool to get you to your end result. Don?t rely on the lawyer to set goals ? that?s your job.
• Ask the lawyer as many questions as you want.
• At times, it might be wise to get a ?second opinion? or do independent research.
• Set terms of payment, consultation, involvement in advance and with a signed document.
• Document all communications with lawyers ? even if it?s a phone call.

eMinutes is forming 500 free corporations for first-time business owners.?See if you qualify for one today!?Have questions? Don?t worry everybody who contacts eMinutes speaks directly to a lawyer about their specific needs and what is right for them and their business.

Tags: legal horror stories

Category: Legal/Accounting, Startup Advice

Source: http://under30ceo.com/using-legal-guidance-to-achieve-results/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=using-legal-guidance-to-achieve-results

kristen bell colbert super pac colbert super pac sloth birth control pill recall ground hog day florida primary results

Things to Know About Parenting | Orthadox Home Blog

You should have sufficient knowledge about bringing up kids. In the olden days there were no one teach us or tell us about the particular methods of treating kids and playing with them. But nowadays scientific methods are available to teach them. You should first learn about parenting before you plan about a kid. There are so many classes in the city who give education about how to behave with kids and how to growth with them. If you do not have sufficient time you can read the parenting e-bookavailable in the internet. I learnt about parenting by reading books and e-books. They teach us so many things which we thought are very silly. They tell us how to feed them, what to feed them, how to clear their doubts, and what to play with them, and many more. A mother and father should sit and go through these books before planning for a child.

Comments are closed.

Source: http://www.oxadox.com/home-and-family/things-to-know-about-parenting/

strikeforce davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact usssa baseball

Apple's victory means soul-searching for Samsung

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? A U.S. jury's $1 billion verdict against Samsung for what rival Apple claimed was the illegal copying of its iPhone and iPad designs signals a turning point for the South Korean electronics giant known for its prowess in adapting the innovations of others and nimbly executing production.

The verdict not only jolted the world of global gadgetry but also likely sparked some soul-searching in Suwon, South Korea, where the family-run Samsung conglomerate is based.

The world's top seller of smartphones finds itself in the post-iPhone reality, where the decades-long practice of industry mimicry now can mean a bruising legal challenge.

And so Samsung finds itself in a position of having to recreate itself as an innovator, not an imitator. But the switch, experts say, will be much more challenging and time-consuming than the shortcuts Samsung used to take.

"The case shows that Samsung is still inadequate in soft(ware) area, such as designs and patents," M.S. Hwang, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Samsung Securities, said in a commentary.

Samsung Electronics Co. has a top-heavy command structure that centers on the founding family. At the apex is 70-year-old Lee Kun-hee, who inherited the mantle from his father, Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull, in 1987.

The strict hierarchy has enabled speedy and bold investment and swift execution. That, plus the ability to build on the innovations of others, like Sony Corp. ? has helped Samsung become the world's largest maker of televisions, memory chips, liquid crystal display panels and now smartphones.

Its path is reminiscent of many Japanese companies, like Canon Inc. and Nikon Corp., which started out by copying European designs and then became innovators and pace-setters in the 1960s and 70s.

"It is impossible to be an innovator from the beginning," said Chang Sea-jin, a professor at National University of Singapore. "If you don't have a technology, imitating more advanced companies is the easiest way to catch up."

Samsung has long been regarded as a "fast follower" ? imitating or licensing technologies and then competing by lowering costs, improving quality and adding functions.

It overcame its belated entry into the memory chip business in 1983 with efficient mass production and investments. Today, Samsung supplies about 30 percent of the chips that go into electronic gadgets.

In the early 2000s, Samsung claimed leadership in the global television industry.

But when Apple released its cutting-edge iPhone in 2007, Samsung employees were likely too pressed to catch up to scrutinize possible patent encroachments. South Korea's idea of intellectual property is also less strict than that in the U.S., Chang said, and speedy execution is highly valued at Samsung.

Still, Samsung outsold Apple this year in smartphones by offering more variety, including low-end phones for price-conscious consumers.

Last Friday, a jury in San Jose, California, ruled that Samsung went too far in copying the iPhone and the iPad. It awarded Apple $1.05 billion, while a judge considers whether to ban sales of eight Samsung products in the U.S. Samsung has vowed to appeal.

Samsung's stocks plunged 7.5 percent in Seoul on the first trading day after the verdict, costing $12 billion in market value. Samsung has vowed to appeal, but unsuccessful legal battles against Apple in a host of other countries means that Samsung has few choices other than to create its own design identity.

In the past few years, Samsung has been investing in design, not only in mobile phones, but also in televisions and home appliances. But the results were not near the level of revolutionizing the look and feel of a consumer electronics product or the way consumers interact with technology.

Bill Fischer, a professor at International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, says Samsung still has not breached the divide between itself and consumer electronics companies such as Apple and Sony.

"They tend to take bigger risks regarding products brought to market, and they try to become creators of revolutionary new technologies," such as iPods, smartphones and Sony's Walkman music player, Fischer said in an email to The Associated Press. "This is a different mentality."

The choices that Samsung has made so far "are not choices conducive to growing the sort of design and customer-centricity that has long made Apple unique," he said.

That does not necessarily mean that Samsung must become another Apple. Samsung, which supplies mobile processors that work as a brain in the iPhone and the iPad, as well as displays and memory chips to Apple, reaches far and deep into the areas that Apple does not ? especially in electronics hardware manufacturing.

"Innovation does not necessarily mean an entire change. Doing better than the present and doing better than others are also innovation," said Lee Myoung-woo, who once led Samsung's consumer electronics businesses in the U.S. and is a professor at Hanyang University in Seoul.

"Even if other companies are not breaking away too far from the rules that Apple made with the iPhone, other companies can come up with product innovation in the areas that Apple didn't see," Lee said.

He cited the Galaxy Note as an example, a smartphone with an overblown screen that became popular.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apples-victory-means-soul-searching-samsung-122943045--finance.html

eli whitney blake griffin dunk on kendrick perkins kendrick perkins steve jones emily maynard kola boof burmese python

Mobile Learning On The Interwebs ? Virtual School Meanderings

Beginning with the eSchool News Today.

Next the ASCD SmartBrief.

A guide to a successful one-to-one iPad rollout
What does it take to ensure the successful rollout of a one-to-one iPad program? In this blog post, Jac de Haan, technology integration specialist, outlines step-by-step what a successful two-month rollout should look like. In the first week, students establish solid academic habits without the iPads, before students and parents learn about the devices. By week four, students are given the iPads at the beginning of class and asked to return them at the end, building up to week nine when students are trusted to use the devices as they see fit. Edutopia.org/Jac de Haan?s blog (8/15)

Also, the SmartBrief for EdTech.

3 lessons from a school?s iPad rollout
Instructional technology specialist Andrew Marcinek writes in this blog post that when his school rolled out a one-to-one iPad initiative, he learned that eliminating textbooks is more difficult than it seems and not all students will readily adapt to new technology. Marcinek also writes about the importance of trusting students in the process, which his school did by establishing a student-run genius bar. Edutopia.org/Andrew Marcinek?s blog (8/22)

Are iPads worth the cost?
The rocky launch of an iPad initiative in a California school district has led some to question whether the benefits of the devices are worth the cost. At issue is the decision to pay $4.3 million for 6,300 iPads for seventh-grade students, plus the cost of iPad covers and related software. While teachers and other supporters say they are enthusiastic about the potential benefits of iPads in the classroom, the district is not tracking whether students? grades have risen since the technology was introduced. San Diego Reader (8/22)

Back to the regular Google News alert for mobile learning.

gFlash+ Mobile Flashcard App gets Important Android Update; Features ?
Virtual-Strategy Magazine
gWhiz?s flagship flashcard app, gFlash, has redefined mobile learning on iOS with well over a million downloads by individuals and educational institutions. gFlash banishes rote memorization and offers users a fun and engaging new way to study. With ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Webster University?s Walker Business School Introduces New B.S. Degree in ?
Sacramento Bee
Students who choose the new 48-credit-hour B.S. degree in Mobile Computing are focused on applying their technical skills to design, create and test mobile applications. They will learn programming skills necessary to become proficient in developing ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Allen Creates Mobile Learning Roadmaps For Training And Development ?
Virtual-Strategy Magazine
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? Allen Communication Learning Services is pleased to announce the release of its Mobile Learning Roadmap, designed to help companies identify the best ways to integrate mobile learning solutions into both ?
See all stories on this topic ?

NCC Home Learning Launch New Mobile Website!
Einnews Portugal
On NCC Home Learning?s mobile website a customer can now browse easily through the range of distance learning course faculties including Business, Child Care and Teaching, Criminology and Forensics, Event Planning, Health Care, Human ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Coming Soon: Complete Cloud-Based Mobility Solution For K12 Schools
Virtual-Strategy Magazine
The solution will allow schools to effectively develop and support mobile device programs to ensure successful learning outcomes. Combining mobile device management, content filtering, and hosted email, the solution will be a comprehensive and ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Upside Learning to Participate in LearnX Asia Pacific 2012; Becomes a Silver ?
PRWire
At its booth (# 19), Upside Learning will be showcasing its wide range of learning technology solutions which includes its best value Learning Management System ? UpsideLMS, its revolutionary mobile learning platform ? Upside2Go, and its latest ?
See all stories on this topic ?

August 22 is last Wonderful Wednesday event of season
Pope County Tribune
All preschoolers and their caregivers are welcome to visit the Traveling Tree house Mobile Learning Center from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22 at the Glenwood City Park. Children will learn, explore and take home a free gift. In case of rain, the ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Rockford Health System new owner of McDonald Care Mobile
Rockford Register Star
Ronald McDonald tours the Care Mobile Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012, in front of the Children?s Learning Center on the Rockford Memorial Hospital campus. (photo) care mobile mcdonald 08/22/2012 2 ? (photo) care mobile mcdonald 08/22/2012 1 ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Upside Learning?s Independent Webinar Series Makes An Impressive Start
PRWire
Close on the heels of the announcement of its first independent webinar series, Upside Learning hosted a successful webinar on mLearning, titled ?No Escaping Mobile Learning?, on 8th August. Attracting registrations to the tune of 400, the webinar was ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Caspian Learning Sets New Paradigm with Mobile Virtual Task Simulations
Sacramento Bee
A new suite of prototype Virtual Task Simulations (VTS), specifically designed to maximise the benefits afforded by mobile devices, has been unveiled today by immersive simulation & training specialists, Caspian Learning. Caspian Learning, in ?
See all stories on this topic ?

5 barriers to mobile ad success
iMedia Connection
To date, mobile advertising has struggled to achieve the success expected by the industry. But let?s give marketers a break. Mobile advertising is still in its infancy, and we have a lot to learn. Instead of only focusing on the negatives, let?s ?
See all stories on this topic ?

The future of education in Africa is mobile
BBC News
Over the coming months, A Matter of Life and Tech will feature a range of voices from people building Africa?s tech future. This week, United Nation?s mobile learning specialist Steve Vosloo argues phones could be the future of education on the continent.
See all stories on this topic ?

avVenta Delivers Top Downloaded Educational App for National Geographic
Sacramento Bee
Within hours of its launch the mobile application shot up the ratings and made the iTunes App Store?s top 10 Top Paid Apps list and was selected as a featured app by Apple. The mobile application takes learning the alphabet to a new level by using ?
See all stories on this topic ?

General Assembly: Learn To Talk Like A Mobile App Genius In Just One Hour ?
Forbes
General Assembly: Learn To Talk Like A Mobile App Genius In Just One Hour (Or Less). 0 comments, 0 called-out. + Comment now. + Comment now. Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down. What Reddit and Hipmunk?s Alexis Ohanian Gets About How ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Next, the Google Blog alert for mobile learning.

2012 ARIS (Design Team) Game Jam ? ARIS ? Mobile Learning ?
By Breanne Litts
Last week, we (the ARIS development team and UW Mobile Learning Lab) held a 3-day game jam focused on ARIS. Kickoff. John and I kicked it off on Wednesday morning with a three hour game jam for a group of 31 high school freshmen ?
ARIS ? Mobile Learning Experiences

User-Experience Design for Mobile Learning | Celebrate Learning
By sukhig
In this course, Paul Hibbitts, a collaborative user-centered designer and UX analyst, guides you through the fundamentals of performance support aspects of mobile learning, including the potential role it plays in formal learning, and how UX ?
Celebrate Learning

Massive Growth in 2012 ? ARIS ? Mobile Learning Experiences
By djgagnon
I stumbled upon a slide from our Digital Media and Learning competition from March 1 and just had to share it. In just 5 months, we jumped from 4651 players to 7671. That is an increase of 65% Also notice that he games are being played ?
ARIS ? Mobile Learning Experiences

Finally, the Google Web alert for mobile learning.

@Ignatia Webs: Interested in #augmented learning join ?
MobiMOOC is a free, international, online course on mobile learning (mLearning) that starts on 8 September and ends on 30 September 2012. The course is ?
ignatiawebs.blogspot.com/?/interested-in-augmented-learning?

How Can Mobile Learning Increase Student Motivation?
Does mobile learning have any effect on how motivated students are to learn? What have studies and research found out about the relationship between ?
www.quipper.com/?/how-can-mobile-learning-increase-stude?

Schools Embrace Mobile Learning With Multiple Devices ? The ?
A look at how one school district is transforming teaching and learning by letting students bring ?
newsroom.cisco.com/video-content?type=video&videoId?

Mobile Learning MOOC | Mark Winegar | iPhone Life
Teachers can learn how to infuse their teaching with new mobile learning strategies by participating in the free Mobile Learning MOOC at coursesites by ?
www.iphonelife.com/blog/29731/mobile-learning-mooc

The Current State Of Mobile Learning In Education | Edudemic
How many students are projected to use mobile devices by the year 2016? How many are using devices while learning right now? How much is spent every ?
edudemic.com/2012/08/state-of-mobile-learning-education/

Allen Creates Mobile Learning Roadmaps For Training And ?
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? Allen Communication Learning Services is pleased to announce the release of its Mobile Learning Roadmap, ?
www.prnewswire.com/?/allen-creates-mobile-learning-roadm?

Allen Launches Mobile Learning Roadmaps For Training And ?
Allen Communication Learning Services has released its Mobile Learning Roadmap designed to help companies identify the best ways to integrate mobile ?
clomedia.com/?/allen-launches-mobile-learning-roadmaps-for?

Econ Ed Mobile Learning App
Take a look at the St. Louis Fed?s Econ Ed Mobile Learning app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The app allows you to visualize and understand how ?
www.stlouisfed.org/education?/econ-ed-mobile-learning-app/

Is eLearning on Tablets really Mobile Learning? [Chime in] | The m ?
The only thing better than Blogging is the comments one gets below a post. Comments I believe is the real killer app of Blogs and some times comments are so .
rjacquez.com/is-elearning-on-tablets-really-mobile-learning-ch?

Mobile McLuhan: Float Mobile Learning
Float senior analyst Gary Woodill interprets the writings of media theorist Marshall McLuhan to see what he might have thought of mobile learning.
floatlearning.com/2012/08/mobile-mcluhan/

Mobile Learning with Lectora | eLearning Brothers
Mobile learning continues to grow. If you are using Lectora then you?re already prepared to build mobile content. Here are some links to help guide you. Post.
elearningbrothers.com/mobile-learning-with-lectora/

Mobile Learning Works, Regardless of Device | Clarity Innovations ?
I recently had the opportunity to provide feedback and suggest revisions to a draft report about a yearlong pilot of Android tablet devices in a 5th grade ?
www.clarity-innovations.com/?/mobile-learning-works-regar?

Source: http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/mobile-learning-on-the-interwebs-84/

joy division dodd frank norco rand paul detained nbc news asexual jim carrey

Lexmark C746dn

The Lexmark C746dn , a color laser printer geared to mid-sized workgroups, is a close relative of the Lexmark C748de that I recently reviewed. The C746dn lacks the latter's massive touch screen and can't handle quite as large print volumes, but it costs less and printed better graphics in our testing. If your business is looking for a workhorse printer that can output high-quality graphics, the C746dn should be on your short list.

The gray-and-white C746dn measures 17.9 by 17.1 by 15.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 56 pounds?this tall and hulking printer is best moved into place by two people. Set in the middle of the front panel is a 2.4-inch non-touch color LCD, which is controlled by a 4-way rocker with central button. Other buttons include Back, Home, Sleep, and Cancel. To the right of the screen is an alphanumeric keypad. A front USB port lets you print from a thumb drive, though you can't preview the documents.

The C746dn has a standard paper capacity of 650 sheets, split between a 550-sheet tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose feeder. You can add an optional 2,000-sheet tray ($599 direct) plus up to 3 additional 550-sheet trays ($299 each) to bring the maximum paper capacity to 4,300 sheets. Another option is a 160-GB hard drive ($479 direct).Its maximum monthly duty cycle of 85,000 pages is slightly less than the C748de's 100,000 pages. This printer comes standard with an automatic duplexer for printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. The Lexmark C746n ($699 direct) is the same as the C746dn but lacks the auto-duplexer, while the Lexmark C746dtn ($1,199 direct) adds another 550-sheet paper tray for the same price as you'd pay if you bought the C746dn plus the tray separately.

The C746dn connects via USB or Ethernet (optional Wi-Fi is available); I tested it over an Ethernet connection with its driver installed on a computer running Windows Vista.

Printing Speed
The C746dn, rated at up to 35 pages per minute for both color and monochrome printing, printed out our business applications suite (timed with QualityLogic's hardware and software), at an effective 7.5 pages per minute (ppm). That?s in line with its rated speed, and should be about the speed you?d get if you were to print text only. The Lexmark C748de, also rated at 35 pages per minute, was timed at 7.1 ppm, as was the OKI C711dn , rated at up to 34 pages per minute for monochrome printing, 32 for color. The three printers are essentially tied, as we don't consider differences of less than 1 ppm as significant at these speeds. We clocked the Editors? Choice Xerox Phaser 6280DN at 4.5 ppm when we tested it in 2009.

Output Quality
Overall output quality based on our tests was par for a color laser, with below-par text, above-par graphics, and par photo quality.? Text quality was suitable for general business use, but not for documents like resumes in which you seek to convey a good visual impression, nor for desktop publishing or marketing materials.

Graphics quality was very good, with bright colors and only minor flaws, namely dithering (graininess) and trouble printing some thin, colored lines. They're good enough for PowerPoint handouts or graphics in formal reports, including ones going to people you're seeking to impress, or for graphics-heavy marketing materials. Photos were of a quality suitable for use in client newsletters.

Lexmark's claimed cost per printed page for the C746dn is 1.8 cents per monochrome and 12.8 cents per color page. The Lexmark C748de has the same claimed 1.8-cent monochrome running cost but a lower color cost at 9.8 cents per page. The LED-based OKI C711dn?s running costs were lower still, at 1.1 cents per monochrome page and 7.9 cents per color page. The Xerox Phaser 6280dn's costs were somewhat higher, at 2.7 cents per monochrome page and 13.8 cents per color page.

Businesses looking for a workhorse printer for mid-sized workgroups to output color graphics should take special note of the Lexmark C746dn. It costs less than the Lexmark C748de yet has comparable speed and showed better graphics quality in our testing. The C746dn falls short on text quality, though. Although slower than the two Lexmarks, the Editors' Choice Xerox Phaser 6280DN excels in output quality, with text quality fully the equal of its exemplary graphics. Xerox has discontinued the 6280DN, but it's available from a number of etailers at steep discounts. If print speed is more important than text quality, though, the C746dn can also print out magnificent graphics, and at a much faster clip.

More Laser Printer Reviews:

??? Lexmark C746dn
??? Brother HL-6180DW
??? Dell B1265dnf Multifunction Mono Laser Printer
??? Brother MFC-8710DW
??? Dell B1260dn Mono Laser Printer
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/6qB0ndaI8Ek/0,2817,2408956,00.asp

johnny knox monday night football monday night football bonjovi bonjovi antonio brown martial law

Home Show with Tom Tynan: Sun Aug 26 ? CBS Houston

Home repairs, home improvements, honey dos ? and don?ts ? are all covered by Tom Tynan. Plus all the little quirks Tom is known for are all here on Sports Radio 610.

Hour 1

Home Show

Mobile device users may click here to listen to the audio.

Hour 2

Home Show

Mobile device users may click here to listen to the audio.

Hour 3

Home Show

Mobile device users may click here to listen to the audio.

Source: http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/08/26/home-show-with-tom-tynan-sun-aug-26/

hes just not that into you texas longhorns texas longhorns francesca woodman kennedy center honors danny gokey sonny rollins

Recognition of prior learning and the role of quality assurance ...

This report is based on the ENQA workshop ?Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: exchanging good practice?, which took place in Dublin, Ireland, on 9-10 February 2012 and presents articles on themes such as the state of development of qualifications frameworks, the role of agencies in the self-certification process, and the meaning of qualifications frameworks in external quality assurance. Download the report Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: Exchanging Good Practice.
Recognition of prior learning and the role of quality assurance agencies. Accreditation of prior learning in France as a case study, by Teresa S?nchez Chaparro, Programme Manager, Commission des Titres d?Ing?nieur (CTI), France, p.30-35.
Introduction
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) implies the formal acknowledgement of learning acquired in a non-formal context (usually coming from experience unrelated to an academic context). This process is generally seen as an important tool for progressing in the fields of lifelong learning and continuing education, two preeminent objectives of the Lisbon agenda. RPL is normally conducted by educational institutions or professional certification bodies. In the case of certifications issued by educational institutions, this process provides recognition of a certain academic level (according to a national qualifications framework) in view of two main objectives: increasing labour market recognition and/or enabling access to a higher level of studies.
Because of its potential role in the fields of employment and social promotion, RPL practices are politically sensitive and are normally part of an explicit political agenda which responds to national objectives. This political dimension must be taken into account by quality assurance agencies as a starting point in order to develop quality assurance criteria in this field. The answer to the question: what makes a sound RPL process? is fundamentally dependent on the pursued goals and cannot in any way be affronted from an exclusively technical perspective.
An ENQA break-out group session devoted to this subject within the workshop on Quality assurance and qualifications frameworks has enabled to confront different national realities and policies regarding RPL and, in consequence, different quality assurance roles and practices among the different QAA represented. In this paper, the French experience in the field of prior learning recognition, or in French terms, validation des acquis de l?exp?rience (VAE), is presented as a case study which enables to illustrate some important general issues. After analysing this case, the last section of this paper tries to reproduce the main issues raised during the discussion held at ENQA?s workshop break-out session on recognition of prior learning, and draw some conclusions as to the possible role of quality assurance agencies.
Recognition of prior learning in France (validation des acquis de l?exp?rience- VAE)
National context
RPL processes, as they are practiced today in France, were established by the 2002 Law on social modernization with the name of VAE (validation des acquis de l?exp?rience - Law n? 2002-73 du 17 janvier 2002 de modernisation sociale). This law establishes an individual right to the recognition of professional experience in the acquisition of an academic title or a diploma. This recognition device was established within the following context:
? The existence of a significant population sector with a low or inexistent graduation level (According to the 1995 INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques- National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies) employment survey, four out of ten workers in France didn?t have any formal qualification at the time). Regardless of their individual competences, this population sector was not recognised by the French labour market, and their professional and social ascension was, in practice, very difficult.
? Initial qualifications play a stronger role in France than in other countries (Anglo-Saxon countries, for example) in reference to social hierarchy. Some authors talk about a ?French structural fondness for qualifications? (TRYBY, Emmanuel; Accreditation of prior experiential learning and the development of higher education; European journal of vocational training, N? 46- 2009/1-ISSN 1977-0219) or even about a ?French dictatorship of qualifications? (M?haut Philippe, Lecourt Anne-Juliette (2007) ; The accreditation of prior learning experience in France : A good start, to be continued ; Discussion paper). A 2005 study shows that over 73% of job offers in France, regardless of the age of the candidate, mention the number of years of study and the qualification required (in Great Britain, this rate goes down to 27% - Marchal Emmanuelle, Rieucau G?raldine (2003) ? Candidat de plus de 40 ans non dipl?m? ou d?butant s?abstenir ?, Connaissance de l?emploi n?11, CEE). Different studies also show that the possession of a diploma enables a quicker and more stable access to the job market in France. The fact of having a diploma has also an impact on the stability of the contract (with a much higher rate of indefinite contracts for graduates). Finally, the possession of an initial academic qualification plays, at least since Napoleonic times, an important symbolic role in the meritocratic France, where initial qualifications are one of the axes for social differentiation.
? A dual training system which establishes a sharp distinction between initial training and continuous and vocational education training (CVET). As an example, only around 1,5 % of continuous education actions in 1996 resulted in an academic title or diploma (again from the studies by the CEREQ).
The new VAE system established by the 2002 law tries to profit from the major role played by initial diplomas in France in order to attain two main objectives:
? Facilitate social promotion and secure career paths
? Build a bridge between the CVET system and the initial training system.
Brief description of the French VAE system
The VAE process enables an individual to get all or part of a certification (diploma or professional qualification certificate) based on his/her professional experience (salaried, non-salaried, or voluntary). This experience, which must be related to the intended certification, is validated by a panel. If the VAE process leads to an academic qualification, it is directly assessed and recognised by the higher education institution.
The diploma obtained has exactly the same validity as a diploma obtained by an ordinary study path. All diplomas, certificates, and professional qualifications are available through VAE. They are registered in a public registry (RNCP- National Register of Professional Certifications, http://www.rncp.cncp.gouv.fr/). Academic diplomas registered in RNCP cover a variety of levels, from secondary education to the masters level. All engineering degrees (masters level diplomas) are included by law in the RNCP and have thus the obligation of delivering their diplomas also through VAE.
The diagram below shows the main steps of the VAE process and the main actors involved. Several structures at the regional and national level have been put in place in order to provide general information on the procedure and to orientate candidates towards a suitable certification. Once the certification is chosen, a first check on the admissibility of the request (mainly the verification of the candidate having the three years of relevant experience required) is conducted. After passing the admissibility check, the candidate must prepare an application which will be finally examined by a mixed panel composed of academic and professional members. The panel may issue a full or a partial validation. In the latter case, the jury can propose the necessary pedagogical complements (courses, internships, and so on). There is no time limit for obtaining these additional competences.
The VAE process in engineering higher education in France: The role of CTI
The main mission of CTI is to conduct accreditation of engineering programmes in France. CTI supervises all paths for obtaining an engineering diploma, including VAE. All engineering institutions must include a specific section concerning VAE in their selfassessment report in view of programme accreditation (VAE procedures, number of accreditations issued, number of candidates, cost of the process, type of compensatory measures proposed, etc.).
CTI has developed a set of criteria regarding the way VAE procedures should be conducted. These criteria are gathered in the document R?f?rences et Orientations (References and Guidelines- available at www.cti-commission.fr). The quality criteria
applied are coherent with the political goals established at the national level. In consequence, the criteria have been developed under the assumption that VAE is basically a beneficial procedure, with a strong potential to boost employment and social advancement. Engineering institutions in France are sometimes accused of being elitists, and VAE is considered by CTI as one of the devices which can be employed to foster social diversity in this environment.
The legal obligation for all HEIs to establish VAE processes has also had some methodological benefits at the national level, in the sense that it has been a major driver to formalise the competence-based approach within French higher education institutions. Some engineering institutions in France are reluctant to deliver their diplomas through VAE, as they think that the educational value of the VAE is lower than a classical diploma and hence could degrade the value of their academic certificates. Being able to articulate a VAE procedure that ensures the same level of exigency as in the standard path is indeed a crucial issue for CTI.
At the other end of the spectrum, some higher education institutions could take this practice as a business opportunity. The fact that they can deliver a ?partial validation? followed by a recommendation on pedagogical complementary elements could encourage engineering institutions to use VAE in order to fill their continuous education programmes. CTI is aware of this potential conflict of interest and tries to be vigilant in order to prevent abuse.
As far as accreditation is concerned, CTI has tried to adopt a balanced position, which respects the specific policies of each institution with regards to VAE but, at the same time, tries to ensure a fair implementation of these recognition processes. The main accreditation criteria applied by CTI are:
? Certification: the diploma delivered must be strictly the same as that delivered through other learning paths.
? Professional outcomes of the programme: engineering institutions must adequately formalise the outcomes of their programmes in a way that they can serve the certification of professional competences. These descriptions must be made public and transmitted to the National Registry of Professional Certifications.
? Evaluation procedures and criteria: the procedures and evaluation criteria must be clear and public. They must guarantee an equitable treatment of all candidates.
The evaluation criteria should be at the same exigency level than the ones used to attribute the diploma through other paths.
? Information and guidance to the candidate: institutions must be transparent and provide sufficient information to possible VAE candidates. They must put in place (or offer) guidance and counselling to the candidates throughout the process.
? Accreditation panel: the VAE panel must include academic and professional members (other than the external lecturers of the programme). It must include some members from the jury that delivers the ordinary diploma in order to ensure a same exigency level, but other than that, the composition must be substantially different and adapted to understand the specific challenges of this track.
Conclusions
Recognition of prior learning is implemented at various levels and with various objectives in the different European countries. Whereas the RPL process in some countries (such as Ireland, Germany or the Netherlands) mainly
involves considering the learner?s prior formal or informal learning in order to gain entry to further study or to gain credit or exemption towards a degree, in other countries, such
as France, RPL is used as a major route to award an academic degree.
The case of France?s VAE is indeed an extreme case. VAE enables the acquisition of a complete academic degree through the exclusive validation of professional experience. The VAE legislation does not limit the number of certifications obtained by a particular person. In France, it is hence possible to get up to the master level without having any formal academic qualification. As an example, we can examine the case of a French citizen, who left school without his secondary education degree and was subsequently able to obtain 6 academic diplomas through VAE (including a bachelor in literary Arabic) up to the master level. This person is currently in charge of VAE processes at a prestigious engineering institution (http://orientactuel.centre-inffo.fr/Hassane-Akka-de-bac-3-a-bac-5-en.html).
The French approach to RPL raised some critical voices among QA colleagues during the ENQA workshop break-out group discussion. Whereas the break-out group participants could easily accept that one can arrive to the same level of professional competence through working experience as via an academic degree, it is more difficult to argue that this path could be equivalent in terms of methodological skills and analytic capacity. There is also an experiential dimension associated to formal higher education which definitely plays a role in building a competence profile.
The case of Hong Kong (http://www.hkqf.gov.hk/guie/HKQF_intro.asp) provides an example of how RPL processes can be established without mixing the notions of level and profile. In Hong Kong the recognition of professional competences is made by a number of specific agencies with close links to industry. Candidates obtain recognition of a certain academic level and the right to be admitted to a higher level of studies, but they do not obtain an academic degree.
However, the French VAE should be understood in the light of the French specific national context, namely a number of urgent structural problems which needed to be addressed in order to improve competitivity and social equity, and the special role played by initial qualifications.
RPL practices are indeed politically sensitive and highly dependent on the context. Agencies must explicitly assume this political dimension in order to define what role to play regarding RPL processes. The following questions should be posed:
? Is RPL an important issue in my specific national and political context? Is it being practiced at a significant level?
? Are there any risks of derive in the way HEIs are implementing these recognition processes?
Depending of the answer to these questions, the quality assurance agency may adopt a more or less active role. In the case of France, RPL practices are politically important and there are indeed certain risks - such as a general resistance of institutions to VAE; conflicts of interest to be avoided; and certain methodological aspects associated to the competences approaches - which justify, as we have seen, an active role from the national accreditation agency.
References
BESSON Eric (2008) ; Valoriser l?acquis de l?exp?rience : Une ?valuation du dispositif de VAE ; Secr?tariat d??tat charg? de la prospective, de l??valuation des politiques publiques et du d?veloppement de l??conomie num?rique. CEREQ (Centre d??tudes et des Recherches sur les Qualifications - Center for the study and research on qualifications). (www.cereq.fr)
D?l?gation g?n?rale ? l?emploi et ? la formation professionnelle (DGEFP) (2007) ; La validation des acquis de l?exp?rience (VAE). Rapport au Parlement en application de l?article 146 de la Loi n?2002-73 du 17 janvier 2002 de modernisation sociale. Law n? 2002-73 du 17 janvier 2002 de modernisation sociale (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000408905&dateTexte=)
MARCHAL Emmanuelle, RIEUCAU G?raldine (2003) ? Candidat de plus de 40 ans non dipl?m? ou d?butant s?abstenir ?, Connaissance de l?emploi n?11, CEE
M?HAUT Philippe, LECOURT Anne-Juliette (2007) ; The accreditation of prior learning experience in France : A good start, to be continued ; Discussion paper. Portail national de la validation des acquis de l?exp?rience (http://www.vae.gouv.fr/)
TRYBY, Emmanuel (2009); Accreditation of prior experiential learning and the development of higher education; European journal of vocational training, N? 46- 2009/1-ISSN 1977?0219

Source: http://blog.univ-provence.fr/blog/coordination-rgionale-paca/vae/2012/08/26/recognition-of-prior-learning-and-the-role-of-quality-assurance-agencies.-accreditation-of-prior-learning-in-france-as-a-case-study

face transplant maundy thursday google glasses kim kardashian and kanye west henrik stenson jobs act greg mortenson

Survivors: strong gas odor before Venezuela blast

Firefighters and rescue teams work at the Amuay oil refinery in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. A huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery and unleashed a ferocious fire Saturday, killing over 20 people and injuring dozens in the deadliest disaster in memory for the country's key oil industry. (AP Photo/Diario EL Amanecer)

Firefighters and rescue teams work at the Amuay oil refinery in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. A huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery and unleashed a ferocious fire Saturday, killing over 20 people and injuring dozens in the deadliest disaster in memory for the country's key oil industry. (AP Photo/Diario EL Amanecer)

A large fire rises over the Amuay refinery near Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. A huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery, killing at least 24 people and injuring dozens, an official said. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

PUNTO FIJO, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuelans who live next to the country's biggest oil refinery said they smelled a strong odor of sulfur hours before a gas leak ignited in an explosion that killed at least 39 people and injured more than 80.

The Amuay refinery was still burning on Sunday more than a day after the blast, sending up a thick column of black smoke.

Residents in a neighborhood next to the refinery said that starting about 7 p.m. on Friday they noticed the unusually strong odor. Government officials say the blast occurred about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday when the gas leak created a cloud that ignited.

The cause of the disaster is under investigation.

Gabriela Nunez, a housewife who lives near the refinery, said she noticed the gas odor on Friday night and then hours later came the shock wave.

"All the windows shattered, the iron doors opened, the wooden doors broke," Nunez said. She returned to her home on Saturday night to gather belongings, saying she was worried about looters who had stolen goods from nearby stores hours after the explosion.

"That forced us to come back, even though we're afraid, to save what can be saved and secure our houses," Nunez said.

A total of 209 homes and 11 businesses were damaged in the explosion, and a National Guard post next to the refinery was destroyed, Vice President Elias Jaua said late Saturday. He said 18 of the victims were National Guard soldiers.

President Hugo Chavez on Saturday declared three days of mourning in the country.

Amuay is among the world's largest refineries and is part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex, which also includes the adjacent Cardon refinery. Together, the refineries process about 900,000 barrels of crude per day and 200,000 barrels of gasoline.

Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said the country has enough fuel in storage, "10 days of inventories," to keep the Venezuelan market fully supplied with gasoline and diesel.

He said fires were still burning in two fuel storage tanks on Sunday but that other "process areas" of the refinery have been otherwise unaffected. Once the flames are completely extinguished, Ramirez said, "we have the ability to restart our refinery in two days."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-26-Venezuela-Refinery%20Explosion/id-a003700a26684fdf865be29688db8eab

johnny knox johnny knox monday night football monday night football bonjovi bonjovi antonio brown

Good diet, proper exercise help protect astronauts? bones

ScienceDaily (Aug. 24, 2012) ? Eating right and exercising hard in space helps protect International Space Station astronauts' bones, a finding that may help solve one of the key problems facing future explorers heading beyond low Earth orbit.

A new study, published in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, looked at the mineral density of specific bones as well as the entire skeleton of astronauts who used a new, stronger "weight lifting" machine. Of course, weights don't really "weigh" anything on the space station but resistance machines allow astronauts to get the same kind of workout. The new Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), installed in 2008, doubles the maximum simulated weight to as much as 600 pounds.

Researchers compared measurements from 2006 until 2008, when astronauts used a less capable workout machine. They found that astronauts using the advanced system came home with more lean muscle and less fat, and kept more of their whole body and regional bone mineral density. Those same astronauts also consumed sufficient calories and vitamin D, among other nutrients. These factors are known to support bone health and likely played a contributing role.

"After 51 years of human spaceflight, these data mark the first significant progress in protecting bone through diet and exercise," said Dr. Scott M. Smith, NASA nutritionist at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston and lead author of the publication.

Since the 1990s, resistance exercise has been thought to be a key method of protecting astronauts' bones. Normal, healthy bone constantly breaks down and renews itself, a process called remodeling. As long as these processes are in balance, bone mass and density stay the same. Earlier studies of Russian Mir space station residents found an increased rate of breakdown, but little change in the rate of regrowth, resulting in an overall loss in bone density.

In the new study, astronauts who used the ARED device still had increased bone breakdown, but their bone renewal tended to increase, likely resulting in a better balance in whole bone mineral density.

"The increase in both bone breakdown and formation suggests that the bone is being remodeled, but a key question remains as to whether this remodeled bone is as strong as the bone before flight," said Dr. Jean Sibonga, NASA bone discipline lead at Johnson and coauthor of the study.

Bone density loss in astronauts on long-duration missions has been a major medical concern. In the past, astronauts have lost an average of 1 to 2 percent per month. By comparison, an elderly person, loses about 1 to 2 percent per year.

This study shows that, through proper exercise and nutrition, crew members on long journeys in space can return to Earth with much less loss of bone mineral density. But a key question remains as to whether the bones are as strong as when the astronaut launched into space. For these and other reasons, additional studies to evaluate bone strength before and after flight are currently under way.

Beyond bone strength, further study is needed to figure out the best possible combination of exercise and diet for long-duration crews. One experiment on the space station right now is looking at how different ratios of animal protein and potassium in the diet affect bone health. Another is looking at the benefits of lowering sodium intake. NASA food scientists have reformulated more than 80 space foods to reduce the sodium content.

"Although more research needs to be done in this regard, our study marks a significant milestone in our long search to find ways to help ensure crew health and performance on long-duration missions," said Smith. "These data will be critical in enabling us to send humans, once again, to destinations beyond low Earth orbit."

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 NASA.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Scott M Smith, Martina A Heer, Linda C Shackelford, Jean D Sibonga, Lori Ploutz-Snyder, Sara R Zwart. Benefits for bone from resistance exercise and nutrition in long-duration spaceflight: Evidence from biochemistry and densitometry. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2012; 27 (9): 1896 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.1647

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/health_medicine/nutrition/~3/6-Pvxv0r_a4/120824131928.htm

8 bit google maps kids choice awards 2012 micah true kansas vs ohio state winning mega million numbers bruce weber boston globe