Thursday, December 13, 2012

Big powers to recognize Syrian opposition

MARRAKECH, Morocco (Reuters) - Major powers are set to give Syria's opposition full political recognition on Wednesday but not the weapons that rebel fighters need to counter President Bashar al-Assad's superior firepower as they gain ground across the country.

The "Friends of Syria," a loose forum of governments opposed to Assad, will meet in the Moroccan city of Marrakech as the rebels intensify their push on Damascus and signs grow that the 20-month uprising may be nearing a tipping point.

President Barack Obama announced on U.S. television on the eve of the Marrakech talks that Washington would now recognize the newly formed coalition of opposition groups as Syria's legitimate representative, which could intensify the pressure for Assad to relinquish power.

"We've made a decision that the Syrian Opposition Coalition is now inclusive enough, is reflective and representative enough of the Syrian population, that we consider them the legitimate representative of the Syrian people in opposition to the Assad regime," Obama said in an interview with ABC News.

However, his announcement stopped short of authorizing the United States to supply weapons to Syria's opposition - something Obama has steadfastly refused to do.

A diplomatic source in the Middle East gave Reuters a draft text agreed on Tuesday night by the Friends of Syria. It said the participants "acknowledged the National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people."

The source said discussion also centered on reference to the right to self defense, which was argued by "a Gulf country but other states were not in favor."

He said a compromise was found stating that the group "recognized the legitimate need of the Syrian People to defend itself against the violent and brutal regime of Bashar Al Assad's."

Fighting is moving closer to Assad's residence in the centre of Damascus and early on Wednesday, government forces fired artillery and rockets at southwestern suburbs of the capital adjacent to the Mezzeh military airport, activists said.

The mainly Sunni Muslim rebels have scored a string of victories against Assad's forces, many of them from his Alawite religious minority. There is little evidence that the government is regaining control, residents say.

The Syrian army is using warplanes and heavy artillery to try to halt further advances by rebels, many of them die-hard Islamists. Opposition leaders say they need heavy weapons to sustain the momentum and change the military equation in a conflict which has killed 40,000 people since March 2011.

The two sides battled near Damascus airport, about 25 km (15 miles) southeast of the palace. The rebels now hold a near continuous arc of territory from the east to the southwest of his power base.

Damascus residents are facing power cuts and food shortages as they try to prepare for winter. In central Syria an attack on a village killed or injured as many as 200 members of Assad's Alawite minority sect, activists said, but it was unclear who was behind the assault.

Assad's political and armed opponents, dogged by splits and rivalries throughout their battle to end his family's 42-year rule, have established a more unified political opposition and military command, hoping to win international support.

France, Britain, Turkey and the Gulf states have already granted the formal recognition. The European Union, in a meeting on Monday, moved a step closer towards recognition. Russia restated its opposition on Wednesday.

The opposition says what it really needs is weapons.

"We are telling the international community that we don't want their military intervention but we want them to supply us with developed anti-aircraft defense systems," Seif said. "The Syrian people can finish off the battle within weeks if we get this support."

Little in the way of direct military or financial support is expected to be channeled to the coalition at the Morocco meeting, partly because it lacks the ability to act as a provisional government and because Western powers are still wary of backing Islamist fighters in the rebel ranks.

'JOCKEYING FOR POSITION'

A diplomat attending the meeting said there had been much "jockeying for position within the coalition without addressing the main political issues," including making arrangements to work with Syria's Alawite, Kurdish and Christian minorities and creating a framework for transitional justice.

As delegates arrived in Marrakech, the United States announced it had designated the radical Islamist rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra - which has claimed responsibility for dozens of car bombs and fights alongside other rebel Syrian brigades - as a terrorist organization.

Farouk Tayfour, deputy leader of the Syrian Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, said Washington had made a "very wrong and hasty decision".

The fighting has driven hundreds of thousands of Syrians into neighboring countries and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees said more than half a million were either registered or awaiting registration in the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will miss the Marrakech meeting but is sending her deputy William Burns to accelerate the process of helping the opposition.

While U.S. arms for the rebels remain off the table for now, legitimizing the disparate forces may make it easier for other countries to act.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are already arming and financing the Muslim Brotherhood and other militant groups while Iran is bankrolling Assad.

"Diplomatic recognition is not enough. We need military support. A transitional phase has started and we need the means to defend the liberated parts of Syria from regime strikes," coalition member Abdelbasset Sida told Reuters.

"We are nearing the end. Battles in Damascus are drawing very near to the inner sanctum of the regime and I do not expect Bashar to last for long," he said.

Syrian opposition campaigner Walid al-Bunni said that after many meetings, the "Friends of Syria" had to show willingness to depose Assad and end the bloody conflict.

"Every week of delay means the destruction of villages and parts of cities and towns and the killing of an average of 1,000 people," said Bunni, one of a few members of the coalition not allied with the Brotherhood.

"Recognition of the coalition will help but it will not end the crisis. There needs to be real international will to stand by the Syrian people and get rid them of this dictatorship."

(Additional reporting by Dominic Evans and Oliver Holmes in Beirut and Matt Spetalnick in Washington)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/big-powers-meet-syria-rebels-move-closer-assad-010523760.html

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NYPD releases security photo in Midtown shooting

NEW YORK (AP) ? A chilling security camera photo shows a gunman approaching a Los Angeles man from behind on a midtown Manhattan block and reaching into his pocket for a pistol moments before he shot the man in the back of the head, police said Tuesday.

The New York Police Department released the photo amid a manhunt for a suspect in the brazen execution-style shooting of Brandon Lincoln Woodard.

Other security camera footage that was also made public shows the same unidentified man, who appears to be bald and have a beard, exit the passenger side of a parked Lincoln sedan on the same block about 10 minutes before the shooting at 2 p.m. Monday. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head before approaching Woodard.

Why Woodard was targeted remained a mystery, but the killing "was not a random thing as far as we can tell," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday.

The killing occurred on West 58th Street near the Time Warner Center, an area often teaming with car and pedestrian traffic. After the gunfire, the shooter slipped into the same Lincoln sedan and was driven away.

A spokesman for Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles said that a student named Brandon Woodard with the same birthday as the victim graduated from the school in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Authorities in Los Angeles also said Woodard had been due back in court on Jan. 22 following his arrest by LA County sheriff's deputies in West Hollywood in April on a felony cocaine possession charge. He had previously pleaded not guilty.

In December 2009, he pleaded no contest in a courtroom in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance to a misdemeanor charge of hit-and-run driving. He was sentenced to three years of probation and a day in jail. However, his probation was terminated in January 2011.

In 2008, he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges of grand theft of property. Prosecutors said he stole items on Feb. 26, 2008 from two upscale markets ?a Whole Foods Market and a Gelson's ? in Beverly Hills. He was sentenced to nine days of jail and 200 hours of community service.

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Associated Press Writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nypd-releases-security-photo-shooting-la-man-175249191.html

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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Cost sharing is caring ? Blogging Bayport Alameda

Cost sharing is?caring

Tonight, the City Council will be voting on a new MOU for police and fire which includes huge concessions from the bargaining units with regards to health care ?and post-retirement benefits. ? ?Some will think it still doesn?t go far enough, but short of eliminating the two departments altogether, I don?t think some folks would be pleased with any MOU.

Right now all bargaining units are paying 9% of their salary to pension premiums, that is being raised to 15%. ? Just to provide a frame of reference, the recent legislation that passed allows cities to impose a maximum of 12% starting in 2018, so the fact that we?re getting 15% from our bargaining units now is huge.

Also in the MOUs are the agreement that final retirement amount will be based on three years average instead of the last year which should avoid a lot of the pension spiking that has happened in the past. ? by ?in the past? I don?t know if this has happened in Alameda but we?ve all read about it happening elsewhere.

According to the staff report there are no salary bumps during the first six months, and much like the MOU that was negotiated for the Executive staff (City Manager, etc.) there will only be salary bumps if the City does well.

There?s also an educational incentive that staff can receive, but it?s only based on if the individual staff does continuing education

Another big thing is the cost sharing for the health premiums.

So here?s what this looks like over the lifetime of the MOU:

Capture

And here is what it will look like with the Education Incentive:

Capture2

No comments yet.

Source: http://laurendo.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/cost-sharing-is-caring/

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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Storage Options outs 7-inch Scroll Evoke tablet with Jelly Bean, available now for ?120

Storage Options outs 7inch Scroll Evoke tablet with Jelly Bean, ships later this month for 120

Storage Options is known to launch its own Android-powered slates in the UK every now and then, and, as of today, we can safely add one more to the outfit's expanding list. What's more, according to the company, the newly announced Scroll Evoke is its "most powerful" tablet to date, with that self-imposed tag likely gaining its status thanks to the pretty decent specs this 7-incher is packing. Aside from the 7-inch, 1024 x 600 display, though, the Scroll Evoke also boasts a dual-core, 1.6GHz Cortex A9 CPU alongside a mighty quad-core Mali-T604 GPU, 8GB of built-in storage (up to 32GB via microSD) and, to make things better, it's indeed running Jelly Bean (v4.1, to be exact). Those living across the United Kingdom can now pre-order the Scroll Evoke for a mere £120 from the Storage Options site -- and if you're looking to do just that, then hit the source link below, where you'll also find more pictures to gaze at.

Continue reading Storage Options outs 7-inch Scroll Evoke tablet with Jelly Bean, available now for ?120

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Source: Storage Options

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/mSuXbn-SqxU/

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Getting a Business Loan: Options & Tips to Improve Your Chances

funding optionsThe economy has had its ups and downs recently, but seems to be improving with uncertainty. For some this may be a good time to consider expanding your business and hiring more employees.

However, since your money is already invested in your company, chances are you still need additional working capital. This may prove easier said than done. In this questionable, albeit recovering economy, banks are still hesitant to lend money to businesses with less than stellar credit.

When major banks won?t lend you money, it?s time seek assistance from alternative funding institutions for example finance companies, credit unions, brokers and other specialized lending organizations. With these providers, approval is easier than with the traditional banking establishment, although certain parameters still must be met. Consider your financial options and how you can be sure to lock in the necessary funding.

Quick Term Loan

One alternative form of funding is a quick term loan from an alternative funding company using private money. These short term working capital loans can be obtained quickly and with a minimal amount of paperwork. ?Consider the benefits:

  • Lenders are reporting to business agencies, thus helping to reestablish a good business credit rating for your business when the times banks open up again.
  • The quick term loan is also tax deductible.
  • The repayment terms have recently been longer. Historically, bridge loan term is no longer than 12 months, but now unsecured term loan can extend for up to 18 months. And, after the term loan is paid down to a certain percentage, refinancing is available. Again, there is no additional collateral required to secure a term loan.

Merchant Cash Advance

Another form of funding is a merchant cash advance, which is very popular with retailers and restaurants that do a high volume of credit/debit card business. With merchant cash advance, you can get almost immediate and, more importantly, unsecured working capital. You can also benefit from:

  • No personal guarantees or collateral pledges are required. I.e. your home.
  • The usual method of repayment is by automatic withdrawal of a percentage of your daily credit card sales. This works in the merchant?s favor as, on slow days, a lesser amount is withdrawn

The down side to this type of funding is that, although money is leant and paid back, the transaction is never reported to any of the credit bureaus.

Here are some ideas to help improve your chances of approval:

  • Have a positive cash flow. Maintain positive daily and monthly bank balances to minimize NSF?s
  • Improve your credit history. Traditional financial institutions weigh this very carefully when considering lending money.
  • Contact the Small Business Administration or other like agency and speak with a lending specialist or counselor
  • Create a solid comprehensive business and marketing plan, showing you have done your research
  • Have the cashflow to show how you intend to repay the loan ? revenue generating use of working capital
  • Establish good relations with your lender ? good payment history with no liens is helpful

Following these tips will increase your chances of getting a loan and along with interim alternate financing can help repair your credit. Consider all your options to have the best chances of getting the funding you need.

Photo credit:?moorecommerce.com

Bio: Liberty Capital Group, Inc. specializes in providing various types of funding for small to medium sized businesses. The underwriting specialists can help you get the financing you need in a timely manner and speed you on your way to a better credit standing. Contact Liberty Capital Group 888-798-3976

What Should I Write About in My Real Estate Blog?

Real estate agents, new to blogging, are often paralyzed by the unknown. ?They don't know what to writeReal Estate Blog Questions about. ?Even experienced real estate bloggers may face a block wall - writer's block that is. ?There are about as many opinions on what to publish on your blog as there are SEO experts. ?

I've been blogging since I became a REALTOR in 2007. ?I joined ActiveRain before I was licensed and spent time learning from various folks sharing their knowledge in the 'Rain...and picked up a few things over the years. ?

I consider my blog to be successful: I've been the #2 producing agent in my office every year since 2008. ?In 2011 I was *this close* to being the top producer! So I mean it when I say I feel my blog is a success and I have the production to prove it!

One popular opinion is to never blog listings. ?I disagree, because I have gotten many contacts from my listing blogs - mainly from sellers who want me to present their properties as well as I've presented my other listings online. ?

The ActiveRain blogs, as well as other blog platforms, rank well for local search terms (longtail), and while some real estate agents insist that sellers don't look online for their future agent, I have met several sellers who contacted me first via my blog. ?So - yes,?blog your listings, but be careful to avoid the same-old same old. ?Don't simply copy and paste the MLS listing. ?

Recently I've gotten "lazy" and merely posted automatically generated "flyers" from sites like RealEstateShows.com, RealBird.com, and Postlets.com. ?It is better to write a "story" about your listing - think of a magazine article. Pretend your listing is being featured in a House & Home magazine. ?How would such an article be written? What highlights of the property are missed by the MLS listing? ?

(Note to self: Get back to being creative, rather than taking the "easy way out" using the generated "flyers.")

Another opinion is divided: some say you should not become a "community newspaper" with current events all over your blog unless you want people contacting you about when the Christmas concert at St. Mary's is going to be performed. ?Others suggest to put community events in your blog to set yourself up as community expert. ?I opt to blog about some events, particularly events that are especially interesting or unique.

You should put things in your blog that will be of interest to your target audience: your future/potential buyers and your future/potential sellers. Think of the questions or concerns that your clients generally have. Write about them, with a smattering of local key words and search terms so that your blog gets pulled up when they are searching for real estate info in your area.

You can also add in "diary" or "journal" entries chronicling your experiences in real estate... but stop and think, asking yourself before publishing: will my future clients give a rip about this? If the answer is YES, publish. If the answer is Probably not, then rethink & rework it until you can say YES. ?Clients do not like to see agents bad-mouthing other agents. They really don't care about how awful the other agent was in your transaction from hell. ?Future clients may care to see how you are a problem solver, successful negotiator...but avoid bragging and tooting your own horn too much.

DO NOT present yourself in such a way that potential clients will not trust you. You don't want them to think "If I hire this agent then do or say something they think is stupid, will I end up on their blog as some sort of story?"?

It is pointless to publish a blog your target audience won't care about. A lot of agents write articles that are of interest only to other agents or real estate professionals. That's fine, if other agents are your intended audience, but I am blogging for clients.?Therefore, I write about things that concern them.

Ideas:

  • Take a picture of a local landmark, or a pretty scene, and write about it, mixing in real estate keywords and a call to action to contact you if interested in real estate in your area.
  • If you don't have any listings to write about, ask other agents in your office if you can give their listings "free advertising" on your blog.
  • Announce your open houses on your blog.
  • Write about different parts of your community: homeowner associations, restaurants, community events, always with a call to action to visit your main site for further real estate info
  • Write about recent closings either yours, or your office.
  • Think about concerns or questions that frequently come up with clients. ?Write a blog addressing common/popular questions (remember to protect privacy of clients).
  • Blog about what you learned at a recent seminar and how it benefits your clients.
  • Blog about the general area where one or more of your listings are located. Include links to your listings in the post, and go back and edit those listing postss to include links to what you wrote about the community.

Always get permission from your managing broker before implementing ideas and be sure to follow all legal requirements in your blog. ?If your managing broker does not want you to blog or have a website you may want to think about a new brokerage in 2013...

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Write things in your blog that present you as a courteous, knowledgeable, and professional agent?in the eyes of your customers and clients.?

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Karen Rice Lake Wallenpaupack Real Estate Blog Northeast PA

Use the links below to learn more about real estate for sale and about my innovative marketing plan for sellers in Pike and and Wayne County of Northeast PA.

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Areas Served: Hawley, Honesdale, Lake Ariel, Lake Wallenpaupack, Lords Valley, Greeley, Greentown, Tafton, Waymart, and Lackawaxen. Planned Communities: The Hideout, Hemlock Farms, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Fawn Lake Forest, Pocono Springs, Masthope, Indian Rocks, Tink Wig, Woodland Hills, and other communities in NEPA.

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Pike & Wayne County PA Real Estate - Home Sales ?Copyright by Karen E. Rice. All rights reserved.

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Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3548648/what-should-i-write-about-in-my-real-estate-blog-

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Best Buy offers exclusive Windows 8 deals, demos

FILE -In this Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, file photo, computer shoppers read through options and compare prices at a Best Buy in Springfield, Ill., after Microsoft launched Windows 7. Best Buy is hoping to capitalize on the launch of Windows 8. It's trying to lure customers with exclusive computers and staffers trained to explain and demonstrate the new operating system from Microsoft Corp. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

FILE -In this Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, file photo, computer shoppers read through options and compare prices at a Best Buy in Springfield, Ill., after Microsoft launched Windows 7. Best Buy is hoping to capitalize on the launch of Windows 8. It's trying to lure customers with exclusive computers and staffers trained to explain and demonstrate the new operating system from Microsoft Corp. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

(AP) ? Confused by Windows 8? Best Buy hopes it can help.

The consumer-electronics retailer is hoping to capitalize on the launch of Windows 8. It's trying to lure customers with exclusive computers and staffers trained to explain and demonstrate the new operating system from Microsoft Corp.

Retailers and manufacturers typically look to major launches to drive customers into stores. But analysts aren't certain how much the Windows 8 launch will help Best Buy. The company has been struggling with tough competition and a shift in consumer tastes away from big-ticket computers and TVs toward smartphones and tablets, which are less profitable for retailers.

Windows 8 has a new look that's intended to create a seamless experience for users, whether they're on PCs, tablets or smartphones. Featuring a colorful array of tiles that fill the screen instead of the familiar start menu and icons, it's designed especially for touch-sensitive screens. Windows 8 will come pre-installed on almost all new PCs.

Best Buy Co. spent three years coming up with a plan for the launch, according to Jason Bonfig, vice president for computing at Best Buy.

That includes two years of developing 45 exclusive Windows 8 computers and laptops designed with manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and AsusTek Computer Inc. Nearly half of those computers feature touch screens.

They will have combinations of colors and technical specifications available only at Best Buy retail stores and its website. Some examples of exclusives include Lenovo's 13-inch IdeaPad Yoga, which flips into several different configurations, and HP's Envy Touch, a more conventional touch-screen laptop. Each will sell for $1,000. Best Buy will also carry a wide range of non-exclusive Windows products, including tablets and smartphones.

Microsoft's radical remake of Windows arrives at a time when Best Buy is struggling to avoid the fate of Circuit City, which liquidated in 2009. Best Buy has reported a net income decline or loss for the past eight quarters. Earnings fell 90 percent to $12 million in its most recent quarter, hurt by restructuring charges and weak sales.

The Minneapolis company hopes the new Windows will spur sales as it faces tough competition from online retailers and discounters. Consumers are increasingly using Best Buy stores to browse for electronics before they buy the items online at lower prices, a practice known as showrooming.

Exclusive products are one way traditional brick-and-mortar stores are battling showrooming.

Another is customer service. To that end, Best Buy spent 50,000 hours training its staff members to show customers the ins and outs of Windows 8, as it's very different from its predecessors. Windows 8 is the biggest Windows revamp since Windows 95.

In addition, its Geek Squad technical service staff created 12 two-minute tutorials available online, each explaining a different feature of Windows 8.

"The demo experience becomes very, very important because of newness of touch feature," Bonfig said.

Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy's expectations are muted in terms of how much Best Buy will benefit from the launch. He believes Windows 8 "might give a temporary lift to sales, but longer term it doesn't solve any of the real issues facing the company," he said.

Barclays analyst Alan Rifkin crunched numbers on past Windows launches and found they did not provide a significant boost to retailers.

"While our research reveals that personal computer demand has been uniformly weak in the two to three quarters preceding a Windows release, historical Windows releases have not been identified as significant drivers of improved (retailer) performance once the launch has taken place," he wrote in a note last week.

Best Buy sounded more positive. The retailer started taking advance orders for Windows 8 devices and demonstrating the product in all stores on Sunday, and so far the response has been positive, Bonfig said.

"We've been very happy with interest and traffic in stores," he said.

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Online:

http://www.geeksquad.com/windows-8

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-10-24-Best%20Buy-Windows%208/id-6b8022ea3c44427c9776dcc526319d2c

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