The Man Repeller - The Business of Fashion

Leandra Medine | Photo: Kevin Trageser for BoF

Next up in our on-going?series?on fashion?s most influential bloggers and their business models, BoF speaks to Leandra Medine a.k.a. The Man Repeller.

NEW?YORK, United States ??In April of 2010, Leandra Medine, then a 21-year-old journalism student living with her parents on Manhattan?s Upper East Side, launched a blog with a novel and quirky concept: The Man Repeller.

?It?s about trends that women love and men hate,? the gregarious Medine tells BoF. ?I was with a close friend of mine, Rachel [Strugatz],? she says, recalling the lightbulb moment that still makes her laugh. ?Man repelling was something that we had already uncovered and been talking about. We?d go to Topshop and I?d try something on and she?d be like, ?That?s really man repelling,? and I?d be like, ?I know, it?s great.? That day, I thought, ?This is a brilliant blog idea.??

But this was two to three years after figures like Scott Schuman (?The Sartorialist?), Susie Bubble, Bryanboy and Tommy Ton seemed to have already laid claim to the upper echelons of the fashion blogosphere. How was Medine able to breakthrough and establish her own successful business?

First of all, she is very funny. And perhaps what differentiates The Man Repeller most is the way Medine marries impeccable high fashion aesthetics with a comedic approach that can literally make you laugh out loud. ?I think what?s so interesting for people is that I don?t take it so seriously and yet I am still immersed in the [fashion] industry,? she says.

But behind her natural goofiness is the more serious side of a very smart and savvy young woman. While many of the influential fashion bloggers who came before her started their sites as purely personal side projects, Medine was more strategic in her approach, identifying a compelling concept before bringing it to life. Indeed, the success of other fashion bloggers provided something of a ?proof of concept? for Medine and underlined the importance of having a distinctive point of view.

But a great concept was only the first step. ?Man Repeller as a concept was the door,? says Medine. ?But it?s what I?ve done with the site that has enabled me to walk through that door. Execution is almost everything.?

Featuring self-portraits of Medine wearing the kind of edgy and eccentric pieces that risk repelling the average man, as well as plenty of images of similarly challenging and ?unsexy? items, including ?sweet lime green drop crotch utility pants? and ?jewelry that resembles violent weaponry,? The Man Repeller was mentioned on popular fashion site Refinery29, where Medine had friends, just three days after launch, helping to drive immediate awareness and traffic.

Today, just over two years since launch, the site clocks over 2.6 million pageviews a month, according to statistics provided by Medine, and the concept of ?man repelling? has entered the fashion vernacular, as has ?arm party,? a term coined by Medine to describe her habit of stacking her forearms with numerous bracelets.

Medine has also managed to turn her blogging into a significant business. Recapping her various revenue streams, she says: ?I have a storefront but that generates no more than 10 percent. Ads must be 30 percent. Collaborations bring in 60 percent.?

Indeed, it?s her unabashed pursuit of brand partnerships that constitute by far the most important part of Medine?s business strategy. ?I am probably more monetisable than the actual site,? explains Medine, who brims with natural enthusiasm and has been paid to write, style and model for a number of brands and retailers. In the last few months alone, Medine has styled store windows for Maje, worked with Michael Kors on a video to help launch the brand?s new Madison Avenue lifestyle store, curated personalised ?arm parties? for jewelry etailer BaubleBar, hosted a shopping soir?e for Stuart Weitzman and modeled live in the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue.

?We have an ongoing collaboration with Leandra called Mr Dannijo. Each season we create a playful statement collection,? says Danielle Snyder, co-founder of eclectic New York-based jewelry line Dannijo. As part of the partnership, for which Medine is paid a commission on each piece sold, she blogs about the collection and stars in a seasonal launch video. According to Snyder, the results have been impressive. ?The collaboration has boosted sales and increased our web traffic.?

Medine has also tried her hand at designing. Last year, she worked with Aimee Cho of outerwear label Gryphon to create a navy trench coat with black leather sleeves and a gold leaf camouflage print for which she was paid a commission on each sale. It sold out on Shopbop within a few hours, boosted by a post on The Man Repeller that featured Medine wearing the coat and urged readers to buy. In the comments below the post, her loyal community of ?man repellers? responded enthusiastically, almost without exception.

Medine has also scored a book deal. Set to be published in September 2013 by Grand Central Publishing, the book is a collection of semi-autobiographical essays that each link a specific outfit to a key life moment. ?It?s based on the notion that the female memory is so driven by fashion,? she explains. ?I can tell you exactly what I was wearing when I met my husband, when he first broke up with me, when we got back together.?

And as a sign of the power of her brand, six months ago, Medine signed with top entertainment-industry talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to help her capitalise on the opportunities that blogging has brought. ?I think they are great at representing individuals and they know how to execute. We have the ideas, we just need an execution plan and that?s where they come in really well,? she says.

?It?s also important to have someone as big as?CAA?standing behind you saying this is what you deserve,? she continues. ?I think more than anything what?s great is that they have taught me to think on a larger scale. This is our moment, so we may as well seize it.?

But how long will the moment last?

?We are at a point in the evolution of blogging where only the strongest will survive ? it?s Darwinism,? says Medine. ?I think the biggest fight is to stay relevant and innovative. Things get stale very quickly, especially on the Internet.?

Medine has certainly built a successful online brand and has experience designing and marketing products, assets that could take her far. Indeed, Nastygal founder Sophia Amoruso, who first launched her store on eBay and used social media?to build her ?unapologetically sexy? brand, now heads a full-fledged fashion e-tailer that made $28 million in revenue in 2011 and recently raised $9 million in funding from top tier venture capital firm Index Ventures. Like Amoruso, Ms. Medine commands a huge following on social platforms like Instagram, where she has more than 142,000 followers.

But for now, Medine is focused on developing her editorial voice. ?My big push is turning Man Repeller into a major destination,? says Medine. ?In my head what I imagine is a cross between?Vogue?and?Jezebel, because?Jezebel?has the wit and the quirk and the fun that you want and?Vogue?has the image-driven, glossy, exclusive, chic aura,? she explains. ?I want to start producing big stories that are interesting, funny, compelling narratives from smart women,? she continues. ?What I?m hoping to do is start hiring writers who can share that point of view. I?m going to do it slow and steady.?

Indeed, while a number of top fashion bloggers now have deals with major media companies like Cond? Nast, Medine sees value in staying independent. ?The idea of partnering with print kings scares me. And I want to make sure everything stays digital,? she explains.

?Andy Warhol says everyone has their 15 minutes of fame, but there is no reason why that can?t become a lifetime if you have the right tools.?

Vikram Alexei Kansara is Managing Editor of The Business of Fashion. Photography by?Kevin Trageser.

Source: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2012/07/the-business-of-blogging-the-man-repeller.html

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Travel warnings blamed as visitors stay away ... - BBC World News

Visitors with no interest in the Olympics have been staying away from the capital, leaving hotels, shops and tourist attractions reporting large falls in business. Severe delays : A sign at Stratford station informs passengers hoping to use the Central Line Picture: Getty Tourists were expected to find it a struggle to get rooms during the Games without paying sky high rates but warnings of travel disruption have been blamed for keeping them away. Angela Skelly, director of hotel room provider JacTravel, said: ?Compared with the same period last year, bookings for London are very substantially down, whereas bookings for all other European cities are significantly up ? as is London in September.? JacTravel said some four-star hotels which had been quoting prices of ?300 to ?400 for rooms have dropped their rates to about ?110 and

Fruit flies light the way for scientists to pinpoint genetic changes that spell cancer

Fruit flies light the way for scientists to pinpoint genetic changes that spell cancer

Monday, July 30, 2012

By studying fruit flies, scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have successfully devised a fast and cost-saving way to uncover genetic changes that have a higher potential to cause cancer. With this new approach, researchers will now be able to rapidly distinguish the range of genetic changes that are causally linked to cancer (i.e. "driver" mutations) versus those with limited impact on cancer progression. This research paves the way for doctors to design more targeted treatment against the different cancer types, based on the specific cancer-linked mutations present in the patient. This study published in the prestigious journal Genes & Development could help advance the development of personalised medicine in cancer care and treatment.

The era of genomic sequencing has generated an unparalleled wealth of information on the complexity of genetic changes that occur as cancer develops and progresses. "Many genetic changes arise in cancer cells and changes continue to accumulate during the progression of disease to metastatic cancer [1]. The current challenge is to understand which of the many genetic changes are important drivers of disease progression" said Dr. Stephen Cohen, Principal Investigator at IMCB and team leader of this paper.

Though very different in many ways, fruit flies and humans share similarities in a remarkable two-thirds of their genomes. That is to say, many of the genes found in humans are also present in the flies. Similarly, various signalling pathways involved in tumour formation are also well conserved from fruit flies to humans. In fact, previous studies have shown that about 75 percent of known human disease genes have a recognisable match in the genome of fruit flies [2].

Leveraging on their genetic similarities, Dr H?ctor Herranz, a post-doctorate from the Dr Cohen's team developed an innovative strategy to genetically screen the whole fly genome for "cooperating" cancer genes. On their own, these are the genes that appear to be harmless and have little or no impact on cancer. But in fact, they cooperate with other cancer genes, so that the combination causes aggressive cancer, which neither would cause alone.

In this study, the team was specifically looking for genes that could cooperate with EGFR [3] "driver" mutation, a genetic change commonly associated with breast and lung cancers in humans. SOCS5, reported in this paper, is one of the several new "cooperating" cancer genes to be identified through this innovative approach. Most of these new-found genes have yet to be identified as cancer genes in human or mouse models.

Said Mr Xin Hong, a PhD student and the co-first author of this paper, "We were very surprised by our finding because this it the first time that the Socs gene family is found to be linked to cancer. Previously it has only been associated with immunological disorders."

Dr. Cohen added, "Though these studies are in the early stages, they are very promising. Already, there are indications that levels of SOCS5 expression are reduced in breast cancer, and patients with low levels of SOCS5 have poor prognosis."

The IMCB team is preparing to explore the use of SOCS5 as a biomarker in diagnosis for cancer.

Said Professor Wanjin Hong, Executive Director of IMCB, "This study sheds light on the complexities of cancer genetics and paves the way to accelerate development of personalised medicine in cancer care. It is a fine examples of how powerful genetic approach using the fly model can reveal molecular mechanisms underlying human cancer. More importantly, it shows how fundamental research can have far-reaching applications for potential clinical benefits."

###

[1] Cancer metastasis is the rapid and often fatal spread of cancer cells from the primary tumour to other parts of the body, and is often the leading cause of death by cancer.

[2] Reiter, LT; Potocki, L; Chien, S; Gribskov, M; Bier, E (2001). "A Systematic Analysis of Human Disease-Associated Gene Sequences In Drosophila melanogaster" Genome Research 11(6):1114-1125 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC311089/?tool=pmcentrez

[3]Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a cell surface protein that binds epidermal growth factor binds, causing cells to divide. It is found at abnormally high levels on the surface of many types of cancer cells, so that these cancer cells may divide excessively in the presence of epidermal growth factor

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore: http://www.a-star.edu.sg

Thanks to Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/122136/Fruit_flies_light_the_way_for_scientists_to_pinpoint_genetic_changes_that_spell_cancer_

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Hudson Valley Golf Guide App

Living in Westchester County we're not short on golf courses but a lot of them are private. I was feeling somewhat of a disconnect to the public golf courses in the area and not really sure where to find an accurate list. So I did what any sane person would do, I built an app for Hudson Valley golf courses... and a little beyond.?

The app lists over 100 public golf courses in NY, CT, and NJ

The app is my first attempt to help golfers in our area locate new golf courses and make it easier to contact or travel to courses in the area.? Why didn't I promote it? I wasn't sure if I was going to keep the app live but recently there has been a spike in downloads so it inspired me to keep it going and continuously improve it.

HV Golf Guide App Features

Since it's my first attempt at a golf app I kept our services fairly simple:

• Golf Courses: This is the reason I built it. Over 100 golf courses in the Hudson Valley, Westchester, New York City, Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey. You can view them in a list or on a map and each offers information on the course along with 1-touch calling and directions.
• Other Golf Stuff: I've added some driving ranges and golf shops along the way. I'll add more as I discover them.
• Coupons: A big thank you to New York Golf Center and the guys at Photo Ball Marker for providing a couple of in app coupons. Download the app and have access to their coupons!
• Events: As we learn about events, we will update this section. If you have an event coming up in the area, send us an e-mail so we can add it!?
• Social Media Integration: Stay connected through Facebook, Twitter and our blog!
• Other Stuff: I want to add bars, restaurants and lodging for golfers so if you have any recommendations feel free to contact me!

The app is available on the iPhone, iPad and Droid devices. If you're an Apple user, it's free and for those of you on the droid OS, it's going to cost a whopping $.99 cents until I get around to making it free.

I will be developing apps for other golf regions so if you think you need one in your area, let me know. Even better if you want to manage the app for your region since you know it best... just contact me!

Hudson Valley Golf Guide App in iTunes

Hudson Valley Golf Guide App for Android

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WamGolf/~3/CVKCj82zOEg/hudson-valley-golf-guide-app.html

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Get The Scoop On How To Effective Use Credit Cards

Good advice on managing credit cards can be hard to find. This article was written to teach you about the proper way to use credit cards. It is much easier to get a credit card than it is to use it wisely, so many people end up in financial trouble.

Before making an online purchase with your credit card, you need to make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate seller. Check to see if the company has posted a physical address on the site for their operations. You might also want to call phone numbers listed on the website to verify they are still active.

Make sure you are smart when using a credit card. Do not overspend and only buy things that you can comfortably afford. Before using a credit card, make sure your income will cover the balance on your statement. When you carry over a balance, you are much more likely to get yourself into deeper debt.

Give yourself a budget. Resist temptation to charge things right away on your credit card just because you received a new one. Do not give in to temptation. Before using the card, sit and plan a budget for your money. Stick to your budget to avoid future issues.

Any time you receive emails or physical mail regarding your credit card, open them immediately. Credit card providers can make changes to their fees and interest rates provided that they give you a written notice of their changes. If you object to said changes, you are always able to cancel your card.

Discuss your interest rate with your credit card company. Contact the company that issues your credit card, you may be able to get them to lower your rate. If you?ve made your payments regularly and if you have proven that you are a good customer, they could give you a better APR.

To retain a favorable credit score, be sure to make your payment for your credit card by the due date. Your score is damaged by late payments, and that also usually includes fees that are costly. Set up a payment schedule that is automatic so that you can save some time as well as put some money back into your pockets.

If your card is misplaced, lost or stolen, call your credit card company promptly. Doing so cancels your card so that others can?t use it. You should then get a new card in the mail.

Be vigilant of all purchases, so you can make sure not to overspend. Noting down your credit card expenditures on paper or a spreadsheet will make you less likely to start spending money you cannot afford to repay.

Always read everything, even the small print. Always get the full details before signing up for a pre-approved card. Details like the rate of interest you will have to pay often go unnoticed, then you will end up paying a very high fee. You must also be sure to learn about grace periods and any fees that may be applied.

Look through your list of credit accounts. You may want to close accounts that you don?t use anymore. Closing accounts that are old prevents them from getting used in a fraudulent manner. You may also close accounts you just don?t want anymore, even if they have a balance. You can simply keep making payments until you get rid of the outstanding balance.

Do not be hesitant to inquire about getting a lower interest rate. As long as you have a good credit history, you should be able to get yourself a much better rate. All you may have to do is make a phone call in order to obtain a better rate and save money.

Always remember, when you are using your credit cards, you are borrowing money. You can easily get over your head in debt if you do not keep reminding yourself about this fact. Eventually, your debt will catch up to you, and it will be time to pay up. You may find remembering that you are borrowing money, makes you more apt to skip an unneeded purchase.

In order to get the best credit cards, you need to keep tabs on your credit record. In every case, a consumer?s credit score will be the biggest factor in deciding what kind of card a credit card company offers him or her. You must carry great credit to take advantage of the lower rates, cash back offers or points programs that are promoted by the card companies.

As you have seen, it can be all too easy to cause problems for yourself by using credit cards improperly. With multiple cards, and multiple pricey purchases, you will find yourself in deep trouble. This article may be able to help you stay away from credit issues and stay financially healthy.

The Ins And Outs Of Using Credit Cards Wisely

Credit cards can have a big impact on your life. Whether that impact is good or bad is up to you and how you handle them. This article will give you some practical advice for getting the most out of your credit cards without them getting the most out of you.

We highly recommend you Compare Credit Cards in order for you to find the best information on low apr credit cards for bad credit

You should try and limit the number of credit cards that are in your name. Too many credit cards is not good for your credit score. Having several different cards can also make it more difficult to keep track of your finances from month to month. Try and keep your credit card count between two and four.

Remember that you must pay back what you have charged on your credit cards. This is only a loan, and in many cases, it is a high interest loan. Carefully consider your purchases prior to charging them, to be sure that you will have the money to pay them off.

If you have credit cards be sure to check your monthly statements thoroughly for errors. Everyone makes errors, and this applies to credit card companies as well. To prevent from paying for something you did not purchase you should save your receipts through the month and then compare them to your statement.

If your credit card is charging you a high rate of interest on your balance, consider transferring it to a lower interest rate card. This can save you a lot while you are working to pay down that balance. The key is to not charge any more on the old card once you have transferred your balance, or you will end up in a worse financial situation.

Take a long view towards reducing your credit card debt. If you are trapped into only making minimum payments and not making any headway towards the overall debt, think six months down the road. Paying all your bills on time and removing incorrect information from your credit history and reports can mean getting a new credit in half a year. Just a few points of lower interest rates on your new balance, can shave thousands off of your debt.

Try to avoid applying for in-store credit cards because they charge much higher fees than traditional credit cards. Most merchants accept all of the major credit cards so it would be a much better idea for you to make purchases with one of those instead of applying for a card with the merchant.

Consider working with a big company which is regulated by the right organization. To be safe, go with a company that is listed or one that a listing company owns. If you aren?t going with a big company, you run the risk of them doing shady things with your account, such as charging you outrageous fees and raising the interest rates really high.

Hopefully the above article has given you the information necessary to avoid getting in to trouble with your credit cards! It can be so easy to let our finances slip away from us, and then we face serious consequences. Keep the advice you have read here in mind, the next time you go to charge it!

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Source: http://articlesfair.com/uncategorized/get-the-scoop-on-how-to-effective-use-credit-cards/

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India blackout leaves 370 million in dark

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Northern India's power grid crashed Monday, halting hundreds of trains, forcing hospitals and airports to use backup generators and leaving 370 million people ? more than the population of the United States and Canada combined ? sweltering in the summer heat.

The blackout, one of the worst to hit India in a decade, highlighted the nation's inability to feed a growing hunger for energy as it strives to become a regional economic power.

The country's northern grid crashed about 2:30 a.m. because it could no longer keep up with the huge demand for power in the hot summer, officials in the state of Uttar Pradesh said. However, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said he was not sure exactly what caused the collapse and had formed a committee to investigate it.

The grid feeds the nation's breadbasket in Punjab, the war-wracked region of Kashmir, the burgeoning capital of New Delhi, the Dalai Lama's Himalayan headquarters in Dharmsala and the world's most populous state, the poverty stricken Uttar Pradesh.

By late morning, 60 percent of the power had been restored in the eight northern states affected by the outage and the rest was expected to be back on line by the afternoon, Shinde said. The grid was drawing power from the neighboring Eastern and Western grids as well as getting hydroelectric power from the neighboring mountain kingdom of Bhutan.

Without electricity, residents were roused from sleep when their fans and air conditioners stopped, and came out of their homes in New Delhi's sweltering heat as the entire city turned dark. Temperatures in the city were in the mid 30s (90s Fahrenheit) with 89 percent humidity. New Delhi's renowned Metro transit system, with 1.8 million daily riders, was forced to shut down for hours during the morning commute. Some trains across the northern region were stranded when their electric engines failed. Others were delayed by hours as they were hooked to diesel engines.

While the outage Monday was unique in its reach, its impact was softened by Indians' familiarity with almost daily power outages of varying duration. Hospitals and major businesses have generators that kick in when during power cuts, and upscale homes run on backup systems powered by truck batteries.

"This will obviously get worse," said Subhash Chawla, a 65-year-old retiree who took the Metro once power was restored. "Unless the Metro has a separate power supply, it will be chaos in the future."

The failure was the first time since 2001 that the northern grid had collapsed. But India's demand for electricity has soared since then as its economy has grown sharply. The outage was a reminder of the country's long road ahead in upgrading its infrastructure to meet its aspirations of being an economic superpower.

India's Central Electricity Authority reports power deficits of about 8 percent in recent months. But any connection to the grid remains a luxury for many. One-third of India's households do not even have electricity to power a light bulb, according to last year's census.

Transmission and distribution losses in some states are as much as 50 percent because of theft and connivance of employees in the power industry.

The power deficit was worsened by a weak monsoon that lowered hydroelectric generation and kept temperatures higher, further increasing electricity usage as people seek to cool off. Shivpal Singh Yadav, the power minister in the state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 200 million people, said that while demand during peak hours hits 11,000 megawatts, the state can only provide 9,000 megawatts.

Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation chief Avnish Awasthi blamed the grid collapse on states drawing more than their allotted power to meet the summer demand,

Earlier this month, angry crowds blocked traffic and clashed with police after blackouts in the Delhi suburb of Gurgaon that houses many high-rise apartment blocks and offices. With no power in some neighborhoods for more than 24 hours, people erected blockades that paralyzed traffic for several hours.

____

Associated Press writer Biswajeet Banerjee contributed to this report from Lucknow, India.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/major-blackout-hits-northern-indian-cities-070125541.html

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?This Time? is a Poignant Music Documentary | Ah!merican Traveler

This Time chronicles the career of singers, including the Sweet Inspirations

?This Time?, the new documentary from Victor Mignatti shows the bleak and sometimes tragic side of the music industry. The movie profiles five musical artists?four who were once on or near the top, and one who has been trying to make it for over a decade.

The group Sweet Inspirations (originally with Cissy Houston) sand backup with Elvis Presley for several years, as well as Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklyn, Dusty Springfield and even Jimi Hendrix. Unfortunately, very little recognition has come their way. One of the more poignant scenes shows them singing back up for Elvis impersonators in Las Vegas.

Then there?s Pat Hodges. She?s an awesome singer who wound up homeless in L.A.? Despite her travails and her life on the street, she keeps the faith, as do all of the singers in the film. Even though they have faced failure they pick themselves up and keep on going. They have learned the hard way that talent doesn?t guarantee success.

Teh movie follows music producer Peitor Angell who tries to revive the careers of the Sweet Inspirations and Pat Hodges?with minimal success. In the meantime, cabaret singer Bobby Belfry tries to makes it in New York. and manages to land a gig at the fabulous Feinsteins at Loew?s Regency.

I would have liked to see more background info and interviews with some of the celebs they worked with or who knew them. The film was? a bit long and edited erratically, but it is an interesting story and a cautionary tale about how fickle fame can be.

?

Source: http://www.ahmericantraveler.com/2012/07/28/this-time-is-a-poignant-music-documentary/

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Death no deterrent for S.African gem diggers

The man slips the plastic pouch of gems into his mouth, an illicit haul from the sandy deposits scattered among the mountains of South Africa's diamond coast.

"It's my safe," he explains, sliding the stash back along the inside of his cheek.

The group of diggers are waiting for the cover of darkness to make another raid on a disused mine, opposite their make-shift camp, where 10 miners died in an avalanche three months ago.

Illegal miners in South Africa are ready to risk death to chase a share of the mineral riches that shaped the continent's biggest economy.

In sparsely populated Namaqualand, where the famed gem deposits run along the icy Atlantic Ocean to the Namibian border, diamond giant De Beers was once the top employer, providing 3,000 jobs and building two towns with recreation halls, a golf course and schools, to house its staff.

But its mines were halted in 2008 and the company's Namaqualand operations are in the final stages of a 225 million rand ($27 million, 22 million euro) sell-off after years of retrenchments.

The slowdown has emptied out the private mining towns, but has lured growing numbers of diggers from the area's other small settlements into the abandoned fields.

"I can say that more than 60 percent of the active workforce are involved in the informal diamond trade," said Andy Pienaar, of the social outreach office in Komaggas, one of the few small villages in the mining area.

"There was sort of a blessing from the community that 'people, you may go'" dig, he added.

"It was about survival. It was about sustaining and we're not talking about high life standards, we're talking about just basically survival."

Komaggas has little sign of gem wealth along dirt roads that wind past humble homes where many residents survive on government welfare payments.

But one local buyer, who also digs with a team who share the profits, estimates that he has made about 400,000 rand since he started digging three years ago.

"It changed my life completely. I don't even mind about looking for a job now because I was running around Cape Town, Johannesburg, looking for a job -- there's no need now, I've got a job now," he told AFP.

"I'm not a rich man but I can support my family each and every month."

With some of the world's richest mineral reserves, mining and its knock-on industries contributed nearly 20 percent of GDP in 2010. Illegal mining losses represent a tiny fraction of that, but were still estimated at five billion rand four years ago.

Among the most popular targets for illegal miners are the gold industry's disused mine shafts.

But such shafts see regular fatalities from working in unsafe conditions. In Namaqualand, the diggers went underground, into the sandy layers usually mined in open pits, which eventually turned into a graveyard when the tunnels collapsed.

"It's having quite a big impact on us as a business, but one of the biggest concerns we face around illegal mining is the safety issue associated with illegal diamond mining," said De Beers spokesman Innocent Mabusela.

"We would like to see tougher penalties," he added.

The Namaqualand diggers are only fined 300 rand for trespassing if caught in the mines.

Diamond output is slowing -- to nearly nine million carts in 2010 from more than 15 million five years earlier -- but the country's deposits which produced famed rocks such as the giant Cullinan diamond are still yielding.

Two years ago, South African gems brought in the fourth highest values in the world: 15 percent of the $12 billion worldwide production.

There is talk of "millions" being made in a boom in the area from January until the May accident, with the fatal Bontekoe site drawing hundreds of miners who used to queue to get into an underground cave and tunnels.

"It's very difficult and dangerous, you can be murdered in the process," said a female buyer who only wanted to be known as Risa.

"If somebody knows you've got diamonds, they might follow you and try to get them. If you resist, they can kill you to get them," she said.

Despite South Africa's diamond trade regulations, a rock can be easily sold on the black market.

But beyond the profits, the locals also feel a strong sense of entitlement to the land that predates the arrival of white prospectors in the late 1920s.

South Africa's apartheid past handed control of the country's resources to whites and only 8.9 percent of mines had shifted ownership by 2009.

"De Beers occupies our land and should give it back to us," said Pienaar.

"We do not want to be slaves on our own land any more. We don't just want to be workers, we want to be owners. We want to be part of the decision making process."

The community plans to lodge a claim to the land and there is also bitterness that the shine of gems has not reached Komaggas.

"Nothing has happened here," said William Cloete, who runs a licensed mine next to Bontekoe.

"All our diamonds, the billions, are out of our land.... But we're sitting with nothing -- an empty town with nothing."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-no-deterrent-african-gem-diggers-092545134.html

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The History of Gold | Gold - Personal Finance

Gold or a product involving Gold is hot these days.?Should you buy? And it is also attracting Fund Managers to create a financial product around Gold. We already have over 11?Gold ETFs in India. Other?Gold Funds in India has been reviewed too.

Let us go back in time and take a look at the history of gold.?For thousands of years, gold has?been used as a currency, investment, and commodity?cementing its importance as an asset

4600 B.C.? Earliest evidence of gold used as?jewelry

1091 B.C. China legalizes the use of gold as money

560 B.C. to400 A.D. Gold coins are minted by?King Croesus (present day Turkey); Julius?Caesar introduces a gold coin as common currency

1284 to1300 Venice and Great Britain issue the?gold ducat and florin, respectively

?

1511 to1700? Spain launches its hunt for gold and finds massive reserves in Brazil in 1700. By 1720 the?country is producing more than 60% of the world?s supply

?

1799 Gold production begins in the U.S.

1848 Gold rush gets underway in the U.S., with more than 300,000 people moving to California

1900 The U.S. passes the?Gold Standard Act

1933 to1937 The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 ends the minting of gold coins and raises the price of gold to$35 per ounce to trade in to the treasury (formerly set at $20.67)

1971 President Nixon ends the ability to trade U.S. dollars in for gold

1980 Gold sets a then-record high of $870 per ounce

2001 to2007 China becomes the world?s largest producer of gold?after deregulating its market

2004 The first gold ETF begins trading

2008 to2010 The ?Great Recession? in the U.S., and a?larger global slowdown, push gold prices over?$1,000 for the first time ever

Source: U.S. Global Investors

You can read about Gold more here: The Truth About Gold

Please Search Here for more stories of your interest. Thanks.

Subscribe to our feed and get updates in your email inbox Send your feedback and any questions to editor@personalfinance201.com. Thanks.

Source: http://personalfinance201.com/Gold/the-history-of-gold.html

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Christians persecuted by Muslims | Reporting on the Middle East ...

by Raymond Ibrahim
Gatestone Institute
July 26, 2012

http://www.meforum.org/3292/muslim-persecution-of-christians-june-2012

?

U.S.-backed rebels are committing Christian genocide in Syria, where they are sacking churches and issuing threats that all Christians will be cleansed from rebel-held territory. A mass exodus of thousands of Christians is taking place, even as mainstream Western reporters like Robert Fisk demonize those same Christians for being supportive of the secular regime.

The bloody jihad waged against Nigeria?s Christians, which has seen hundreds killed this year alone, now includes plans to kill Christians with poisoned food, as part of the Islamic organization Boko Haram?s stated goal of purging Nigeria of all Christian presence.

During Egypt?s presidential elections, Al Ahram reported that "the Muslim Brotherhood blockaded entire streets, prevented Copts from voting at gunpoint, and threatened Christian families not to let their children go out and vote" for the secular candidate.

Meanwhile, under President Obama, the U.S. State Department, in an unprecedented move, purged the sections dealing with religious persecution from its recently released Country Reports on Human Rights. Likewise, the Obama administration insists that the Nigerian crisis has nothing to do with religion, even as Obama offered his hearty blessings to Egypt?s Muslim Brotherhood president, in the midst of allegations of electoral fraud.

Categorized by theme, June?s assemblage of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed in alphabetical order by country, not severity.

Church Attacks

Egypt: Because many visitors were in attendance, Muslims surrounded a Coptic church during Divine Liturgy "demanding that the visiting Copts leave the church before the completion of prayers, and threatening to burn down the church if their demand was not met." The priest contacted police asking for aid only to be told to comply with their demands, "and do not let buses with visitors to come to the church anymore." Christian worshippers exited halfway through liturgy to jeers outside. As they drove away, Muslims hurled stones at their buses. Also, repairs to a Coptic church that was torched and gutted a year ago by rioting Muslims were woefully inadequate, leaving the congregation with a staggering debt from further necessary repairs.

Indonesia: A Muslim mob of 300 wrecked a store that was being used for a Sunday church service on the pretext that it had not obtained "permission to hold Mass." The mob wrecked the first floor of the store, breaking windows and damaging furniture. Police stopped them before reaching the third floor, where some 60 Christians had congregated. None of the Muslims were arrested, although 12 Christians were taken into custody for questioning. Separately, in compliance to calls by Islamic clerics, authorities ordered 20 churches to be torn down, following the closure of 16 smaller Christian places of worship in the same district last month. The congregations continue to hold services inside their sealed-off buildings as other members stand guard outside.

Iran: Authorities ordered the closure of yet another church in the capital, Tehran, "amid a government campaign to crack down on the few recognized churches offering Farsi-speaking services," according to a human rights group. The church originally served Assyrian background Christian members; however, "due to an increasing number of Farsi-speaking believers?mostly MBBs [Muslim Background Believers]?it [the church] has become a cause of concern for the authorities and they now ordered it to shut down."

Kashmir: A 119-year-old church was torched by Muslims. The local bishop "said that the Muslim fundamentalists want Christians to leave the state? He said that the church had filed a case with the police but had been advised not to ?play up? such incidents." Christian minorities "are coming under growing threat from Kashmir?s Muslim majority. A Christian human rights group in India said that over 400 Christians have been displaced as a result."

Kazakhstan: Land use regulations are being exploited "as a means to prevent religious communities and their members exercising freedom of religion or belief." Most recently, authorities "forced a Methodist church to ?voluntarily? close and fined the wife of the Church?s Pastor, who further paid for an announcement in newspapers saying the church was ?liquidating itself,?" simply because "We do not want more punishment from the authorities."

Nigeria: Islamic militants attacked several churches during every Sunday of the month with bombs and guns killing dozens of Christian worshippers, and critically wounding hundreds, including many children. Growing numbers of Christians "dare not" attend church services anymore, even as reports suggest that some police are intentionally abandoning their watch prior to such attacks.

Sudan: Authorities bulldozed two church buildings to the ground and confiscated three Catholic schools, as a response to the secession of South Sudan in July 2011, saying that such buildings are associated with now unwelcome, largely Christian South Sudanese in the Islamic-ruled country. Another church building belonging to the Full Gospel Church was destroyed in the same area two months ago, also on the claim that it belonged to South Sudanese.

Turkmenistan: An Evangelical church in the Muslim-majority nation was raided by authorities: "All adult believers at the meeting were questioned about their faith and all of their Christian literature was confiscated." Their literature was returned two weeks later.

Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism

Egypt: A Christian student handing out Christian literature in Assuit University "raised the ire of Muslim students," resulting in clashes on campus, "amid shouts of sectarian chants," leading to many injuries. Likewise, a Salafi leader declared on Egyptian TV that Muslims have no right "to convert to Christianity."

Iran: Five months after five Christian converts were arrested, their condition and fate remain unknown. They are accused of "attending house church services, promoting Christianity, propagating against the regime and disturbing national security." Being imprisoned for 130 days without word "is an obvious example of physical and mental abuse of the detainees?. one of the prison guards openly told one of these Christian detainees that all these pressures and uncertainties are intended to make them flee the country after they are released." Also, a young Iranian woman, who recently converted to Christianity and was an outspoken activist against the Islamic regime, was found dead, slumped over her car?s steering wheel, with a single gunshot wound to her head.

Pakistan: A banned Islamic group filed a blasphemy case against a 25-year-old mentally retarded Christian man. Muslims had converted him to Islam two years earlier, to use him as a pretext to annex his Christian village. In the words of a witness: "These people (Muslims) do not let us live. We are poor but are working hard to survive. On the night of the incidence a mob of Muslim clerics gathered [around] our colony to burn us all because of the blasphemy Ramzan [the retarded man] committed. Everyone was very scared. We all have small children in our houses and we didn?t know what to do. The mob surrounded our colony and raised a slogan to burn all the houses, they had torches in their hands and petrol in the cans. We called police and thank God police arrived just in time.

Saudi Arabia: Thirty-five Ethiopian Christians arrested in December for praying in a private home remain jailed, even as Saudi officials offer contradicting reasons for their arrest. Meanwhile, they have been beaten and subjected to interrogations and strip searches. Saudi Arabia formally bans all religions other than Islam. However, in 2006, Saudi authorities told the United States that they would "guarantee and protect the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in homes for religious practice."

Sudan: A Muslim woman divorced her husband, a convert to Christianity, causing the court automatically to grant her custody of their two sons. When the father tried to visit his children, his wife threatened to notify authorities. "They might take the case to a prosecution court, which might lead to my sentencing to death according to Islamic apostasy law?but I am ready for this," said the Christian. "I want the world to know this. What crime have I done? Is it because I became a Christian? I know if the world is watching, they [Sudanese authorities] will be afraid to do any harm to me."

United States: Two Christian men in Saint Louis, Missouri received death threats from Iran?s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, apparently for converting to Christianity and preaching it. One of the men formerly served in the Revolutionary Guard and was once even assigned a suicide mission against Israel, before converting and immigrating to the U.S. "The two men believe that Islam is a religion that could easily radicalize a Muslim into a terrorist." Likewise, in Dearborn Michigan, Christian demonstrators exercising their free speech rights were stoned by Muslims shouting "Allahu Akbar!"

Dhimmitude

[General Abuse, Debasement, and Suppression of Non-Muslims as "Tolerated" Citizens]

Indonesia: "The number of violations of Christians? religious rights in Indonesia reached 40 in the first five months of the year, nearly two-thirds the amount of anti-Christian actions in all of last year," according to the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum. The Christian minority in Indonesia faced 64 cases of violations of religious freedom last year, up from 47 in 2010." Violence against Christians also increased.

Mali: "Islamists in control of northern Mali are enforcing a strict version of Sharia law that victimizes Christians, women and other vulnerable groups." The radicals took control of northern Mali in April after ousting the armed forces of the government. "All the Christians have left Timbuktu (the main city in north Mali) because of the Sharia law as well as because of the presence of people linked with al-Qaeda," said a Christian leader who fled from northern Mali.

Pakistan: Police are siding with the Muslims accused of beating a pregnant Christian woman, causing her to miscarriage twins, and gang-raping her 13-year-old Christian niece. "Muslim criminals believe police and courts will give little credence to the complaints of Christians in the country, which is nearly 96 percent Muslim," adds the report. The Christian family is "paying a huge price for being poor ? and for being Christian," said the uncle: "What can we expect from the police when they are not paying heed even to the court orders? They are distorting facts and have even gone to the extent of accusing a 13-year-old [raped girl] of committing adultery with three men." Another Christian politician?s ID mistook him for a Muslim, causing him to insist "on the floor of the Punjab Assembly that he was born a Christian and appealed to them and the media not to indulge in propaganda against him that could incite Muslim extremists to kill him."

South Africa: More than 70 students were kicked out of the Coastal KZN As-Salaam campus dormitories and are currently homeless, because campus officials tried to make them observe Islam, including by banning Bibles, which the students resisted. "All we wanted was to be free to practice our own religions and not be forced to follow Islam, but now we have been punished by being deprived of safe accommodation," said one student.

Turkey: Thousands of devout Muslims prayed outside Hagia Sophia?formerly Christendom?s greatest cathedral now a museum?shouting, "Allahu Akbar!" and demanding the building be opened as a mosque in honor of the jihadi sultan who conquered Constantinople in the 15^th century.

About this Series

Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching epidemic proportions, "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some?by no means all?of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes:

1. Intrinsically, to document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, Muslim persecution of Christians.
2. Instrumentally, to show that such persecution is not "random," but systematic and interrelated?that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Sharia.

Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; apostasy and blasphemy laws; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (tribute); overall expectations for Christians to behave like cowed "dhimmis" (barely tolerated citizens); and simple violence and murder. Oftentimes it is a combination thereof.

Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales?from Morocco in the west, to India in the east, and throughout the West, wherever there are Muslims?it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam?whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.

Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Source: http://cnpublications.net/2012/07/27/christians-persecuted-by-muslims/

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Reducing Hearing Loss With Help From Your Hearing Center ...

Health and Fitness | General health | * Written by Alfred Ardis | Friday, 27 July 2012 07:06 | Word Count: 532

We have five senses. Imagine the loss of one. Sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing. Well people lose hearing all the time. Hearing is such an important sense. You can listen for cars coming before you cross the road, you can use hearing to relax with your favorite tunes and you might use your sense of hearing for your job. In fact, we all know when we don't hear our children it is not good news. That's what moves you to get up and check out what they are getting into. Some of these things we enjoy can cause hearing loss. You can always make an appointment at the local hearing center. They can evaluate your hearing. Let us take a minute to explore what the human ear can handle.

Relaxing with your MP3 player while you take your morning walk could cause hearing loss. Our ears can only take so much noise. To give you an idea 30dB is a whisper. 50dB is a normal conversation. A crowded restaurant could be as much as 100dB. Your ears should be able to handle this occasionally. When you leave the bar that sense of relief at the crisp night air, and near silence as you talk with your friend to the car is not something your imagining. Your ears are thankful for the break.

During the evening out with your friend your ears may have endured some damage. You may notice that your ears are ringing after your rock concert outing. By the next day your hearing should be normal. Otherwise, you may be suffering a more permanent hearing loss. This would be due to damage to the hair cells in your ears. You might notice this as not hearing so well when there is background noise. For example, not hearing your friend on the phone while the children chat in the same room. Obviously your children screaming, hollering, and jumping on the couch is another issue altogether. Another symptom of loss is tinnitus. Tinnitus is often described as a ringing, buzzing or whistle that only the patient hears. Relief is often hard to find. So how do you prevent this type of loss?

If you work in a job that has a lot of noise like construction, musician, farmer you should wear your earplugs. If you enjoy target practice you should wear earplugs. Limiting your exposure to noise is the first step in prevention. No one is saying that you should skip a night out with a friend, but take a break to step outside. Your ears will appreciate it and you will appreciate the break once you step away from the group. Stop at a local hearing center and get a hearing test. They can tell you what your hearing looks like and if any loss is something you should treat or if you can.

Not every colorado springs, co hearing center is the same. Go to http://www.miracle-ear-coloradosprings.com and find out what services work best for you.

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determined fifths: The Different Types of Heart Disease | Health ...

Heart disease, also known as cardiac disease, is an extremely serious medical condition. Most people tend to believe heart disease is a condition other people have instead of them having the possible medical condition. The fact is heart disease is the leading killer in the United States. It is also the major cause for people to become disabled.

There are many types of heart disease. The most common type is blockage of the arteries, which is the main blood vessel supplying blood to the heart. This type is called coronary heart disease. It is a gradual process of the blockages yet it is the major reason for heart attacks.

The other types of heart diseases involve the valves in the heart where the heart has restricted pumping action leading to heart failure. Some people are born with this type of heart disease.

It is possible to reduce the risks of heart disease by taking steps to control the factors causing the risks. The steps to reduce the risks are controlling the blood pressure, lower the cholesterol levels, do not smoke, get plenty of exercise, avoiding fatty and unhealthy foods and beverages, avoiding stressful situations as much as possible, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Coronary arteriosclerosis (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease leading the deaths in the United Stated. It happens when the arteries supplying blood to the heart become hardened and narrowed due to the buildup of cholesterol and another material called plaque. This leads to the heart muscle not getting enough blood or oxygen. This is the cause of angina or heart attack. Heart attacks occur when a blood clot cuts off the heart?s blood thus damaging the heart.

CAD also weakens the heart muscle and contributes to heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure is when the heart cannot pump blood to the rest of the body. Arrhythmia is the changing of the normal heartbeat.

Heart failure also called cardiac failure and CHF or left-sided heart failure and right-sided heart failure is a condition where the heart cannot pump blood to the rest of the body. Heart failure is when the heart stops or is about to stop. The weakening of the heart?s pumps causes blood and fluid to backup into the lungs, fluid to buildup in the ankles, legs, and feet (this is called edema) and tiredness and shortness of breath.

The leading causes of heart failure are high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. The treatment for heart failure includes treating the cause of the heart failure, heart transplants, and medications. Heart failure is a very serious condition causing about 5 million people in the United States to have this condition and contributing to more than 400,000 deaths a year.

Source: http://thehealthspot.com/the-different-types-of-heart-disease/

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Source: http://determined-fifths.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-different-types-of-heart-disease.html

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Small Business Outsourcing: How to Save Time and Increase Your ...

Do you have a small business superhero complex? It?s what happens when you think you can do it all yourself. On top of doing the work that you do best, you?re tackling accounting, marketing, design ? the whole works!

If your goal is to work yourself into an early grave, keep on going! If you?d rather have a thriving business with some time to rest and relax, then it?s time to outsource. Avoiding outsourcing when your business is growing can hold you back. By outsourcing in several key areas, you can save time, boost your personal productivity and help your business bloom

What Can I Outsource?

Outsourcing can cover everything from web design to answering client emails and everything in between. Outsourcing for your small business will typically fall into one of three categories:

• Highly skilled expertise: This category of outsourcing includes reaching out to expert consultants to get their guidance. Even though you wear all the hats in your small business, you can outsource to a financial expert a few times a month to get CFO level insight into your business books. The same goes for marketing, strategic business building or any other higher level decision making areas.
• Repetitive tasks: As the owner of your own business, you don?t need to spend your weekends adding new social media followers or filing receipts. Repetitive tasks like these can be outsourced to an assistant, virtual or otherwise, to free up your time.
• Specialized skills: You?re excellent at what you do, but there are dozens of other tasks that go into running your business that you aren?t so great at ? like web design, copywriting or accounting. These specialized skills should be outsourced so you can get the level of quality that you need to run or market your business.

Yes ? virtually anything can be outsourced. But before you start, you need to make some critical decisions about how much you can afford to outsource.

Figuring Out Your Outsourcing Budget Caps

When you?re bootstrapping your small business, the last thing you want to do is spend money that you don?t have to. That?s why the first important step in outsourcing is figuring out your costs ? no matter what category of outsourcing you?ll be using.

There are two types of outsourcing needs most small business have ? ongoing monthly needs and special project needs. For special projects, like the launch of a new website, you?re going to have to budget for the entire project at once. If you have no idea what the project might cost, get quotes from several providers or run a test project on a freelance job board to see what the standard is (more about those job boards later).

For monthly time saving tasks, you?ll need to figure out how much time you?ll save by outsourcing and compare that to your typical hourly rate. If you?re a business coach charging $100 per hour, and you?re spending five hours per month handling your accounts receivable and payable, then that?s $500 you?re spending on that task. If you can find a bookkeeper to do that all for $65, that?s savings of $175 each and every month ? which equals an extra $2100 per year in possible billable time.

Look through your typical business week and figure out where you can save some time. Are you spending a lot of time on customer follow-up? Are you pre-filling social media updates a few hours each week? Are you blogging when you should be coding? All of these tasks can be outsourced to save you more money.

How to Find Good Talent

Once you?ve decided what you need to outsource, and how much budget you have to work with, it?s time to start your search. Finding the right contracts is critical to making outsourcing work for you. There are few different ways you can find the right help:

• Referrals: Ask your professional network. Reach out to a few key contacts and let them know what you?re looking for. Finding a contractor through your existing network should be your first stop. The service provider has a proven track record with your contact, so you know they can be trusted.
• Social Media: Any social media site can connect you with a potential service provider, but LinkedIn is often the best place to start your search because you can get more in depth information about a provider?s experience.
• Freelance Job Boards and Bidding Sites: Posting ads on job boards or using a bidding site like eLance, Guru or oDesk can put you in touch with a number of different providers all at once. You can post your job description and service providers will contact you through the service to give you a quote and show you their experience.

Making the Right Hire

Any of these resources can be a good place to find a service provider, but your intake process is what really makes the difference between an outsourcing nightmare and a great working relationship. Here are some keys to making the right hire for your needs:

Get to the Point

Making a great hire starts with your job description. In order to get the best price and the best talent, you need to be clear about what you need. Be as descriptive as possible in your request whether you?re emailing a referral or posting a job board. This gives your potential hire a good idea what you?ll need so they can price accordingly.

For example instead of asking for ?a 500 word article on taxes for small business owners? try to get specific.

?I am a small business accountant who needs regular blog posts on small business topics, including finances. For this article, I?d like an article on the newest exemptions that small business owners are eligible for. Please include subheadings throughout the article, and make it actionable. The word length should be between ?

Review as Much As Possible

Once you have a few people to get in touch with, or several bids that look promising on a job board, you need to carefully review their past work. If you?re outsourcing designers or copywriters, this is pretty straight forward. But how about an administrative assistant, bookkeeper or marketing coach? They don?t have a portfolio ? but they do have referrals. Check out their LinkedIN profile and ask if you can speak to past clients.

Ask the Right Questions

In addition to reviewing samples and speaking with past and current clients, you need to talk with your potential hire directly. Getting an in person interview with your potential service provider is ideal, but if that doesn?t pan out be sure to get them some questions via email. Here?s a short list of what to include so you can get a feel for their experience, their process and your expected results.?

?1.?How long have you been doing _____________(bookkeeping, graphics, content writing, etc)?

This gives you some insight into how experienced they are in their chosen field.

2.?Why did you decide to become a ____________?

This is a good question to learn about their background and judge their enthusiasm for their field.

3.?What are your primary skills that you?d say you?re best at?

Avoid anyone who says ?everything.? All professional service providers have something their best at doing ? and are proud to share it.

4.?What other skills do you have that can do but aren?t doing much of right now?

As your small business needs expand, you?ll probably need them to do more tasks for you. This gives you a good idea of how you can proceed.

5.?How many clients do you currently have on your active roster?

This gives you an idea of their workload and whether or not they?ll have the time to devote to your work.

6.?What is your process like?

A great service provider has a specific way that they work in order to be efficient and effective.

7. What are your typical working hours?

This is very important if you?re hiring a virtual assistant or someone you?ll need to be in live contact with frequently.

8.?Do you work on a retainer or a project basis?

This is essential to know ahead of time. Many VAs charge upfront retainers each month. Be sure you know how much work you?ll need before you hire.

Depending on the nature of your project, and the type of service provider you?re looking for, these questions may need to be adapted. Use them as springboard for your own list of questions.

Get Started with Your New Provider

Let?s say you?ve found just the person you need ? they have the skill set and the referrals, and they passed your interview process with flying colors. Now it?s time to dump a bunch of work on them, right? Wrong. No matter how great a provider looks on paper, you need to start small. Test them out with a smaller project to see how you work together. This will give you a better idea of their style. If you?re working with a virtual assistant, hire them for a specific set of tasks and see how they work. If it?s a graphic or web designer you?re testing out, have them work on a small ad or social media background before handing over a larger project. The same goes for writers ? test out an article or two before you have them create a content marketing campaign.

You don?t have to start small with just one provider though. Why not test two or three at once to narrow down your choices even faster? If you need three articles written, select three different content creators and see how the process works. It will let you test out their responsiveness, attention to detail and directly compare their work.

Before you start working with your new hires, you?ll also need a contract to cover everything that you and your client will do together. There are dozens of freelance contractor agreements that will work with a few adaptations. No matter what you select, be sure a lawyer looks over the final version so you can be sure you?re covered. The contract should cover the type of work to be completed, the amount you?ll pay and important milestones.

With signed contract in hand, and a small project in mind, you can hire your new service provider and let them make your life easier. If they knock the ball out of the park, start giving them more work to boost your profitability and save some time.

Good luck!

About courtney

Source: http://www.bidsketch.com/blog/save-time/small-business-outsourcing/

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Belmar Wants an Ice Skating Rink - Manasquan-Belmar, NJ Patch

Ongoing talks between Belmar officials and a hockey rink consultant could put an outdoor ice skating rink in Dempsey Park by the winter.?

Last week the borough's governing body heard a presentation from George Haviland Jr. of Ice World Consulting, LLC, who said he'd like to construct an outdoor rink at the current site of the Belmar Skate Park for recreation, hockey and figure skating.?

The Wall-based firm would carry all the costs of construction and maintenance, pay rent to the borough, and manage and staff both the rink and skate park, which would be moved to the opposite end of the park, Haviland said.

The rink would also be run as a nonprofit entity and provide borough residents with discounted rental and skating rates, he said.?

"I look at it as an opportunity to give kids and adults as well the chance to learn how to ice skate and maybe learn to to play hockey and be a figure skater as well," Haviland said.?

Ice World operates nine other ice rinks across the country, including one as nearby as Howell Ice World, Haviland said.?

The proposed rink is 160-feet by 60-feet, smaller than an NHL-sized ice surface, which run 200-feet by 80-feet. Haviland said the proposed rink could fit up to 350 skaters during a public skating session.?

He also plans to decorate the area with Christmas trees, creating a "Rockerfeller Center" atmosphere at the park.?

And since he can maintain ice when the weather is as warm as 70-degrees, Haviland said he envisions the rink could be open from mid-November to mid-March.?

"I understand the community's need for activity in the winter months," Haviland said.?"My plan really is for it to be for the community and the shoreline to have something a little bit unique that most towns don't offer."?

Mayor Matt Doherty said this week that he'd like to find a way to turn the ice rink into a roller rink during the warm-weather months.

While Haviland said the cost-analysis is still forthcoming, he envisions borough residents would likely be charged a discounted rate to use the rink ? $3 to skate and $3 to rent skates is the township price at the firm's Massachussetts rink. The industry standard is $8 to skate and $4 to rent, but borough residents would definitely pay less that that, he said.?

If the proposal is approved by the governing body, the rink can be up-and-running within three weeks, Haviland said.?

Haviland grew up in New Jersey, and played high school hockey in Middletown and then in the minor leagues in Canada. He currently resides in Wall.?

On top of providing winter recreation for locals, Haviland said he was eager to use the facility to find hockey players to develop at his Howell rink.?

"The plan is certainly for us to develop players to come ? and figure skaters and skaters ? to come to our (Farmingdale) facility while the Belmar facility is not in use."?

Source: http://manasquan.patch.com/articles/belmar-wants-a-hockey-rink

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If Colonoscopy Picks Up Cancer Risk, Get Next Screen in 5 Years: Study

WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) -- People who have had a colonoscopy during which a high-risk potentially cancerous polyp was removed may not need another colonoscopy for five years, German researchers report.

If this suggestion were to be adopted, it would be a change from the current recommendation in the United States, which calls for another colonoscopy three years after a high-risk polyp -- one that is likely to become cancerous -- is removed.

"This is a case control study, so they didn't follow a group of individuals over time to assess the impact of polyp removal," said Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers at the American Cancer Society.

That kind of patient follow-up, however, did take place in the study that established the current U.S. recommendations for colonoscopy, he noted.

In addition, while the German study looks at the odds of cancer developing over time, the older study that set the U.S. guidelines looked at the odds of a new polyp developing, Brooks said.

"The time frames they are recommending are something that might be considered, but you cannot make changes in current guidelines based on this study," he said.

The report was published online July 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

For the new study, a team lead by Dr. Hermann Brenner, at the German Cancer Research Center, in Heidelberg, looked at medical records of more than 2,500 people who had a cancerous polyp removed and compared them to nearly 1,800 people without such polyps.

They compared surveillance intervals of less than three years, three to five years, and six to 10 years before receiving another colonoscopy.

Looking at the risk of finding colorectal cancer, even for those with high-risk polyps, "strong, statistically significant risk reduction by 60 percent was seen for the less-than-three-years time window and by 50 percent for the three-to-five-years time window," the researchers wrote.

This was true for men, women, young and old, they added.

Their results suggest that surveillance colonoscopy could take place five to 10 years after the a low-risk polyp was found and removed, and possibly also be prolonged to five years for high-risk polyps, the researchers concluded.

The current recommendation for people with high-risk polyps is to have another colonoscopy three years after the polyp was removed, Brooks said.

If new polyps aren't found, then another colonoscopy isn't needed for 10 years, he said.

The 10-year span between colonoscopies is the recommendation for anyone who has a normal colonoscopy, Brooks added.

The advantage of extending the time between colonoscopies from three to five years in patients with high-risk polyps is the use of resources, he said.

The problem is that doctors don't follow the current guidelines.

"If we could get clinicians just to follow the current recommendations we could expand our resources considerably," Brooks said. "Right now far too many people are getting colonoscopies done at intervals that are not recommended by anyone's guidelines."

Some people who have had high-risk polyps get a colonoscopy every year. Many people who have normal colonoscopies get another after five years, Brooks said.

All the evidence shows that colonoscopies every five years is much too frequent, he said.

"We are doing far too many colonoscopies on people who are in the system, but there are at least 40 percent of adults at risk who have never been screened," Brooks said. "If you're 50 and older and never been screened -- get screened."

More information

For more about colon cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colonoscopy-picks-cancer-risk-next-screen-5-years-130413337.html

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Retirement Planning Q&A | Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly ...

Think ahead and be ready for good times and bad.

Living the kind of retirement you?ve dreamed of doesn?t just happen. It?s takes lots of planning, and that means figuring out exactly what you want to do first. After that, it means asking a lot of questions to make sure you?ve prepared yourself properly.

Some experts in estate planning and retirement answer some frequently asked questions.

Who will make health care decisions for you if you become incapacitated?
Greta Roemer Lewis, a partner in the South Bend law firm of Tuesley Hall Konopa, has practiced law for 20 years. She specializes in estate planning and estate administration.

?It?s very important to plan for what happens in case of incapacity. Who makes the decisions if you can?t? Who makes healthcare decisions for you?

?You also need to look at what happens to your estate after death. Is there a will in place? A trust? What are the distribution provisions? Are your IRA beneficiaries consistent with the provisions of your estate?

Mak ing plans Decide in advance who will make decisions for you if you become unable.

?I find planning for these kinds of things is very individualized. Some people just can?t deal with it. Some don?t want to talk about it but get forced into it because of emergency circumstances. There are a variety of reactions to that question when I ask it.

?I?ve found a lot of people work because they have to, and I see a lot of people who do amazing things. They volunteer in the community and stay active. That?s the thing I hear the most. The myth is you retire and go away.

?You need to be thoughtful of what you want to do. Planning sets a foundation. I typically spend a lot of my time counseling. I tell everyone it?s important to keep things updated and keep them current.?

What are the most important financial decisions you need to make for retirement?
Dale Parkison is a certified public accountant and a partner with the accounting firm Parkison & Hinton in LaPorte.

?The question I hear most is how much money do I need to retire? It?s very difficult to answer. Are you the type of person who needs a new car every year? Do you want to travel? Do you want to stay in LaPorte? The answer to those questions will have a lot to say about how much you need.

?A minimum amount is what people are looking for. Most people receive their retirement pay at age 66, starting with Social Security. What else have you saved? Do you have a pension? A 401(k)? What else do you have to draw upon or sell?

?I?ve found that very few are shooting for a number like $1 million. Ideally, you need to start planning at age 20, but the final answer is an equation that has so many variables.
?I don?t do what is normal retirement planning. I sit and talk. I don?t say you need X amount of dollars. For instance, if you hung your hat on CDs, you?re in bad shape right now.

?I find a lot of people continue to work after Social Security starts; some people never stop working. When Social Security was set up, the average male lived to be 66. Now, the average male lives to 79. You?ve got a lot of time to sit around and watch ?Oprah? if you want to.

?For a lot of people, it?s a different phase of life. If they want to help a kid, or become a custodian at their church, or like one guy I know, give flying lessons, there?s time to do that now. Ten years ago I would have said all of them would want to retire early, but since 9/11 and the economic downturn, things have changed. People want choices and they don?t want to be forced into retirement. They want to do the things they want to do.?

What?s the one single piece of advice you would give to someone who is about to retire?
George Carberry is managing partner in the Valparaiso law firm of Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP. His specialty is business law with an emphasis on health care law.

?Typically I would not talk about somebody?s assets. If you?re going to invest with three, four or five years left before retirement, I wouldn?t get into how much cash you?ll need.

?For me, the most important thing is ensuring your paperwork is in order. I want to assure that your pre-mortem and post-mortem planning documents are up to date. Have you designated a power of attorney and a health care power of attorney? Do you have a living will? Is there a funeral planning declaration? That?s a document that designates someone to handle your funeral arrangements for you.

?Make sure those documents are in good order and enforceable in another state if you?re moving to Florida, Arizona or Colorado. Usually they are, but it?s a good idea to make sure. Also make sure your will and trust, if you have one, are up to date, and accurately specify how your assets are to be disposed. Make sure the beneficiary designations you made in years past are still current.

?Take a look at your IRA, 401(k) accounts, life insurance or annuity policies. You designate beneficiaries while you?re working, but as life goes on you get distracted. Sometimes your life changes and maybe you?re no longer married. That?s really where the germ of my advice would be.

?One of the questions I get asked so much is, ?If I do these documents, are they going to be valid in another state?? It?s a good idea to make sure what the local custom in that other state is, so when you present those documents in another state, they are prepared properly.

?The vast majority of my estate planning clients are not planning any retirement in their mid-60s. They take it as a given they will be working later. Some of them have been kicked to the curb because of a reduction in force, but people generally think they will be working longer. I think they realize that playing golf or tennis 12 hours a day isn?t feasible.

?Some clients are concerned the government is going to get some of their assets upon their death. I tell them the federal and state tax isn?t as much of a factor now for people with less than $5 million in assets.

?I do have clients with some charitable intentions. We talk about the best way to make those things happen. Do you want to do it in your lifetime or when you?re gone, or both? Part of my job is to develop their thinking. A lot of times people are unsure and haven?t thought about things like what if a child predeceases you but she has children. Does her share go to them or is it divided among your other children? It helps to have a good idea before you see the professional.?

What?s the best advice you can offer for peace of mind in retirement?
Keith Wolak is head of the wealth and tax segment of the Valparaiso law firm Hoeppner Wagner & Evans, LLP. He is a lawyer and certified public accountant and has been with HWE since 1998. Wolak is certified in Indiana as a trust and estate lawyer.

?Retirement is more of a financial question than estate planning. I work with clients to help them organize and make sure they have the proper documents?a will or an advanced directive. The more pressing issue is making sure their ducks are in a row.

?I?ve had clients ask me, ?Am I ready for retirement?? We?re dealing with asset transference. How do I make sure you protect your assets and have control of those assets for the longest period of time? My discipline, which is estate planning, helps clients look for tax advantages and places to retain control of their destiny. We help them put in a safety net in the form of an advanced directive for financial and health decisions into the hands of the people they want.

?Twenty years out might seem to be too soon to start planning, but there could be a life event that could benefit from planning. That is something everybody should look at.

?You should not ask so much will I have the money, but will I have control. People like to put joint owners on accounts instead of listing power of attorney, but that can restrict control. Decisions like that have an impact. Proper estate planning will make sure control is maintained.

?Someone 20 years out might have the resources for planning but there are some without the resources. They might need to think about creating an estate with a life insurance policy or take some other steps to make sure final expenses will be taken care of. You need to think about these long before mortality stares them in the face.

?Organize what is going on around you. If your assets are so spread out and disjointed, it makes it more difficult to fit the pieces together, and that could cause extra probate expenses. Take a snapshot of where you are, then organize what you have to make sure your plan and objectives are coordinated.?

What are some of the steps that need to be taken to make sure you live the kind of retirement you want?
Connie Bauswell is the principal at the Law Office of Connie Bauswell in Valparaiso and Schererville. A graduate of the University of Dallas and the Indiana University School of Law, Bauswell is a Valparaiso native and a certified elder law attorney.

?My best advice is not to just plan for retirement when you?re well, but to plan in case you?re ill or disabled. Not many people want to think about death or disability or the what ifs, but those are very import.

?Life is a journey along a line that starts at birth and goes through adulthood. As we mature, we go farther down that line, and when we do, statistically things are going to happen. Our bodies might start failing us. Our minds might start failing us. We will all start experiencing those kinds of events. How are you going to live if you get sick?

?Long term care is expensive. On average, the stay in a nursing home is 2 years, and 50 percent of us will spend time there. Most people don?t plan for it. At the age of 85, incidents of dementia start showing up, and even folks younger can experience dementia of one sort or another.

?If you develop dementia, you need to look at how to privately pay for it. Do you have enough private money, or do you need some type of planning to obtain governmental funding for it?

?I?m not trying to sell a product. When I ask if someone has long-term-care insurance, most clients don?t have it. It?s either too expensive or they wait until they?re too sick to get it. It?s a choice. Some cannot afford it and some can afford it and choose not to get it.?

?Rick A. Richards

Source: http://www.nwibq.com/a-e/retirement-planning-qa/

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