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Monday, September 3, 2012

Finding Help From A Social Media Agency: Enterprises Build An ...

While major movers in the advertising scene may assume that more actual or ?organic? ways of marketing products and services like giving away pamphlets, setting up billboards, as well as holding special events continue to lure customers and prospects, there?s no question that cyberspace is a vital venue to get the word out about a company that must be seriously invested in. There?s hardly an individual to be found who has yet to own a single cell phone or set up an account for a social networking site for the first time these days; for the average adult, logging onto the Internet using a cell phone, laptop computer, or tablet computer is actually a regular activity (typically repeated many times a day), making the World Wide Web a very good place for enterprises to reach present customers and connect with potential new ones.

Where exactly, will these target people be found? The answer would undeniably be in social media sites. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, FourSquare, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Flickr, and WordPress blogging sites are some of the sites that millions of users check on everyday, and it is only rational for businesses of all sizes and across various sectors to reach out to their expected audiences in those websites. Just like with some other marketing efforts, people find themselves demanding expert support in managing many accounts at the same time, of course, if that?s the scenario, business people can get the assistance of an excellent social media agency. World companies can tell of a good presence across various social media accounts due to specialists navigating the web and taking advantage of it for its potential.

Having the ability to concentrate on one?s main business operations is one of the advantages companies will enjoy after hiring a provider specializing in social media marketing. World professionals can simply target a company?s ideal consumers and make deep and important connections with them through the social network accounts. With thousands (or even millions) of Internet surfers logged onto a particular site at any moment, there are plenty of good possibilities to make use of popular and word-of-mouth marketing and advertising through the buyers -that?s for sure free positive promotion at no extra cost to the company owner. Social media sites enable companies to have real-time feedback on their performance and their offerings.

Because any regular Internet user would know, most of the sites motivate customers to leave remarks, share information, and express their thoughts wherever possible; there?s no better or maybe less complicated way for companies to see both positive and negative messages from their consumers and change their services as necessary to meet the needs and desires of their market.

Because of an expert social media agency, businesses can build a good social media presence while keeping their customers up-to-date with new improvements and special deals, keeping them lured to remain connected and maintain an on-line connection. With better customer relations, there?s no other effect to be had except more generated business and strengthened customer loyalty.

A lot of businesses today are growing and with that they are now lured to hire a social media agency. London companies are already seeing the advantage for using it.

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Source: http://theboardmagazine.com/2012/09/finding-help-from-a-social-media-agency-enterprises-build-an-online-profile/

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Sunday, September 2, 2012

No more sneezing, allergen free house plants

Saturday, September 1, 2012

New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Plant Biology shows how targeting two bacterial genes into an ornamental plant (Pelargonium), can produce long-lived and pollen-free plants.

Pelargoniums ('Geraniums' and 'Storkbills') have been cultivated in Europe since the 17th century and are now one of the most popular garden and house plants around the world. They have been selectively bred to produce a wide range of leaf shapes, flowers and scents, and have commercial traits such as early and continuous flowering, pest and disease resistance and consistent quality.

In a collaborative project, researchers from the Instituto de Biolog?a Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP) and BIOMIVA S.L. (Spain) modified Agrobacterium tumefaciens (the bacteria responsible for causing crown gall disease) to carry altered genes. One gene, encoding an enzyme Isopentenyl phosphotransferase (ipt) was designed to increase the amount of cytokinin (a plant hormone), and consequently prevent aging (senescence), and the second was engineered to selectively destroy pollen-producing anthers.

The modified DNA was injected into Pelargonium zonale cells by the bacteria, where it was subsequently integrated into the plant's genome. Individual plants were then grown from these transgenic cells. P. zonale plants carrying the modified genes were more compact with increased number of branches and leaves than normal. These plants also had small leaves and flowers, with more vibrant colours, and the extra cytokinin in the leaves meant that these plants lived longer than usual.

Dr Luis Ca?as, one of the researchers from IBMCP explained, "The ipt enzyme catalyzes the rate-limiting step for cytokinin biosynthesis in plants and consequently extra ipt, provided transgenically, produces more cytokinin and prevents the plant cells from aging. In addition, the use of an anther-specific promoter from pea driving the expression of a bacterial gene (ribonuclease), prevents the development of male progenitor cells into anthers and pollen, resulting in pollen-free flowers."

The generation of long-life plants is good news for the gardener who wants a display of flowers for as long as possible and the lack of pollen not only is great for hay fever sufferers but also prevents accidental release of the transgenes into the environment. However the extra cytokinin does not protect against owners forgetting to water their plants.

###

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/123151/No_more_sneezing__allergen_free_house_plants

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As Mass. governor, Romney took tough welfare line

BOSTON (AP) ? Mitt Romney, hoping to draw a sharp contrast on welfare, is citing a disputed charge that President Barack Obama is giving recipients a free ride, and he can point to his own record of pushing for tighter rules.

Romney, Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007, fought to require single parents with children as young as a year old to work to get welfare benefits if they could obtain state-subsidized child care. He opposed efforts to allow time spent in job training or education programs to count toward the state's 20-hour weekly work requirement for welfare recipients, and pushed for a five-year lifetime limit on welfare benefits.

At the time, Massachusetts was one of only five states without a lifetime limit, instead allowing welfare recipients to claim benefits two years out of every five-year period.

Despite his tougher stand, Romney also tried to shield welfare benefits from budget cuts as the state struggled with sinking revenues.

"There are a number of areas where I feel significant cuts would be too difficult on such short notice. I did not cut welfare payments," Romney said in a televised address in 2003 explaining his state budget proposal after just four weeks on the job. "In fact, the majority of state programs for the poor and elderly were not touched."

As the GOP presidential nominee, Romney has been criticized for shifting his position on everything from abortion and embryonic stem cell research to health care. But his stand on welfare has remained relatively constant.

Despite his record as governor, his campaign has come under increasing criticism for leveling what Democrats and many independent fact-checkers say are dubious charges against Obama.

Romney's campaign alleges in remarks and TV ads that Obama is loosening welfare restrictions by ending a provision that requires welfare recipients to work. Romney has told voters again and again he'd restore the work requirement to the federal program.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum made the attack line a big part of his speech to the GOP convention, saying that Obama "showed us once again he believes in government handouts and dependency by waiving the work requirement for welfare."

Yet numerous independent fact-checkers, including The Associated Press, have determined that Romney and his surrogates are distorting the facts.

The White House says the waivers Obama approved for states recently would only allow them to drop the work requirement if they can accomplish the same goals using different methods.

In Massachusetts, Romney clashed not only with Democratic leaders but also with advocates for those on welfare. Those advocates said some of his recommendations were harmful to children, particularly those requiring parents of young children, often mothers, to work up to 20 hours a week to maintain their benefits.

In a state with a liberal reputation, Romney's tough stand put him at odds with a Democratic-controlled Legislature. Yet it also placed him in line with some of his GOP gubernatorial predecessors in Massachusetts.

Romney vetoed a proposal sent to him by the Legislature during his first year to allow welfare recipients to use time spent in training and education classes to satisfy the state work requirement. It later overturned Romney's veto.

During his second year, Romney took another stab at toughening welfare requirements, again pushing to require more parents currently receiving welfare benefits to go to work.

By 2005, Romney sought to increase the pressure even more by proposing rules that would mandate welfare recipients with children as young as a year old to start working 20 hours a week to earn their state benefits.

In his state of the state address that year, Romney outlined his efforts to bring what he called "real welfare reform to Massachusetts," saying part of his goal was to help get those on welfare back into the workforce as quickly as possible.

"People from both political parties have long recognized that welfare without work creates negative incentives that lead to permanent poverty," Romney said. "It robs people of self-esteem."

Throughout his term, Romney often found himself at odds with welfare advocates, who said his tougher line would ultimately hurt the children of those on welfare and make it difficult for recipients to find jobs that would allow them to support their families.

During his final year in office, Romney and Democratic lawmakers again clashed over the best way to overhaul the state's welfare laws.

The House and Senate passed a bill they said would require more welfare recipients to work, but critics, including Romney, said the plan didn't go far enough, jeopardizing millions in federal welfare dollars.

The Legislature's bill would have required about 16,000 of the state's 45,600 welfare recipients to work. Romney proposed a series of amendments he said would put more than 25,500 recipients to work.

Among those was his push to require women with children between 1 and 2 years old to work if they could obtain state-subsidized child care. Romney also wanted to require disabled welfare recipients to meet the stricter federal definition of disability rather than a more lenient state definition.

The Legislature ended its formal session that year without taking final action on the welfare overhaul bill.

Asked for comment on his welfare record, Romney's campaign cited his remarks this month in Iowa, saying he pushed for tougher work requirements for those receiving benefits.

"People who receive payments from government are going to be required to work, not as a punitive measure, but as a gift. Work is enhancing. Work is elevating," Romney said in Iowa. "I want more people working if they're going to receive government assistance."

___

Miga reported from Washington.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-governor-romney-took-tough-welfare-line-072739324.html

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5 Ways to Torpedo Your Retirement ? Financial Freedom

Good Day,

It?s simply a miracle how some of us get to live a full retirement life with all the mistakes some us put ourselves through. A survey that was done recently found out that only a few retirees die while broke, this is good news. But I hope this will not mean that you stop paying attention to your retirement, because the laws governing retirement benefits keeps on changing every now and then, and with Social Security needing a serious review, now is the time to be extra vigilant when it comes to your retirement. There are a number of ways one can jeopardize their retirement, by the actions they either, knowingly or unknowingly, perform over the years. And as the years go by, and with the government transferring retirement contribution more and more to the individual, it is time everyone took responsibility for their own retirement, ensuring that you have what it takes to have a successful retirement. As Neal Frankle explains in the following article, there are five ways a person can affect the value of the retirement.

Couples who work hard all their lives often eagerly look forward to retirement. But working for 30 or more years doesn?t guarantee that you will be able to retire comfortably. Here are five common retirement planning errors that generally torpedo your ability to retire.

1. Too much debt.

Having debt is not the kiss of death for your retirement. But high interest debt such as credit card debt could be, especially if you can?t figure out how to get out of debt and begin saving for the future. It?s extremely difficult to invest for retirement when you are still paying off past purchases.

2. Spend your retirement savings on college.

Some couples make it a financial priority to pay for their children?s college so that they will not begin their careers with debt. However, when you tap your home equity, stop saving for retirement, or even raid your retirement accounts to pay for your children?s college, you may be sacrificing your own retirement security. On top of that, you will be missing a golden opportunity to teach your kids about money. There are a variety of ways to finance college, but you can?t take out loans for retirement.

3. No emergency plan.

Most of us are completely dependent on the money we receive from a single job. Losing that job can easily exhaust your savings and jeopardize your entire financial plan. It?s important to develop an emergency fund and plan before you hit those stormy waters. Consider taking on a second job or developing a side business to diversify your income streams in case a layoff should occur.

4. No long-term investment strategy.

Some people change their investment allocation based on the latest financial news. This can be a huge mistake. If you pulled money out of equities when the market tumbled in 2008, you also didn?t take advantage of the market recovery that has since occurred. Retirement savers need to accept that there will be fluctuations in mutual fund performance and invest for the long term. The only way to combat this type of emotional investing is to have a well thought out investment plan for retirement income that balances financial needs with emotional demands. Then you need to stick with that investment plan throughout financial storms.

5. No retirement plan.

The most dangerous mistake individuals can make is having no retirement plan. Financial plans are not set in stone and you won?t be able to foresee every contingency. But having an approximate roadmap you can follow is better than having no plan.

You can be smart, responsible, and hard-working and still end up without enough resources for a secure retirement. In order to make sure this doesn?t happen to you, take the time to put together a plan, track your spending, and don?t get into debt if you can help it. Think through your investment strategy and stick to it even when you feel tempted to change it.

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I'm an introvert, but I like to meet new people and learn new things about them, and also I like traveling to see how other people live. On the professional front, I'm in the financial field and I've always been interested in finance. View all posts by kenndungu

Source: http://kenndungu.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/5-ways-to-torpedo-your-retirement/

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Saturday, September 1, 2012

Fiscally conservative Romney-Ryan ticket: Does it appeal in Germany?

Germany has promoted austerity as central to fixing eurozone woes. So is there any resonance between Chancellor Merkel's views and the Romney-Ryan ticket?

By Rieke Havertz,?Contributor / August 24, 2012

Visitors surround German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) during open house day at the Chancellery in Berlin, Sunday. Mrs. Merkel is facing re-election next year.

Thomas Peter/Reuters

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With America's election day getting closer, Germans are following the tightening race between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney with increasing enthusiasm. Four years after Mr. Obama entered the White House he is still highly popular. But could Germans' interest in Romney rise with Paul Ryan on his ticket?

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Stimulus packages

But throughout the economic crisis, the Obama White House was encouraging Germany to support more debt-increasing stimulus packages. Germany resisted, with Mrs. Merkel arguing that decreasing the debt was the solution for regaining political authority.

?Superficially, one could argue that Romney and Merkel share the same economic interests,? says Josef Braml, Program Officer USA/Transatlantic Relations at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin.

But Romney may still face an uphill battle in winning the hearts and minds of Germans and their leader.

Romney didn?t help himself with his Europe trip earlier this month, facing criticism for the countries he chose to visit and a number of his remarks. Then there is his economic philosophy.

The German and American definitions of conservative diverge sharply. Being conservative in Germany does not automatically mean promoting deregulation. ?In Germany, it is hardly imaginable to reduce the role of government in the way Romney/Ryan want to do it. The state and some regulation on the market play a bigger role in Europe,? says Mr. Braml.

Little social security

Merkel's politics are based on the social economic market, an economic model most political parties have followed since World War II. It's a compromise between social democracy and economic liberalism, combining private enterprise with government regulation to establish fair competition. ?Extensive cuts in social benefits, like Paul Ryan?s proposal to privatize Medicare, are not part of her political vision,? says Henriette Rytz from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Germans have questions about how a Romney-Ryan team would cut government spending while expanding the military budget. And experts raise concerns about more social cuts in a system that ? compared to Germany ?? has little social security.

Moreover, whoever wins the presidential race in November is going to face a tough economic outlook for 2013. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the first half of 2013 will be difficult if currently planned spending cuts and tax hikes go into effect, with US GDP shrinking by 2.9 percent, followed by a second half growth rate of 1.9 percent.

This outlook will influence US foreign policy, Braml says. ?Neither a Democrat nor a Republican will have a lot of leeway. Because of its own economic problems, the USA will try to shift much of the burden onto its allies in Europe and Asia.?

Austerity policy

Looking at this global crisis, Merkel favors an austerity policy but also promotes a regulation of the financial sector and a financial transaction tax, something Romney would most likely not agree on.

?Given his campaign promise to repeal Dodd-Frank [Wall Street reforms], Romney is likely to object to government intervention in the global financial sector,? says Mrs. Rytz.

Merkel might give a future president Romney a warm welcome as a sometime-fellow conservative, but the differences in their economic policies would not likely translate into an immediately tight-knit relationship. And at any rate, for the next year, with an election looming, Merkel's main preoccupation jibes more closely with Obama's: getting reelected.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/RApWFbu2FP8/Fiscally-conservative-Romney-Ryan-ticket-Does-it-appeal-in-Germany

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Proud PSU fans show strength, support before debut

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? As fans gather around Beaver Stadium in anticipation of Saturday's long-awaited season opener, the overall mood around Penn State football is that of pride, perseverance and support ? for both the current and former coach.

Hours before the official beginning of the Bill O'Brien era, tailgaters are tossing footballs through the parking lots, setting up their cooking stations and readying themselves for the new Nittany Lions' debut against Ohio at noon. Many are wearing "We Bill-ieve" shirts, endorsing Penn State's new leader, O'Brien, who is the former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, and who has the been a steadying force within the program for nine months.

When the team arrived at the stadium, O'Brien was the first person to deboard off bus No. 1, followed by his game captains Derek Day, Jordan Hill, Gerald Hodges and Matt McGloin.

Boisterous fans waited for hours by the tunnel entrance waiting for the team busses. They chanted "Joe Pa-ter-no!" before turning their cheers toward O'Brien. There were thunderous cheers for the players as they exited the bus. The fans showed they stood by the players that stuck with the program.

Though the statue of Hall of Famer Joe Paterno ? O'Brien's predecessor ? was removed July 22, the day before the NCAA announced the sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, many fans still hold Paterno in high regard and are unafraid to show it. One tailgater, in fact, has a 16-foot, homemade banner that reads "409 wins with honor," referring to Paterno's victory total. Other fans are wearing shirts that read "We Are ... Still Proud."

Where the statue used to stand, a fan placed a Paterno bobblehead between the trees. Others are stopping to snap pictures with cellphones and cameras.

Dressed in Penn State jerseys, Cindy and Mark Wascavage of Washington, N.J., paused to remember the man they say will always be the face of Penn State football.

"It makes you wanna cry," Cindy, 54, said as she saw the bobblehead.

The couple has held season tickets for the past nine years and has always admired the former coach, even through these difficult times.

"He was the whole football program," Cindy said, while Mark believes on this proud day, all of Penn State will stand united.

Chris Bartnik, of Chantilly, Va., created a life-size cutout of the former coach to honor him, and carried it with him through the lots. He stopped by the former statue holding place, but did not keep the cutout there out of fear it would be removed by university personnel.

"I don't think it's fair," he said, "to pretend Joe Paterno never existed."

At Paterno's gravesite, fresh flowers were added to the fading collection of notes and memorabilia by Rob Elchynski, 44, who stopped by with his wife and friends before the game.

"I think it's critical to the moving-on that they talk about, that they start playing football again," Elchynski said, walking back to his car after saying a short prayer at the graveside.

The students, alumni and fans outside the stadium were nearly unanimous in their stance that Paterno got a raw deal and the university should have dug in and fought back against the NCAA sanctions. They've united behind the program following strict NCAA sanctions including a four-year bowl ban.

"We're maybe more determined than ever to be supportive," said Mike Bealla, of Harrisburg. "If you're a fan, you're a fan. The spirit will be there."

They threw their creative energy into homemade signs, T-shirts, and tailgate feasts. And Penn State stores sold T-shirts touting "Tradition" and "We Are."

Sue Wilson, a Penn State graduate, set up camp in the same tailgate lot she's celebrated for more than 20 years. Wearing a "House that Joe Built," T-shirt, Wilson said the NCAA or former FBI Director Louis Freeh's university-commissioned report did not diminish Paterno's accomplishments.

"He was a man of honor and superior high-moral integrity," he said. "I knew him and I was honored to know him. I miss him."

About 90 minutes before kickoff, a plane flew over Beaver Stadium with a banner reading "Oust Erickson/trustees," referring to Penn State president Rodney Erickson.

But while much of the famed gameday atmosphere remained the same, there are still plenty of changes in the first home opener without Paterno since 1949.

Hours before kickoff, the Penn State football Twitter account posted a picture of the team uniforms hanging in the locker room ? jerseys with names on the back. More than 90 percent of the roster stayed after the NCAA handed down its punishment July 23. A blue ribbon also will be placed on the back of helmets to show support for child abuse victims.

Some 15,000 fans gave a preview of what to expect on gameday at Penn State's pep rally Friday night at the stadium. As the team sat on bleachers atop the field, and O'Brien gave a brief, but inspirational, speech, a familiar refrain echoed through the Beaver Stadium crowd.

"We Are ... Penn State!"

"I can't tell you how much we need to hear you all tomorrow," O'Brien said at the time. "We need to hear you loud and proud to cheer these guys on."

The Nittany Lions were the stars of a 45-minute show that built up to the team's entrance about two-thirds of the way into the event. They were barely there for 10 minutes, watching the debut of the 2012 season video to get the crowd pumped for kickoff before listening to O'Brien's brief talk.

It was an emotional outlet for students and fans who have united behind the players following strict NCAA sanctions.

"This is a very, very special group of players, led by a very special senior class that has made a huge commitment," O'Brien said. "Our guys have worked extremely hard ... They're tired of hitting each other and they can't wait to get going. Thank you very much and we'll see you tomorrow."

The rest of the athletic department had the chance to show its support, as well, on Friday. New signs at Beaver Stadium include the slogan "One Team" ? a motto for the entire department, not just the football team. Coaches from other Penn State teams also addressed the crowd.

"We're all one voice, and that one voice needs to be heard with great passion, great pride and great enthusiasm. Not just tonight, not just tomorrow, but from here on moving forward," said men's basketball coach Patrick Chambers in an impassioned speech.

___

Dan Gelston can be followed at http://twitter.com/apgelston

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/proud-psu-fans-show-strength-support-debut-133752791--spt.html

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Obama: Romney, GOP offering only well-worn ideas

President Barack Obama is greeted by former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell on the tarmac upon his arrival at Des Moines International Airport, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at the Living History Farms, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, in Urbandale, Iowa. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) ? President Barack Obama says Mitt Romney and the Republican Party are offering outdated ideas that are ill-suited for the United States today and in the future, and that the GOP doesn't have the answers to move the country forward.

The Democratic incumbent, who's campaigning in Iowa on Saturday and heading next week to North Carolina for his party's national convention, says he will offer what he believes is a "better path" when he speaks to delegates on Thursday night.

Obama says Republicans at their just ended convention tried to make this case: "Everything is bad, it's Obama's fault" and Romney is the one who knows the secret to creating jobs and expanding the economy.

But the president says there was plenty of GOP talk about hard truths and bold ideas at the convention, but no details.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-09-01-Obama/id-cead2a57a7e2462da4fe1985c1baff62

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