Sprinklr: Sprinklr Feature Update, Facebook Fixes Problem with Missing Share Button: http://t.co/VuRtLIDN

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Source: http://twitter.com/Sprinklr/statuses/229633392768061440

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Hardwood flooring installation Danville condo progression mass

by Gregory J Garver
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While the economy has slowed since the financial down turn and triggered constructing to return to an entire halt and even put many construction companies out of business Lafayette has seen important increases in residential building. This has been largely due to excessive tech jobs which have pulled talent from all over the world of that many employees have gone to the outer edge of Pleasant hills. This inflow of excessive paying opportunities has elevated custom constructing and apartment building as well. In some circumstances many business owners are even offering careers with a place to stay and a 10,000 moving expense blank expense account for moving cost. This sort of inflow of high paying jobs has increased the general construction in the San Ramon area from construction jobs to home decor. These houses and flats are absolutely up to date with wood floors. Corporations in the San Ramon space which has induced a trickle effect helping the over all economy for the general area. I had a chance to look at a few of the properties that were being restored and whereas I was there they were laying new wood floors. The corporate Fine Floorz from the city of Walnut Creek was placing the brand new floors in the living room and bamboo flooring within the lavatory and cooking area areas. The person installing stated that they'd been very busy the last few months and went on to elucidate the various kinds of terrazzo they were installing. Flooring is available in many alternative materials and styles, and each sort of Flooring companies Walnut Creek has a look that can change a house and give it its personal specific and original style. It is important to find flooring materials that is similar to the age and style of your home or condo. Tiles are a sort of onerous flooring and are available in a wide range of natural and man-made materials. Ceramic tiles, glass tiles, slate and marble are simply a few of the selections accessible and each include their very own professionals and cons. The primary advantage of tiles is that they're extremely hard and if well maintained will last a really lengthy time. As they are waterproof they are effectively suited to areas akin to bathrooms and utility rooms straightforward to wash and are additionally perfect for kitchens. However, tiles can be chilly underfoot and could be slippery when moist so are usually not suited for older folks or kids. If they've an complex pattern they can be tough to fit as well as being expensive and semi-permanent. They're also noisy and require different softer surfaces to scale back the amount of sound in a area. Flooring companies Danville additionally seen as hard hardwood flooring but being a bit softer than tiles they are also hotter underfoot. With the huge range of natural tones obtainable they may also help and make a warm and happy feeling and although they are often noisy, if sprung it may well help to scale back clamor and add bounce to the floorboards. The downside of wood floors is that they're normally manufactured from softer wood and subsequently can dimple easily especially by the heels of boots and shoes. Wood floors are subsequently finest suited for rooms that don't obtain heavy usage comparable to dining areas. The dark wood floors the hardwood contractor was laying was very attractive so We decided to really give the specialist a call or email to have them make available the flooring craftmanship for my wife seeing as they seemed so stunning. About, a small number of days shortly We made the jump and had the wood floor installers at our house. My wood flooring came out wonderful! I had a remarkable encounter with Wood floor installation Pleasant hills and would propose them to everybody looking a wood floor company in Pleasant Hills.

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Arms treaty must wait after UN agreement fails

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? A U.N. treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade will have to wait after member states failed to an reach agreement, and some diplomats and supporters blamed the United States for the unraveling of the monthlong negotiating conference.

Hopes had been raised that agreement could be reached on a revised treaty text that closed some major loopholes by Friday's deadline for action. But the U.S. announced Friday morning that it needed more time to consider the proposed treaty ? and Russia and China then also asked for more time.

"This was stunning cowardice by the Obama administration, which at the last minute did an about-face and scuttled progress toward a global arms treaty, just as it reached the finish line," said Suzanne Nossel, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "It's a staggering abdication of leadership by the world's largest exporter of conventional weapons to pull the plug on the talks just as they were nearing an historic breakthrough."

A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, also blamed the U.S., saying "they derailed the process," adding that nothing will happen to revive negotiations until after the U.S. presidential election in November.

Chief U.S. negotiator Thomas Countryman refused to talk to several dozen reporters when the meeting broke up.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement Friday evening that the U.S. supports a second round of negotiations next year.

"While we sought to conclude the month's negotiations with a treaty, more time is a reasonable request for such a complex and critical issue," the satement said.

The draft treaty would require all countries to establish national regulations to control the transfer of conventional arms and to regulate arms brokers. It would prohibit states that ratify the treaty from transferring conventional weapons if they would violate arms embargoes or if they would promote acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

In considering whether to authorize the export of arms, the draft says a country must evaluate whether the weapon would be used to violate international human rights or humanitarian laws or be used by terrorists, organized crime or for corrupt practices.

Many countries, including the U.S., control arms exports but there has never been an international treaty regulating the estimated $60 billion global arms trade. For more than a decade, activists and some governments have been pushing for international rules to try to keep illicit weapons out of the hands of terrorists, insurgent fighters and organized crime.

The U.N. General Assembly voted in December 2006 to work toward a treaty regulating the growing arms trade, with the U.S. casting a "no" vote. In October 2009, the Obama administration reversed the Bush administration's position and supported an assembly resolution to hold four preparatory meetings and a four-week U.N. conference in 2012 to draft an arms trade treaty.

The United States insisted that a treaty had to be approved by the consensus of all 193 U.N. member states.

Ambassador Roberto Garcia Moritan, the conference chairman, said treaty supporters knew "this was going to be difficult to achieve."

He said negotiations failed because some delegations didn't like the draft though "the overwhelming majority in the room did." He added that some countries from the beginning of negotiations had "different views" on a treaty, including Syria, Iran and North Korea.

Amnesty's Nossel accused the U.S. of raising eleventh-hour issues "and wanting more time to consult with itself," which stopped the momentum toward agreement.

Despite the failure to reach agreement, Moritan predicted that "we certainly are going to have a treaty in 2012."

He said there are several options for moving forward in the General Assembly which will be considered over the summer, before the world body's new session begins in September.

Ambassador Jean-Hugues Simon-Michel, who led the French delegation, called Friday's result "the worst-case scenario."

"I'm disappointed but not discouraged," he said. "The ball is now in the court of the General Assembly but the risk is that countries may want to start negotiations from scratch."

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the General Assembly needs to decide whether to move forward with the treaty text that was close to adoption or reopen old issues.

"What we have now is an uncertain outcome that leaves in doubt the support of the major arms exporters and importers, including the U.S. and Russia, and that needs to be overcome," he said. "This is a delicate moment and it's going to require real leadership on the part of key states including the European countries, Washington and others."

The powerful National Rifle Association in the U.S. has portrayed the treaty as a surrender of gun ownership rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. The politically controversial issue has re-emerged since last week's shooting at a Colorado cinema that killed 12 people.

But the draft treaty reaffirms "the sovereign right and responsibility of any state to regulate and control transfers of conventional arms that take place exclusively within its territory, pursuant to its own legal or constitutional systems." And it states clearly that the treaty's aim is to establish the highest standards "for regulating, or improving the regulation of the international trade in conventional arms" ? not domestic trade.

On Thursday, a bipartisan group of 51 senators threatened to oppose the treaty if it falls short in protecting Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. In a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the senators expressed serious concerns with the draft treaty that has circulated at the United Nations, saying that it signals an expansion of gun control that would be unacceptable.

During negotiations, the United States objected to any requirement to report on exports of ammunition, and that remains out of the latest draft. It does call for every country to regulate the export of ammunition.

Britain has taken the lead in pushing for a treaty.

Ahead of Friday's meeting, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg discussed treaty prospects with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in London and both urged the treaty's adoption.

"Global rules govern the sale of everything from bananas to endangered species to weapons of mass destruction, but not guns or grenades," Clegg said. "This anomaly causes untold suffering in conflicts around the world. 1,000 people are killed daily by small arms wielded by terrorists, insurgents and criminal gangs."

The secretary-general said he was disappointed at the failure to agree on a treaty, calling it "a setback." But Ban said he was encouraged that states have agreed to continue pursuing a treaty and pledged his "robust" support.

At the end of the negotiating session, Mexico read a joint statement from more than 90 countries saying they "are determined to secure an Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-28-UN-Arms%20Trade%20Treaty/id-c71f3a00ec5d48058fb3f3badfd1aa72

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Searching for wrecked trucks for sale | Automotive Orto

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Source: http://www.ortopedija.org/searching-for-wrecked-trucks-for-sale/

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Answers Archive ? The Advantages Of Choosing An SEO Business ...

Spider Infomedia?s SEO chennai consists of two main areas: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. On-page SEO involves effective keyword selection. Before you commence with any SEO campaign, it?s important to thoroughly research your keywords so that when your website is ranked on the search engines it achieves relevant results. Off-page SEO largely involves a process which is known as link building. This is an area that need to be treated carefully as it will provide excellent results for your website.

Businesses are thinking of new ways how to grow their business in such a way that they are able to cut their marketing costs, and one way to do this is to lower the advertising costs. However, advertising can be every expensive especially if you target the visual advertising through the television. Neither print ads can be the answer since only a few reads magazines and newspapers nowadays. With the onset of the internet, more and more businesses are recognizing the power of internet presence and doing the business online. However, this can only be effective if you have the right resources to manage your business. SEO Provider, a partner for your business, answers your need.

Do any of the above definitions and benefits of Search engine optimization connect with you and your marketing objectives? Get it right and you?ll benefit from a regular supply of traffic at the fraction of the cost of any other medium. Get it wrong and you are tied into an expensive white elephant that drains money from other profitable marketing activities. Most importantly if you choose to use try it, do your homework and pick affordable Search engine optimization services from an established Seo consultant or expert.

. Search engine optimization is the process of selecting targeted keyword phrases related to a website and taking measures to ensure the website ranks high when those keywords are queried on a search engine.

The new Search Plus Your World (SYPW) search rankings by Google is an example of how search engines and social networking platforms keep introducing innovations with the intention of serving users better and providing a plan to dominate the search engine or social networking scene. Businesses may find it difficult to keep tabs on all this and implement the right website optimization strategies. This is why professional seo san diego services are necessary to increase your bottom line.

First, major search engines like Google, Yahoo etc. have two types of audiences- browsers looking for information and the advertisers who want to promote their business. Therefore, their main concern is to provide quality and relevant search results that will the browsers are looking for. Consequently, it is crucial to develop great content including sough-after keyword and key phrases.

One of the first areas to focus on is the technical set up of the website (don?t be afraid!). It?s inevitable you?ll need to know about this, so let?s get your head around the terminology.

The professional SEO company also offers affordable SEO services that are customized to suit the unique needs of client businesses. This means you get solutions that are flexible, cost-effective and in line with your requirements.

Only the Search Engine could provide promises and guarantees of the rankings that your site will attain. No SEO service can guarantee results. If people make outlandish claims, they?re either full of it or they?re planning to use unethical SEO techniques to get your results. If they do this, they may get you banned from the Search Engines. Equally, Money-Back Guarantees are a sign that you should avoid the SEO service. Avoid.

Then another type is dedicated SEO consultancy. You can not consider cost consideration if you need the quality in promotion tasks. In this type you can avail the services of seo consultants at any time, you can discuss your problems, queries and get a smooth flow of advice. Some consultants charge on hourly basis and some charge partially before the beginning of project and rest on the completion. However the payment terms may vary on the project basis. You can avail all types of services such as defining of keywords, writing of content on keyword basis, defining navigation structure, on page and off page optimization techniques and other internet marketing activities.

This will ensure that only targeted visitors stumble across your website. However link building on your network should be managed.
seo san diego

Source: http://barrackslawyers.com/?p=71339

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Olympics ad by pro-Obama super PAC removed over copyright issues

Screenshot from Priorities USA Action ad

Both Republicans and Democrats will be forced to use caution when using footage from Olympic Games?past and present?in political?commercials.

An ad paid for by Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting President Barack Obama, was pulled from YouTube after the International Olympics Committee said it violated copyright law.

The Priorities USA ad featured footage of Mitt Romney at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and is edited so it appears he is personally welcoming teams from China, India and Burma. The edit is intended to highlight work Romney outsourced to those countries. (Romney was the CEO of the Winter Olympics Organizing Committee from 1999-2002.)

But because it employed copyrighted images of the 2002 Opening Ceremonies, Priorities USA won't be able to air the ad and has removed it from its YouTube page and website. In an email to Yahoo News, a spokeswoman from the International Olympics Committee outlined the guidelines for use of Olympic footage and symbols.

"The IOC does not allow footage of the Olympic Games or an association with the Olympic rings to be used for political purposes, in line with the Olympic Charter," IOC spokeswoman Sandrine Tonge said.

Priorities USA President Bill Burton said the super PAC was "glad" to remove the ad after speaking to the Olympic Committee.

"Once we were assured that Mitt Romney and his allies would be held to the same standard, we were glad to take the ad down from our website," Burton said. "Go Team USA!"

While the Democratic group is the first to be forced to remove an Olympics-themed ad, the precedent could prove to be more of a hindrance to Republicans who see Romney's Olympic record as one of his best selling points. Romney is credited with leading the 2002 Games to success during his tenure on the Organizing Committee.

When the pro-Romney Restore Our Future announced its Olympic ad buy earlier this month, the group pointed to Romney's leadership in the 2002 Games. It is not yet clear what kind of ads Restore Our Future will air during the Games, but it will presumably not contain footage copyrighted from the 2002 Games.

"We haven't released our ad, and we're not characterizing it at all at this time," Brittany Gross, a spokeswoman for Restore Our Future, told Yahoo News. "We're not commenting on that right now."

Groups on both sides have invested millions in ads to run during the Games. Obama's campaign will spend as much as $6.5 million on airtime and Restore Our Future, a pro-Romney super PAC, will spend $7.2 million on ads during the same period.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/olympic-ad-pro-obama-super-pac-removed-over-164329325.html

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The Chick-fil-A PR Crisis | Spin Sucks

I?ve been in Canada all week, in meetings with clients, sitting in new business meetings with our Thornley Fallis colleagues, and speaking at Third Tuesday (and at SocialMix today). So I haven?t been able to keep up on the news as much as I typically do.

So when the Chick-fil-A fiasco hit my inbox earlier this week, I made a mental note to make sure I got back to it when I got home.

But then I learned they were creating fake Facebook accounts to tell their story and I knew it couldn?t wait.

The Background

For those of you who haven?t yet heard what?s going on, the story goes like this.

On July 18, Chick-fil-A president and COO, Dan Cathy told the?Baptist Press?the company opposes same-sex marriage. His direct quote:

We are very much supportive of the family ? the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.

Of course that?s bad ?enough in our day where parts of our population are not supported in certain areas (including Sally Ride and her partner, Tam O?Shaughnessy, who spent 27 years together).

Boston?s Mayor issued a statement saying Chick-fil-A is not welcome in the city. And our own Chicago?s Mayor echoed his sentiments.

And Then

Jim Henson?s company decided to sever its business relationship with the fast food company. The company released a statement saying it supports diversity and inclusiveness. It also said the company is using the payment it received from Chick-fil-A, for Henson toys in kid?s meals, to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

That didn?t sit very well with Chick-fil-A, which issued a statement saying the toys had been taken out of stores because of safety issues, not because Henson?s company publicly severed the relationship.

But that?s not all!

The statement wasn?t enough. They then took to Facebook to defend the decision by creating fake Facebook accounts.

Yes, you heard me right. They created fake Facebook accounts, particularly of one Ms. Abby Farle, who was on the company?s page defending their decision.

Because the comments seemed odd and by someone people on the page hadn?t seen before (and because you can clearly see she?s lying, based on the image you see above), they flagged the comments (talk about self-policing!).

What they found is the account had been created only eight hours earlier?and Abby?s avatar is a stock photo of a pretty young redhead.

The PR Lesson

It?s one thing to take a stance on your beliefs. Chick-fil-A has long been closed on Sundays, not changing their policy even after malls began opening on the Sabbath. And, yes, we live in a free country so it?s their?prerogative?to support ? or not ? all Americans.

But creating fake Facebook accounts and lying about why toys have been pulled from their meals?

There is no room for it. Maybe they could have gotten away with it before social media and the age of transparency. Perhaps there would have been a small media war between the two companies ? a he said/she said story.

But the people wouldn?t have been able to quickly discover we were being duped.

Social media provides an amazing opportunity to connect and engage with your customers ? the happy?and?unhappy ones. But when you alienate people, lie, and create fake accounts to defend your position, you?re going to be found out.

Behaving this way doesn?t seem very Christian to me.

Update: Chick-fil-A released a statement saying they did not create the two Facebook accounts (one was deleted and the other was outed, as you see above).

Source: http://spinsucks.com/communication/the-chick-fil-a-pr-crisis/

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Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: Statistics from Around ...

We thought it would be helpful as a world wide community to look at some Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma statistics around different parts of the world. This information was difficult to find an not available in many countries.

Canada*

About 4,800 people in Canada are expected to develop leukemia in 2010

In 2010 about 8,430 Canadians will be diagnosed with lymphoma.
Most will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma- an expected 7,500 people.

About 2,300 people in Canada are expected to be diagnosed with myeloma in 2010. Myeloma is most common in people aged 50 and older.

Austraila**

For women, the number of new cases of cancers of lymphoid and haematopoietic tissue is
projected to increase by 37% from 3,316 in 2001 to 4,536 in 2011.

For men, the number of new cases is projected to increase by
35% from 4,297 in 2001 to 5,811 in 2011.

United Kingdom***

Around 7,000 people were diagnosed with leukaemia in the UK in 2007, that?s around 20 people every day.

Around 420 new cases of leukaemia were diagnosed in children under 15 in 2007 in the UK.

About 10,920 people were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the UK in 2007.

For all other countries in all parts of the world, here is an interesting?chart?with Leukemia Statistics.

We encourage you to do additional research on your own about these cancers in your own countries. We appreciate the worldwide attention this site has received and hope that you will spread the work about these blood cancers.

* Canada reference?source
** Australia reference?source
***UK reference source for?Leukemia?and for?Lymphoma

Source: http://fandom4lls.blogspot.com/2012/07/statistics-from-around-world.html

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Shotgun kills flies with a pinch of salt

6 hrs.

John Roach

Killing flies may soon get geeky thanks to a specially?designed shotgun that dispatches them with a pinch of salt.

The Bug-A-Salt gun is lethal to the flies within two to three feet, allowing you to take a shot without getting so close you scare them away.

Bugs remain whole so they are easy to clean up, according to Lorenzo Maggiore, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based artist who designed the gadget and is?raising funds to sell it via crowdfunding site indiegogo.

The loader cap holds about 50 shots worth of table salt. And since it fires salt, it?s non-toxic. The gun isn?t a toy, Maggiore cautions, and should be treated with respect.?

While it won?t penetrate skin or furniture, it could cause damage to the eyes, he notes.?

So far, he has raised more than $100,000 on indiegogo, well ahead of his $15,000 goal. You can pre-order yours today for $30.

To learn more, watch the promo video below.

--Via Gizmag

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/technology/futureoftech/shotgun-kills-flies-pinch-salt-910437

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Internet Marketing Basics: Batman's Dark Knight Guide to Online Sales

Who do you like better: Batman or Superman?

Entrepreneurs and solo marketers are like Batman.

I?m partial to Batman. Don?t get me wrong, as a kid I loved Superman the best: super strength, flying, invincibility, x-ray vision, heat-ray vision, he was the ultimate superhero. As I grew up, however, I learned to appreciate the depth and finesse of Batman. Here was a normal guy, trained to the height of human perfection in his athletic and combat abilities, a master detective and brilliant combat strategist who fought a host of super-psychopaths with often only his wits to save him.

So what does this have to do with marketing basics and selling stuff online?

There are mainly two types of marketers selling online: those working for large organizations with all sorts of powers at their disposal, and entrepreneur style marketers who have less in terms of ?powers? but more flexibility and creativity than the big guys. I like to think of the corporate marketers like Superman and entrepreneur marketers like Batman. This post will take a look at how these Dark Knights operate and provide some basic moves to help you kick ass in your own entrepreneurial marketing.

Batman Has a Mission: Who Are Your Sales Targets and What?s Your Focus?

Bruce Wayne?s mission starts with his parents? murder.

For those who do not know the story of Batman, he is really Bruce Wayne, a Gothom City billionaire whose parents were murdered in front of him by a mugger when he was only 12-years old. That traumatic event drove him to become the worlds greatest weapon against crime, putting himself through rigorous training for 15-years before hitting the streets. He donned the costume of a bat and employed unusual weapons to become something bigger than life, instilling complete fear in his targets.

Marketers must view their job as a mission, much like Batman. You have something of value to sell, so you need to find the right buyers and make the sale happen by presenting your product in a way that captivates them. Use all the tools at your disposal:

• Research your targets and know everything about them
• Plan your activities to get the targets
• Create captivating headlines that grab them and don?t let go
• Use masterful copywriting where every move has intention to get to the goal
• Deliver an unforgettable user and customer experience that keeps them talking about you long after you disappear into the night

Besides just knowing who you are going after, you need to know their modus operandi: what will be effective in the fight? Are there certain style choices that increase your chances of making the sale happen? Daren Rowse from Pro Blogger offered a list of tips to increasing indirect sales, which included: using bigger font, creating squeeze pages to capture leads, ask for what you want up front, applying the less is more concept, and introducing yourself to the customer and many others. Batman doesn?t just know his targets ? he knows how to get them.

Batman Has a Batcave: Setting Up a Landing Page as a Base of Operations

Landing pages are the base of operations for any online sales.

Batman couldn?t operate without a base of operations. He does all his planning, training and analysis from the comforts of his Batcave. For the marketer selling online, your Batcave is the landing page or opt-in form where you are going to capture leads and sell the product.

The main difference between a landing page and an opt-in form is size. Landing pages contain more information to convince people to join the list and buy your product. The opt-in form usually has a few lines of text and a sign up form. You will typically use an opt-in form earlier in the product launch process to capture leads for later follow up. A landing page can also be used to generate leads or for direct sales.

A typical landing page will include the following components:

• Captivating image to create immediate interest, trust and identification
• Smashing headline to bring them into the page
• Importance to the user up front with a strong introduction (?I?m Batman?)
• Undisguised call to action clearly stating what you want the user to do next
• Trustworthy testimonials that show the hero in you

The text of the landing page can be long or short depending on your audience. On a site like Copyblogger, who sells premium products and courses to marketing professionals, their landing pages are long, content packed sales pieces. If you look at a video game sales site like Play-Asia, they have very short copy with pictures and video to make a quick sale. Whether long or short you need a base of operation for your sales.

Batman Has Gadgets: Tools for Selling Your Product Online

What ?wonderful toys? are you using to sell online?

?Where does he get those wonderful toys?? ? Joker, Batman movie (1989)

Batman is known for the tools of his trade that he carries in his utility belt. From batarangs to grapple guns and anything else he might need for a tight situation, Batman comes prepared to get the job done.

To sell online you will need a way to fulfill orders, deliver the products and accept payments online. This section will focus on setting up a platform to deliver digital goods like eBooks, mP3 audio recordings, videos and other content. Selling ?real world? products has a different set of delivery mechanisms, considerations for fulfillment and nuances in marketing, and if you are interested in doing so then look into Google Checkout or Amazon.

For digital goods, e-junkie reigns as one of the best deals out there for both delivering your products and running affiliate programs (more on that below). There are plenty of sites you can use to sell online such as Clickbank, FatFreeCart and Bigmerce. You can also look into using WordPress plugins like Cashie Commerce if you are selling from a blog or website, or get creative selling your products in mini-format on a site like Fiverr. The reigning champ for online sales in my opinion though is eJunkie.

E-junkie is an online shopping cart that allows you to upload your digital goods to their eJunkie server, generates a secure link that prevents people from stealing and sharing your digital goods (you can even set this to expire after a certain amount of time), and tracks your sales. It does not process payments so you will need to set up a payment processor like PayPal to handle that (we will discuss below).

You can try E-Junkie for free with a a 7-day trial before deciding to commit to a monthly plan. Some eJunkie advice from Dave Navarro, The Luanch Coach: before you sign up for your account ?hop over to coupon site RetailMeNot.com, search for e-junkie, and you may find promotion codes that give you one to three months free on top of? your 7-day free trial.

Then follow these simple steps:

1. Pick a service plan ? ejunkie charges by the storage space per product and not by the amount of downloads (ex/50 MB for $5 per month, 250 MB for $15 per month, etc.). You will then need to add your email and PayPal account info.
2. Set up your first product ? you are now ready to add a product:
   1. Click the Admin link and hit ?Add New Product?
   2. Put a name for the product (buyers see this so make it intuitive), add some product info, and click ?More Options? if you want to change the amount of time the link will link will stay valid (default is 120 hours, but people sometimes don?t download an eproduct for longer)
   3. Upload you product and get your download links and buy now button codes. You can copy these codes to use directly on the landing page you set up for this product.
3. Insert the eJunkie codes to your Landing Page and on any emails you are going to send out to customers.

That?s pretty much it for eJunkie. If you want a more detailed tutorial then check out the link to Dave?s post that I give above or go to the eJunkie site itself and look through the Help section. Nothing works like giving it a shot however so the best advice I can give is play around and make it work.

Batman Has a Batmobile: What?s Your Vehicle for Bringing Home the Money?

What is your Batmobile for processing payments online?

Besides gadgets and weapons on his utility belt, Batman has some pretty cool ways of getting around Gotham City. Perhaps the most iconic of these is the Batmobile. Equipped with the latest technology this vehicle gets Batman where he needs to go. For selling stuff online, your Batmobile is the way the money gets delivered to you, and for that you will need a Payment Processor. Just as Batman has options to getting around (Batmobile, Batwing, or Batboat) you have some options when it comes to getting paid online.

Direct Payment through your Bank

Setting this system up takes longer and has more requirements, but once in place it may be the smoothest transaction available. Here is what you need to do:

1. Apply for an IMA (Internet Merchant Account) ? ?As a broad overview, your bank acts as the ?acquirer,? which confirms available funds, authorizes transactions and exchanges funds with the issuing bank of the credit card (e.g. Visa, MasterCard), i.e. the card holder?s bank. The funds are then transferred to your account (the merchant), minus the applicable fees.
2. Secure your site with the needed tools like Verisign, SSL Certificates, and other authentication tools as required by your bank
3. Set up a Payment Service Process (PSP) ? sometimes referred to as payment gateways ? handle the pages on a website where customers submit their payment details. PSPs provide a ?virtual? cashier, or point-of-sale terminal, that collects card details, screens for fraud and securely passes the details to your acquiring bank for processing.? Note: some PSPs also provide IMAs and vice versa.

Using a Payment Processing Company

This is probably the most common form of payment for small business online as it includes solutions like PayPal and Google Checkout. These are easy to set up but getting the money out of the processing company account takes time (usually 4 to 8 business days).

• Advantages: easier to set up and doesn?t require a complicated site revamp with expensive security tools
• Disadvantages: takes the user out of your site to process payment, which can be a problem with impulse buys and possibly the user experience

The two main examples of Gateway Payments are Google Checkout and PayPal. Here are some points to consider for using these methods, which were originally published in an article on processing credit card payments online from Smashing Magazine:

Google Checkout

• Variety of Integration Options
  Google Checkout has some of the most versatile integration options out there. Sure, you can just set up a ?Buy Now? button or two, but they also offer integration with custom shopping carts, pre-integration with existing shopping cart systems, a store gadget (that you can set up with a Google Spreadsheet), email invoices, and their own shopping cart solution.
• Google is a Recognized Brand
  Google is recognizable all over the world, and is a trusted brand for the most part. This can be especially valuable to smaller, unknown businesses who might not have their own good reputation to ride on.
• API Developer?s Guide
  Developer?s can have a field day with the developer API for Google Checkout. It means you can customize the Google Checkout experience to your heart?s content.
• Protection from Chargebacks
  Chargebacks can be a big problem for some businesses, especially those in higher-risk industries. Google Checkout offers a Payment Guarantee that protects an average of 98% of all Google Checkout transactions. If your transaction falls under their guarantee, and there?s a chargeback, you won?t lose money.

PayPal

• Recognizable Name
  PayPal has become almost as big a household name as Google. Some consumers have gone so far as refusing to do business with online retailers who don?t accept PayPal.
• Solutions for Every Kind of Business
  PayPal now provides a range of solutions for businesses, including fully-featured merchant accounts like those you?d find at a bank (Payflow Payment Gateway). Their Website Payments accounts provide most of what a gateway provides, including the ability to keep customers on your site through the entire transaction (with the Pro account). And of course PayPal also offers simple ?Buy Now? buttons if that?s all you need.
• Immediate Payment
  PayPal pays immediately for most transactions, which means that your payments go directly into your PayPal account when they?re made. (This is not always the case for certain businesses, or for accounts with a history of high returns.) In some countries, PayPal offers signature debit cards that can be used like a credit card and give you immediate access to your PayPal funds from any ATM.
• Easy Integration
  PayPal offers a number of developer tools, both for facilitating payments and for accessing account information and reporting. Various PayPal payment processing products have different levels of difficulty when it comes to integration, but at the easiest end of the spectrum it involves just inserting a bit of code.

At the end of the day, the payment processing system you choose will depend on your time, size of business and level of sales. If you are a bigger operation with more regular sales then you may want to set up a system with your business bank account. For a smaller operation selling products here and there setting up a quick system and expanding as you go will be the better course. No matter what you choose be like Batman and use the right vehicle for the job.

Batman Has an Army: The Basics of Building an Affiliate Sales Force

Create an army of affiliate sales people.

Even though Batman likes to work alone, he has an army behind him. At times this has been just Alfred, his butler, but as the years went on Batman took others into his ranks. Of course everyone knows about Robin (fun fact ? there have been at least 6 different people who assumed the mantle of Robin at one time or another: 1. Dick Grayson, 2. Jason Todd, 3. Tim Drake, 4. Stephanie Brown, 5. Damien Wayne, and 6. Carrie Kelly), but there are others such as Nightwing, Batgirl, Huntress, Oracle, and even Catwoman when she is on the right side of the law. Just like Batman has his army you need yours.

Think of affiliate sales people like your Bat Army. They are the troops who can help you defend the night. In basic terms, an affiliate is someone willing to sell your product on their site. Using eJunkie you can even provide them with a unique link that will let you track their sales performance. Anyone who clicks their link and completes the purchase has their sale attributed to that affiliate.

You can set up a general program that people sign up for on your website. For something like this you offer anywhere between 25% and 50% of the purchase price for any sales generated through their websites. If you want to approach someone with mega traffic on their site, you might offer an individual deal where they get 60% to 100% of the price (if you are looking to increase your traffic then giving away all the sales to this individual may be worth it).

Building an effective affiliate army goes beyond the scope of this post, but here are some quick tips to help you get started.

Quick Tips for Affiliate Marketing

1. Know your product thoroughly
2. Have access to an audience who will buy it
3. Make sure the product is within your audience?s price range
4. Avoid subscriptions for affiliate deals; one time fee works better
5. Commission rate: make sure you are giving a good commission rate for the price
6. For affiliates, show them how to convince the reader by providing documentation they can use on their own site ? it can include things like: (a) how to make customers feel like they have made an investment not a commitment; (b) how to show customers they need the product NOW; (c) how to make customers feel like they are missing out if they don?t buy; (d) how to prove to customers the product has worked for you or someone else (testimonial)
7. Encourage the affiliates to promote the affiliate product in (a) blog, (b) blog footer; (c) post footer; (d) sneeze page (a collection of post links on a topic), and (e) on social networks like Twitter, Google+, Facebook, etc.

The most important thing in running an affiliate army is managing it. Make sure your affiliates know what they are doing, have a reason to stay engaged and feel like they are part of something bigger. Everyone in the Bat Family has this and that?s why they are willing to risk life and limb for the Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight Rises: So Can Your Online Sales

The tips in this post are meant to help get you started in online sales. As you go along you will need to try things, develop new products and means of distribution, and fail at times. Don?t be discouraged. Look to Batman for your inspiration and remember that next time you can fail better. The important thing is not to give up the fight.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/internet-marketing-basics-batmans-dark-knight-guide-to-online-sales-0228176

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The basic requirements for taking out a bridging loan - Bridging Loans

Posted on | July 25, 2012 | No Comments

There are times when large amounts of money are temporarily required in order to provide a bridging facility until money is received from another source, or from the sale of a bargain item that can be quickly purchased. For this type of facility a bridging loan is frequently used because this type of specialist finance facility can provide the most convenient and cost effective solution. Bridging loans are specifically designed to provide short term finance and can be arranged and put in place ready to use quickly. This type of facility can be taken out for terms of just 1 day extending to maximum terms of 18 months, although most lenders offer a maximum of 12 months and some can be half this.

It is important to realise when taking out a bridging loan that they are short term facilities and can be very expensive if used as a long term finance option. This is because the monthly rate of interest is higher than the longer term finance alternatives, and to stretch the agreed term may lead to penalties or other additional charges.

In order to take out a bridging loan the lender will want to know what the loan is going to be used for. You will also need to be able to provide security in the form of a house, flat, commercial property or land, which the lender can use to secure their loan. If required, more than one property can be used to secure a bridging loan. You will also need to be able to provide or demonstrate an exit route for the loan. This is how you intend to redeem the bridging loan on or before the end of the agreed term. Typically this would be from the proceeds of the sale of a property, from money owed to you, funds from an investment policy or from refinancing. If selling a property to repay the bridging loan, for which a sale has not yet been agreed, the lender will need to be satisfied that the asking price is realistic taking into consideration the area and demand for that type of property. More importantly though, if refinancing in order to redeem the bridging loan, ensure that you able to raise the required finance. The lender will also need to be satisfied that you should be able to arrange an alternative long term finance facility. It is always worth having a backup plan in case your exit strategy experiences problems. For example if there is a problem with refinancing are you able to sell the property reasonably quickly and obtain a satisfactory asking price?

When short term finance is required bridging loans often provide the simplest and most cost effective method of raising the required funds. However, check with us first to see if there are any alternative finance options that might provide a better solution. Then if bridging is the most suitable option make sure you have a good exit strategy in place.

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Source: http://www.kisbridgingloans.co.uk/blog/300/the-basic-requirements-for-taking-out-a-bridging-loan/

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UK PM's ex-aide, Murdoch protege face hacking charges

Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA, file

Andy Coulson, one-time communications director for Prime Minister David Cameron and former editor of News of the World, is among those who face charges in the British phone-hacking scandal. He is shown here on May 10.

By NBC News and wire services

Updated at 11:55 a.m. ET: LONDON --?British authorities on Tuesday charged an ex-aide to the British prime minister, a former protege of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and six others in the ever-widening phone-hacking scandal. Prosecutors accused those charged of key roles in a lengthy campaign of illegal espionage that victimized hundreds, including top celebrities Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

The announcement was a major development in a saga that has transfixed and at times horrified Britons and one that shows no signs of ending. A senior police official told The Associated Press earlier this week that her force was investigating more than 100 claims including computer hacking and illegal access to medical records stemming from the scandal.

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Prosecutors said?Tuesday that Andy Coulson, Cameron's communications director for four years until 2011, and Rebekah Brooks, who oversaw Murdoch's News International, would face charges of conspiracy to intercept communications.

The alleged offenses were committed between 2000 and 2006 when both served as editor of the News of the World, the salacious Sunday tabloid that Murdoch was forced to close a year ago amid public disgust at the phone-hacking revelations.

Among the alleged victims were two former British home secretaries, former England soccer manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Hollywood stars Jolie and Pitt, former Beatle Paul McCartney and a minor member of the royal family, Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Brooks and Coulson are also both accused of involvement in hacking the telephone of Milly Dowler, a missing teenage girl who was later found murdered in 2002.

Coulson: 'I will fight these allegations'
It was the revelation that News of the World journalists had hacked her phone that triggered a furor that engulfed Murdoch's News International and ultimately led to the closure of the 168-year-old tabloid.

"I am extremely disappointed by the [prosecutors'] decision today. I will fight these allegations when they eventually get to court,? Coulson said in a statement quoted by Britain's The Guardian newspaper.

"I would like to say one thing today about the Milly Dowler allegation. Anyone who knows me, or who worked with me, would know that I wouldn't, and more importantly that I didn't, do anything to damage the Milly Dowler investigation," the statement said.

Brooks sounded a defiant tone.

"I am not guilty of these charges," she said in a statement. "I did not authorize, nor was I aware of, phone hacking under my editorship.

"The charge concerning Milly Dowler is particularly upsetting not only as it is untrue but also because I have spent my journalistic career campaigning for victims of crime. I will vigorously defend these allegations," her statement said.

Others being charged are senior tabloid journalists Stuart Kuttner, Greg Miskiw, Neville Thurlbeck, James Weatherup and Ian Edmondson.

Also being charged is private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, whose extensive notes have been at the center of the scandal since it was first unearthed.

External link: Read the phone charges in full here

The maximum sentence for the phone-hacking charges is two years in prison or a fine -- or both.

'Astonishing development'
The development is particularly embarrassing for Cameron because Coulson was also charged with hacking the phones of David Blunkett and Charles Clarke, two former home secretaries from the now-opposition Labour Party. The home secretary is Britain?s top law enforcement official, roughly akin to an American attorney general.

"That is an astonishing development and I think that is almost inevitably going to rebound on Cameron," Steven Barnett, professor of communications at Westminster University, said. "That is going to pose some very, very awkward questions for the prime minister."

Alison Levitt, Principal Legal Adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said she had concluded there was sufficient evidence to charge the eight suspects with 19 offenses over the illegal accessing of voicemails on the cellphones belonging to politicians, celebrities and sports figures.

Former UK PM accuses Murdoch of misleading inquiry into phone-hack scandal

News International had for years denied that phone hacking was widespread after the tabloid's former royal reporter and private detective were jailed in 2007 for the crime.

Poor judgment?
Coulson resigned in the aftermath, and took up the role as director of communications of Cameron's Conservative Party, helping to shape his campaign to become prime minister.

Neil Hall / Reuters, file

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, shown leaving London's Southwark Crown Court on June 22, will face charges in the phone-hacking scandal

Critics say Cameron appointed Coulson in order to secure the backing of the journalist's former boss, Murdoch, and say the appointment showed a shocking lack of judgment.

Complete UK news coverage on NBCNews.com

The involvement of Coulson and Brooks -- a close friend of Cameron?s -- turned the long-running hacking story into a national political scandal that has laid bare the collusion between senior politicians, the police and the media.

Brooks, her husband and her personal staff have already been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice over the hacking case, while Coulson has been charged in Scotland with perjury after he denied in an unrelated court case any knowledge of phone hacking.

Brooks, wooed by a string of politicians and prime ministers first in her role as editor of the News of the World and Sun tabloid, and then as the head of Murdoch's British newspaper arm News International, was one of the most powerful women in Britain, instantly recognizable by her long, curly red hair.

She was also close to Cameron, socializing with him over Christmas breaks, and both were embarrassed earlier this year when an inquiry into media ethics read out text messages sent between the two.

Rupert Murdoch not 'a fit person' to run major company, UK lawmakers say

Cameron used to sign his frequent text messages to Brooks with an affectionate "LOL", which he thought stood for "lots of love."

Damaging, but not fatal, to Cameron's political fortunes
Paul Farrelly, an opposition Labour lawmaker who questioned Rupert Murdoch and his son James as part of a parliamentary committee investigation into the hacking, said Tuesday's developments were damaging, but not fatal, for Cameron.

"My view is that what happens to Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks reflects on David Cameron's judgment in both the appointment of Coulson and in being seen to be so close to a certain newspaper empire," he said.

"Because it's been going on so long, it's in no way fatal to his premiership. What is more important to the survival of his premiership and the coalition is the economy," Farrelly added.

NBC News correspondent Duncan Golestani, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/24/12922171-uk-pms-ex-aide-murdoch-protege-face-charges-in-phone-hacking-scandal?lite

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Choice of Entity Matrix | Venture Law Advisors

Our startup clients come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they have in common is their founders are typically in the process of determining what type of entity (LLC or corporation, in most cases) the client should be, or in some cases, whether they already selected an appropriate form of entity for their business. Another consideration is whether an S-election should be, or should have been, made.

In most cases, there is no ?perfect? form of entity for our clients? businesses. But to help our clients develop a basic understanding of their options, we often start by providing them a basic Choice of Entity Matrix that highlights the implications of forming either an LLC or a corporation and/or making an S-election, and?some pros and cons of each option.

The Choice of Entity Matrix is an incomplete analysis of three different corporate structures. You should not rely on this analysis for any purpose without seeking legal advice from licensed attorneys in the relevant state(s). This publication does not create an attorney client relationship.

This entry was posted in Startups and tagged Boulder, Choice of Entity, Denver, Startups. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.venturelawadvisors.com/choice-of-entity-matrix

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Baby's (Mine) 1st Birthday Pictures | Babys First Year Blog

So you know that beach party I was raving about? All of those amazing ideas I had curated and was dead set on executing?

Yea.

Didn?t happen.

What did happen was a?most lovely, sweet affair, in our backyard with?most of our nearest and dearest. I?l be the first of any to proclaim the?many virtues of all that is DIY.?Especially?when it comes to anything baby, toddler, house and home related. And obviously food/drink recipes. (Hello Pinterest,?my sexy BFF).

As we?momma?s know, life in the land of baby and toddler takes on a carnivalesque hue at times. Wherein we just don?t have the time to put?Martha Stewart to shame. Which is fine, because our babies?

They. Don?t. Care.

You could stick a candle in a?McCain cake, let them roll around naked and have those who love and dote upon them the?most show up. That right there is all they need and/or know about a party in their honour being awesome. Oh, and the presents. But that bit doesn?t come until later.

I guess what I?m trying to say, is all of these grand birthday parties are really for us. The adults. And the expectation of presents, well ? that all up to us to. These little humans after all, are essentially?moulded by us. So, what?may be cute when they are younger? (Ripping open a mountain of pressies). Will be far less so when they start to demand or expect it, often skulking when they don?t get it. We?ve all heard the term, ??I?ve created a?monster?.

?Nuff said.

It should also be?mentioned that technically, Abby doesn?t turn 1 until this Thursday ? we had her grand hoopla of a party earlier to accommodate guest RSVP?s. So you?can expect to be hit with another round of epic cuteness come the actual day of her birth. Until then though,?may your ovaries (or other baby-loving parts) be tickled by these?

• 

  The Diva

  Looking every little bit the darling, sweet, saucy little monkey that she is.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#the-diva

• 

  The Diva's #1 Hero

  Her brother, who is equally sweet and saucy. (Also? Tubes rule. Rule I tell you).

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#the-divas-1-hero

• 

  Water Play

  While we didn't make it to the beach, we still had lots of water activities going on. Kiddie pool , sprinkler, water balloons (for the older kiddos) and sponges. Happy Days.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#water-play

• 

  Everting In The Mouth

  All the time, everyday, like gangbusters.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#everting-in-the-mouth

• 

  Show & Tell

  As of late she is pointing at everything, (and I mean everything, all of the everything, everywhere, it is fascinating you know). If the object of her desire is safe enough for her to fiddle with and inevitably shove in her mouth, we give it to her. Wherein she promptly lifts it up high, often shoving it up ones nose, proclaiming, 'THIS!!' Oh, the sweet victory.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#show-tell

• 

  The Magnificence!

  Pure, unadulterated joy. (This expression also says, 'lookit meeee! LOMG, seriously though, lookit meeeee!)

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#the-magnificence

• 

  Non-Stop Good Times Over Here

  She has a slight asphyxiation with opening her mouth wide, leaving it gaping, with tounge lolling at times. She's been doing it constantly. While dancing, while crawling, when she wakes up and boogies in her crib...watching herself in her closet mirrors - quite entertained by the whole show. Put on by herself. That's my girl.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#non-stop-good-times-over-here

• 

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#see

• 

  For Full Effect

  In case I wasn't clear enough before. It would appear as though this little girl was having herself a most excellent time.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#for-full-effect

• 

  Roly Poly...

  Toddlers and babies. As seen here entertaining the masses.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#roly-poly

• 

  Tender

  A nano-second of gentle checking in from big bro, with his little sis.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#tender

• 

  C'mon

  You just died from cute, right?

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#cmon

• 

  Photo-Bomber

  Otherwise known as the Daddy. Every chance he'll get. This cute shot is of our little girl with her daycare provider whom we are very lucky to have. She is such a loving, quality friend to our babies. As are her children and her hubby. It was super cool to hang with them socially.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#photo-bomber

• 

  Pappa Love

  Going in for the kill. (His nose obviously).

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#pappa-love

• 

  Daddy's Little Girl

  Forever. Don't mess.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#daddys-little-girl

• 

  Daddy The Jungle-Gym

  Clearly, she's got him wrapped. And with good reason.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#daddy-the-jungle-gym

• 

  Oh, You Pretty (Little) Thing(s)

  David Bowie, I know you wrote that song for my girl. (Even though I really know it's all about the influences of occultist [Crowly], and Nietzsche [that famous philosopher] on us humans [and our obsolescence] in favour of the notion that aliens and teenagers should [and will] rule the world. Now ya know.)

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#oh-you-pretty-little-things

• 

  Perfect Score

  Just in case y'all were keeping score. Baby splits deserve a round of applause.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#perfect-score

• 

  Saucin'...

  It's what she does, yo. And ever well.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#saucin

• 

  Ima Gonna OWN You Cake!

  That's what this look says.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#ima-gonna-own-you-cake

• 

  From a Distance

  Watching the foreign proceedings with intent. The theory that babies don't know much? I beg to differ. She clearly knew something amazing was about to happen and acted with baited breath at such. Because babies are genius and they know things. Mostly amazing things.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#from-a-distance

• 

  Cutting Time

  Divvying up a 4 tier cake? Not for the faint of heart.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#cutting-time

• 

  All Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

  Like strawberry shortcake and so forth.

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#all-good-things-come-to-those-who-wait

• 

  Like a boss.

  A cake boss to be precise. Happy Day-We-Could-All- Get-Together-To-Celebrate-Your-Birthday, My Girl! (It's a cupcake for you on Thursday.)

  /babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/#like-a-boss

I?d like to extend a HUGE thank-you to our friends Cindy and Arvin Valenciano. Arv took all the fantastic pictures you just had the pleasure of viewing (and then some). Cindy is our daycare provider. She?s the bees knees!

More From Selena

18 Amazing Babywearing Images
12 Amazing DIY Baby Toy Tutorials
The Top 4 Reasons Moms Stop Breastfeeding?

You can also find me over yonder?

Via my humble?beginnings, mastering in general mayhem:?le petit r?ve
Of guilty pleasures, geekery and badassery: on the?Twitters
Connect to my hand-made personna on:?Facebook
Join me in my?Pinterest?or?Instagram?addictions

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/babys-first-year-blog/2012/07/24/24-of-the-most-adorable-1st-birthday-party-pics-really/

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Only WEIRD People Volunteer | travel sercity

July 24, 2012 Maddy Vonhoff Uncategorized,

Without a doubt, international volunteering is more popular than ever. A perceived need for international volunteers has prompted a movement for ?voluntourism?. Over one million people in the United States volunteered internationally in 2008 alone which increased from 145,000 volunteers in 2004. While seemingly positive, this could pose a problem because only WEIRD people volunteer.

That is, the typical volunteer is white, educated, industrialized, rich, and from a democratic culture. This idea of WEIRD people is a recent topic in psychology, where the thought that maybe white undergraduate students are not indicative of worldwide views is a novel one (Jones, 2010). However, I thought it was incredibly applicable in international volunteering. In a study by Lough (2010), the largest percent of international volunteers (30%) were between the ages of 15 to 24 followed by people between the ages 45-54. In addition, over half of the sample had a bachelor?s degree or higher. Volunteers are usually white (88%) compared to any other ethnic group. In addition, McBride and Lough (2010) found that white people were more than twice as likely to volunteer abroad than black people. 1 in 3 volunteers lived in a home with an income of over 100,000 dollars. Thus, the typical international volunteer is white, financially secure, educated, and young.

While this seems like common sense and perhaps unavoidable (families with higher amounts of income would have more resources to volunteer), how does having such a homogenous volunteer base affect cross-cultural relationships? In a study by Cross-Cultural Solutions (2009), one of the largest international volunteer organizations, they surveyed alumni volunteers on their experiences volunteering abroad. Volunteers thought they were most effective while promoting cross-cultural interaction, caring for infants and children in daycare facilities; tutoring or teaching youth and adults; and collecting, preparing, or distributing foods, crafts, or other goods. 25% of volunteers believed that their work could have been performed by a local community member, but only 11% believed that a local could have done it better. 76% of volunteers thought they made a lasting contribution to the host organization. That is, only 11% of the volunteer base believed a local could have taught in their local community, cared for their own children, and engaged in cultural practices better than a volunteer with limited knowledge of the host community. Typically, the majority of volunteers did not think their presence has many negative effects on a community. Only 18% of volunteers believed they caused problems within the host community and 6% believed the community did not want them or need them.

This begs the question, why do volunteers see themselves as equally capable, if not more, in practices rooted in culture and lifestyles. Unfortunately, as the majority of international volunteers are WEIRD, we might be perpetrating ideas of white privilege and creating unequal relationships unconsciously. Peggy McIntosh speaks about white privilege in her article, ?White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack? (2003) and states that ?whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow them to be more like us?. White people can afford to be oblivious of language and customs of persons of color without feeling any penalty. In addition, white people experience little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

As a result, it is possible that international volunteers could not only be ignorant of other cultures and unhelpful volunteers, they could unconsciously ignore the perspectives and ideas of the very cultures they are trying to help. This leads to Western solutions for problems that might not be culturally relevant since western volunteers have never had to be culturally sensitive before.? This can also be reversed to apply to ethnic cultures. Members of developing countries have to worry about including the perspectives of other races, learning the customs, dress, and language of other countries, particularly the United States and other Western nations, if they wish to receive foreign aid. Thus they cater to us to make sure we feel comfortable while working abroad.

This hit home for me while I was in Kenya last summer. I asked our partner organization Abba, a local elementary school/orphanage, when it would be a good time for me to? come in and teach. The reply was a resounding ?anytime!? However, I found out later in the day that they had exams for the next two weeks, in which my presence would have been distracting at best. I asked our Kenyan advisor, Carol, if Kenyans do not use the word ?no?. She said that Kenyans most definitely say no to each other. When I asked why they wouldn?t tell me no, she said, ?Because we don?t think Americans can handle the word no?.

Volunteering can also lead Westerners to hold false perceptions about the people they are supposed to be helping. In ?I?ve come to help: Can tourism and altruism mix??, Benjamin Sichel (2006) points out that volunteers assume that since they are wealthy and privileged, they will be useful in volunteer work. This can lead volunteers to assume that the local population is too stupid or ignorant to teach their children, work in hospitals, or build houses, if volunteers are needed to help them do so. This can create an assumption that wealthy volunteers know better than the culture and people they are serving. This is damaging to our cross-cultural relationships, when we don?t see developing countries as equal.

It?s time to start thinking of the implications of sending over a million volunteers in service abroad, when many of these people believe that their work is equal if not greater than the work of the community and have never had to integrate other cultural practices into their world views. So before all you WEIRD people grab your passports, consider your adventure as a learning experience first and an altruistic mission second.

References (In APA format, like a good psych student):

Cross-Cultural Solutions. (2009) International Volunteering. Retrieved March 15th, 2012, from

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/about/recognized-leader/international-volunteering-study.aspx

Lough, B. J. (2011). International Volunteerism in the United States, 2008. Center for Social Development, 10(11). Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/33744391/International-Volunteering-from-the-United-States

McBride, A., & Lough, B. J. (2010). Access to international volunteering. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 21(2), 195-208. doi:10.1002/nml.20020

McIntosh, P. (2003). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In S. Plous, S. Plous (Eds.) , Understanding prejudice and discrimination (pp. 191-196). New York, NY US: McGraw-Hill.

Sichel, B. I?ve Come to Help: Can Tourism and Altuism Mix? (2006, Nov, 2). Briarpatch Magazine. Retrieved from http://briarpatchmagazine.com/.

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Source: http://travel.sercity.com/only-weird-people-volunteer/

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