PostNet to Begin Offering Small-Business Web ... - Franchising.com

October 15, 2012 // Franchising.com // PostNet, the nation?s first Neighborhood Business Center and pioneer of the small-business services segment in the U.S., has partnered with Hostopia?, a Deluxe? company and leading provider of web services for small-to-medium sized businesses, to provide web sites, mobile pages and email marketing for PostNet customers. The new web services are currently available at select PostNet franchise locations and will roll out nationwide in 2013.

The partnership with Hostopia is the latest move in PostNet?s ongoing initiative to provide businesses with the customized solutions they need to build their brand awareness, customer base, and profitability. The new offerings include consultative web design and hosting services, mobile site development and email marketing tools for all types of businesses, from independent contractors and freelancers, to established retailers.

?In working with Hostopia, we?ll provide the business community with simple and cost-effective web solutions that many entrepreneurs think are beyond their reach,? said Steve Greenbaum, CEO of PostNet International Franchise Corporation.?Business owners need to have a robust online presence and online marketing strategy to compete in today?s marketplace, but many don?t have the resources to hire someone to code a website from scratch or have the time to do it themselves; we provide an affordable and efficient solution, right in their backyard.?

Over the last few years, PostNet has evolved with technology to meet the changing needs of small-business owners. With the goal of providing integrated web, print, local, mobile and social media solutions for all small businesses, PostNet franchise owners work closely with clients to identify their objectives, build upon their ideas, and develop the best strategies to achieve their goals. This includes anything associated with gaining and retaining customers, from multi-channel marketing campaigns and integrating new and traditional marketing methods, to social media services.

To find a local PostNet in your area or more information about franchise opportunities with PostNet, please visit www.postnet.com

About PostNet

Founded in 1993, Denver-based PostNet has more than 700 locations worldwide, including several hundred locations in South Africa. Each locally owned and operated PostNet Neighborhood Business Center specializes in meeting the design, printing, copying and shipping needs of businesses and busy consumers, with a focus on exceptional, personal customer service. PostNet centers offer full-service digita???l printing; full- and self-service copying; document binding and finishing; and services like graphic design, computer rental stations, private mailbox rentals and more. They also offer expert packaging services and shipping with UPS, FedEx, DHL and the U.S. Postal Service. To learn more, visitwww.postnet.com.

About Hostopia

Hostopia, a Deluxe company, is a leading full service provider of cloud-based small business solutions, and hosts hundreds of thousands of websites. For more information on Hostopia, please visit www.hostopia.com.

About Deluxe

Deluxe Corporation (NYSE:DLX) is a growth engine for small businesses and financial institutions. Four million small business customers access Deluxe?s wide range of products and services including customized checks and forms as well as website development and hosting, search engine marketing, logo design and business networking. For financial institutions, Deluxe offers industry-leading programs in checks, customer acquisition, regulatory compliance, fraud prevention and profitability. Deluxe is also a leading printer of checks and accessories sold directly to consumers. For more information, visit us at www.deluxe.com, http://www.facebook.com/deluxecorpor http://twitter.com/deluxecorp

Media Contact:

Monica Rutkowski
Fishman Public Relations
(847) 945-1300
mrutkowski@fishmanpr.com

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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20121015_postnet_to_begin_offering_smallbusiness_web_servic.html

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Santee Bevmo! Announces Opening Date and Events - Santee, CA ...

BevMo! the specialty beverage?retailer, will open its newest San Diego area store in Santee located at 9755 Mission Gorge Road next to Rite Aid, on Friday, October 19 at 9 a.m. ?As the 123^rd?BevMo! serving California, Arizona and Washington, the new 9,500 square foot location will feature a selection of more than 1,900 wines, 1,700 spirits, 1,850 beers and hundreds of gourmet food items, cocktail mixers, glassware, bar accessories and more.

?As our second store to open in the last month in San Diego County, we?re happy to provide our customers on the east side the convenience of a Santee store,? said BevMo! CEO Alan Johnson.

?Just like we did in Chula Vista, we?ll kick off the grand opening with a $50 goody bag giveaway to the first 500 people in line. Doors open at 9 a.m. ? so be sure to arrive early, bring your friends, and join in the neighborhood celebration.?

There will be in-store events and demonstrations on opening day and throughout the weekend, including tastings from popular brewers and vineyards like Coronado Brewing, Left Coast Brewing, Wilson Creek Winery, Fratelli Wines, and South Coast Winery. In-store demonstrations from major spirit brands such as Ballast Point Spirits, El Agave Tequila, and Grey Goose Vodka will also be available.

The new store in Santee will offer goody bags valued at $50 to the first 500 lined up before the store opens at 9 a.m. Each goody bag will include a number of fabulous BevMo! specialty items such as a Go Vino wine glasses, TrueTap Corkscrew, gourmet snacks, MIXT White Chocolate Martini Mixer, and a cocktail shaker.

Weekend Activities

Special in-store events and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the day from Friday, October 19 through Sunday, October 21. Highlights include tastings, cocktail presentations and more.

Friday, October 19^?Tastings/Demonstration Events Include:

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ???????????????????????????? Wilson Creek Winery & Left Coast Brewing

12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.????????????????? Michael Pozzan, Ballast Point & Skinnygirl

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ?????????????????????????????? Stella Rosa, Coronado Brewing & Ballast Point Spirits

Saturday, October 20?^?Tastings/Demonstration Events Include:

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ???????????????????????????? Skyy Vodka

12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.????????????????? South Coast Winery, Stone Brewing & El Agave Tequila

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ?????????????????????????????? Fratelli Wines, Karl Strauss & Jack Daniels

Sunday, October 21 Tasting/Demonstration Events Include:

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ???????????????????????????? Moet & Chandon, Julian Cider & Bracero Tequila

3 p.m. to 6 p.m.??????????????????????????????? Casteggio Wines, Green Flashing & Grey Goose Vodka

-Article based on press release from Bevmo!

Source: http://santee.patch.com/articles/santee-bevmo-announces-opening-date-and-events

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MS-13 gang labeled transnational criminal group, a first for US street gang

MS-13 gang is a violent group engaged in the drug, sex, and human trafficking trades in the US. Designating MS-13 gang a transnational criminal organization helps US officials target it more aggressively.

By Howard LaFranchi,?Staff writer / October 12, 2012

A MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha graffiti is tagged on a Salvadorean bakery wall in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Damian Dovarganes/AP

Enlarge

For the first time, a street gang operating in the United States has been officially designated a transnational criminal organization, empowering officials to more aggressively target the group, Mara Salvatrucha MS-13, which engages in the drug, sex, and human trafficking trades.

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MS-13 is an El Salvador-based gang that over three decades has developed into a violent criminal force from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

Naming the gang a transnational criminal organization suggests how the group has evolved from being primarily a criminal element in Central American immigrant communities to a regional organized crime network delving into a range of illegal markets, experts in North and Central American crime patterns say.? ?

The designation, announced by the Treasury Department Thursday, aims at shutting down MS-13?s financial operations, which have grown increasingly sophisticated as the gang has matured from its roots in Los Angeles among young Salvadoran refugees escaping their country?s civil war in the 1980?s.

?This action positions us to target the associates and financial networks supporting MS-13, and gives law enforcement an additional tool in its efforts to disrupt MS-13?s activities, said David Cohen, Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a statement announcing the designation.

?MS-13,? Mr. Cohen said, ?is an extremely violent and dangerous gang responsible for a multitude of crimes that directly threaten the welfare and security of US citizens, as well as countries throughout Central America.?

The gang has grown to include more than 30,000 members, with branches operating in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, according to the Treasury. The FBI estimates the gang?s membership to be much higher.

At least 8,000 MS-13 members ? often identified by elaborate tattoos that incorporate the gang?s name ? operate in 40 states and the District of Columbia, Treasury officials say.

MS-13 ? ?mara? is slang for ?mob,? while Salva is short for Salvador ? became infamous for the ruthlessness it employs in extorting from mom-and-pop immigrant businesses and in forcefully recruiting young Salvadoran immigrants and Salvadoran-Americans into its ranks.

The gang is seen as having toned down its violence in some of the communities where it is most deeply established, some California law enforcement officials say. But the gang?s growth has shifted in recent years to the Salvadoran immigrant communities of the East Coast, experts say, and there the violence has continued.

In recent years cases have multiplied, particularly in Virginia and New York, of teenage girls who have been forced into prostitution and kept there under threat of violence. Salvadoran boys who resist the gang?s recruiters are sometimes subject to the especially intense wrath of local gang leaders.

In one highly publicized case, two MS-13 members were convicted in Alexandria, Va., in 2005 for the murder of a young pregnant woman who was targeted for her cooperation with federal officials who were investigating the gang?s activities.

US efforts at tackling MS-13?s illegal operations have rippled back to El Salvador, which is the destination of at least part of the gang?s financial proceeds. In recent years federal law enforcement officials pressed for the deportation of hundreds of MS-13 members from southern California ? an action that overwhelmed El Salvador?s law enforcement capabilities and resulted in a sharp spike in violence.

Some of the deported MS-13 members formed new arms of the gang in El Salvador, some regional criminal justice experts say, then in turn moved to develop branches of their newly formed groups in the US.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/INS7t066Ixg/MS-13-gang-labeled-transnational-criminal-group-a-first-for-US-street-gang

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Skydiver gets ready for today's bid to break sound barrier

ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) ? Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner started his daring ascent to 23 miles above Earth on Sunday, hoping to make a death-defying free fall that could make him the first skydiver to break the sound barrier.

Baumgartner took off in a pressurized capsule carried by a 55-story ultra-thin helium balloon that is expected to take nearly three hours to climb into the stratosphere. If plans go as expected, Baumgartner will then jump into a near vacuum with no oxygen to begin what is expected to be the fastest, farthest free fall from the highest-ever manned balloon.

Any contact with the capsule on his exit could tear the pressurized suit, a rip that could expose him to a lack of oxygen and temperatures as low as minus 70 degrees. That could cause potentially lethal bubbles to form in his bodily fluids

Shortly after launch, screens at mission control showed the capsule as it rose above 10,000 feet, high above the New Mexico desert as cheers erupted from organizers. Baumgartner also could be seen on video checking instruments inside the capsule.

Earlier in the day, mission control officials declared a "weather hold," delaying the launch. But about an hour later, organizers described conditions at the launch site as perfect, and said the balloon be inflated and begin its ascent at roughly 9:45 a.m.

The jump from the site near Roswell, N.M., was postponed twice last week because of high winds.

If he succeeds in the death-defying feat, the man nicknamed "Fearless Felix" will break a 52-year-old altitude record by Joe Kittinger, who jumped from 19.5 miles and reached a speed of 614 mph, just under the sound barrier.

This attempt will be the end of a five-year road for Baumgartner, a record-setting high-altitude jumper. He already made two preparation jumps in the area, one in March from 15 miles high and on in July from 18 miles high. It will also be the end of his extreme altitude jumping career; he has promised this will be his final jump.

Coincidentally, Sunday also marks the 65th anniversary of U.S. test pilot Chuck Yeager successful attempt to become the first man to officially break the sound barrier aboard an airplane.

Baumgartner plans to travel faster than the speed of sound with only the benefit of a high-tech suit.

Dr. Jonathan Clark, Baumgartner's medical director, has told reporters he expects the pressurized spacesuit to protect him from the shock waves of breaking the sound barrier. If all goes well and he survives the jump, NASA could certify a new generation of spacesuits for protecting astronauts and provide an escape option from spacecraft at 120,000 feet, he said.

Winds had to be under 2 mph for Baumgartner to start his ascent to the stratosphere from this desert town better known as the site of a rumored UFO landing in 1947.

Jumping from more than three times the height of the average cruising altitude for jetliners, Baumgartner's expects to hit a speed of 690 mph or more before he activates his parachute at 9,500 feet above sea level, or about 5,000 feet above the ground in southeastern New Mexico. The total jump should take about 10 minutes.

The energy drink maker Red Bull, which is sponsoring the feat, has been promoting a live Internet stream of the event from nearly 30 cameras on the capsule, the ground and a helicopter. But organizers said there will be a 20-second delay in their broadcast of footage in case of a tragic accident.

After the jump, Baumgartner says he plans to settle down with his girlfriend and fly helicopters on mountain rescue and firefighting missions in the U.S. and Austria.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skydiver-gets-ready-bid-break-sound-barrier-140216327.html

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NASA & SpaceX to Probe Falcon 9 Engine Failure

Credit: SpaceX

At the moment, SpaceX's Dragon capsule is docked with the International Space Station, having carried a load of cargo into orbit. But the Sunday evening launch wasn't perfect: For reasons that weren't entirely clear, one of the nine engines on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket failed.

Today SpaceX issued a statement saying the company and NASA would form a CRS-1 Post-Flight Investigation Board to try to find out exactly what caused the engine failure.

Despite losing an engine, the mission still reached orbit by adjusting the burn length of the other eight. However, NASA has plenty of reason to want to know exactly how this happened. The agency is investing in SpaceX and other companies in the hope that their spacecraft can replace the retired shuttles in ferrying cargo and eventually astronauts to orbit.

And as PM noted after the launch, an engine failure has the potential to be catastrophic. The first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 has nine Merlin engines firing, so others can pick up the slack if one cuts out. But the second stage uses just a single Merlin engine.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to/blog/nasa-and-space-x-to-probe-falcon-9-engine-failure-13647484?src=rss

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MintLife Blog | Personal Finance News & Advice | 5 Financial Moves ...

Fall is a celebration of change, which makes it the perfect time to check your financial matters and optimize the power of your money.

Here four financial moves to make this fall:

Check your Federal withholding.

According to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data, ?taxpayers received tax refunds averaging $2,913 in 2011.? Though receiving a Federal or state tax refund may feel like a ray of light amidst of the doldrums of winter, it?s actually a telltale sign that you?ve missed an opportunity to optimize the value of your money.

In short, receiving a tax refund means you ?loaned? interest-free money to the government, thus, tying up funds you could have used to pay off debt, invest, or build savings.

Checking the accuracy of your current tax withholding is a simple process that requires just three things: your most recent paystub, a copy of last year?s tax return, and about thirty minutes. Access the IRS? free online withholding calculator to estimate how much you?ve paid in taxes this year, compared to how much you?ll ultimately owe.

If you?ve withheld more than your share, submit a withholding change to your human resource department and return more of your hard-earned money to your paycheck.

By the same token, if you haven?t paid enough taxes to cover your bill, you can begin a savings plan to account for the amount the IRS will require you to pay before April 15, 2013.

Build your holiday budget.

Fall is the precursor to holiday spending and it?s your last chance to avoid holiday debt by forming a savings and spending strategy. According to 2011 TurboTax data, Americans spent $516 on gifts for family, friends and co-workers, and purchased about $190 worth of decorations, holiday food and candy, greeting cards and postage last year.

Create a list of every holiday expense you foresee, including gift cards, stocking stuffers, expenses related to holiday parties, hostess gifts, exchanges at work, baking, wrapping paper, greeting cards ? and anything else that has historically snuck into your budget in the throes of the holiday rush.

Once you?ve arrived at a grand total, devise a personal savings plan with an end goal of early December so you can work towards it little by little. For example, a person with the ?average? holiday spending profile above could bank the $706 by December 1st by setting aside just $23 a day, starting with Halloween.

In contrast, an unprepared holiday shopper charging that amount and making minimum payments on a ?low interest credit card? (at a current annual percentage rate of 10.95%), would need more than two and half years?and an additional $115 in interest expenses to pay off the debt.

Confirm where you stand in your work-sponsored plans.

If you dedicated pre-tax income from your paycheck into flexible spending health savings plans at work, remember: you have to ?use it, or lose it? before the end of the year.

Check the balance on your accounts and keep in mind that prescription drug expenses and some over the counter drugs qualify. If you?ve procrastinated doctor visits, schedule appointments now for no later than early December to ensure that billing is finalized before the year?s end.

While you?re accessing the account, analyze how close your estimated medical expenses were to reality this year so you can hit the mark closer during open enrollment, which occurs during late fall and early winter for most employer insurance plans.

If you?ve got plans to start a family, know you?ll leave your job next year, or plan to have a major medical procedure, consider those adjustments now in your open enrollment plan.

Lastly, check the status of your work-sponsored retirement plan. For 2012, the pretax 401(k) limit is $17,000 (including employer contribution). If you?re 50 years or older and are ?catching up? on contributions, you can invest an additional $5,500 pretax 401(k) dollars for 2012.

Do you feel like you can?t possibly devote more funds to retirement this year? Consider the cost of the missed opportunity. According to CBS News, making pre-tax contributions of $17,000 will amount to a savings of about $6,000 in Federal and state income taxes each year.

Be proactive with your home.

Whether you?re an owner or a renter, winter is a costly season for energy bills, so take proactive steps to control costs before they threaten your budget. Adaptive building consultant and Inhabitat.com contributor Andrew Michler says, ?30% of an average home?s energy cost is associated with heating.?

Change the filters in your heating system and schedule a professional furnace duct cleaning before cold weather sets in. This will increase airflow, deduce pollutants, and detect deadly hints of carbon monoxide.

If your windows are drafty, Michler says insulating blinds can double or triple a window?s efficiency and simple caulking around the frames can improve heat retention.

Stephanie Taylor Christensen is a former financial services marketer based in Columbus, OH. The founder of?Wellness On Less, she also writes on small business, consumer interest, wellness, career and?personal finance topics.

Source: http://www.mint.com/blog/planning/5-financial-moves-to-make-this-fall-1012/

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The potential presidencies of Joe Biden and Paul Ryan: why you should watch tonight?s debate

DES MOINES, Iowa?It has been 77 years since Franklin Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, Ga., and 49 years since John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. This is the longest stretch of presidential health and survival since John Tyler moved into the White House following the death of William Henry Harrison just 30 days after he was inaugurated in 1841.

So as Joe Biden and Paul Ryan take the stage in Kentucky tonight for the lone vice presidential debate of 2012, it is understandable that most voters view the job as an assistant president rather than in traditional constitutional terms. Who wants to dwell on theoretical tragedy? It is wrenching to contemplate a transition that Harry Truman described in 1945 as, ?I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on me.?

If either Biden or Ryan were ever to ascend to the presidency in the next four years, he would govern with a different style and emphasis than the man he succeeded. This is not surprising since both Biden and Ryan were selected to balance their tickets.

In 2008, Biden was tapped because he offered something that Barack Obama lacked?more than half a lifetime in the Senate and national security expertise earned as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. In similar fashion, Ryan filled a gap in Mitt Romney?s r?sum?. Not only did the Republican running mate provide seven terms of congressional experience, but Ryan also has displayed an ideological constancy (with, admittedly, a few deviations) at odds with Romney?s zigzag political journey.

Nearly five years ago?here in Iowa during the run-up to the January 2008 Democratic caucuses?I watched Senator Biden of Delaware make his second attempt to become President Biden. (In 1987, Biden withdrew from the presidential race after he was caught plagiarizing a campaign speech from British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock). Even though Biden corralled only 1 percent of the vote in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, his strong performances on the stump and in the Democratic debates made him appear like a plausible president.

That half-forgotten Iowa campaign provides a window into how Biden might approach the presidency. For all his liberal pedigree, Biden at his core reflects his 36 years in the Senate as a legislative dealmaker. In contrast to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Biden?s 2007 health-care plan was based on a series of incremental steps beginning with providing catastrophic coverage for all Americans. What matters now are not the policy details, but rather Biden?s pragmatic emphasis on what seemed at the time to be legislatively achievable rather than historic.

Under President Biden, foreign policy would probably follow the broad contours of the Obama administration. But Biden?s record, dating back to the Vietnam War, reflects a sadder-but-wiser awareness of the limitations of American military action. In 2006, during the Bush administration, Biden proposed scaling back American ambitions in Iraq by partitioning the country into Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite regions. In the Obama White House, Biden was the leading in-house dissenter arguing against an expanded American military mission in Afghanistan.

The biggest difference between Obama and Biden would be presidential temperament. Biden is (warning: startling revelation ahead) garrulous and not a loner like Obama. As president, Biden would not lavish more time on his daily exercise routine than chatting informally with congressional leaders.

But the bipartisan Senate of Ted Kennedy and Bob Dole?the Senate that framed Biden?s public career?no longer exists. It is illustrative that Biden?s 2011 budget negotiations with a group of Senate moderates, the Gang of Six, ended in failure. But in contrast to every president since Lyndon Johnson (with the conspicuous exception of Jerry Ford), Biden remains a creature of Capitol Hill. Legislative gridlock might endure under President Biden, but the White House undoubtedly would be far more energetic in its efforts to unsnarl the congressional traffic jam.

Envisioning President Ryan is understandably far more difficult because until recently he was, in effect, Private Ryan to most voters. What seems evident, though, is that in the White House, the 42-year-old Ryan would be more emotionally accessible than either Obama or Romney. Campaigning in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, Iowa, last week, Ryan referred to his roots in nearby Wisconsin when he said: ?A lot of people I grew up with?a lot of friends of mine?are in between jobs. You know, they lost their jobs at our GM plant or at some other factories.?

Taming the deficit presumably would be the centerpiece of a Ryan presidency, as his chairmanship of the House Budget Committee was the credential that vaulted him onto the Republican ticket. The Ryan budget (a phrase that we are apt to hear many times from Biden during tonight?s debate) would have gradually turned Medicare into a voucher program and shrunk Medicaid into a block grant to the states. But in the House?unlike many conservative purists?Ryan displayed enough ideological flexibility and enough awareness of Wisconsin?s economy to vote for the 2008 Wall Street bailout and for Obama?s rescue of the auto industry.

In one important respect, though, President Ryan would probably have more political independence than Romney. Trusted by conservatives in a way that Romney is not, Ryan would not need to spend his entire time in the White House watching his right flank and worrying about a Republican primary challenger in 2016.

It remains a stretch to imagine Ryan presiding over a Nixon-goes-to-China, against-the-grain deficit deal that includes (get the smelling salts?Republicans have fainted) tax increases as well as budget cuts. But because of his budget-hawk plumage, Ryan would probably retain enough credibility with his party?s base to explain that such a bipartisan bargain was the best deal attainable.

There is always an aura of unreality to the second-banana debates that began in 1976 with Bob Dole railing against ?Democrat wars.? What is almost never discussed is how vice presidents envision their role in the White House, which can be anything from a Dick Cheney shadow presidency to a Dan Quayle cipher.

Instead, tonight?s debate is more of a sporting event pitting the Obama Oval Offices against the Romney Raiders. Maybe it is better that way. No one likes to contemplate the literal meaning of the phrase, ?a heartbeat away from the presidency.?

But sad a notion as it may be, the framers of the Constitution created the second highest job in the land for reasons that went beyond providing the president with a loyal sidekick. And that is why two potential presidents?Joe Biden and Paul Ryan?will be duking it out in Danville tonight.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/the-potential-presidencies-of-joe-biden-and-paul-ryan--why-you-should-watch-tonight%E2%80%99s-debate.html

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'Broken heart' and other fake sick day excuses

By Ben Popken, TODAY contributor

It's no surprise that not everyone who calls in sick isn't doesn't really have the sniffles.?Thirty percent of workers admitted to calling in sick when they weren't actually under the weather, a new Careerbuilder survey reports.

What might be surprising are some of the more creative excuses they've tried to use to get out of work, and just how many employers are out to catch them.

The online poll conducted by Harris Interactive surveyed 3,976 workers and 2,494 U.S. hiring managers and human resource workers. In addition to raw numbers, Careerbuilder also collected the memorable excuses bosses had heard.

How about the employee who called in sick because they were "upset after watching 'The Hunger Games'"? Or the guy who said he "forgot he was hired for the job?" Or the person who couldn't come in to work because they were "sick from reading too much"?

Other eyebrow-raising reasons included "toe stuck in faucet," "dead grandmother being exhumed for police investigation," "bird bite," "broken heart," and "sobriety tool wouldn't allow car to start."

What motivates the strategies behind these excuses??"Some subscribe to a 'less is more' mentality while others may feel the more detail they provide, the more believable the excuse will be," said Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder?vice president of human resources.

Bosses are on the watch for flimsy excuses and will take steps to sniff out a faker. A surprising 29 percent of employers said they checked out an employee's story, most commonly by asking for a doctor's note or calling the worker later in the day.

?

Fourteen percent said they even drove by an employee's house, which just sounds creepy and not useful. What are you going to do, peer through their blinds and see if they're doing Zumba when they should be under the covers?

And here's one to stoke your paranoia. Bosses may even recruit your co-workers to ferret out the truth -- 18 percent of employers said they tried this ruse.

Employees fraudulently cash in sick days for a variety of reasons, but basically it's to carve off extra time for themselves. If they weren't actually sick, 34 percent said they called in sick because they didn't feel like going to work, 29 percent said they "needed to relax," 22 percent needed to make a doctor's appointment, 16 percent were catching up on sleep, and 15 percent wanted to run errands.

Those who call in fake sick days "may be repeat offenders for truancy or may be concerned about how their boss may perceive them," said Haefner. "However, if you?re caught lying, that can have more serious consequences and bring your professionalism and reliability into question. It?s better to be honest."

Should an employer catch you in your lie, it could lead to them becoming a former employer. Seventeen percent of bosses said they fired an employee for giving a a fake excuse. Then you'll have all the sick days you need.

{"contentId":"14370740","totalVotes":"6431"}

Have you ever faked a sick day?

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/10/12/14370740-broken-heart-and-other-fake-sick-day-excuses?lite

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Pre-caffeine tech: CD anniversary, Furby LPs!?

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Helen A.S. Popkin

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Our?pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.

Thirty years ago today, the CD started the digital revolution. ?Tell us on Facebook about the first CD you ever bought.?

An artist made a Steve Jobs?sculpture?out of Steve Jobs' garbage.?

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is the new king of e-readers. Here's why.??

A New Jersey cop allegedly tackled a 15-year-old in retaliation for videotaping -- and now his family is suing for $15 million.?

Iran's swipe at the Web brings angry reaction ... from Iranians.?

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano keeps her email from being hacked by not using email. Ever.?

A new study by advertising company Solve Media indicates that one out of 10 hits on any given website is a bot or automated script. No matter how you look at it, that's a lot of robo-clicks.

Animal videos could make you a better employee!?

This year, Maker Faire takes place at the 1964 World's Fair grounds. Check it out!

In case you're running out of nightmares, here's 10 classic album covers reimagined with Furbys!

Compiled?by?Helen A.S. Popkin,?who invites you to?join her on?Twitter?and/or?Facebook. Also,?Google+.?

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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/pre-caffeine-tech-cd-anniversary-furby-lps-6191171

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The London best: Brightening facials

Your skin is steamed, scrubbed and squeezed until it glows. I left relaxed, with my face softer than it has been in years. Susannah Butter

?38 for 30 minutes, Shoreditch House, Ebor Street, E1 (020 7749 4531, cowshedonline.com)

2. Eve Lom Signature Facial, Spa NK

This is pampering (a rich mask) with some pain (black head extraction) thrown in. It left me with the kind of clear skin that only healthy eating can usually bestow. Rosamund Urwin

?120 for 90 minutes, Spa NK, 127-131 Westbourne Grove, W2 (020 7727 8002, uk.spacenk.coms)

3. The Chelsea Day Spa

Collagen-boosting facial that leaves your skin plumped. Bags under the eyes were much diminished. Felicity Lloyd

?125 for an hour, 69A King?s Road, SW3 (020 7351 0911, thechelseadayspa.co.uk)

4. Bliss Triple Oxygen Treatment

An indulgent facial so relaxing I found myself drifting off. Lindsay Watling

?148.10 for 85 minutes, Bliss Spa, 60 Sloane Avenue, SW3 (020 7590 6146, blissworld.co.uk)

5. Carol Joy Diamond Facial, Dorchester Spa

This treatment is laden with diamond dust to leave your complexion sparkling. Emma McCarthy

?205 for 90 minutes, The Dorchester Spa, Park Lane, W1 (080 0344 3440, thedorchester.com)

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/the-london-best-brightening-facials-8112982.html

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Preserving old ships is dear to U.S. veterans, costly for museums

MOUNT PLEASANT, South Carolina (Reuters) - The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, a popular tourist spot in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor, is facing the same challenge as other U.S. Navy ship museums: keeping retired, once-storied warships afloat.

Its World War Two destroyer, the USS Laffey, just had a nearly $13 million restoration. The almost 70-year-old World War Two aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown, will need eventual repairs at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.

The USS Clamagore, a 1945 submarine at a dock nearby, could roll over in the next hurricane without extensive work to shore up its hull. While a veterans' group tries to raise enough money to save the sub, museum officials are making plans to have it towed to sea and turned into an artificial reef.

"Every ship cannot be kept as a floating museum," said Robert "Mac" Burdette, executive director at Patriots Point, which as the country's oldest aircraft carrier museum draws 230,000 visitors a year. "I wish they could. The money's not there in the world anymore."

The nation's 48 Navy ship museums are trying to balance preserving history and sentiment with the expense of maintaining huge, aging warships, a delicate act complicated by the fact that most do not get funding from the U.S. Navy or other government entities.

The ships need maintenance that was once done daily by hundreds of sailors, and a few need significant restoration to stay afloat. With the country strapped by budget woes, those ships may have to be sunk if money cannot be found.

At Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, the 1892 USS Olympia, a relic of the Spanish-American War and the world's oldest steel-hulled ship still floating, needs up to $20 million worth of work, said museum marketing director Hope Corse.

The museum does not have the money and cannot raise it, so it is looking to transfer the Olympia to one of two interested groups out of state, she said.

That solution is not ideal. The ship has not been hauled out of the water since 1945, and towing it would be expensive and risky, said Jesse Lebovics, museum historic ships manager.

REPAIRS PRICEY, BUT APPRECIATED

Other museums have funded costly repairs through loans from state governments or a combination of ticket sales, donations, grants and events. The Navy does not help finance the ships it began donating to museums in 1948, museum officials said.

"They have to fund the fighting ships, the ones that are still there," Burdette said.

In June, the USS Texas, a 100-year-old World War One battleship near Houston, sprang a leak. "And it led to many more leaks," said Andy Smith, ship manager for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which operates the ship museum. "We took on a lot of water."

Repair and environmental cleanup cost $2 million, Smith said. With funds that include a $25 million state bond, the ship will now get major repairs, he said.

South Carolina's Patriots Point is a state agency but receives no taxpayer dollars toward its $9.5 million annual budget, Burdette said. The museum was able to restore the Laffey over the course of three years with help from a $9.2 million loan from the state.

"It's beautiful," said 92-year-old Wilbert Gauding of Ravenna, Ohio, during a recent visit to the ship.

An original crew member, Gauding said he was a machinist's mate second class aboard the Laffey on D-Day, June 6, 1944. "We escorted the boats across the (English) Channel," he said. "We did a lot of shelling of the pillboxes on the beach over there."

"If you don't bring this home to the next generation, they'll forget what his generation did for us - the sacrifice they made for our freedom," said Gauding's daughter, Pat Goodhart, 63.

On the nearby Yorktown, rust streaks the hull and bulkheads. Belowdecks where the public is not allowed, painted green Xs mark corroded deck metal that might not bear a person's weight. Most of the flight deck and a number of steel hull plates on the 888-foot (270-metre) carrier will eventually need to be replaced.

To those who might suggest sinking the old warships rather than paying for the repairs, Burdette answers that doing so with the Yorktown could cost as much as $60 million. "We have married her for better or worse for a lifetime," he said.

Having opted to focus on raising money for its centerpiece exhibit, Patriots Point hopes to find a buyer who would pay to sink the Cold War-era Clamagore within the next few years in order to create an artificial reef and relieve the museum of that cost burden.

The decision upset hundreds of Clamagore veterans, who have responded by raising about $30,000 toward the $3 million needed to save the submarine.

They are not optimistic about the likely success of their efforts.

"I don't think we're going to be able to come up with the bucks," said veteran George Bass, 86, of Salisbury, North Carolina, who served for nine years on the Clamagore. "It means everything to us. It would be just like losing a member of your family."

(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/preserving-old-ships-dear-u-veterans-costly-museums-120730655.html

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Eximius Bar

The bar for Super Heroes and people with Supernatural powers. -description is short, sorry-

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California Law Bans Landlords From Requiring Declawed ...

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that prevents landlords from requiring tenants to have their pets' claws removed or vocal cords silenced. Landlords cannot reject tenants who refuse the surgeries to declaw or "devoice," and can't advertise in a way that discourages people whose pets have claws or vocal cords.

The law, SB1229, also stipulates that any landlord caught advertising or establishing those rental policies will face civil fines of up to $1,000 for each pet. Of course, any landlord who doesn't want to risk having annoyingly loud or sharp-clawed animals in a rental is still allowed to enforce a no-pets policy.

In 2010, then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill that he said went "too far in attempting to deal with inappropriate demands by landlords."

(For advice on how to live with a pet -- claws, voice and all -- see AOL Real Estate's guide to pet-friendly living.)

How annoying can a noisy pet be? While they wouldn't be affected by this law, it's probably not happy news for Craig Fontaine and Kathleen Melker of Warwick, R.I., who say their neighbors trained a cockatoo to repeatedly shout obscenities at them.

See also:
New Off-Ramp's Noise Leaves Homeowners Feeling Stranded
Family Faces Eviction Over Toddler's Noise
Soundproofing Against Outdoor Noise

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find homes for rent in your area.
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/09/28/california-law-bans-landlords-from-requiring-declawed-devoiced/

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Portugal: File-Sharing for Personal, Non-Commercial Use is Legal ...

Last year the movie industry anti-piracy group ACAPOR delivered boxes full of IP-addresses that they alleged had engaged in illegal file-sharing to the Attorney General?s Office of Portugal. The group wanted the AG's office to act against these 2,000 alleged pirates, saying that they were doing anything they could to "alert the government to the very serious situation in the entertainment industry." Fast-forward to the present day and the AG has a decision that the group is not too pleased with..

Portugal's Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) looked into all of the complaints the group submitted and came to the conclusion that the 2,000 IP-addresses submitted will not be brought to court. What's worse is that the prosecutor overseeing the investigation comes to the conclusion that file-sharing for personal use is not against the law and the IP addresses do not represent "people."

"From a legal point of view, while taking into account that users are both uploaders and downloaders in these file-sharing networks, we see this conduct as lawful, even when it?s considered that the users continue to share once the download is finished," an order from the DIAP reads.

The prosecutor goes on to say that the right to education, culture, and freedom of expression on the Internet should not be restricted in cases where copyright infringements are non-commercial.

As for the IP addresses, the ruling comes to the conclusion that the person connected to the IP address "is not necessarily the user at the moment the infringement takes place, or the user that makes available the copyrighted work, but rather the individual who has the service registered in his name, independent of whether this person using it or not."

ACAPOR boss Nuno Pereira vocalized his disappointment with the ruling and accused the prosecutor of being lazy:

"Personally I think the prosecutors just found a way to adapt the law to their interest ? and their interest is not having to send 2,000 letters, hear 2,000 people and investigate 2,000 computers," Pereira said.

Source: TorrentFreak

Source: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2012/09/28/portugal-file-sharing-personal-non-commercial-use-legal

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Tight Nevada Senate race despite ethics issues

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) ? Rep. Shelley Berkley ended her speech at a recent gathering of union members and retirees here by bringing up a potentially risky subject ? her husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner.

Lehrner was supposed to be an albatross in the seven-term congresswoman's attempt to replace Republican Dean Heller in the U.S. Senate, because his involvement in a kidney transplant program that Berkley pushed to save sparked a House Ethics Committee investigation of the congresswoman. But Berkley focused instead on health care, luck and love.

Fourteen years ago, she was introduced to a man a friend described as "a Jewish doctor with money." Berkley said Lehrner asked her if she'd test a new machine at his office, telling her: "It'll only take five minutes and you won't have to take your clothes off."

The machine found that Berkley, 61, had osteoporosis, a dangerous bone condition. Not every American has access to the health care that might have caught the condition so early.

"I don't think, in this country, you need to be dating a Jewish doctor with money to get good health care," she thundered to cheers.

It's a powerful argument in a tight race for Senate, in a state that's home to the nation's highest unemployment rate and where 12 percent of the population is over age 65. Nevada is key, too, to the wider national race for control of the Democratic-led Senate. Republicans need to gain four seats to win control, a task that seemed well within reach a few months ago but has lately grown uncertain. GOP leaders have high hopes that Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney will be a top-of-the-ticket draw for Nevada's high Mormon population.

For Democrats, Heller's seat is one of the party's best chances to oust a GOP incumbent and hold control of the Senate. Heller, 52, was appointed to the seat in 2011, after former Sen. John Ensign resigned amid an ethics investigation into his affair with the wife of a staffer.

The contest is also becoming a national test of which issue is more potent: Ethics or Republicans' attempts to remake Medicare.

Berkley has attacked Heller for backing Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's Medicare proposals. Heller has blasted the Democratic congresswoman on ethics and as a rubber-stamp for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Each side has responded to their perceived weakness by trying to turn the tables on their opponent. Heller and his backers have aired ads accusing Berkley of voting to cut $1 trillion from Medicare. Berkley has fired back with ads trying to tie Heller to a pair of Nevada political scandals to which he has the most tenuous links.

Democrats contend the pressure is on Heller, who last week in Washington sharply criticized Mitt Romney's comments about Americans who don't pay income taxes and called Berkley "the most corrupt and unethical person I've ever met." His campaign refused to make him available for an interview.

Steve Ernaut, a Republican consultant, noted that Nevada is closely-divided.

"In most of the big, statewide races, if you have two good candidates who are well-funded, they're going to be in a close, competitive race," Earnut said.

He added that Berkley's ethics issue might not seem that outrageous to many Nevadans. "The average voter has built up a bit of a callous to those things."

The contest exemplifies the divide in Nevada politics. Like Romney, Heller is Mormon from the mostly-rural north that dominated state politics for decades. Berkley, who is Jewish and the daughter of a waiter at the Sands Casino, is a feisty resident of the more labor-friendly and Democratic metropolis to the south whose growth turned Nevada into a swing state.

Eric Herzik, chair of the political science department at the University of Nevada in Reno, recalled that, in last year's Nevada Days parade, Heller rode a horse. Berkley rode a red 1966 Camaro.

"This is just Nevada in a nutshell," Herzik said.

The campaign has taken a nasty turn as the two candidates, buttressed by millions in outside spending, have aired sharp and personal ads. Berkley's ads accuse Heller of being in cahoots with corporate interests who want to slash Medicare and end with the phrase: "He's never been on your side." Heller's ads have honed in on Berkley's ethics woes, with one ending: "Shelley Berkley: A history of public corruption."

Heller hasn't entirely ridden Romney's coattails. Last week, he bluntly disavowed the nominee's secretly-recorded remarks about the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay federal income taxes. Potential Republican voters, after all, are part of that 47 percent? and in Nevada, they probably are among the state's 12.1 percent unemployed.

"My mom was a school cafeteria cook, so I have a very different view of the world," Heller told reporters in the Capitol. "I do believe the federal government has certain responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is building bridges and roads, and national defense, but I also believe in a safety net for individuals who need the help, so that's why I would respectfully disagree with the comments that he made."

The contest is so tight that, earlier this month, the two campaigns were arguing whether a small Filipino Veterans Group that endorsed Heller actually existed. Both campaigns expect it to remain close. Berkley's supporters are banking on Democrats' edge in organizing and President Obama's persistent lead here to bring enough voters to the polls to let her move up.

Heller's backers expect some Obama voters in the pivotal swing county of Washoe, in the north of the state, to split their ticket and support the Republican senator.

In an interview, Berkley said she was confident voters would back her because she wants to protect Medicare and the middle class. She dismissed the ethics issue, noting that all of the state's congressional representatives, including Heller, joined her in trying to preserve the program.

"I know, when this investigation is over, that everyone is going to know that my only concern is for the safety of patients in Nevada," Berkley said.

Herzik said the competitiveness of the race is a testament to Berkley's skill at responding to the ethics charges. But, he added, it could also represent a troubling trend for Republicans nationally -- swing state voters soundly rejecting the congressional Republican agenda to which Berkley has tied Heller.

"If she wins," Herzik said, "it's a warning sign."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tight-nevada-senate-race-despite-ethics-issues-192144390.html

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Younger version of 'Mona Lisa' to be presented

Laurent Gillieron / AP

A painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and representing Mona Lisa is seen during a preview presentation in a vault in Onex near Geneva, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012.

By Robert Evans, Reuters

GENEVA --?A younger vision of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" will be presented in Geneva on Thursday with the suggestion that it is the original version of what has been called the world's most famous painting.

The Swiss-based Mona Lisa Foundation organising the event said on Wednesday that detailed research over three decades strongly indicates that it is an earlier portrayal by the Italian genius of "the lady with the mystic smile."

"We have investigated this painting from every relevant angle and the accumulated information all points to it being an earlier version of the Giaconda in the Louvre," foundation member and art historian Stanley Feldman, told Reuters.

In Italy and France, the one currently recognised Leonardo "Mona Lisa" is known as "La Giaconda" or "La Joconde" after Lisa Gherardini, wife of early 16th century Italian nobleman Francesco del Giacondo who commissioned a portrait of her.

But Leonardo never delivered it to him.

The portrait to be presented to experts and media in Geneva shows a woman appearing to be in her early 20s -- rather than the early 30s of the Louvre painting -- in the same pose and with much the same enigmatic stare as the Louvre masterpiece.

The Irish-born Feldman and his brother David, long involved in the art world, said historical evidence, critical comparison and scientific examination using the most modern techniques supported their view on what it really is.

Cautiously backing the "two versions" thesis -- which if proven would create a major sensation in the art world -- are leading Italian Leonardo specialist Alessandro Vezzosi, another foundation member, and U.S.-based expert Carlo Pedretti.

But other experts on the artist, sculptor, architect and designer who bestrode the European cultural world from the late 15th century until his death in a small French chateau on the Loire at the age of 67 in 1519, are strongly sceptical.

In a luxuriously produced 300-page illustrated volume to be issued by the foundation on Thursday, Vezzosi, director of the Leonardo museum in the artist's home town of Vinci in central Italy, calls on the critics to keep an open mind.

The book, "Mona Lisa-Leonardo's Earlier Version," "will permit an unbiased judgement of the claim of this painting to be the earlier portrait, incomplete, of a young Mona Lisa, much younger than that of the Louvre," Vezzosi writes.

But in comments printed last weekend in a London newspaper, Oxford University professor Martin Kemp argued that the Geneva portrait is probably a copy of the Paris version by an unknown painter who simply chose to make the subject younger.

"So much is wrong," said Kemp, a world-recognised authority on Leonardo, pointing to the fact -- among others -- that the foundation's portrait is painted on canvas and not on wood, the artist's preferred medium.

The "younger version" -- which the Feldmans think was probably painted around 1505 -- is not new to the art world, though -- apart from a brief excursion to Japan -- it has been in a Swiss vault for many years.

It was discovered in 1913 by collector Hugh Blaker -- who had already made several art discoveries -- in a manor house in the west of England where it had hung for a century unnoticed. How it got there is unknown.

Blaker took it to his home in a London suburb, where it was dubbed "the Isleworth Mona Lisa." On his death in 1936, it was bought by American collector Henry Pulitzer, who deposited it in a Swiss bank while writing a book about it, published in 1972.

When Pulitzer died in 1979, it passed to his Swiss business partner, and on her death in 2010, it was bought by an international consortium, its current owners.

The Louvre "Mona Lisa," which draws huge crowds daily, was in Leonardo's possession when he died in France. It then found its way into the collection of King Francois I, but exactly how it got there has never been established.

Related content:?

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/09/26/14115751-younger-version-of-mona-lisa-to-be-presented?lite

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Whom You Know: BBC Home Entertainment Hits One Out of the ...

A staple of the Paul Mayer collection is the simple ballet-flat, with true ballerina construction for a perfect fit that comes in a variety of colors and materials. A cult favorite is the cozy, a flat with lavender-scent infused soles adding style and fragrance to collector's closets as Paul's designs emerge in sophisticated design incarnations season after season in the most incredible hues, textures and modern innovations in luxury footwear because we know firsthand how incredibly brilliant he is. Here are two recent hot numbers from the Paul Mayer hit parade:?

Mayer founded the brand in 2004 with partner, Jeff Levy. All shoes in the line are manufactured in Spain?s Valencia region, along the Mediterranean coast by a skilled staff of 12 artisans. They craft each pair of shoes with an old-world attention to detail that includes in-house embroidery, quilting and stitching as well as custom tanned leather. This allows the brand to cater to each retailer?s specific demands in with timely and consistent alacrity, with orders completed in an unheard-of 3 to 5 weeks.?

In 2011, Paul Mayer stepped out into Manhattan's Upper East Side with a new attitude, opening his flagship store at 1388 Third Avenue. The store which cleverly resembles a pink and black shoebox offers up to 150 shoe styles, including his popular ballerinas, exclusive designs and more. As an added bonus, shoppers have the chance of running into the designer, himself. Paul's sage shopping advice and style eye has made him the New York shoe lover's best kept secret. When not in New York, Paul can be found traveling to his myriad of stores across the country meeting his loyal clientele or vacationing in his favorite spot, the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach.?

Absolutely Fabulous, where have you been all our lives? Sweet Dreams ARE made of these, and Eddy and Patsy are the only external PR people we EVER would hire. In this smashing 20th Anniversary Special by BBC Home Entertainment they will have you roll-on-the-floor laughing, and that is saying something for those from the country with a stiff upper lip. And we hope Eddy and Patsy themselves are reading us-and to entice them, we?d encourage a look at some Stella video we did far before we ever heard of them:

If you?ve never seen this show, it is a bit like an I Love Lucy comedy with a fashionable modern twist but there?s no Lucy and Ethel: it is all Eddy and Patsy and make no mistake: it is all-Brit in London. All Peachy Deegan can say is that she now wants to see the last 20 years that she?s missed and on the next special Eddy and Patsy do, we want them to come to Manhattan and hang out with Peachy because we think they are so totally still fresh and happening. And that?s an authentic opinion since we?ve never seen them other than these three episodes! We are dying to meet you plus we have champagne here for you to drink and even better, the Peachy Deegan cocktail of course!?

In the first episode we find Eddy cruising through Brixton, which seemed like an outer borough to Peachy the Uppereastsider. We won?t tell you why Eddy visits a prison or any of the other escapades that ensue, but we will ensure that you will be highly entertained. They are on the same page as us with comments like ?There?s a New Disease Called the Kardashians? which they develop quip after quip with more. We love their cappuccino-sipping moustaches, we love the wallet-turned-cell phone, and we simply love Eddy and Patsy. Our esteemed panel says:

I try to live my life fabulously. This means I only allow myself to experience absolutely fabulous things! And it is why you must understand my complete and utter excitement over the new Absolutely Fabulous 20th Anniversary Special released by BBC Home Entertainment! I have always been a fan of the show. I was ecstatic once I found out they were releasing a new special! Divided into three segments, the first begins by reintroducing the familiar characters we know and love. The first episode, will have you rolling on the floor! You will not believe the situation that Patsy, Edna, and Saffron get themselves into. Or, I suppose if you really are a fan of the show, you probably will believe it. If you are a diehard AbFab fan, I promise you won't be disappointed with this special!

Having never seen or heard of Absolutely Fabulous from BBC Home Entertainment before, I was so excited to watch this show. Since this was the 20th Anniversary Specials, I did a little research and found that this show had been a hilarious hit. In this episode, they did a wonderful job reintroducing everyone quickly, but effectively. I didn't feel lost at all. You could tell they were trying to pick up after Saffron had been away for a considerable amount of time. Without giving any more away, all I can tell you is to watch this episode. I laughed harder than I had in a long time. I could watch this show over and over again. If you know anyone who needs a good belly laugh, this is the show for them. I know I'm recommending it to several friends.?

After twenty years, the over the-top ladies from Absolutely Fabulous are back. BBC Home Entertainment is fast-forwarding into the year 2012 even though the characters seem out of place. Yet that is what makes them endearing and entertaining. In the ?identity? episode, Eddy?s daughter has been in jail for a couple of years and returns home. Their she finds her family in rare form. Of course they are absolutely fabulous helping her catch up on the last two years. From trashing reality stars to swooning over William and Kate?s marriage, they make you laugh and laugh. With her scary jail mate joining her at home, the ladies are forced to reveal many things about themselves previously unknown to all. A new identity with the same wit and humor from 20 years ago.

BBC Home Entertainment's "Absolutely Fabulous" is exactly that! Making its first appearance in 1992, Ab Fab was bold, witty and outright hilarious. After five series and some one-time specials (the last in 2003), Ab Fab is back in 2012 and dare I say better than ever? The same beloved group of characters- Edina, Patsy, Saffy, Gran, Bubble and the rest of the gang are back in action. This particular episode, "Identity", finds Edina still doing Public Relations, Patsy is still a fashion editor, and Gran is still...well, Gran. The main focus of this episode is Saffy. Saffy is released from prison and is dealing with her former cellmate who just so happens to be Patsy's former drug dealer. As you can imagine the plot is funny from start to finish! I truly enjoyed "Identity" and highly recommend "Absolutely Fabulous" to anyone who is fond of British humor, you will love it. In fact, it's so funny that even those of you who aren't particularly fond of British humor will love it too!?

Whom You Know Gives Absolutely Fabulous Our Highest Recommendation.?

Source: http://www.whomyouknow.com/2012/09/bbc-home-entertainment-hits-one-out-of.html

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Google offers 25 cent Android apps to celebrate 25 billion downloads

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gay TV comedy "The New Normal" takes a surprising political turn on Tuesday with an episode touching on hot button election issues - from all points of view. The NBC show about the efforts of two gay men to have a baby through a surrogate, takes on racism, health care, abortion, religion, same sex marriage and the Republican and Democratic contenders for the White House in the episode called "Obama Mama". ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/google-offers-25-cent-android-apps-celebrate-25-180228365.html

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Several Good Ways To Help Personal Development

Self improvement is essential for that development of individuals. Self improvement enables us as human beings to figure out ways to higher our own selves, whether they are by means of spiritual, intellectual, or bodily means. If you want some pointers on personal development, then pay attention to the information in the following paragraphs.

Envision success. If you can see oneself succeeding in a sensible array, you are much more apt to succeed. When you can picture yourself performing a project effectively, then picture oneself honoring your ability to succeed, you will possess much less functionality anxiety plus it positive thinking will help you achieve your objectives.

If you realise your self dealing with exhaustion and exhaustion on a daily basis, check out your diet for feasible clues. 3 square foods with healthful snack foods in-in between gives your mind and body with the power and nutrients which make it much easier to make it through an day with out sensation like you are jogging on unfilled.

Producing inside an everyday log could be a valuable way to keep yourself motivated as you try to attain your own improvement targets. Even when you don?t consider yourself to be a blogger, just jotting downward your feelings regarding your successes, or even about anything at all occurring in your life, can provide you with the energy to be with your attempts.

Learn to banish unpleasant and unfounded negative thoughts about others. If you locate a really nasty emotion rising, end it there and power on your own to create at least two positive or flattering things about anyone or persons involved. With time, on a regular basis rehearsing this exercise designs all your other worries by quickly contacting in your thoughts the most beneficial areas of equally men and women and circumstances.

As was reviewed at first of this report, looking for self improvement can be a healthier and positive project. As a way to succeed in attaining personal development there are various crucial bits of suggest that anyone need to comply with. Utilize this article?s assistance and acquire one step ahead in accomplishing on your own aid goals

Source: http://intellectualredneck.com/2012/09/several-good-ways-to-help-personal-development/

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Creating a More Engaging Website

Creating a website is very simple, but creating a good one that is both engaging and utilised by your target audience is an entirelydifferent challenge. Using your website to engage an audience enables you to generate traffic and offers you the opportunity to create a larger income stream through sales. The web is an amazing business tool, and if you engage with correctly, you could see your business profits explode rapidly.This article considers what you need to do to create a more engaging website.

Outsource

Unless you run a web design company, then outsourcing your online offerings is worthwhile. Marketing budgets are rarely focused on the Internet, despite the fact that most people and businesses look online first for their needs. Redirecting your marketing budget into the online arena can make an amazing difference to the success of your products, but to get it right, you must have expertise. Web development and promotion are elements of outsourced IT that can greatly benefit your business as it develops online.

Target Your Audience

Your website and your brand as a whole needs to directly target your audience, so that you can fully engage with the people that are most likely to visit your store and buy your products. Targeting your audience properly and actively by focusing your efforts through the use of pay-per-click advertising will get you the results that you require. If your web content does not appeal to the target audience, however, then you will not get regular visitors, and will struggle to turn the visits into sales too.

Promote Your Page

The old adage of ?build it and they will come?is simply not true in the World Wide Web. There is so much on offer online that you need to actively battle to get your web page seen before the millions of other websites out there.

Promoting your web page through physical advertising is one thing, but promoting it through targeted search engine optimisation will have a far greater effect. Such promotionmeansthat your web page will appear much higher up the list of results, and that people will bea lot more likely to be exposed to it. This is a very worthwhile investment of time and money, because it will mean that people can actually find your business without knowing about it.

Retain Your Customers

Another challenge that comes with an online presence is the retention of customers. When customers land on your page, you should convert their presence into sales, as soon as possible. This is a challenge, because being too pushy will deter them, and being too relaxed will make themnot bother either. Making the sale is crucial, but getting these customers to return is even harder.

A Complete Package

Collecting email addresses and contacting previous customers with regards to targeted offers is one of the best ways of turning theminto repeat customers. To retain them, however, you will need them to trust you, and this requires a great service,from the point of landing on your pageto the point of sale anddelivery. Your business must be successful as a whole to retain all of the customers,and thus eventually build a customer base.

Source: http://www.veganfreak.com/creating-engaging-website/

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