You had been waiting long enough for the construction of the pool in your backyard where you had just dreamt to spend lazy afternoons in the cool water or have a great family time with some neatly arranged deck chairs by the pool while enjoying the fresh air. But when it actually took place, there was nothing more than disappointment on your face. The laying of the concrete has not been good and it has already started to show cracks on the surface. What a disaster and dreadful end to a surprise most awaited. Who is to blame for this? You or the contractor who has handled the job? Partially both. As the client, it was your responsibility to look for an experienced concrete contractor in Abbotsford, bc rather than passing the job on to some amateur.
Laying concrete is a tough job and there are very few good concrete contractors in Abbotsford, bc who can handle the job efficiently. Not only knowledge of laying the concrete but the art to handle different types of decorative concrete, structural concrete is also important. Moreover, the company with years of expertise in dealing with concrete should also have the right human resource and equipment to give shape to any concrete project that they undertake. What is crucial therefore is to opt for a concrete contractor who offers a range of services starting right from preparation to demolition and sealing.
A good concrete contractor in Abbotsford bc, knows the importance of laying down the perfect base. The initial stages of concrete laying is very crucial for its longevity. It requires a steady hand, clear concepts and ideas and the right tools to carry out the job flawlessly. Concrete contractors should be equipped with compactors for grading, leveling, compacting of the gravel base in preparation for forming and concrete placing.
Once the preparation work is handled, the contractor should also be able to carry out any kind of demolition work that is required. Any experienced concrete contractor in Abbotsfod bc, will be well equipped with sledge hammers, jack hammers, hydraulic breakers for mini-bobcats to large bobcan and mini-hoe to suit large areas as well as small or hard to reach places.
Next is the crucial step of laying or placing the concrete. If you are working with a good contractor you will realize the difference from the finished work. A concrete contractor who has had hands on experience will have power and hand tools to tackle concrete placement needs including power screed, laser levels, string lines and aluminum screeds for critical slopes and levels.
The last part or the finishing touch is laid down by sealing. Any good concrete contractor in Abbotsford, bc who has worked with concrete before will know the use of different kind of base sealers which are helpful in protecting and beautifying various kinds and finishes of concrete. To top it all, the contractor will also carry out an acid wash or pressure wash the concrete to clean prior to sealing.
For a long living concrete, it is therefore vital that the contractor who handles it knows the nature of it. A strong hand is what is required for shaping decorative and structural concrete at its best.
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New Business Sales/Telephone Account Manager - Telecommunications
A leading telecommunications company seek an experienced New Business Sales/Telephone Account Manager - Telecommunications who is part of the Enterprise Account Development team that is responsible for retaining and growing existing customer business for the company.
The responsibilities of the New Business Sales/Telephone Account Manager - Telecommunications are:
To pick up the customer accounts and look to develop opportunities.
To be responsible for the customer experience and to generate significant activity and awareness to retain their business and to up-sell and cross-sell.
A high degree of cold-calling as well as developing existing business.
Building rapport and nurturing relationship.
To research prospect clients before making engagement.
Record all relevant information from day-to-day dealings with prospects and record in the CRM.
Set appointments and communicate the opportunity details to the assigned Business Development Manager.
Work with the Marketing Department to devise and implement an effective interface for lead generation activities and event co-ordination.
As the New Business Sales/Telephone Account Manager - Telecommunications you will to have:
At least 2 years' telesales B2B related experience within an IT or Telecoms related business.
The ability to establish and build multi-layer relationships with Prospects.
Experienced and proficient in working with Microsoft office applications and CRM.
Experience of providing a responsive, customer focused service.
Aspirations to assume a field-based sales role (ie Business Development Manager or Account Manager).
New Business Sales/Telephone Account Manager - Telecommunications
WASHINGTON?? Behold the bonobo, our ape cousin that's kinder and gentler than the chimp or, well, us. Now scientists have mapped the primate's DNA, and some researchers say that may eventually reveal secrets about how the darker side of our nature evolved.
Scientists have found that we are as close genetically to the peace-loving but little-known bonobo as we are to the more violent and better understood chimpanzee. It's as if they are siblings and we are cousins, related to them both equally, sharing some traits with just bonobos and other characteristics with just chimps.
Bonobos and humans share 98.7 percent of the same genetic blueprint, the same percentage shared with chimps, according to a study released Wednesday by the journal Nature. The two apes are much more closely related to each other ? sharing 99.6 percent of their genomes ? said the study's lead author, Kay Prufer, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute in Germany.
"Humans are a little like a mosaic of bonobo and chimpanzee genomes," she said.
Bonobos and chimps have distinctly different behaviors that can be seen in humans, with bonobos displaying what might be thought of as our better angels, said Duke University researcher Brian Hare. Bonobos make love, not war. Chimps have been documented to kill and make war. Bonobos share food with total strangers, but chimps do not. Bonobos stay close to their mothers ? who even pick out their sons' mates ? long after infancy, like humans. But chimps tend to use tools better and have bigger brains, like humans.
"Is the bonobo genome the secret to the biology of peace?" asked Hare, who was not involved in the new research. "They have done something in their evolution that even humans can't do. They don't have the dark side we do.
"If we only studied chimps, we'd get a skewed view of human evolution," he said.
Bonobos, chimps and humans shared a single common ancestor from about 6 million years ago, Prufer said. Chimps and bonobos shared the same common ancestor until about a million years ago, when the Congo River formed. Then the bonobos developed on one side of the river, the chimps the other. They became different species, even though scientists didn't realize that until about 90 years ago.
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Bonobo heads are slightly smaller and their teeth are arranged differently. In behavior, bonobos are far more tolerant, more social. They are inordinately sexual. Instead of releasing tension by fighting, they couple repeatedly, Hare said. Bonobos are ruled by alpha females, chimps by males.
The bonobo's mellow ways have led some to nickname them "hippie chimps." But in some ways ? especially when looking at the physiology of the brain ? it's more as if a bonobo is a juvenile chimp that doesn't develop, Hare said. Chimps get more violent as they age; bonobos don't.
While the scientific name for bonobos is Pan paniscus, "they should be Peter Pan," Hare said. "They never grow up and we have lots of data to support this idea. Much of their psychology seems to be frozen."
Some researchers say Hare has romanticized the bonobo too much. Emory University researcher Bill Hopkins says he has more bonobo scars than chimp scars on his body. Sure, bonobos will bite, but they won't kill, Hare said.
Bonobos are endangered and only live around the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. "Ironically," Hare said, "bonobos are from the place where people are at their worst."
More about bonobos and primate DNA:
This report was supplemented by msnbc.com.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Nokia is still trying to turn things around after a slew of losses, and has made some tough decisions about how to move forward by announcing it will reduce staff by up to 10,000 people before the end of 2013. That's all part of a plan to close factories in Finland, Germany and Canada. as well as refocusing its marketing efforts, streamlining support staff and reducing "non-core" assets. Also on the outs are three executives including chief marketing officer Jerri Devard, executive VP of mobile phones Mary McDowell and executive VP of markets Niklas Savander who will step down from the company's Leadership Team effective June 30th. Replacing them July 1st are executive VP of mobile phones Timo Toikkanen, executive VP of sales and marketing Chris Weber and senior VP of communications Susan Sheehan.
Additionally, it has sold the luxury brand Vertu to private equity group EQT VI in a deal that is expected to close during the second half of the year leaving just 10 percent of it in Nokia's hands. That's not the end of the bad news either, as Nokia will take a charge of 1 billion Euros ($1.3 billion) by the end of 2013 as a result of the restructuring and its efforts to return to profitability. Investments going forward including buying imaging company Scalado, extending its mapping technology to "multiple industries" and pushing more Series 40 and Series 30 devices. Check the press releases after the break for all the numbers and details currently available before it reports Q2 earnings July 19th, and we also may be able to glean more info from a call scheduled for 8AM ET.
During the second day of the sexual abuse trial, an 18-year-old known in court documents as ?Victim 1? described meeting former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky through his Second Mile charity. The court also heard from Mike McQueary who testified to witnessing alleged abuse when he was a graduate assistant at Penn State in 2001. NBC?s John Yang reports.
In Warsaw last Friday, it did indeed seem as if everyone was going to the match?the opening match of Euro 2012 that is, which is hosted this year by Poland and Ukraine. Poland was playing Greece in the first game, and more than 50,000 people were heading for the stadium. Several tens of thousands of others were gathering in the ?fan zone? in the center of town. Most were dressed in the colors of the Polish flag: red shirts, white trousers, red bikini tops, white ribbons, red socks, white shoes.?
Contact: Audrey Huang audrey@jhmi.edu 410-614-5105 Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Studying how nerve cells send and receive messages, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered new ways that genetic mutations can disrupt functions in neurons and lead to neurodegenerative disease, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In a report published April 26 in Neuron, the research team says it has discovered that a mutation responsible for a rare, hereditary motor neuron disease called hereditary motor neuropathy 7B (HMN7B) disrupts the link between molecular motors and the nerve cell tip where they reside. This mutation results in the production of a faulty protein that prevents material from being transported from the cell's edge, which is located at the muscle and extends back toward its "body" in the central nervous system. In pinpointing how and where this cargo transport is disrupted, the scientists are now closer to understanding mechanisms underlying this condition and ALS.
"An important question we need to answer is how defects in proteins that normally perform important cellular functions for neurons lead to disease," says Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "A major issue in understanding neurodegenerative diseases is determining how certain proteins that are expressed in all types of neurons, or even in all cells in the body, can lead to devastating effects in one, or a few, subsets of neurons." Kolodkin notes that many neurodegenerative diseases involve proteins that serve general functions required in nearly every type of cell in the body, including the transport of material between different parts of a cell, yet certain alterations in these proteins can result in specific neurological disorders.
One particular protein, p150glued, is known to play a role in at least two of these disorders, HMN7B, which is similar to ALS, and Perry syndrome, which leads to symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. p150glued is part of a larger complex of proteins that forms a molecular "motor" capable of transporting various molecules and other "cargo" from the nerve end toward the cell body. To better understand how mutations in p150glued lead to HMN7B and Perry syndrome, the researchers turned to fruit flies, which are easy to genetically manipulate and where the same protein has been well studied.
They engineered the fruit fly p150glued protein to contain the same mutations as those implicated in the two diseases and used microscopy techniques that enable them to follow in live cells the movement of fluorescently tagged cargo along motor neurons.
They found, surprisingly, that the movement of cargo along the length of the cell was normal. However, at the far end of the cell, they found that the HMN7B-associated mutation caused an unusually large accumulation of cargo. "This was an unexpected finding," says Thomas Lloyd, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in neurology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "We need to better understand how this is causing disease."
Using flies engineered to contain mutations in other motor proteins, and again watching cargo transport in live cells, the team found that p150glued works in concert with another motor to control cargo transport. Their results suggest that when p150glued is compromised, this control is lost and cargo accumulates at the nerve end, leading to disease.
"It's still unclear how these two different mutations in different regions of the same protein cause very distinct neurodegenerative diseases," Lloyd says. Encouraged by their results, the team plans to continue using fruit flies to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases.
###
In addition to Lloyd and Kolodkin, other investigators participating in this research include James Machamer, Kathleen O'Hara, Ji Han Kim, Sarah Collins, Brooke Sahin, and Yunpeng Yang, Johns Hopkins; Man Y. Wong and Edwin Levitan, University of Pittsburgh; and Wendy Imlach and Brian McCabe, Columbia University Medical Center.
The research was funded by the Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (K08-NS062890, RO1-NS32385, and R01-NS35165) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
On the Web:
http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/
http://www.cell.com/neuron/home
Photo caption: Neurons are shown in green. A normal neuron is on the left and p150glued mutant neuron is on the right. The red cargo accumulates in the mutant but not in the normal neuron. Areas with the highest cargo accumulation are yellow at the tip of the neuron.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Audrey Huang audrey@jhmi.edu 410-614-5105 Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Studying how nerve cells send and receive messages, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered new ways that genetic mutations can disrupt functions in neurons and lead to neurodegenerative disease, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In a report published April 26 in Neuron, the research team says it has discovered that a mutation responsible for a rare, hereditary motor neuron disease called hereditary motor neuropathy 7B (HMN7B) disrupts the link between molecular motors and the nerve cell tip where they reside. This mutation results in the production of a faulty protein that prevents material from being transported from the cell's edge, which is located at the muscle and extends back toward its "body" in the central nervous system. In pinpointing how and where this cargo transport is disrupted, the scientists are now closer to understanding mechanisms underlying this condition and ALS.
"An important question we need to answer is how defects in proteins that normally perform important cellular functions for neurons lead to disease," says Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "A major issue in understanding neurodegenerative diseases is determining how certain proteins that are expressed in all types of neurons, or even in all cells in the body, can lead to devastating effects in one, or a few, subsets of neurons." Kolodkin notes that many neurodegenerative diseases involve proteins that serve general functions required in nearly every type of cell in the body, including the transport of material between different parts of a cell, yet certain alterations in these proteins can result in specific neurological disorders.
One particular protein, p150glued, is known to play a role in at least two of these disorders, HMN7B, which is similar to ALS, and Perry syndrome, which leads to symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. p150glued is part of a larger complex of proteins that forms a molecular "motor" capable of transporting various molecules and other "cargo" from the nerve end toward the cell body. To better understand how mutations in p150glued lead to HMN7B and Perry syndrome, the researchers turned to fruit flies, which are easy to genetically manipulate and where the same protein has been well studied.
They engineered the fruit fly p150glued protein to contain the same mutations as those implicated in the two diseases and used microscopy techniques that enable them to follow in live cells the movement of fluorescently tagged cargo along motor neurons.
They found, surprisingly, that the movement of cargo along the length of the cell was normal. However, at the far end of the cell, they found that the HMN7B-associated mutation caused an unusually large accumulation of cargo. "This was an unexpected finding," says Thomas Lloyd, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in neurology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "We need to better understand how this is causing disease."
Using flies engineered to contain mutations in other motor proteins, and again watching cargo transport in live cells, the team found that p150glued works in concert with another motor to control cargo transport. Their results suggest that when p150glued is compromised, this control is lost and cargo accumulates at the nerve end, leading to disease.
"It's still unclear how these two different mutations in different regions of the same protein cause very distinct neurodegenerative diseases," Lloyd says. Encouraged by their results, the team plans to continue using fruit flies to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases.
###
In addition to Lloyd and Kolodkin, other investigators participating in this research include James Machamer, Kathleen O'Hara, Ji Han Kim, Sarah Collins, Brooke Sahin, and Yunpeng Yang, Johns Hopkins; Man Y. Wong and Edwin Levitan, University of Pittsburgh; and Wendy Imlach and Brian McCabe, Columbia University Medical Center.
The research was funded by the Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (K08-NS062890, RO1-NS32385, and R01-NS35165) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
On the Web:
http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/
http://www.cell.com/neuron/home
Photo caption: Neurons are shown in green. A normal neuron is on the left and p150glued mutant neuron is on the right. The red cargo accumulates in the mutant but not in the normal neuron. Areas with the highest cargo accumulation are yellow at the tip of the neuron.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke onstage at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2012 in San Francisco on Monday.
SAN FRANCISCO?Apple Inc. unveiled its next-generation MacBook Air and MacBook Pro portable computers, with improvements that include adding new Intel Corp. processors, at the company's annual conference for software developers.
Apple shaved $100 from the price of most of the MacBook Airs with the exception of the entry level model which is still at $999. The new, thinner MacBook Pro starts at $1,199. Apple said the models are shipping immediately.
Monday's big conference for developers ends months of speculation about Apple's key hardware and software initiatives.
The announcements also included the next version of Apple's operating system for iPhones and iPads, iOS 6, with more than 200 new features and significant enhancements to Siri.
IOS 6 will include Apple's own mobile mapping software to compete with software from Google, whose maps have been the default on the iPhone for years.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, world-wide marketing head Phil Schiller and Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president for iOS software, were among taking the stage at the Worldwide Developer Conference.
The annual event, besides serving as a showcase for new products, can be a barometer of how well the technology trend-setter is maintaining its cool. Developers race to land tickets, and this year the 5,000 or so that were offered sold out in a record hour and 43 minutes, compared with 10 hours in 2011.
Getty Images
Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of world-wide product marketing, announced the new MacBook Pro.
Apple is working hard to please the attendees. Executives had been preparing for months and rehearsing throughout the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter.
The event comes as Apple's influence among developers and the technology industry at large has never been higher. Despite the growth of competing devices that use Google Inc.'s Android operating system, software developers say they tune their products to Apple and the features it offers.
Apple said Monday that it has more than 400 million accounts on its App Store, and customers have downloaded some 30 billion apps.
For every 10 apps developers build, roughly seven are for Apple's mobile platform, according to recent data from mobile analytics service Flurry.
This year, in response to demand, Apple has lowered its age requirement for attendance from 18 years old to 13.
Still, continuing to meet lofty expectations?and top the hoopla of prior events?remains a challenge for the company. Last year's conference was the last keynote presentation by Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder, who died in October. He unveiled iCloud, the company's ambitious effort to allow consumers to gain access to their media across different Apple devices.
The Apple Evolution
Take a look back at Apple's product unveilings over the years.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images
While developers will be given access to a preliminary version of Apple's new mobile operating system this week, Apple has historically withheld the software from consumers until the release of its next iPhone, which isn't expected until at least later this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
The company has already unveiled new software, called Mountain Lion, that will power its next computers. It will be available in next month for $19.99 from the Mac App store.
Many of that operating system's features?such as notifications and a wireless video-syncing feature called AirPlay?are borrowed from the software that runs iPhones and iPads, as Apple tries to spread the buzz it generates in the mobile market to the company's older computer line and other devices.
Write to Jessica E. Vascellaro at jessica.vascellaro@wsj.com
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Greene (2) celebrates with the Stanley Cup in the locker room after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in Game Six of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals at the Staples Center Monday, June 11, 2012 in Los Angeles. The Kings won the series 4-3. (AP Photo/Dave Sandford/Pool)
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Greene (2) celebrates with the Stanley Cup in the locker room after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in Game Six of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals at the Staples Center Monday, June 11, 2012 in Los Angeles. The Kings won the series 4-3. (AP Photo/Dave Sandford/Pool)
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi (7) celebrates with the Stanley Cup in the locker room after the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in Game Six of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals at the Staples Center, Monday, June 11, 2012 in Los Angeles. The Kings won the series 4-3. (AP Photo/Dave Sandford, Pool)
Los Angeles Kings' Mike Richards, Andrei Loktionov, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty celebrate with the Stanley Cup in the locker room after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in Game Six of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals at the Staples Center, Monday, June 11, 2012 in Los Angeles. The Kings won the series 4-3. (AP Photo /Dave Sandford, Pool)
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8), Los Angeles Kings center Colin Fraser (24) and Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) celebrate as time runs off the clock to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 during Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals,Monday, June 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Harry How, Pool)
Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, left, is congratulated byg New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur after the Kings defeated the Devils 6-1 to win the Stanley Cup during Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals, Monday, June 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Stanley Cup barely had the Los Angeles Kings' fingerprints on it before Darryl Sutter suggested they should start preparing to win it again.
"The first thing you think about as a coach, these guys are all young enough, they've got to try it again," the coach said Monday night, mere moments after raising the Cup for the first time himself.
That's just how a pragmatic farmer from Alberta thinks about everything, and Sutter didn't allow his mental preparations for a sequel to stop him from celebrating this irreplaceable moment with his players.
The Kings partied until well after midnight at a restaurant overlooking the Staples Center ice, where Los Angeles completed its 16-4 rampage through the postseason to the franchise's first NHL title.
After nearly 45 years without a Cup, after 4? decades with one division title and one conference crown to show for their existence, and after eight straight years from 2002-10 without making the playoffs, Los Angeles and its Kings had earned every minute of it.
Music boomed and drinks flowed for a few hundred friends, family members and Kings employees hanging with the players. Everybody seemingly got a chance to raise the Cup above their heads for triumphant photos, and a few unhappy toddlers were forced to sit in the bowl. The Conn Smythe Trophy also attended, and plenty of people borrowed Jonathan Quick's hardware long enough to chant "M-V-P!" for themselves.
The Kings weren't thinking much about how they became the first eighth seed to win a title, or how they won 10 straight road games this spring, or how they made the second-fastest run in modern NHL history to the Stanley Cup.
They already knew.
"It's got to come from the room, and guys have to make a decision to work," said Quick, the record-setting goalie who carried the Kings through long stretches of the regular season. "I think we did that. You can't say enough about this group and how hard they worked."
And then everybody danced, ate and sang at a party 45 years in the making. Later, several players took the Cup to one of their favorite pubs in Hermosa Beach, one of the beautiful South Bay seaside towns where nearly all of the Kings live when they aren't chasing hockey hardware.
This party will go on all week, too. The Cup and several Kings are scheduled to make appearances on "The Tonight Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," and a parade down Figueroa Street is scheduled for Thursday, with thousands of Southern California's devoted hockey fans expected to turn out for their first title celebration.
Los Angeles is a hockey town right now, with everything from downtown postgame celebrations to congratulatory billboards hung around the city, including a greeting from Patron tequila on the iconic Sunset Strip. Thousands of drivers are flying Kings colors on the city's much-mocked car flags, and the parade should be a culmination of the best time in club history since Wayne Gretzky ruled the Forum.
It's good to be a King, whether you're rookie surprise Dwight King or any King at all. And they've got no reason to think next year can't be just as exciting.
The Kings' surge actually began in the regular season when a talented roster came together in the final 20 games or so. Although they never even faced elimination in the postseason, it was a distinct possibility during the regular season, when they didn't clinch a playoff spot until right before their 81st game.
Los Angeles was a changed team after a high-risk trade of puck-moving defenseman Jack Johnson for power forward Jeff Carter, who scored two goals ? including what turned out to be the game-winner ? in the Kings' 6-1 Cup-clinching victory over New Jersey in Game 6.
Everything changed for the NHL's lowest-scoring team around the time of that trade, culminating in a fitting footnote: Los Angeles hadn't scored six goals in any game this season until the cup clincher. The Kings got at least one goal from 17 players in the postseason, with all four lines and three defensive pairings making significant contributions.
Los Angeles' older players, including elder statesman Willie Mitchell and tenacious forward Simon Gagne, played seamlessly alongside youngsters Drew Doughty, who lived up to his lavish $56 million contract after a rocky start to the year, and King, who repeatedly provided scoring punch and physical play.
When Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi start looking toward next season, they'll know most of that roster is already signed. The few free agents probably could be tied up if Los Angeles' brass wants the same players to attempt a repeat ? assuming the NHL and the players' union resolve a potentially sticky labor dispute that could leave the Kings with plenty of extra time to take the Cup home to friends and family.
Los Angeles' top unrestricted free agents are forwards Jarret Stoll, Dustin Penner and Colin Fraser. Stoll was a steadying veteran influence and key special-teams player all season, while Penner is an imposing physical presence on an impressive playoff line with Carter and Mike Richards.
Yet neither Stoll nor Penner played particularly well during the regular season, giving the Kings plenty of factors to weigh when deciding whether to enter the bidding for their services.
The entire defense is signed for next year, while forwards Carter, Richards and first-liners Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams are all signed for at least two seasons.
Lombardi undoubtedly will need to find money to do a long-term deal with goalie Jonathan Quick, who has one more season at $1.8 million left on his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2013. Quick will command top dollar after his breakthrough season and newfound elite status, and the Kings are aware how much of their success rests on his slight shoulders.
No matter what moves Lombardi makes, the Kings will defend their first title with the knowledge they've overcome every obstacle the NHL can throw at them. Their spectacular playoff run was only possible because the Kings met every challenge before it became critical, and their mellow summer of celebration is the reward.
"These guys, since March 1st, they've lost about six games," Sutter said. "They've taken a lot of public negativity towards them. Look what they've just done. Pretty awesome. Tells you what type of players they are."
Category: Internet Marketing | Added on: Monday, June 11th, 2012 | Total: 42 Views
Add content in the form of a blog or forum to prevent your website from becoming boring or irrelevant. Search engines want fresh content, and if you have a site lacking in that area then there is an excellent chance your site will fall in the rankings. Also, you can incorporate new ideas to your customers through a blog.
Being listed with Google is vital to achieve successful internet marketing. Focus on the most popular search engines, and optimize your site with keywords your target audience will look up. If your company comes up near the top of the list, you can dramatically improve your visibility.
Try using free incentives on your site. A download of information relevant to your niche can be very effective. For instance, if you are in the construction industry, you could offer an article or book on the changing code regulations in your area. This type of freebie shows customers that you care and want to assist them.
If you can you should give your away something branded for free to help spread awareness of your business. If it is a free e-book, submit it to websites that offer free e-books. There are many sites that offer free items that you can submit.
Give your customers a variety of specials to choose from at the check-out page. You can add discounted prices for grouped items. This will make the customer feel appreciated and you can get rid of excess inventory at the same time.
To improve the level of satisfaction your customers feel with your site, add a section for frequently asked questions. An FAQ can provide immediate answers to your visitors? questions, improving their satisfaction with their experience on your site. The more your client will benefit, the greater the chances that they will complete a purchase for the things you offer.
It is essential to know your target audience when you are trying to grow your Internet business. You cannot sell a product or service if you have no heart in it. The point is, you need to design your site and focus your marketing efforts towards the people who are most likely going to buy from you. Be sure to market according to what your niche is, unless you have two different niches.
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Make and upload a viral video to help assist your internet marketing plan. You should also add a link to your site in the video?s description. That is going to dramatically affect your site visits.
Put some banners on your header, make sure they do not look like a banner. If they appear to be links to valuable content, there is a greater chance that the customer will click on them. A lot of people are wary of ads, this will attract them.
If you really want to develop a niche of satisfied customers, you should try offering prizes and rewards to people who are loyal to you. Customer retention is particularly important in online businesses, and the way you reward customer loyalty will contribute greatly to your reputation. By doing these sorts of things, you create a positive atmosphere around your company and soon it spreads to other people.
Incorporate the marketing principles and strategies learned in this article in your own business. With commitment and determination, you are able to apply the tips in this article that will result in higher sales, better customer relationships, and more recognition.
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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 ($199.99 direct) manages to squeeze a 10x zoom lens into a very svelte body. The 14-megapixel camera?is light on bells and whistles?it records 1080p video and has a good number of scene modes, but lacks GPS, Wi-Fi, or other extras to set it apart. This wouldn't be an issue if the camera's images were sharper or it had a higher-quality LCD, but the the SZ7 struggles a bit in those areas too. So you have a camera that is adequate and unexciting, and just not quite as good as the compact Canon PowerShot A4000 IS ($199.99, 3.5 stars) or long-zooming Olympus SZ-12 ($199.99, 3.5 stars)?both of which are available for the same price.
Design and Features At just 2.4 by 3.9 by 0.9 inches (HWD) and 4.8 ounces, the SZ7 is slim and light, especially when you remember that it squeezes a 10x (25-250mm) zoom lens into its body. The Canon PowerShot Elph 320 HS ($279.99, 3.5 stars) is a bit smaller at 2.2 by 3.7 by 0.8 inches, but only has a 5x zoom lens. Unlike the 320 HS , the SZ7 doesn't have a touch-screen interface. Its 3-inch LCD occupies much of the rear of the camera, but there's room for physical controls to its right. The display is sharp at 460k dots, but its viewing angle is rather poor. It looks great straight on, but tilting the camera just a bit in any direction washes out the image?even if you turn the brightness setting up.
The physical controls are fairly adequate. Like most models in this class, including the Canon PowerShot A4000 IS , the SZ7 doesn't have a Mode dial. Rather, there's a Mode button that brings up an on-screen menu that lets you select from Intelligent Auto, Program, or any one of the dozens of Scene modes that the camera supports. There are also dedicated buttons to control Exposure Compenstation, Macro focusing, Flash output, and the Self Timer, and one on the top of the camera to activate Movie mode.
You won't have to spend a lot of time diving through menus?none at all, if you opt to leave Intelligent Auto mode on. But for those of us who like to have some control over settings that don't have dedicated buttons assigned, the SZ7 does a nice job with its menu system. Hitting the Q. Menu button brings up an overlay that lets you change image resolution, ISO, white balance, the metering area, Drive mode, video format, and LCD brightness. Functions that you have to adjust rarely, like the camera's internal clock, are located in the standard menu.
Performance and Conclusions On speed, the SZ7 delivers very respectable performance. It starts and shoots in 2 seconds, records a 0.2-second shutter lag, and can shoot a 4-shot burst of photos with 0.1 second between shots. It also has a standard continuous drive mode that lets you fire shots with about a half second between each photo?the first few are faster, averaging 0.2 second between shots, but it slows as the camera's buffer fills, settling in at 0.5-second between photos after 5 photos. The Samsung MV800 ($279.99, 2.5 stars) is a sloth by comparison?it requires 2.3 seconds to start, has a longer 0.4-second shutter lag, and requires a 1.6-second wait between photos.
I used Imatest to measure the sharpness of the SZ7's lens. It fell short of the 1,800 lines per picture height required for sharp images, notching only 1,563 lines using a center-weighted testing method. This lags well behind Canon A4000 IS?that camera has a sharp 8x zoom lens that records 2,301 lines.
Image noise is also a major factor in picture quality. When you increase a camera's sensitivity to light, expressed numerically as ISO, noise is introduced. If there's too much, it can make a picture look grainy and hurt detail. Cameras often apply digital noise reduction to reduce the graininess, but it can also serve to wash away what detail is left. The SZ7 keeps noise under 1.5 percent through ISO 1600, which is a very good result, but unfortunately detail at that setting is poor. It's much better at ISO 800, which is the top setting that we recommend using, and even better so at ISO 400 or below. If you're looking for a camera that can capture more detail at high ISO settings, consider the consider Canon PowerShot Elph 320 HS; its ISO 800 photos keep the noise below 1.5 percent and deliver much more detail than those from the SZ7.
The SZ7 records in AVCHD format at 1080p30 resolution. Video is a strong point, as it looks crisp with good colors. You can zoom and focus when recording, and the sound of the lens moving in and out is not overly apparent on the soundtrack. There's a mini HDMI port to connect to an HDTV, as well as a proprietary USB port. The included USB cable lets you connect the camera to a computer, or to the AC adapter that is used to recharge the battery?there's no dedicated charger included. Standard SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are supported.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 ?is not a bad camera?it does a good job at ISO 800 and below, is fairly slim, and delivers a generous 10x zoom range for its size. It's hampered by a lens that isn't nearly as sharp as others in its class, a LCD that suffers from poor viewing angles, and it doesn't offer any whiz-bang features. If flashless low light shooting isn't a major concern, you may want to consider the same-price Canon A4000 IS, which has a sharper lens, but it doesn't do as well at high ISO settings. If you're willing to spend a bit more, go for a more-robust compact like the $280 PowerShot Elph 320 HS, which produces better images and features a touch screen and Wi-Fi.
More Digital Camera Reviews: ??? Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 ??? Canon PowerShot Elph 320 HS ??? General Electric X400 ??? Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS ??? Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20 ?? more
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Quick, these kinds of dental surgeons are simply a phone at a distance. If you demand dental support, all you need to do is to try to contact the National Health and fitness Services and theyre going to be capable to lead you to ...
Let's be clear: I love, love, l-o-v-e teachers. The teachers at my kids' neighborhood elementary school, Nettelhost, individually, and collectively, represent everything that's right with public education. So much so, I'd put their education on par with any private school in this country -- our teachers are that good.
I also respect unions. During the teacher strikes of the 1970s, my mom, who once taught seventh grade at Brooklyn's Ditmas Junior High, kept us home for weeks in solidarity (backgammon, anyone?). If Chicago's teachers do strike, rest assured, my kids and I will not cross a picket line.
Because I love teachers and respect unions, when NBC Chicago reported that more than 90 percent of teachers had given the OK to strike, my heart sank. While this vote doesn't guarantee a walk out, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis now has a green light to call for one at any point after August 17, the first day for a lawful strike. When Illinois passed the Education Reform Legislation (SB7), a law crafted by a diverse group of education stakeholders, this is exactly the volatile situation everyone hoped to avoid.
The new legislation sought to make strikes a true last resort by requiring transparency and an independent fact-finding process (37 states already prohibit teachers from striking). Back in April, both camps agreed to abide by a three-member fact-finding panel that includes Chicago Public Schools representative Joseph Moriarty, CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey, and arbitrator Edwin Benn serving as the "neutral chairperson."
The law also dictates that 75 percent of all union members needed to authorize a strike, rather than a majority of vote-takers as previously required. If Lewis had waited for Benn to conclude his report on July 16, roughly two-thirds of the district's teachers would still be away enjoying their three month summer holiday, and 1,500 veteran teachers would have already retired (who would not be impacted by their vote). However, if she held-off until August 27, the week before school starts, Benn's compromise would have been on the table, and all 25,500 CTU members could have made an informed decision.
Although teachers are required to come back early for professional development and to set-up their classrooms, the sad fact is that many show up the day before school starts. Plus, 2,000 new teachers (of questionable allegiance) would have joined the ranks. Regardless of the margins, rested teachers are happy teachers. If Lewis hoped to reach the mandatory 75 percent threshold, waiting until the end of the summer was just too big a gamble.
With so much at stake, it should come as no surprise why Lewis also rejected an independent auditor to oversee the strike count in favor of ministers from ARISE Chicago, a workers-rights advocacy firm. "If I were in Karen Lewis' shoes," CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said, "I would want to assure the masses this is done with integrity, that this could be defended in the event there is a call of voter fraud." In the city of Vote Early, Vote Often, government watchdogs, like Andy Shaw, have voiced a communal wince, but at this point, the train has pretty much left the station.
To reach the power of "yes," Lewis, who's polemical in even the calmest of circumstances, has whipped Chicago's educators into a full-on frenzy. We can thank Governor Walker's anti-union teacher-bashing rhetoric for laying the groundwork for the red-shirted mob now marching with pitchforks against the House of Brizard, where the lights are barely flickering under a $700 million deficit. Lewis' uncanny ability to cast Brizard -- a man who was a teacher, whose wife is a teacher, and both parents were teachers -- as the city's anti-teacher has been quite a hat trick.
In the Springeresque circus that's come to town, we've seen Lewis flanked by rabid parent Matt Farmer and perennial parade-marshal Rev. Jesse Jackson (extra ironic since disadvantaged minority children will be the ones most impacted by a strike). And whoa! Hollywood? Even Matt Damon has piled-on. By the time the bouncers, midgets, and 405,000 bored kids rush the stage, Wisconsin's pizza and beer slug-fest will look tame. This is exactly the kind of polarizing freak show that SB7 sought to avoid.
Many civic leaders, including Rev. Michael Pfleger, have implored teachers not to strike for the sake of the kiddies. How adults model conflict resolution sends a powerful message, and we don't want kids to overturn the table, hurl ad hominems, pick up their toys, and go home. Agreed, but we also hope to teach our kids to be courageous, self-respecting and tenacious. Teachers have a right to get paid an honest wage for an honest day's work. Surely we don't want to raise marshmallows, right?
The real danger here is not the message to kids, but the message to adults: Lewis' move to hijack the process in the name of garnering more leverage -- which is her right -- has likely oversold what the union can deliver. Enough teachers have given Facebook thumbs-up to high school teacher Eric Skalinder's open letter to Brizard that it's probably a good barometer of current sentiment.
Trouble is, Skalinder's litany of grievances could fill a menu at the Cheesecake Factory. Like everyone in the capitalist equation who endures certain things in exchange for a paycheck, I share his pain. I frequently do not "feel respected or supported" when my computer takes too long to boot up, or my online storage runs out, or my office gets too hot. I, too, get especially ticked-off when smart people don't pay me enough mind or stupid people make decisions for me.
It would be swell if Glenda the Good Witch could sweep in and solve all of Skalinder's issues, but precious few of them are subject to collective bargaining. SB7 limits the discussion to pay and benefits. Nothing else is on the table, not because Brizard is a bully who hates teachers, but because he's following the law -- a law that both CPS and the CTU helped craft.
So, as we gallop-off for a well-deserved summer break, tucked inside the envelope of my teacher's end-of-year gift card will be this little note:
Dearest Teacher,
I hope you know just how terribly important you are, not just to my darling kiddo, but to me as well. You are the rock in our life.
Though this may not sit well, please, please don't strike. My community has spent almost a decade trying to build a schoolhouse that would do us all proud; a strike may very well undo all our progress. Do you really want to go back to Chicago, circa 1987?
Both the Mayor and the CEO have said that teachers deserve a raise. Hear, hear! I have no doubt you can reach a reasonable number (somewhere between 2 percent and 30 percent) at the bargaining table -- the place where your leadership agreed to resolve disputes.
But most importantly, next year's students shouldn't miss one single, solitary, second of wonderful you.
Enjoy the summer! SB7/SPF 70, Much love, Jacqueline, a CPS mommy
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Follow Jacqueline Edelberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/walktoschool
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) ? Who says toothpicks are not valuable?
Police in Georgia are trying to figure out who stole about 400,000 toothpicks worth nearly $3,000 from a manufacturer in Athens.
Police tell the Athens Banner-Herald (http://bit.ly/KGnzJJ ) someone took six cases from Armond's Manufacturing Company Inc. about two weeks ago, and another seven cases disappeared last weekend.
Each case contains 288 packages of 100 toothpicks.
Police say there were no signs of forced entry. The owner believes a current or former employee might be responsible.
Two employees told the owner they saw a man selling containers of Armond's toothpicks at a flea market last weekend.
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Public release date: 13-Jun-2012
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