Benefits Of Employing A Good Real Estate Agent

A realtor is actually a certified real estate professional, who can help you effectively and give you information about the prevalent market environment. A realtor can provide assistance from advising to finalizing a sale. Few individuals are convinced they are able to easily buy and sell houses on their own, with out the assistance of a realtor. Nevertheless, some succeed while some don?t. In case you are in doubt about employing the expertise of a realtor here are few benefits that may induce you to hire a real estate professional.

Negotiation Skills:
The most crucial elements of a realtor?s profession would be to negotiate in your behalf. They?re skilled enough to present their client?s case in a good light. Additionally, these specialists also take care to hold client data and information confidential from the contending interests.

Proficient Networking:
Realtors maintain a great network with lots of professionals who play a key function in real estate. They have an understanding of whom to get in touch with while working hard on the selling or buying procedure of their clients.

Knowledgeable Concerning The Market Conditions:
Effective realtors are very knowledgeable and up-to-date concerning the existing marketplace conditions and therefore can be of immense help to their clients in creating a choice whether they ought to buy or sell their property immediately or wait for the opportune time.

Price Tips:
Real estate professionals posses in-depth understanding of real estate markets and therefore they are able to help the buyers and sellers to determine on the right price. A great realtor will be in a position to provide you services that take your requirements into account. Just in case you are a buyer, they are able to assist you to determine which house could make the perfect choice, taking your budget into account. Likewise, they assist sellers in setting the correct price for their house or property, after evaluating its size, location and condition.

Trouble Free:
Looking for a house takes a substantial amount of time and it could be an extreme complicated process. If you happen to be a busy person then you may not be able to waste time dealing with the entire process. Nevertheless, a professional realtor can look after all of the searches, arrangements and paperwork for you and you may not have to be bothered with the small details.

In general, buying or promoting a house entails an enormous investment and there is a potential for spending a lot of time in the entire process. A realtor can guide you and provide details about the real property markets value, financial assistance opportunities, utility expenses, taxes plus other costs pertaining to the property you may be interested in. They are able to assist you make right decisions throughout the whole transaction.

More info at www.grayhawkhomes4u.com.

Source: http://www.villasandland.com/articles/benefits-of-employing-a-good-real-estate-agent/

obama on jimmy fallon google drive apple stock pilar sanders andrew young real life barbie zipper

Hopes for Syria breakthrough faint as U.N. envoy visits Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The international mediator seeking to end the 21-month-old conflict in Syria met Russia's foreign minister in Moscow on Saturday after talks in Damascus but expectations of progress toward a negotiated solution were low.

U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi's talks with Sergei Lavrov occurred a day after the main Syrian opposition group rebuffed diplomatic advances by Russia and firmly reiterated it would not negotiate with President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Brahimi is trying to build on an agreement reached in Geneva in June by world powers, including the United States and Russia, that called for the creation of a transitional government but left Assad's role unclear.

The mediator, who met Assad and others on a five-day trip to Syria, is to meet together with senior U.S. and Russian diplomats in the coming weeks, after two such meetings this month that produced no signs of a breakthrough.

In Damascus on Thursday, Brahimi called for a transitional government to rule until elections in Syria and said only substantial change would meet demands of ordinary Syrians, but did not specify who could be part of the transitional body.

Russia has vocally supported Brahimi's efforts while refusing to join Western and Arab calls for Assad's exit, as it has throughout a conflict that has killed 44,000 people since protests in March 2011 elicited a fierce government crackdown.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad discussed Brahimi's proposals with Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday.

Lavrov on Friday urged the government and opposition to start a dialogue, and Russia said it had invited the leader of the National Coalition opposition group to meet Russian officials in Moscow or elsewhere for the first time.

The invitation and calls for dialogue were among signs that with the rebels advancing steadily over the second half of 2012, Russia may be reaching harder for a diplomatic solution than it did when it was more confident Assad could hold out.

But coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib said he had ruled out a trip to Moscow and suggested he would only meet Russian officials if Moscow condemned the Syrian government's actions and clearly called for Assad to step down.

An opposition spokesman said separately on Friday the coalition "will not negotiate with the Assad regime", also underscoring the uphill struggle Brahimi faces.

Russia, together with China, has angered the West and some Arab states by vetoing three U.N. Security Council resolutions meant to put pressure on Assad, who has given Moscow one of its firmest post-Soviet footholds in the Middle East.

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is not trying to prop up Assad, contending that its vetoes and opposition to U.N. sanctions are driven by the principle of non-interference in sovereign states.

Russia has warned it will not allow a repeat in Syria of last year's events in Libya, where NATO intervention, authorized by the U.N. Security Council after Russia abstained from a vote, helped rebels topple Muammar Gaddafi.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hopes-syria-breakthrough-faint-u-n-envoy-visits-085239379.html

Obama Acceptance Speech Prop 30 Election 2012 Michigan Election Results Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana

A Quick Reference List Of Homeschooling Tips | Norviel Blog

Those who have the guts for homeschooling also get the greatest rewards in the end. Their kids will become exceptional adults in time. It?s not a simple endeavor, of course, and help will have to be sought. This article is a great first step towards learning as much as possible.

If you are not good at a particular subject, it may be hard for you to teach it to your children in a way that will be useful. It would be a good idea to find another adult that is better at the topic and have them teach it to them.

Take advantage of the subjects that your kids enjoy. If you find one thing that each of them love, you should be able to take something from that subject and apply it to other subjects as well. If your kids are enjoying what you are doing with them while teaching them, it will be much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

If you home school your children, it is important that they still get play time. Just because they are getting schooled at home does not mean they need to be inside all of the time. Once they are done with their daily schooling and work, allow them to go outside and play for a little while.

Do not expect homeschooling to work seamlessly right from the start. It can take up to a year before you settle into a good flow with homeschooling. Even though you have educated yourself about the process before beginning, the skill to make it all work smoothly takes some time to develop. Exercise patience and you will be more successful.

Utilize local resources to find resources you need. You can find resources for homeschooling at garage sales, curriculum sales and even homeschool groups on sites like Yahoo and Craigslist. Don?t worry if they are gently used. A workbook with a few scribbled pages can still offer plenty of workable materials for class.

Get out of the house as often as you can. There is a great deal that can be learned from experiencing the world. This is actually one of the biggest perks of homeschooling. You are not limited to hours of working from a text book. You can instead bring your children to learn about the world first hand.

Explore several different learning programs before deciding on one. There are many on the market, and every one is unique. One might work a lot better for your child than another, but you will never know this if you do not look at several. Doing this will help you to maximize your child?s learning materials.

Attend some homeschooling conferences. There are more tools available to you than you may realize. Homeschooling conferences bring a lot of opportunities at your fingertips into one location so that you can maximize the time you have. You may find there are tools out there that can really help your efforts.

Enjoy the flexibility of homeschool. Don?t think you should follow strict schedules like traditional schools do. You can take as many field trips as you want, anytime you want. If you want to focus exclusively on math one day, you can. If you want to teach several subjects the next day, you can. As long as you are using effective strategies in helping your child learn, you can do whatever you want.

If your child is a visual learner, there are many helpful tools you can use to help them learn. Incorporate flash cards, workbooks, charts and matching games into your teaching. This will help them to learn best and retain more information. Homeschooling allows you to use different tools to help your child learn the best.

If something in your homeschooling strategy is not effective the first time, then allow yourself one more try at it. However, if it isn?t effective the second time, then you should just give it up and move on to something else. You should not waste precious time trying to get something to work when it clearly won?t. The goal is helping your child learn, so quickly move on to something else that will work.

Before starting your homeschool, make sure to check your state regulations and ordinances. Each state varies on what they require from homeschoolers, and you want to make sure that your homeschool experience and curriculum meet the basic requirements in your area. If you do not do this, it can cause problems for your children later in life and might even mean that the time they spent homeschooling does not legally count toward their education.

Set aside a time where schooling is done each day. One benefit to homeschooling is flexibility. If you are too flexible, though, you may not get everything in. Pick the days you want to school each day. Next, decide what times will work best for your schooling. Do your kids like to sleep in? School late, they won?t learn any less. By setting aside times you are more apt to get in all the lessons you need to get done.

To keep your student (and yourself) connected with the world outside the home-school classroom, volunteer. Volunteer work is rewarding and provides excellent real-world experience. Look for opportunities that closely match your student?s interests. You might also look for opportunities that closely correspond with current lessons. Students take pride in the ability to help others and will appreciate the chance to get out of the house.

With this article in hand, you should be able to reach for the stars. The great knowledge you now possess allows you to teach exceptionally and produce great results. As your kids go out on their own, you?ll feel the joy of giving them the best education possible in your home.

Source: http://mannorviel.comeze.com/a-quick-reference-list-of-homeschooling-tips/

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

China Real-Name Registration Is Now Law In Country

BEIJING (AP) ? China's government tightened Internet controls Friday with approval of a law that requires users to register their names after a flood of online complaints about official abuses rattled Communist Party leaders.

Authorities say the law will strengthen protections for personal information. But it also is likely to curtail the Internet's status as a forum to complain about the government or publicize corruption.

"Their intention is very clear: It is to take back that bit of space for public opinion, that freedom of speech hundreds of millions of Chinese Internet users have strived for," said Murong Xuecun, a prominent Chinese writer.

The rules approved by China's national legislature highlight the chronic tension between the ruling Communist Party's desire to reap technology's benefits and its insistence on controlling information.

Beijing encourages Web use for business and education but tries to block material deemed subversive or obscene. It has steadily stepped up censorship, especially after social media played a role in protests that brought down governments in Egypt and Tunisia.

The latest measure requires users to provide their real names and other identifying information when they register with access providers or post information publicly.

"This is needed for the healthy development of the Internet," said Li Fei, deputy director of the legislature's Legal Work Committee, at a news conference.

Li rejected complaints that the public will be deprived of a forum that has been used to expose misconduct.

"The country's constitution protects citizens' rights in supervising and criticizing the state and government officials' behavior," Li said.

The measure comes amid reports that Beijing might be disrupting use of software that allows Web surfers to see sites abroad that are blocked by its extensive filters.

At the same time, regulators have proposed rules that would bar foreign companies from distributing books, news, music and other material online in China.

The government has given no indication how it will deal with the technical challenge of registering the more than 500 million Chinese who use the Internet.

Microblog operators, two of which say they have more than 300 million users each, were ordered last year to confirm the identities of users but acknowledge they have yet to complete that task.

The main ruling party newspaper, People's Daily, has called weeks for tighter Internet controls, saying rumors spread online have harmed the public.

The secretive ruling party is uneasy about the public's eagerness to discuss politics and sensitive issues online despite threats of punishment.

In March, authorities scrambled to squelch online rumors about a possible coup amid a political crisis that led to the downfall of a prominent party figure, Bo Xilai, ahead of the party's fall leadership transition. A dozen websites were closed and six people detained.

This week, 70 prominent Chinese scholars and lawyers circulated an online petition this week appealing for free speech, independent courts and for the ruling party to encourage private enterprise.

Communist leaders who see the Internet as a promising source of economic growth were slow to enforce the same level of control they impose on movies, books and other media, apparently for fear of hurting e-commerce and other fledgling online businesses.

Until recently, Web surfers could post anonymous comments online or on microblogs.

That gave ordinary Chinese a unique opportunity to express themselves to a public audience in a society where newspapers, television and other media all are state-controlled. Some of the most popular microbloggers have millions of readers.

It also made the Internet a clearinghouse for accusations of official misconduct.

A local party official in China's southwest was fired in November after scenes from a videotape of him having sex with a young woman spread quickly on websites.

Web surfers can circumvent filters by using virtual private networks ? encryption software that is used by companies for financial data and other sensitive information. But VPN users say disruptions began in 2011 and are increasing, suggesting regulators are trying to block encrypted traffic.

___

AP researcher Flora Ji contributed.

Earlier on HuffPost:

"; 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/2012/12/28/china-real-name-registration_n_2373808.html

tupac hologram tupac back tax deadline death race buffet rule carlos santana baa

rosetrimble23: humbler shetland: roomaroger: Biology Syllabus ? So

If you?re encountered with biology syllabus assessment in that case he/she really needs to fully grasp the exact objectives to make sure that he/she are able to comprehend the objective. There are 3 well-known objectives concerning learning the field of biology which generally are to have practical knowledge with understanding, ability to actually deal with important information and resolve issues in conjunction with learning experimental skillsets as well as inspections.

The actual Biology Syllabus entails of scientific phenomena specifics hence these particular 3 important objectives are crucial for the main assessment procedure. A few other reasons for assessment are to be capable of making predictions, address issues, manipulate data and locate ideal sources to get knowledge acquisition.

19 December 2012 | Reference and Education

Source: http://www.apodimosstudents.com/reference-and-education/biology-syllabus-so-what-does-the-subject-focused-on/

will ferrell double fine adventure turbo tax katharine mcphee cold mountain valentines day ideas the villages florida

Source: http://roomaroger.blogspot.com/2012/12/biology-syllabus-so-what-does-subject.html

safehouse brown recluse brown recluse front door alyssa bustamante protandim weightless

Source: http://josiahjulian.posterous.com/roomaroger-biology-syllabus-so-what-does-the

morgellons nhl all star draft seal team 6 touch nitrous oxide rihanna thug life tattoo arizona governor

Source: http://humbler-shetland.blogspot.com/2012/12/roomaroger-biology-syllabus-so-what.html

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

Source: http://rosetrimble23.blogspot.com/2012/12/humbler-shetland-roomaroger-biology.html

Home Run Derby 2012 San Diego fireworks steve nash july 4th higgs boson Malware Monday First Row Sports

Source: http://oabuare.posterous.com/rosetrimble23-humbler-shetland-roomaroger-bio

melissa gilbert deadliest catch dwts sean hannity bobby petrino fired buffett rule lollapalooza lineup

Source: http://naturalization-characteristic.blogspot.com/2012/12/rosetrimble23-humbler-shetland.html

winning lottery numbers megamillions winner kansas jayhawks mega millions results louisville lotto numbers susan powell

Clippers beat Jazz 116-114 for 16th straight win

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? Chris Paul could hardly be heard over Jay-Z's pounding music as his Los Angeles Clippers teammates sang along in the visitors' locker room.

And why not?

The Clippers had just pulled off a 19-point comeback for their 16th straight victory ? in a venue where they had often struggled.

Paul did most of the damage, leading the Clippers (24-6) with 29 points, including the final seven, as Los Angeles squeaked out a 116-114 win Friday night over the Utah Jazz.

The Clippers' winning streak is the longest in the NBA since Boston won 19 games in a row from Nov. 15 to Dec. 23, 2008.

The last time the franchise won three straight in Salt Lake City was 1979-81 when they were the San Diego Clippers.

"This one is a great win for us because we kind of needed a challenge," said Blake Griffin, who added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers. "(We had) to prove not only to everybody else but to ourselves that we can still win close games like this and win a game down 19 in the third quarter."

In the opposing locker room, the Jazz were lamenting another one that got away ? the second loss at home to the Clippers during their franchise-record streak. Utah dropped the first by one on Dec. 3 after leading by 14.

On Friday, ex-Clipper Randy Foye put up a 3-pointer at the buzzer that was contested by Matt Barnes, but no foul was called. Foye finished with a season-high 28 points for Utah.

Foye did his best not to say anything about the officiating.

"I felt as though I pump-faked," Foye said. "He knew that I wanted to shoot the 3 and I felt the contact. He made me go straight up and shoot the ball straight down. It was just a tough play."

Paul was tough down the stretch, hitting the clinching free throws after getting fouled by Al Jefferson with 3.4 seconds left.

"When (DeAndre Jordan) came to give me the ball screen, I wasn't worried about (Gordon) Hayward, I was just worried about Al Jefferson," Paul said. "I could tell (Jefferson) was going to try and blitz me. Anytime two guys try and trap me, I'm always going to attack the slower guy. If they wouldn't have called the foul, I was right around Al anyway."

Paul sank both free throws this time, after missing one with 18 seconds left that allowed Jefferson to grab the rebound, draw a foul and sink two free throws at the other end to tie it at 114.

Paul made sure he hit both the next time.

"Man, I couldn't wait to get to the line. I couldn't wait to get to the line," Paul said. "I was mad at myself for missing that last one. I couldn't wait to get to the line to redeem myself."

Just like the first game this season against the Clippers, Utah had the upper hand early.

The Jazz used a 36-point second quarter to turn a seven-point deficit into a 58-48 halftime lead. Utah reserves did most of the damage.

Alec Burks and Earl Watson pushed the pace, big men Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors provided a presence inside and Hayward found ways to score.

Kanter's block of Ronny Turiaf ignited the crowd.

Hayward's 3-pointer tied it at 34 with 7:04 left in the second and he scored 10 straight for the Jazz, who forced eight turnovers in the quarter and held the Clippers to 37.5 percent shooting.

Foye, who kept Utah close in the first with a 13-point quarter on 4-of-5 shooting, gave the Jazz their biggest lead of the half, 54-41, with two more free throws.

The Jazz led 74-55 with 8:08 left in the third on a pair of free throws by Paul Millsap. But the Clippers outscored Utah 29-14 the rest of the quarter to pull to 88-84 going into the fourth.

Paul provided the offense in the third with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

"At the beginning of the third quarter, they made another run at us but then we got a little bit of a rhythm and then started guarding. We started getting some stops and getting out in the open court," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said.

"Give Utah credit but our guys battled back tonight. They found a way to win and that's what it's all about. We stayed together, we weathered the storm when we had to and gave ourselves a chance and we were fortunate to make enough plays."

The loss dropped Utah below .500 at 15-16. The Jazz have lost six of their last eight.

Jefferson added 22 points for Utah. Hayward had 17 off the bench.

The Clippers had six players in double figures. DeAndre Jordan had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's all tough," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "On our home court, we had a lead, we gave up the lead but we continued to fight. We made some mistakes but fought our way through it and had a chance to win the ballgame at the end. Unfortunately they got a lot of free throws."

The teams combined for 81 free throw attempts, with Utah making 37 of 40 and the Clippers 33 of 41.

Points in the paint were identical and rebounds were close (36-35 Jazz), but the Clippers had a four-point edge on second-chance points.

That was enough.

NOTES: An unidentified Jazz employee was disciplined and had his access to the team Twitter account discontinued after what team officials deemed an inappropriate tweet regarding the firing of Nets coach Avery Johnson and Brooklyn's interest in Phil Jackson. The tweet said Jackson only wants "great players," an apparent reference to ex-Jazz point guard Deron Williams, who had criticized Johnson's offense. ... Jazz point guard Mo Williams still has swelling in his sprained right thumb and remains out indefinitely. ... The Clippers got a scare late in the first quarter when Lamar Odom came up limping. He returned in the second and finished with 12 points. ... The Clippers failed to register a blocked shot despite coming into the game averaging 6.52.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clippers-beat-jazz-116-114-16th-straight-win-050730875--spt.html

adam shulman peanut butter recall jason aldean Brigitte Nielsen Cricinfo Geno Smith ny giants

Police: Pa. man suffocated girlfriend after crash

MANHEIM, Pa. (AP) ? A central Pennsylvania man suffocated his 17-year-old girlfriend by sitting on her head after he intentionally drove into a guardrail at about 100 miles per hour in the middle of the night, authorities said.

Police filed homicide and other charges Friday against Benjamin Daniel Klinger, 19, for the Dec. 4 death of Sammi Heller on an interstate near Manheim. Klinger is accused of crashing on purpose, then killing Heller by sitting on her until she asphyxiated.

"At first glance, this appeared to be simply another tragic vehicle accident," Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman told the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era. "However, the police worked hand-in-hand with our forensic experts and saw this was far more complicated, sinister and certainly criminal."

A man who answered the telephone at Klinger's Elizabethtown home Thursday said Klinger did not have a lawyer and declined to comment.

Heller, a senior at J.P. McCaskey High School, was described in her obituary as athletic and a lover of motorcycles and horses.

She allegedly told a friend that Klinger previously tried to scare her while driving and that he had threatened to kill them both in a crash. Another witness told detectives that Heller said that Klinger would push Heller into walls and once pushed her down a set of stairs, police alleged.

Heller may have been pregnant, and police fielded conflicting reports about whether Klinger was the father.

A truck driver who came upon the 2 a.m. crash heard Heller screaming, and was told by 911 operators not to move the crash victims. When police arrived, Klinger was sitting on top of Heller's head and torso, according to the arrest affidavit.

"Klinger was observed by the officers to be what appeared as 'slipping in and out of consciousness,' because he would close his eyes for several seconds, moan, and then reopen his eyes while continuing to be positioned on top of the victim's head and torso while the victim was face down," police wrote.

Based on medical records, investigators later concluded Klinger was feigning being unconscious.

Detectives recovered marijuana, cash, a digital scale, a pipe, pills and a black air pistol from the wreckage.

Klinger was also charged with aggravated assault, drug offenses and driving violations.

Separately, he faces a charge of simple assault for allegedly running over Heller's foot in May, and two counts of disseminating explicit sexual materials to a minor for allegedly sending out photos and video of Heller.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-27-US-Crash-Suffocation-Charges/id-8e9ce4cbd2c943b99ad04cdfa9d0f223

kohls target target walmart nfl nfl best buy

antonycarrickxx: victorrusso23: Shopping And Product Reviews ...

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Source: http://matkopliza9.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-category-by-elleeatist.html

affordable care act the line us soccer bobby brown arrested the happening black panthers mauritania

Source: http://victorrusso23.blogspot.com/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys.html

daytona artie lange nascar daytona 2012 kasey kahne angelina jolie right leg saving face academy award winners

Source: http://thermophile-kenny.blogspot.com/2012/12/victorrusso23-shopping-and-product.html

Lilit Avagyan Nashville TV Show VP debate drew brees drew brees sandusky Sam Champion

Source: http://antonycarrickxx.blogspot.com/2012/12/victorrusso23-shopping-and-product.html

adam levine 9/11 Memorial Google Docs 911 masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike

Source: http://robinthomasgg.blogspot.com/2012/12/antonycarrickxx-victorrusso23-shopping.html

project m rubio colts colts big ten tournament 2012 dennis quaid bruce weber fired

Source: http://otoirayn.posterous.com/antonycarrickxx-victorrusso23-shopping-and-pr

tim tebow taylor swift post grad arpaio carol burnett neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson davy jones death

Top 10 Legal Productivity Posts of 2012

iPads, Evernote, Treadmill Desks, Checklists, and M&Ms ? yes, the candy: 2012 was another banner year for the Legal Productivity Blog.

Thank YOU for coming back to read our posts, for sharing it on the social networks, and for your comments, suggestions, and engagement.

Here are our top posts for the year:

1. 9 IPad Productivity Tips ? Tips include how to: streamline Spotlight search functionality, lock in Portrait or Landscape mode, and restrict access to certain content.

2. Time Management, To-Do Lists And The 3 + 2 Rule ? First, identify only 3 big things and 2 small things to do in a day. Write down the 3 main activities you need to accomplish, each taking 2 to 3 hours, and 2 minor ones that take around 20 minutes each.

3. In Memory Of Finis Price ? Larry?s poignant tribute to a dear friend and giant in the legal profession.

4. 8 Great Sites For Mac Loving Lawyers ? Top sites that provide news, analysis, reviews, tips, tools and community for Mac loving lawyers and legal professionals.

5. 7 Purchases Under $15 That Boost Productivity For Attorneys ? When it comes to milking every last ounce of productivity out of your day, you don?t need to shell out for fancy executive coaches, sophisticated day planners, and related tools.

6. 5 Great Everyday Uses For Evernote ? A great daily-use application to store blog post ideas, to-do lists, meeting notes, and so much more.

7. Attorneys Take New Steps In Productivity With Treadmill Desks ? Between desk jobs, driving and television, attorneys are spending more time on their butts than ever. But some are taking this problem to court.
They?re walking and working at the same time, using treadmill desks.

8. How To Not Make Mistakes Using A Surprisingly Simple Tool: The Checklist ? So how can, as Mr. Gawande puts it, ?a stupid little checklist? be so powerful, especially when the people using them are very smart, educated, and come loaded with experience (i.e. doctors and lawyers)? The short answer is they reduce complexity.

9. 4 Twitter Productivity Tips ? Tips for a more productive daily Twitter experience.

10. Van Halen?s No Brown M&Ms: The Greatest Checklist Of All Time? ? Van Halen had a ?no brown M&Ms? rule along with other requirements at venues where they performed. They were management experts all along. Who knew?

We?re excited about 2013 and have lots more new, original content planned for you so keep checking back, or subscribe to our RSS feed so you don?t miss a post.

Have a happy, successful, and, of course, productive new year!

Google+
?Print This Post

Source: http://www.legalproductivity.com/get-productive/top-legal-productivity-posts-of-2012/

ncaa oakland news alec baldwin alec baldwin college basketball oakland pinnacle airlines

GDF sells 60% interest in Canadian renewable energy portfolio

GDF Suez has agreed to the sale of a 60% equity interest in its Canadian renewable energy generation portfolio to Mitsui & Company Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) and a consortium led by Fiera Axium Infrastructure Inc. (Montreal, Canada).

The portfolio includes 317 MW of wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects which it expects to commission between 2013 and 2014. As part of the transaction a total of USD 1.1 billion of project finance has been raised from five banks.

"This is an important new joint venture in which GDF Suez will have a significant shareholding, reflecting the continued importance of the Canadian renewable market to the Group," noted GDF Suez Chairman and CEO G?rard Mestrallet.

"This transaction represents an excellent example of monetizing value created through our investments, alongside retaining the upside from future renewable developments and from our operations and maintenance experience."

?

Transaction to reduce debt by USD 1.3 billion

GDF Suez will remain the principal shareholder with a 40% interest. In addition to participation in the joint venture, the company will continue to develop its pipeline of new renewable energy projects in Canada.

The transaction will reduce the group's net debt by USD 1.3 billion. GDF Suez has achieved USD 5.2 billion out of USD 6.6 billion expected in 2012 under its asset optimization program.

?

?

?

?

?

2012-12-19 | Courtesy:?GDF Suez | solarserver.com ? Heindl Server GmbH

Our editorial selection of breaking solar news is published at:
www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/top-solar-news.html

?

Source: http://www.solarserver.com/solar-magazine/solar-news/current/2012/kw51/gdf-sells-60-interest-in-canadian-renewable-energy-portfolio.html

unemployment rate unemployment rate keri russell drew barrymore jesse ventura bill o brien portland trailblazers

PFT: Jets haven't decided what to do with Sanchez

Getty Images

Yes, it?s really over.

Less than a year after the Jets renewed their vows with quarterback Mark Sanchez via a contract extension that bound the player and team together for at least two seasons, the Jets will try to foist the balance of said contract extension onto a new team after only one.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets will try to trade Sanchez in the offseason.

A trade makes the most sense.? Apart from the face-saving value of getting something in return for the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft, trading Sanchez would reduce both the cap charge and the cash expenditure.? As it stands, Sanchez is due to earn a base salary of $8.25 million in 2013, along with a workout bonus of $500,000.? Since the base salary is fully guaranteed, the Jets will owe Sanchez the full $8.25 million even if he?s cut, with no offset even if he signs elsewhere.

The goal will be to try to persuade a new team to shoulder a portion of the financial burden.? Mehta believes the limit for a trade partner will be in the range of $3 million.

Under our analysis of the potential cap hits from keeping, cutting, or trading Sanchez, trading him before June 1 to a team that would pay him $3 million in 2013 would still result in a cap charge of more than $14 million, which is more than the cap hit that would come from cutting Sanchez.

It?s also more than 10 percent of the total 2013 cap for a guy who wouldn?t even be on the team.

Trading Sanchez raises another issue beyond the 2013 season.? With a contract that pays Sanchez $11.5 million in compensation come 2014, $14 million in 2015, and $11.25 million in 2016, his next team likely wouldn?t keep him for a second season, barring a significant restructuring.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/19/source-jets-have-made-no-decisions-about-sanchez/related/

lytro camera lytro camera andrew brietbart branson mo monkees songs rail gun harrisburg

Some ancient star clusters look young

Just like people, huge star clusters age at variable rates depending on their lifestyles, a new study reports.

While such star clusters are many billions of years old, some of them manage to stay young at heart while others speed along toward decrepitude, astronomers found.

"By studying the distribution of a type of blue star that exists in the clusters, we found that some clusters had indeed evolved much faster over their lifetimes, and we developed a way to measure the rate of aging," lead author Francesco Ferraro, of the University of Bologna in Italy, said in a statement.

Ferraro and his colleagues used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and several ground-based instruments to study 21 globular clusters scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy.

Globular clusters are spherical collections of hundreds of thousands of stars held together by gravity. The 21 clusters examined in the new study all formed more than 10.5 billion years ago ? not too long after the Big Bang, which created our universe 13.7 billion years ago.

The team focused on so-called "blue stragglers" within the clusters ? stars that are much bigger and brighter than their ages should allow (since large, luminous stars tend to burn out quickly). Astronomers think blue stragglers get reinvigorated by sucking matter from, or colliding with, neighboring stars.

Because blue stragglers are so massive, they tend to sink toward the center of clusters over time, just as heavier sediments settle at the bottom of a river or lake. But the new study suggests that this process occurs at different rates from cluster to cluster.

A few clusters had blue stragglers distributed throughout, making them appear young. Some seemed old, with the stragglers already clumped in the center. And others were somewhere in between.

"Since these clusters all formed at roughly the same time, this reveals big differences in the speed of evolution from cluster to cluster," said co-author Barbara Lanzoni, also of the University of Bologna.

"In the case of fast-aging clusters, we think that the sedimentation process can be complete within a few hundred million years, while for the slowest it would take several times the current age of the universe."

The study was published online Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Follow Space.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook ? and? Google+.

? 2012 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50249740/ns/technology_and_science-space/

sf 49ers joe paterno died 49ers game ravens steven tyler national anthem paterno newt gingrich

Texas Instruments to cut 517 jobs in France

PARIS (AP) -- Chipmaker Texas Instruments says will lay off more than 500 people at a research and development plant near Nice, France, in the coming months.

The Dallas-based company announced last month that it is eliminating 1,700 jobs worldwide as it cuts spending in its wireless business. As the company's biggest smartphone and tablet customers have begun developing their own chips, Texas Instruments is shifting the focus to industrial and automotive customers.

Its factory at Villeneuve-Loubet was primarily dedicated to developing OPAM microprocessors used in smartphones and tablets. Nearly all of the employees at the factory, mostly engineers, will lose their jobs. The company is working with the government to find a new owner for the site.

In all, 517 jobs will be cut. Texas Instruments employs 609 people in France.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_FRANCE_TEXAS_INSTRUMENTS?SITE=MOPAR&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

nick lachey chevy volt christina hendricks lifelock camp david hawaii weather the jerk

Governor's office: Alabama's total mental-health funding decreased ...

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The governor's office says Alabama's total mental-health funding decreased by 4.5 percent from 2009 to 2012 when counting all appropriations.

A 2011 report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness showed Alabama cut its general fund mental health budget by 36 percent in those years -- the second-largest reduction in the U.S. -- from $100.3 million to $64.2 million. State assistant finance director Bill Newton said today the report, which was the subject of an AL.com story on Monday,?is flawed without counting earmarked funds.

Alabama's mental health funding for fiscal year 2009 was $366.2 million and decreased to $349.6 million by fiscal year 2012, Newton said.

"We earmark extremely more state revenue than other states," he said. "All states earmark some portion of revenue. We are by far the most. This report by this national outfit only looked at our general fund appropriation, not the total state appropriation."

Ron Honberg, national director of policy and legal affairs for NAMI, said every state confirmed its funding numbers before they were published. He could not recall who NAMI spoke with from Alabama.

"Is it possible there were certain categories of funding that we didn't have access to? It's possible," Honberg said. "But the point is we looked at major sources of funding for mental health, our methodology was consistent over the years looking at that data, and the data was confirmed. We have a small staff here. We spent hours and hours and hours in each state poring over budget documents."

NAMI's first report about mental-health funding came after the 2011 Arizona shooting that killed six people and injured.

"We felt there was a really important story that wasn't being told," Honberg said.

Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/12/governors_office_alabamas_tota.html

serena williams blake lively Espn Fantasy Football Grandparents Day 2012 army wives 60 minutes go daddy

'Jersey Shore' Stars' Homes: Their Living ... - AOL Real Estate

The "Jersey Shore" series finale airs Thursday night, and after that it's bye-bye Shore house. We have to say, we're gonna miss that guido party palace: It's not only survived the housemates' hijinks, but it made it through Hurricane Sandy with hardly a scratch.

But once the "Shore" stars close the door on the beach house for good, what places will they call home? (By the way, scroll to the bottom to see what the Shore house looks like now that the cast has moved out!)

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi

Snooks may call herself the "princess of Poughkeepsie," but she actually hails from Marlboro, N.Y., where she lives with her dad -- and her family home (pictured at left) isn't a princess palace. According to Zillow, the home is a modest 1,472-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom spread, arguably rather small for such a big (and annoying) personality as Snooki's. But we're hearing that, with new baby Lorenzo in the mix, Snooki and her fiance, Jionni Lavalle, are staying at Lavalle's family home in New Jersey.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Sammi 'Sweeetheart' Giancola

The on-again, off-again couple of the Shore house sure had their explosive fights (where they ripped the house to shreds), but it seems that they'll have their own home to destroy in future disagreements. The couple reportedly bought a home in the New York City area, which may even be the setting of a future reality show. Of course, the interior decorating may be their first (or 1,000th) conflict. Sammi describes her style as "unique," but Ronnie told gossip website Hollywood Life: "Yeah, I'm not going to have animal print in my house!"

Pauly D

Pauly's DJ career has shot through the roof since "Jersey Shore" began, so no one really knows why he's still living at home with his mom in Johnston, R.I. But we can see why: It's a pretty cute house (pictured at right). According to Zillow, Pauly's family home is a sizable 2,838-square-foot, three-story dwelling. You might have even seen this YouTube video of Pauly fans running into him outside the house. (The camera is a little unsteady, but you can definitely make out the address behind Pauly.) Of course, it's not that Pauly spends too much time there: He was jet-setting between Rhode Island and Las Vegas in his spinoff show -- and his Vegas pad was way more luxurious.

Jenni 'JWOWW' Farley

Jenni owns a home in Toms River, N.J., with boyfriend Roger Mathews, but they've seen their share of hard times recently. Hurricane Sandy did considerable damage to their home, and Mathews tweeted a pic (at left) of all the cabinetry and flooring that they had to rip out after water damage. But Jenni told Jay Leno recently that she believed the house was fixable and that they were able to re-enter their home shortly after the storm. Of course, Jenni had another hideout in Manchester, N.J., a couple of months ago: the home where she and Snooki were filming the second season of "Snooki and JWOWW."

Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino

Though Mike says he's from Staten Island, N.Y., his mother lives in Manalapan, N.J. But we can't be too sure where he calls home now. His Facebook page cites Freehold, N.J., as the location of his talent agency, and public records show a Michael Sorrentino with a home address in Freehold. But Mike also reportedly has a condo in Miami.

Vinny Guadagnino

Vinny has lived at home with his mom in Staten Island for quite some time, and his family home (pictured at right) is the place that he retreated to when he briefly left the Shore house in season five, complaining of anxiety attacks. It's a nice-size place with 2,548 square feet, according to Zillow. The real estate site doesn't indicate how many bedrooms and bathrooms the home has, but it's valued at more than half a million dollars. But reports have said that Vinny will be moving his family to another home on Staten Island -- the place where his new MTV talk/reality show (which is still in the works) will be filmed.

Deena Cortese

Deena lives with her parents in New Egypt, N.J. -- and that's about all we can tell you. We don't have a clue where her house is. (If we did, we'd be stalking her right now.) Sorry.

See also:
Backyard Hockey Rink at Richard Nixon's Former Home Gets Chilly Reception From Neighbors
Britney Spears Can Be Your Neighbor in Wayne Gretzky's Former Home
Leonardo DiCaprio Puts Malibu Home on Market

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
See celebrity real estate.
Find homes for rent in your area.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/12/18/jersey-shore-series-finale-cast-members-homes/

nigel barker 420 secret service fenway park coachella philadelphia flyers 4/20

Wounded, starving crowd ill-equipped Damascus hospital

GENEVA (Reuters) - Wounded and starving Syrians, many of them women and children, are crowding into Damascus's main hospital where medical supplies are increasingly short, World Health Organization (WHO) officials told a U.N. news briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

As the civil war escalates around the capital, doctors are treating up to 100 injured a day at the 400-bed Damascus Hospital and have had to use local anesthetics even for complicated operations, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said.

Cases of severe acute malnutrition in children being referred to the hospital from rural Damascus, Deir al-Zor, Hassakeh, Deraa and Homs have risen to 7-8 a month from 2-3 in previous months, he said, and staff and patients have difficulty reaching health care facilities due to deepening insecurity.

"The most frequently observed injuries are burns, gunshots and injuries from explosions. Shortages of ointments for burns and equipment and supplies for anesthesia and surgical interventions have been reported," said Jasarevic.

Sanctions were limiting availability of some health supplies in the country, where pharmaceutical production virtually halted months ago, according to the U.N. agency whose officials visited the Damascus Hospital last week.

Serious bread and fuel shortages were also worsening across the country, officials from the U.N.'s World Food Programme said at the same briefing.

"The humanitarian situation is grave and we have access difficulties. Distributions have slowed down but we continuing to deliver supplies to warehouses," WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told reporters, a day before an inter-agency funding appeal due to be launched for Syria in 2013.

"Long queues in front of bakeries are now the norm in many parts of Syria," she said.

Shortages of wheat flour have been reported in most parts of the country due to the damage to mills, most of which are in the divided northern city of Aleppo, as well as lack of fuel for delivery, road closures and difficult access, she said.

WFP rations are reaching some 1.5 million people in Syria per month, but the Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimates that 2.5 million are actually in need of food assistance, Byrs said.

However, the WFP is unable to boost assistance due to a lack of aid partners on the ground and challenges in reaching some of the hardest-hit areas, she said.

For the first time in many months, it was able to distribute rations in difficult-to-reach areas near the Turkish border including rebel-controlled Ras el Ain and Tal Abyad, she said.

Attacks on WFP-rented trucks had increased in the last few weeks with 10 acts of theft and confiscation of trucks by unknown armed groups reported since October, Byrs said.

U.N. humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos briefed the U.N. Security Council on Monday after visiting Damascus on Saturday. She told reporters that she had asked the Syrian government to urgently allow fuel to be imported for aid operations and requested that an additional 10 aid groups be allowed access.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/100-wounded-admitted-damascus-hospital-daily-095315654.html

focus on the family packers vs giants giants score 2012 golden globe nominations texans lana del rey snl enemy of the state

Scientists developing quick way to ID people exposed to ionizing radiation

Dec. 17, 2012 ? There's a reason emergency personnel train for the aftermath of a dirty bomb or an explosion at a nuclear power plant. They'll be faced with a deluge of urgent tasks, such as identifying who's been irradiated, who has an injury-induced infection, and who's suffering from both.

Unfortunately, there isn't a quick way to screen for people exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. There also isn't a quick way to distinguish between people suffering from radiation exposure versus an infection due to an injury or chemical exposure.

The most common way to measure exposure is a blood assay that tracks chromosomal changes. Another approach is to watch for the onset of physical symptoms. But these methods can take several days to provide results, which is far too late to identify people who'd benefit from immediate treatment.

A much faster way could be coming. Research conducted by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) could lead to a blood test that detects if a person has been exposed to radiation, measures their dose, and separates people suffering from inflammation injuries -- all in a matter of hours.

The Berkeley Lab team that's closing in on a faster way to identify people exposed to ionizing radiation. From left: Helen Budworth, Brandon Mannion, Andy Wyrobek, Antoine Snijders, Sandhya Bhatnagar, and Noah Schwartz.

The scientists identified eight DNA-repair genes in human blood whose expression responses change more than twofold soon after blood is exposed to radiation. They also learned how these genes respond when blood is exposed to inflammation stress, which can occur because of an injury or infection. Inflammation can mimic the effects of radiation and lead to false diagnoses.

The result is a panel of biochemical markers that can discriminate between blood samples exposed to radiation, inflammation, or both. The scientists believe these markers could be incorporated into a blood test that quickly triages people involved in radiation-related incidents.

They report their research in a paper recently published online in the journal PLOS ONE.

"In an emergency involving radiation exposure, it's likely that only a small fraction of all possibly exposed people will be exposed to high doses that require immediate medical attention," says Andy Wyrobek of Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division. "The goal is to quickly screen for these people so they can get treatment, and avoid overwhelming medical facilities with the larger number of people exposed to low levels of radiation with no immediate medical needs. Our research could lead to a blood test that enables this."

Wyrobek conducted the research with fellow Berkeley Lab scientists Helen Budworth and Antoine Snijders, as well as several other scientists from Berkeley Lab and other institutions.

Because DNA is one of the major targets of radiation, the Berkeley Lab scientists began their research by focusing on 40 genes that regulate the expression of proteins that carry out DNA-repair tasks. They studied these genes in blood samples taken from healthy people before and after exposing the samples to 2 Gray of X-rays per year, which is about the radiation dose received by radiotherapy patients. They found twelve genes that underwent more than a twofold change in response after exposure. From these, they isolated eight genes that had no overlap between unirradiated and irradiated samples.

The scientists also treated the blood samples with a compound that mimics inflammatory stress. This enabled them to account for gene-expression responses that could be mistaken for signs of radiation exposure, but which are actually caused by injury or infection. In addition, they irradiated a portion of these samples to learn how the genes respond to both inflammation and radiation.

To validate their findings, the scientists analyzed a separate dataset of blood samples that had also been irradiated. They found a close match between their own data and the independent dataset in how the eight genes respond after radiation exposure.

They also compared their findings to a large group of bone marrow transplant patients who received total-body radiation. Again, they found a close match between their data and the gene-expression responses of the patients after they received treatment.

More work is needed, but Wyrobek envisions a blood test using their biochemical markers could be administered via a handheld device similar to what diabetes patients use to check their blood sugar. The test could help emergency personnel quickly identify people exposed to high radiation doses who need immediate care, and people exposed to lower doses who only need long-term monitoring.

The research was funded largely by the Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

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 DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Helen Budworth, Antoine M. Snijders, Francesco Marchetti, Brandon Mannion, Sandhya Bhatnagar, Ely Kwoh, Yuande Tan, Shan X. Wang, William F. Blakely, Matthew Coleman, Leif Peterson, Andrew J. Wyrobek. DNA Repair and Cell Cycle Biomarkers of Radiation Exposure and Inflammation Stress in Human Blood. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e48619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048619

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/LRV_c2rN6CQ/121217152707.htm

Aliya Mustafina Kirk Urso London 2012 Javelin roger federer Olga Korbut Usain Bolt 2012 Olympics Katie Ledecky

20 Well-Designed Brand Blog Examples ? Ignite Social Media ? The ...

If you sell a product or service on the Internet, luring potential customers is essential. It?s a challenging task given the sheer amount of stuff people are selling on the web. However, you can do yourself a huge favor by incorporating a blog into your brand?s?ecommerce?site. A blog helps in two major ways:?1) it allows you to show off your product in a fun and creative way and?2) it does so with SEO benefits.

For example, when people are searching for recipes or fashion tips or a host of semi-related topics online, a blog post featuring your product may show up in the search results, thus allowing you to capture top of the funnel keyword traffic that you otherwise might not receive. So, which?ecommerce?sites are doing it right? Unfortunately, not that many, but I did find a few hidden gems.?I tried my best to include a variety of fashion, food, and fun. Here?s a list, in alphabetical order, of 20 brands with well-designed blogs:

Blik

I begin my list with Blik, the world?s first removable wall graphic company. Blik?s blog (say that ten times fast) features a clean design, interesting stories, and great photography. Their posts almost exclusively feature their products and how their customers use them. It?s a great way of showing how good their products look in the real world without coming across as a blatant marketing play. After scrolling through the blog for just a few minutes, I became convinced my walls need some new decorations.

Bohemia Life

Browsing through Bohemia Life is like taking a trip through Zooey Deschanel?s brain. Cute, quirky, and whimsical, the Scottish online boutique does a great job of mixing fashion and culture with entertaining pictures and prose. Posts include articles about new products, fun contests, and the cultures that inspire the brand?s designs. They also do an excellent job of linking to the product pages just in case you?re inspired to make a purchase.

Bored of Southsea

Who says skater punks can?t blog? Actually, come to think of it, I can?t remember anyone ever saying that. But if they did, they would be wrong. Bored of Southsea is a British skateboard and apparel company. Their blog?s layout is simple and clean, prominently displaying the four most recent posts. As a copywriter, I will say the writing isn?t the best, but they totally make up for it with great action and product shots and awesome skating and music videos.

Brooks Brothers

When you think of Brooks Brothers, your mind might start to fill with images of yacht clubs and pastel-colored chinos. You may think of them as a little old-fashioned?a little stuffy perhaps. Well, though this clothing company is almost 200 years old, they?re quite contemporary when it comes to their online presence. And when it comes to the clothier?s blog,?Of Rogues and Gentlemen, the tagline?says it all: ?style advice, tips, and essentials for the modern man.?

Posts are meaty, helpful, and well-formatted ??a factor often overlooked when it comes to blogging. Think of it as your own personal English butler dispensing gentlemanly advice, all while helping you look fantastic (like Ask Jeeves but actually useful).

Di Bruno Bros.

What would this list be without at least one food blog? Incomplete, that?s what. Started by two Italian immigrants in 1939,?Di Bruno Bros. gourmet food store has become as much a symbol of Philadephia as Rocky and the Liberty Bell. The company?s blog has fantastic content and the passion for food really shines through with topics such as great goat cheeses, amazing recipes, and interviews with the cheesemongers.

WARNING: If you?re going to visit the website, cover your keyboard to avoid drooling on it.

Eartheasy

Eartheasy offers information and products for sustainable living. As far as content goes, Eartheasy is by far one of the most impressive blogs I?ve?encountered. Articles are informative, well-researched, and very comprehensive. My one minor criticism would be the long list of blog posts on the homepage. Showing fewer posts with larger pictures and more teaser text would create a much more visually pleasing layout.

Etsy

Celebrating independent businesses and artists, Etsy has built an incredible reputation by showcasing beautiful, handmade goods at reasonable prices. Part food, part lifestyle, part how-to, the company?s blog is just as much a mishmash of the cute and quirky products sold on the site. I have to say, I am extremely impressed by The Etsy Blog. The layout is clean, posts are consistent, and the content is varied and compelling. It has a very modern feel that contrasts well with the homemade products featured within it. They also get fantastic engagement, with blog posts receiving a plethora of comments.

Far Fetch

Far Fetch definitely has one of the most unique layouts of the blogs featured in this list. Modern and wonderfully weird is the best way I can think to describe it; and it perfectly matches the contemporary, hipster-ish fashion sold on the site. Posts are well-written and have a good dose of humor. Scrolling through the photos on the homepage, the scattered layout (frustrating for some, I imagine) is a fun user experience.

It almost feels like you?re discovering something secret when an interesting headline or picture catches your eye. Unfortunately, it?s spoiled a bit by a lazily placed Facebook widget.?Fortunately, that?s an easy fix for any web designer worth his or her salt. The blog would be much better served with a Like button placed higher on the page and out of the way of posts.

Forever 21

With shades of Tumblr and Pinterest, the Forever 21 blog is a fantastic example of a heavily visual blog done right. Clicking on any of the pictures opens up a related blog post. Each post has a great visual and short, fun text accompanying it. The blog posts are a feast for the eyes and easily digestible, much like a fashion magazine. Sharing is elegantly incorporated into the blog with grayed-out Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter logos that appear when you hover over a post. All-in-all, the blog is much like the brand itself: nice to look at and easily accessible.

Fred Perry

In the late 1940s, an Australian rugby player approached British tennis player Fred Perry to create an antiperspirant device known as the ?sweatband? for athletes. The brand known for its distinctive laurel wreath has come a long way since then, and a visit to the blog is evidence of a sleek, modern fashion company. Blog posts will treat you to photos of new store openings, product debuts, the inspiration behind the Fred Perry catalog, and more.

Johnny Cupcakes

A clothing brand very near and dear to my heart, Johnny Cupcakes was started in the early 2000s by a college dropout selling shirts out of the trunk of his car. It has since become an international, multi-million dollar business, and its blog is about as good as it gets. It features superb photography, entertaining videos, and a great mix of updates about products and events. Continuous recognition of the brand?s loyal fan base rounds out the content mix.

Kate Spade New York

If you visit?Behind the Curtain, the blog from Kate Spade New York,?the design will most assuredly be different than the one I have below. The background changes more frequently than the latest fashion trends, giving their site a fresh, contemporary feel. The content is also updated at an incredible pace, with posts often going up several times each day. Normally, I would say that?s too much, but these blog posts are fun and easy to read.

Kipling?Brazil

Kipling, the maker of backpacks, totes, luggage, and other stylish carrying?accessories, has a great blog on their Brazilian ecommerce site. Reminiscent of a fashion magazine, it?s bright and colorful and features pictures of outfits paired with their products, along with the?occasional?recipe and lifestyle post. I can?t read?Portuguese?so I can?t say whether or not it?s well written, but I?m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Now, you might be wondering why I didn?t use the Kipling USA blog. Well, that?s because the Kipling USA site doesn?t have one (for shame). This marks a rare instance in which an American could emulate a Brazilian by adding more.

Loyal KNG

An indie t-shirt brand based out of Texas, the?Loyal KNG blog is an excellent example of making a blog an extension of your brand.?A fusion of skater punk and pop-culture parody, the Loyal KNG crew has done a fantastic job of linking their blog with the attitude and style of their clothing line. The blog features posts about video games, cartoons, hip-hop, skating, fashion, and more. Combine that with pictures of their products and the events they attend, and you?ve got just the right mix of fun and marketing.

NAU

NAU is an urban and outdoor clothing company based out of Portland, Oregon that focuses on style and sustainability. Its blog, The Thought Kitchen, is a fantastic mix of travel, culture, music, photography, and fashion ??all while showing the versatility?of their apparel.?While the content has a very nature-oriented, folksy feel to it, the blog design has a modern, minimalist, European vibe.?Think: Portlandia episode filmed in an IKEA. While not as quickly digestible as some of the other blogs on the list, it definitely rewards those willing to take a deep dive.

Peter Nappi

With stunning photography and a great vintage tone, Peter Nappi brings the same handmade feel of its products to its website. You can almost smell the leather while perusing this blog. Posts do an excellent job of giving the reader a glimpse into the life of an artisan. During the fall and winter, they?ve been posting a very interesting ?Our Family? series about all of the people that work at the company. It really shows the pride they have in their company and the appreciation for the effort put into quality, handmade goods.

Scotch & Soda

Much like the beverage, this Amsterdam-based fashion brand has a blog that is smooth and refined. When you visit The Latest From Scotch & Soda, you?ll find that?what you see is what you get, quite literally. At first glance, the blog homepage appears to have previews of all of the posts, but they are actually the posts in their entirety. Blog posts do have their own web pages, and as such, typing in the correct key words will bring the posts up in search results.

However, I can?t for the life of me figure out how you get to individual posts from the blog homepage. Although, it?s really not necessary because, as I said before, the entire blog post is right there. I imagine this type of site functionality might skew their bounce rate, but considering all of the posts are very short and the sites?s online shopping is so easily?accessible, it might not be something they care about.

That said, the Scotch & Soda blog is quite good. It offers sneak peeks at upcoming lines, interesting features on events and life in Amsterdam, and these fantastic ?shoppable? videos that allow you to pause at certain points and get a break down of what the models are wearing (and links to buy them, of course).

Threadless

If you?re a?connoisseur?of funny or stylish graphic tees, then you?re probably familiar with Threadless. Unfortunately, their blog is difficult to locate on the homepage, reserved to hyperlinks in a?drop-down?menu at the top of the site and in small text at the bottom. However, once you do get there, it?s quite entertaining. The great product shots with attractive, fresh-faced models make these affordable t-shirts look chic (like something Ryan Gosling might wear on a casual Friday). Graphic designers looking for some extra cash would be wise to frequent this blog. Threadless regularly hosts themed contests and handsomely rewards the winning t-shirt designs.

Visual Supply Co

Visual Supply Co, or VSCO, specializes in post-processing for pictures and video. They offer a variety of software to help you quickly edit and bring the most out of your films and photos, not to mention a pretty snazzy iPhone app. All due respect to the others, this blog is my favorite of the bunch. The design is so clean, and the content is so rich. And best of all, every blog post is an organic advertisement for how good their products make pictures look.?Although?many of the sites in this list do a fantastic job of blending their product into their blog, none do it as seamlessly as this one.

winestore

Star Wars fans may notice the logo of this online store bears a resemblance to a certain rebel force?s insignia. Fear not, wine?aficionados. This is not a trap. The aptly named?wineblog is a haven for any connoisseur of fermented fruit juice. Content features excellent advice, information about tastings, and some great deals on vino. It?s a treat for the literary?palate as well. Posts are well-written and quite?humorous.

So, there you have it! A sampling of ecommerce sites with great blogs. Which ones do you like? Share in the comments below.

?

Source: http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/blogging/online-ecommerce-brand-blog-examples/

ncaa tournament marchmadness mike d antoni nba trade rumors 2012 ncaa tournament schedule laurent robinson dantoni

Sandy Hook: Motive still a mystery as community holds first funerals

Police in Newtown, Conn., say they have 'solid evidence' that may help explain why Adam Lanza went on a rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School, but a 'clear picture' likely is 'months' away.

By Patrik Jonsson,?Staff Writer / December 17, 2012

The faces of some of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting are displayed on roses at a makeshift memorial in Newtown, Connecticut, Dec.17.

Joshua Lott/Reuters

Enlarge

Police in Newtown, Conn., have "solid evidence" that may help to explain why a socially withdrawn 20-year-old named Adam Lanza brutally murdered 20 children and six women at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday. Yet it?s likely to take "months" for a "crystal clear picture" to emerge, Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance told reporters Monday.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

"I know that the people of Newtown want to know what happened, but our intent is to paint a crystal clear picture and that's not something that can be done in 60 minutes," said Vance.

The question of motive is a major barrier, locals say, for a stunned, grieving community that was struggling Monday to understand Lanza's act as it began to bury its slain children.

The central unanswered question ? why? ? took on national import, as well, with polls showing that Americans, for the first time following a mass shooting at a school, saw the Sandy Hook massacre not as an isolated incident, but as evidence of something dark, troubling, and wrong in US society.

"As parents, we come to realize that we bear responsibility for every child, because we're counting on everyone else to help look after ours," President Obama told an interfaith vigil at Newtown High School late Sunday evening, sounding a similar theme. "By that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we're meeting our obligations? ? If we're honest, the answer is, ?no.? "

At the same time, the lack of police data about Lanza's state of mind has only fueled speculation about Lanza's life ? with his wealthy, survivalist mother; a mental disability, Asperger?syndrome, that makes social cues hard to read; and a secluded life of video games and range shooting ? and whether these factors, in total, played some kind of role in pushing the troubled young man to a ragged edge.

Counselors tried to explain more generically that the massacre was, as one said, "an angry, desperate act of a confused young man." Yet criminologists say that another reason why motive is important to understand is that major US school shootings usually take place in places very much like Newtown: upper class, tight-knit, and where young people may have a single shot at acceptance or social failure at school. That means the root cause of the massacre may involve others, as well, or the attitude of an entire community toward someone who did not fit in.

"We may never know exactly what motivated this killer, but I have to say he doesn't look that different from other school shooters except the fact that he was trained in use of firearms by his mother, he targeted young children, and also that he didn't target current classmates," says Northeastern University criminologist Jack Levin, who has written about the history of mass killing in the United States.

"Just like other school shooters, he was an outsider in a tight knit community where he was seen as a geek, a nerd, and he also externalized the responsibility for his misery,? says Mr. Levin, co-author of last year's "The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder."

?He was on a suicidal rampage, but he wanted to get even with society at large. It wasn't any particular individual, it was all of humanity. Thirdly, like other school shooters, it's not clear that he had any place to turn to when he got into trouble."

Vance, the state police lieutenant, told reporters Monday that a large team of forensic specialists from federal and state law enforcement bureaus were working around the clock to collate clues from hundreds of interviews and tease out information from computers seized at the family's Sandy Hook home, where Lanza shot his mother before embarking on the massacre.

Lanza's motive is "a big outstanding question, but we don't want to put anything out now that's going to mislead people from the truth," the state trooper said.

Trying to explain what seems inexplicable will be difficult to do, even if Lanza's profile bears similarities to that of other infamous child-killers.

His motive "is an abstraction, and there's symbolism in it" that police are now struggling to understand, says Levin.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/G5Vj-vsJDhg/Sandy-Hook-Motive-still-a-mystery-as-community-holds-first-funerals

i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards powerball results pebble beach golf beverly hilton roland martin whitney houston dead at 48