By Whitson Gordon
Comcast opens its hotspots to Eastern states, Google adds AMBER alerts to Search and Maps, Verizon users can charge apps to their wireless bill, and Facebook tests a new one-column Facebook Timeline.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
PST: Concern in Seattle over Eddie's hamstring
All eyes and ears around the rave green crowd will be focused on Eddie Johnson?s hamstring today.
The Seattle Sounders leading scorer (14 goals) came off the field in the first half last night with a strained hamstring. Team officials will have a better diagnosis and prognosis following an MRI today. (Whether they will share it with us with 100 percent transparency, who knows?)
Here?s what Johnson said about it last night via the Seattle Times:
I made a couple long runs early in the game and my hammy kind of tightened up on me. My game is (made up) of making hard runs behind the back four, and there was a play where I tried to set the defender up like I was going to come for the ball and check away, and I felt a big cramp in my hamstring.
?I know what that feeling feels like. I was smart. I came out. I didn?t try to force it, but there?s definitely something there. If I had played, I?d have been restricted. The smart thing was for me to do what?s best for the team and come out. We?ll get an MRI on Monday and see what?s going on.?
This will not be devastating news for Seattle, but it?s certainly bad news. The West field is tough. Real Salt Lake is up first, and then a date with the Galaxy in all likelihood.
Fredy Montero is playing well, so the goal-scoring cupboard is hardly bare. But no one who would replace Johnson as the Sounders most advanced striker comes close to offering what the U.S. international and MLS All-Star does, solidly-timed runs into the penalty area and the athletic ability to deliver once he accesses those areas.
There is also concern about center back Jeff Parke, who also left last night?s match, although there is more cover there.
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Friday, October 19, 2012
2nd appeals court rejects Defense of Marriage Act
Andrew Kelly / Reuters
Mark Massey, center, and Dale Frost, right, pose for a picture after registering their marriage at the City Clerk's Office in New York on Oct. 11. New York is one of six states where same-sex marriage is legal.
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By NBC News staff and wire services
Updated at 4:34 p.m. ET: A federal appeals court in New York on Thursday became the second appeals court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, ruling that the law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman is unconstitutional.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals joins the 1st Circuit court in Boston,?which?handed down its ruling?in May, in rejecting a key part of the law. The 2nd Circuit upheld a lower court ruling that DOMA unconstitutionally?denies federal benefits to lawfully married same-sex couples.
The constitutionality of same-sex marriage could ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which may take up the issue in its current term.
"Homosexuals are not in a position to adequately protect themselves from the discriminatory wishes of the majoritarian public," Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs wrote for the 2-1 majority.?
"Even if preserving tradition were in itself an important goal, DOMA is not a means to achieve it," he said.
Judge Chester Straub dissented, arguing that the federal definition of marriage should be left to the political process. "If this understanding is to be changed, I believe it is for the American people to do so," he wrote.
Appeals in several DOMA cases are pending before the Supreme Court.
"Next stop, Supreme Court," said Rick Jacobs, founder of the Courage Campaign, a California-based progressive advocacy organization. "Politicians and judges have no business telling anyone who they can love and who they can marry."
The appellate panel ruled in favor of Edith "Edie" Windsor, an 83-year-old lesbian whose partner, whom she married in Canada, died in 2009. Windsor argued that the 1996 law discriminates against gay couples in violation of the Constitution.
The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled today the Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against gay couples. Legendary attorney David Boies and Zach Wahls join The Last Word to look at the case that could be headed to the Supreme Court.
Six states have legalized same-sex marriage, including New York in 2011. Because of the Defense of Marriage Act, federal law and government programs do not recognize those marriages.?
Read the appeals court opinion (PDF)
Windsor had to pay $363,000 in federal taxes after inheriting property from Thea Spyer, to whom she was married. The IRS stated the marriage was not recognized at the federal level and imposed the estate tax.
"Given her age and health, we are eager for Ms. Windsor to get a refund of the unconstitutional tax she was forced to pay as soon as possible,"?Roberta Kaplan, her legal counsel, said in a statement.
"This law violated the fundamental American principle of fairness that we all cherish," added Windsor. "I know Thea would have been so proud to see how far we have come in our fight to be treated with dignity."
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
Edith Windsor speaks to reporters after a hearing before the appeals court on Sept. 27.
The Obama administration said last year it considered DOMA unconstitutional and would no longer defend it. Instead, a group appointed by the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is defending the law in courts across the country.
The appeals court rejected the group's arguments that the law was necessary to maintain a uniform definition of marriage, that it served the government's interest of saving money and that it was necessary to encourage procreation.
Referring to the House Republican leadership, which is defending the law in court because it holds a 3-2 majority on the House's Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group, Jacobs wrote:
BLAG argues that, unlike protected classes, homosexuals have not "suffered discrimination for longer than history has been recorded." But whether such discrimination existed in Babylon is neither here nor there. BLAG concedes that homosexuals have endured discrimination in this country since at least the 1920s. Ninety years of discrimination is entirely sufficient to document a "history of discrimination."
Jacobs was appointed in 1992 by by?President?George H. W. Bush?to serve on the Second Circuit. He was?joined in his opinion by Judge Christopher Droney, an Obama appointee.?Straub, who wrote the dissent, is a Clinton appointee.
The decision came less than a month after the court heard arguments on Sept. 27.? ?
Lawyer Paul Clement, who had argued in support of the law on behalf of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives, was traveling and did not immediately return a message for comment to The Associated Press. ??
James Esseks, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, called the ruling "a watershed moment in the legal movement for lesbian and gay rights."? ?
"It's fabulous news for same-sex couples in New York and other states," he said.? ?
Esseks said the 2nd Circuit went farther than the appeals court in Boston by saying that when the government discriminates against gay people, the courts will presume that the discrimination is unconstitutional.? ?
In striking down the law, Jacobs wrote that the law's "classification of same-sex spouses was not substantially related to an important government interest" and thus violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo praised the decision:
"In June 2011, New York State inspired the rest of the nation by becoming the largest state to achieve marriage equality. Today?s ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit provides further momentum for national progress on this important civil rights issue. What we did here in New York can only be the beginning, and we must continue to work together until all Americans are free to marry whom they love and are entitled to all of the rights and benefits of marriage equally, regardless of sexual orientation."
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has donated?$250,000 to support same-sex marriage backers in Maryland, added:
?Today?s decision affirms that DOMA deprives same sex couples of equal protection under the law. This ruling is an important step in ensuring the rights of men and women are not dependent upon who they love and who they chose to spend their lives with. We have much more to do, but we are another step further on the road to a more perfect union for all Americans.?
The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage, said it looked forward to a Supreme Court ruling:
?This is yet another example of judicial activism and elite judges imposing their views on the American people, and further demonstrates why it is imperative for the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review in the currently pending DOMA cases as well as to the Proposition 8 case. The American people are entitled to a definitive ruling in support of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, as 32 states have determined through popular vote."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes ? The Full Moxie:: Celebrity ...
So when I got home I promptly put on my sweats, cracked a beer and started making Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes.
These potatoes are all carbs and fat (if you don?t think about the salt part) and are a perfect accompaniment to a healthy roasted chicken.
Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
- 5 Russet potatoes, washed, peeled and thinly sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- ?2 cups milk
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ?3 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the sliced potatoes in a buttered baking dish (at least 1 quart sized). Set aside.
2) Melt the butter in a saucepan?over low heat. Meanwhile, in a small cup, add some water to ?the flour and mix into a paste.
3) Add the flour paste to the melted butter, whisking constantly. The flour will begin to thicken. Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue whisking. The flour paste will slowly thicken the milk, turning it into a white sauce. Salt and pepper this sauce to taste.
4) Once thickened, pour the white sauce over the potatoes. Top with the shredded cheese, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Traci
Traci Arbios is a caucasian female. She?s almost certain of it.
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Source: http://thefullmoxie.com/2012/10/18/creamy-au-gratin-potatoes/
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
Google opens window into secretive data centers
CORRECTS LOCATION- This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google data center in Douglas County, Ga. Google is opening a virtual window into the secretive data centers that serve as its nerve center. The unprecedented peek is being provided through a new website unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. The site features photos from inside some of the eight data centers that Google Inc. already has running in the U.S., Finland and Belgium. (AP Photo/Google, Connie Zhou)
CORRECTS LOCATION- This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google data center in Douglas County, Ga. Google is opening a virtual window into the secretive data centers that serve as its nerve center. The unprecedented peek is being provided through a new website unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. The site features photos from inside some of the eight data centers that Google Inc. already has running in the U.S., Finland and Belgium. (AP Photo/Google, Connie Zhou)
This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google technician working on some of the computers in the Dalles, Ore., data center. Google is opening a virtual window into the secretive data centers that serve as its nerve center. The unprecedented peek is being provided through a new website unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. The site features photos from inside some of the eight data centers that Google Inc. already has running in the U.S., Finland and Belgium. (AP Photo/Google, Connie Zhou)
This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Google is opening a virtual window into the secretive data centers that serve as its nerve center. The unprecedented peek is being provided through a new website unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. The site features photos from inside some of the eight data centers that Google Inc. already has running in the U.S., Finland and Belgium. (AP Photo/Google, Connie Zhou)
This undated photo provided by Google shows a Google data center in Hamina, Finland. Google is opening a virtual window into the secretive data centers that serve as its nerve center. The unprecedented peek is being provided through a new website unveiled Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. The site features photos from inside some of the eight data centers that Google Inc. already has running in the U.S., Finland and Belgium. (AP Photo/Google, Connie Zhou)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Google is opening a virtual window into the secretive data centers where an intricate maze of computers process Internet search requests, show YouTube video clips and distribute email for millions of people.
The unprecedented peek is being provided through a new website unveiled Wednesday at http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/gallery/#/ . The site features photos from inside some of the eight data centers that Google Inc. already has running in the U.S., Finland and Belgium. Google is also building data centers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Chile.
Virtual tours of a North Carolina data center also will be available through Google's "Street View" service, which is usually used to view photos of neighborhoods around the world.
The photographic access to Google's data centers coincides with the publication of a Wired magazine article about how the company builds and operates them. The article is written by Steven Levy, a journalist who won Google's trust while writing "In The Plex," a book published last year about the company's philosophy and evolution.
The data centers represent Google's nerve center, although none are located near the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
As Google blossomed from its roots in a Silicon Valley garage, company co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin worked with other engineers to develop a system to connect low-cost computer servers in a way that would help them realize their ambition to provide a digital roadmap to all of the world's information.
Initially, Google just wanted enough computing power to index all the websites on the Internet and deliver quick responses to search requests. As Google's tentacles extended into other markets, the company had to keep adding more computers to store videos, photos, email and information about their users' preferences.
The insights that Google gathers about the more than 1 billion people that use its services has made the company a frequent target of privacy complaints around the world. The latest missive came Tuesday in Europe, where regulators told Google to revise a 7-month-old change to its privacy policy that enables the company to combine user data collected from its different services.
Google studies Internet search requests and Web surfing habits in an effort to gain a better understanding of what people like. The company does this in an effort to show ads of products and services to the people most likely to be interested in buying them. Advertising accounts for virtually all of Google's revenue, which totaled nearly $23 billion through the first half of this year.
Even as it allows anyone with a Web browser to peer into its data centers, Google intends to closely guard physical access to its buildings. The company also remains cagey about how many computers are in its data centers, saying only that they house hundreds of thousands of machines to run Google's services.
Google's need for so many computers has turned the company a major electricity user, although management says it's constantly looking for ways to reduce power consumption to protect the environment and lower its expenses.
The company's data centers are located in: Berkeley County, S.C.; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Douglas County, Ga.; Mayes County, Okla.; Lenoir, N.C.; The Dalles, Ore.; Hamina, Finland; and St. Ghislain, Belgium. Other data centers are being built in Quilicura, Chile; Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
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Have you underestimated the power of your mind?
If asked, ? which is the most important part of your body to ensure you can maintain a healthy lifestyle?? Some people may respond with their legs so that they are mobile and can easily take part in cardiovascular exercises. Others may say upper body mobility with the use of your arms to do a series of upper body exercises. However any answer involving logic like this is wrong. The most valuable part of any person?s health and fitness irrespective of disability issues is the mind and your will power.
The brain is what stimulates your muscle in the body via the central nervous system, this in itself is vital for causing muscle contractions enabling you the potential to increase your fitness. A healthy lifestyle will never come easily, the honest truth being healthy food can be more expensive, less appetizing and all round more hassle to prepare. Working out takes time out of your day and requires more effort than watching television. If you don?t have the correct mindset then you are never going to achieve it. With this being said to a certain extent its your mind that is going to be holding you back so in this article I am going to see if I can alter your mindset if you are struggling with the commitment of change.
There is never a reason too small to want to get fit, muscular, lower blood pressure, etc? You should also not be embarrassed if it?s for a vein reason such as impressing the girl you have taken a liking to, or just to look better on the beach. You need a reason like this so you can get infected with the fitness bug! The fitness bug once it has a hold of your will improve all aspects of your life, I just want you to find that reason which will allow you to get infected.
I feel comfortable putting a lot of money on the reason many guys take out a gym membership is to impress the opposite sex. I also feel comfortable saying that once they?ve impressed and courted a lucky lady that they will not simply stop working out. It becomes more than that simple idea incepted in your reason all those months/years ago. The benefits of working out will quickly outweigh the hardships. At first you will feel like there is a drain attached to your energy reserves as your body starts to reject the exercise, that drain over the period of a few months will turn to a spring and become an energy source.
If it?s confidence you lack then working out will teach you how to become more confident. In my own and what I recommend in every persons training program is to constantly strive into the unknown whether it be setting a faster 5km run time, a new 5 rep max deadlift weight etc. By tackling physical challenges like these in the gym your mindset is tested, you have to tell yourself and believe in yourself that you can do it otherwise you never will. This then transfers over into your work, when that leap into the unknown is required you will have the confidence and the balls to attempt it.
If you have read this far, then I assume you struggle to get started and this is what I want YOU to do.
1. Write down everything in your life you can improve
2. Provide a reason for each wanting to improve each of these
3. Sifon out the issues that can be solved with working out, everything to do with looks, confidence , stress etc
4. Honestly say to yourself and find a reason for what has been holding you back for each issue.
You now have a blunt list of things in your life you are not happy with and the reasons behind them. I now want you to focus on the ones caused by your actions that are regulated by your mind. This involves eating too many Burger Kings, this is an action taken because of your mind. Having a burger king is unlikely to prevent starvation and if it is then how are you in the internet?
This whole process relies on you being true to yourself regarding each item on this list. You must be critical and blunt and note down every possible thought and event that has caused you to cheat on your diet/workout or just stop you from working out in the first place.
I want you to bottle up the positives so you can keep calling on them as a reminder of why you are doing what you are doing.
Greg Plitt
I for instance fully intend on dethroning this man, I will have no regrets in failing as long as I have done everything in my power in attempting to do so!
If you don?t truely believe within you mind that you are going to have the best body on that beach then it?s never going to be possible. Want some motivation to lose weight check out that post and as always if you have any questions catch me on facebook.
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Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth Tires Of Critics, Moves Key Ubuntu Developments Out Of Public Eye
Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth says parts of Ubuntu 13.04 will be kept a secret, out of the public eye until its unveiling. The move, which he writes about on his blog, will sure to create a firestorm in the Ubuntu community,Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TUAKGvDe9kQ/
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French Carrot Salad |
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Beach Cottage girlfriends, you need this recipe in your life.
We all know I am all about the looking good without doing anything much, this is rather tricky with hair and one?s ahem face but, with recipes, this is that in a nutshell.
This is so ridiculously amazingly easy but tastes like you spent a lot of time thinking, preparing and working at this that it is a Too Easy Recipe all over.
I don?t have any exciting story to tell you about this?no memories of holidays in the South or indeed the West of France and I have no idea where it came from, when or how I found it but I do know this.
You should make it too.
This goes beautifully with a barbecue and ticks most admirably the Australian conundrum when one is asked to ?just bring a salad?? I have said before that those 4 humble words when you are fresh off the boat can leave you looking like a prize, English idiot ? your salads need to rock in this land of beauty..this so does that for you quickly and easily
4 large carrots (about 500g)
1 tablespoon parsley
6 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove finely chopped or minced
1. grate carrots finely
2. whisk lemon juice, olive oil & garlic, salt & pepper
3. pour vinaigrette over carrots and mix
4. serve with the parsley
THAT IS IT!
Truly, unbelievably it is as simple as that and it ROCKS.
This is lazy girl salad with a Beach Cottage Too Easy twist?meaning it tastes fandabbydozy, when all you did was a little bit of grating and pouring of zee oil plus if you, like me, often have sad and lonely looking carrots hanging around in the bottom of your vegetable drawer in the fridge, this my friends, will use them up very well.
The best thing about this is the Beach Cottage Crew love it?every single time I make it (I double up this recipe) there is never enough and always people asking more?and where veggies and kids are concerned I feel I can?t go wrong with that.
See you next time lovelies.
Sarah
p.s. Barley blogged here today! ?don?t miss
p.p.s. you may also like this easy roasted asparagus ? divine!
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have you signed up for the BC Club? ?pop your email address in the box below for weekly updates to keep you in the loop, plus sneak peeks & more xo
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Sweet Blogging, the e-course was written with girls in mind?girls with lives and jobs and kiddos, a house and a life?my story and experiences with blogging, what I have done that has worked and what hasn?t plus my advice for blogging for girls who live in the real world?
..presented in a quick and simple way for you to read at your leisure?and easily implement?on your own blog?It?s simply all about all the things that I have learnt along the way as a blogger?the good, the bad and the not so pretty?
You can go here for details ~ the Sweet Blogging E-Course Outline and more information.
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Pin ItSource: http://www.abeachcottage.com/2012/10/french-carrot-salad.html
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Brooklyn raccoon invasion panics residents, pets | WTVR.com ...
Posted on: 3:19 pm, October 16, 2012, by Nick Dutton, updated on: 03:21pm, October 16, 2012
BROOKLYN, NY (WCBS) ? A lot of folks in Brooklyn?s Clinton Hill neighborhood are on alert after a brazen series of invasions by masked, four-legged critters.
?They are adorable, but not in your backyard,? Clinton Hill resident Susan DeBrango explained.
She snapped photos of the raccoons trying to bust inside her home and said one of them had the nerve to stand up on its hind legs and hiss at her.
Barbara Mattocks, also had a close encounter with one of the animals on her front stoop.
?I don?t want that feeling ever again! I was petrified,? Mattocks said.
The raccoons are?definitely?getting more brazen on Washington Avenue. They have been spotted rummaging through trash and running right up to neighbors. Not to mention leaving some pets in the neighborhood
In fact, a 3-year-old Maltese named snowball, who used to love to play outside, is now a prisoner in his own home, according to his owner.
?He refuses to go out in the yard,? Mattocks said.
Neighbors said they called 311, but were told the city will not respond unless the raccoons appear disoriented and potentially rabid.
Neighbors chipped in for the services of a humane trapper, but in three weeks of setting out cat food in cages not a single raccoon was caught.
Raccoon Experts are not surprised.
?In terms of trying to trap them once they?ve been trapped once they?ll know not to go in that trap again,? Liberty Science Center?s Rich Weddle said.
Weddle said raccoons can spread rabies and distemper, which is a concern for dogs ? not to mention parasites, fleas and ticks.
?Some child or some person is going to have to get attacked ? maybe somebody?s pet,? Mattocks said. ?Why does it have to come to that.?)
DeBrango is organizing a public meeting on Oct. 17, calling it a raccoon summit.
The meeting will spread the word about securing trashcan lids, bringing in cat, dog and bird food and making home repairs to cut off cozy places for raccoons to sleep.
Source: http://wtvr.com/2012/10/16/brooklyn-raccoon-invasion-panics-residents-pets/
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Motivating Your Team to Peak Performance: 6 Tips for Successful ...
The words ?team work? and ?team building? are two of the most popular phrases in modern management today.? They are often announced as though they are great discoveries that have only become evident as a result of the speed of change in the last decade of the 20th century.
Get Your Free Report: Taking Action
Virtually every progressive company in the world today is committed to building and maintaining high-quality teams.? Because of the flattening of corporate hierarchies, opportunities for rapid promotion have diminished dramatically and been replaced by the rewards and satisfactions possible from working together in harmony with other people toward the achievement of important goals and objectives.
Team Building through Shared Goals
In the beginning phase of team building, you must ensure that everyone is clear about what the team is expected to accomplish. The goals of the team are shared and discussed by everyone. Each team member gives his or her ideas and input into how the goals and objectives can be best achieved. Each person feels like a part of a larger organization and strives to reach peak performance.
Top Teams Share Values and Principles
In peak performance teams, there is regular discussion about the values, principles, and behaviors that guide the decisions of the team. The leader encourages values such as honesty, openness, punctuality, responsibility for completing assignments, quality work, and so on. Everyone discusses and agrees on what they are.
Peak Performance Teams Share Plans of Action
In this phase of team building, you go around the table and have each member of the team explain exactly what part of the work he or she is going to accept responsibility for completing. At the end of this discussion, each member knows what every other member is going to be doing and how his or her own work fits in with the work of the team.
Always Lead the Action
There must always be a clear boss or leader in any organization. Democracy is a fine concept, but it goes only so far in business. Someone must be in command and take charge. And that someone is probably you. On a good team, everyone knows who is in charge. The leader sets an example for the others. The leader becomes the role model and can lead the team to peak performance.
Continuous Review and Evaluation
In this final phase of team building, the team regularly evaluates its progress from two perspectives. First, is the team getting the results that are expected by its customers or other in the company? In dealing with customers, does the team set up mechanisms to continually ask customers, ?how are we doing??
Bringing the Team Together
One of the most important things you do in building a peak performance organization is to hold regular staff meetings. Bring your people together weekly, at a fixed time, to talk, discuss, catch up on progress, learn how the company is doing, and generally share ideas, opinions, and insights.
Thank you for reading this article on how to build peak performance teams to achieve your business goals. If you have any team building tips that you would like to share, please feel free to comment below!
Topics included in this article include
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Tags: building teams, peak performance, team building, teamwork, top teams
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Is the Golden Age of Website Analytics Coming to an end Already ...
It?s no secret, I love online marketing. The reason I love it is that it?s so measurable and you can separate what?s real and working from what?s not. Amazing, insightful analytics make that possible. But now, it looks like the best of those days may behind us.
Keyword Not Provided
The aspect of online analytics that?s currently under the most sustained attack is keyword data from search engines. In the past, if I were to search on Google using some keywords, and then click on a website, Google would be kind enough to let that website know what keywords I used. A website owner can use that information to better understand visitor intent, product demand, website performance, or even understand where visitors are getting the wrong pages for their key phrases. This bit of information is under attack. And Google, of all companies, was the one that fired the first shot.
Logged in to Google? Keywords Not Provided
Google was the first ones out of the gate to eliminate keyword referral data when users were logged in. We?ve blogged about not provided in the past and since that post, this functionality has been rolled out beyond just Google.com. The SSL search functionality is what other providers and platforms are using as well.
Using Chrome? Keywords probably not provided
A cool new feature of Chrome is that you can log in to?synchronize?your browsing experience across multiple platforms. Part of that?synchronization is usernames and passwords, which makes it easier to log in to Google, but it also gives you keyword not provided. Currently, I?m seeing about 30-60% of Chrome users coming in with (not provided).
Using Firefox 14 and up? Keywords not provided
That cool Google search box in the top right of Firefox? It?s been using Google?s SSL search since version 14, which came out July 17th. From here, I can see that about 50-70% of them have upgraded. That means we no longer get any keyword data from those users.
Firefox users with no keyword referring data.
Using Safari on iOS6? Nothing provided!
Apple, Google?s past friend and now foe, also chose to go with SSL search with Safari in iOS6 (released Sept 21). It also doesn?t pass any referrer data at all. You don?t even get to see that those users came from Google. Instead, they come into the ?direct? bucket in Google Analytics. The image below shows the incredible gain of direct traffic from iOS users. Understand that the gain in direct traffic means I?m not getting any referrer or keyword data from that traffic.
Direct traffic from iOS
Going to use IE10? Nothing provided!
Another Google foe, Microsoft, has chosen the penultimate weapon against Analytics by choosing to implement a ?Do Not Track? flag in IE10 as?default. Other browsers already have Do Not Track as an option, but none have been so bold as to turn it on by default. This acts like the magic mind erase tool from the movie ?Men in Black.? Of course, advertisers and other companies may choose to ignore the flag altogether.
So where does that leave us?
Tracking helps companies make their websites more usable based on how users search for and then browse their sites.? Since advertising pays for much of the internet, these cookies and tracking codes help advertising companies provide ads that are more relevant to your interests. Keyword data was one of the only attributes that told me about a user?s intent. In aggregate, it provided incredible insights into what users expected and wanted. Without that data, I?m going to have to go back to making wild guesses as to what users want. Talk about frustration!
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Adriel Michaud
@adrielmichaud+Adriel Michaud
As Partner and Director of SEO at Top Draw, Adriel Michaud is committed to maximizing ROI for his clients. He helps companies understand how effective internet marketing can drive their business forward and set them apart from the competition. His fact-based approach to web analysis, along with his extensive industry experience, translates into business process improvement and online success.
Adriel has traveled extensively as a consultant and presenter on such topics as lead generation, search engine marketing and sales.
Source: http://www.topdraw.com/blog/is-the-golden-age-of-website-analytics-coming-to-an-end-already/
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Asia stocks up on US earnings, Spain speculation
BANGKOK (AP) -- Asian stock markets rose Wednesday on better-than-expected earnings from U.S. corporate giants and growing speculation that Spain is finally ready to ask for financial aid.
Spain, mired in a deep recession and high unemployment, has become the latest flashpoint in the two-year European crisis due to fears that its debt problems could spiral out of control.
Investors are hoping that Spain will bite the bullet and ask for financial aid, which Madrid has been reluctant to do because of harsh terms that it might have to agree to in exchange for the help.
"Risk assets registered further gains in the wake of speculation that Spain is close to requesting aid," said analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong in a market commentary. They said that positive economic data and third-quarter earnings from the U.S. also boosted investment sentiment.
Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.3 percent to 8,816.88. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.9 percent to 21,386.77 and South Korea's Kospi added 0.8 percent to 1,956.85.
Spain has been granted a 100 billion euros ($130 billion) loan by the 17-nation eurozone to help banks that were decimated by the collapse of the real estate sector.
Last month, the European Central Bank agreed to buy unlimited amounts of debt by struggling European countries to help lower their borrowing costs. But the governments first need to apply for bailout.
Spain has not applied; instead, the government has introduced a series of austerity measures in a bid to bring down its deficit and convince investors it can manage its finances without outside help.
On Wall Street, meanwhile, stocks rose on higher-than-expected third-quarter earnings for Goldman Sachs and several other blue chips. On top of that came a report that consumer prices barely rose last month. That not only gives consumers more money to spend ? it also leaves the Federal Reserve the room to continue its economy-boosting efforts without the risk of sparking inflation.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 1 percent to close at 13,551.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1 percent to close at 1,454.92. The Nasdaq composite index rose 1.2 percent to close at 3,101.17.
Benchmark oil for November was up 28 cents to $92.37 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract closed 24 cents higher to $92.09.
In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3098 from $1.3043 late Tuesday in New York. The dollar fell to 78.81 yen from 78.90 yen.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asia-stocks-us-earnings-spain-033757953.html
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Microsoft Surface ads start airing
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Microsoft Surface ads start airing
New Microsoft Surface ads start airingMore...
Source: http://www.vistaheads.com/forums/winvistaclub-blog/577052-microsoft-surface-ads-start-airing.html
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Sandra Knott commented on Wendy's group Metastatic Breast Cancer Babes (aka: Crazy Sexy Iron Butterflies)
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Source: http://my.crazysexylife.com/xn/detail/2001521%3AComment%3A1256372?xg_source=activity
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Video: Is Mitt Romney as bipartisan as he claims?
Alternative therapies offer pain relief to cancer patients
??Along with the standard treatments of chemotherapy and radiation for cancer, patients are routinely being offered complementary therapies such as acupuncture, massage and yoga in major cancer centers around the country, according to a report by NBC?s Dr. Nancy Snyderman.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49423062#49423062
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My Cat Does Not Like Moving - PawNation
You Say.??
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Source: http://www.pawnation.com/2012/10/16/my-cat-does-not-like-moving/
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Polycom Offers New Video Collaboration Suite Small Business Trends
Video conferencing company Polycom is launching a new suite of products intended to help business users communicate and collaborate with other users around the world. Until now, Polycom has been known for equipment mainly meant for large enterprises, but the new products are priced so that some smaller companies can now utilize the software as well.
Polycom?s RealPresence CloudAxis Suite will allow users to connect with anyone on other platforms like Skype, Facebook, and Google Talk. Business can use the software to contact clients, host virtual meetings, share content, control video recording and streaming features, and collaborate in a variety of other ways.
The main benefit of this software is that it allows secure communication with others outside a business?s organization or firewall. CloudAxis is designed to run as a virtual edition, delivering video collaboration tools from either the private cloud or the public cloud.
The CloudAxis Suite will be available as Video Collaboration-as-a-Service (VCaaS) through Polycom?s partners or by contacting a sales rep online. The new CloudAxis program, which will become widely available early in 2013, is just one out of a whole series of new products and features from Polycom, including a simplified user interface for its new and existing endpoints, which will allow users to connect with a variety of different devices including desktops and tablets.
Though there are plenty of video conferencing options that are more affordable and have all the features necessary for the smallest of businesses, this new suite from Polycom does offer enterprise-grade software that may be beneficial for growing businesses. And the simplified interface makes it more user friendly for businesses that have employees or clients who work remotely or on-the go.
Polycom was founded back in 1990 and caters to many Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare, education, entertainment, government, finance, and manufacturing industries.
About Annie Pilon
Annie Pilon is a freelance writer specializing inmarketing, social media, and creative topics. When she?s not writing for her various freelance projects or her personal blog Wattlebird, she can be found exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer. ?
Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/10/polycom-offers-new-video-collaboration-suite.html
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Morning Market Roundup: German Energy Tax, Inflation Eases in ...
Here?s what?s important in the business world this morning:
Germany: Germany?s tax on households? electricity bills to finance the expansion of renewable energies will rise almost 50 percent on the year as the country pushes ahead with phasing out nuclear power within a decade.
The country?s four main grid operators say Monday that the tax will rise from ?3.6 cents to ?5.3 cents ($6.7 cents) per kilowatt hour starting in January. That brings the annual cost of financing Germany?s energy switchover for a family of four to about ?250 ($324) per year, including sales tax.
The tax is used to pay producers of solar, wind or biomass power guaranteed above-market rates to ensure their investment will be profitable.
Renewable energies currently produce a quarter of Germany?s electricity but are set to account for 80 percent by 2050.
China: China?s inflation eased further in September, giving the government more room to stimulate the country?s slowing economy.
Consumer inflation fell to 1.9 percent from August?s 2 percent rate, data showed Monday. Politically sensitive food prices rose 2.5 percent, down from the previous month?s 3.4 percent.
The decline gives Beijing more excuse to cut interest rates or boost spending to reverse the country?s deepest slowdown since the 2008 global crisis.
Producer prices contracted 3.6 percent compared with a year earlier, a striking sign of slack demand despite two interest rate cuts since the start of June and higher government spending on building airports and other public works.
Chinese leaders have been moving cautiously in response to the slowdown after their huge stimulus in 2008 ignited inflation and a wasteful building boom. Economic growth fell to a three-year low of 7.6 percent in the quarter ending in June and officials including President Hu Jintao have warned it may decline further before recovering.
Social Security Benefit Increase: Social Security recipients won?t be getting big benefit increases next year, but the small raises they will receive are playing an important role in helping seniors grow their incomes even as younger workers lose ground.
Preliminary figures show the annual benefit boost will be between 1 and 2 percent, which would be among the lowest since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975. Monthly benefits for retired workers average $1,237, meaning the typical retiree can expect a raise of between $12 and $24 a month.
The size of the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will be made official Tuesday, when the government releases inflation figures for September.
Markets: A round of figures showing China?s economy is in relatively good health helped buoy markets Monday, at the start of a week that could offer greater clarity on the economic fates of Greece and Spain.
Germany?s DAX was up 0.8 percent at 7,293 while the CAC-40 in France rose 1.3 percent at 9,434. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was 0.5 percent higher at 5,823.
Wall Street was poised for a solid opening, with both Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures up 0.4 percent.
Japan?s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.5 percent to close at 8,577.93, snapping a four-day losing streak. Hong Kong?s Hang Seng rose less than 0.1 percent to 21,148.25. South Korea?s Kospi fell 0.4 percent to 1,925.59.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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