SMMEENow.com- Warning on Transparency and the lack of assumption January 24, 2012Some of us have heard the phase to assume makes an ass of u and me…. So does the assumption that everyone will do as you wish them to do online. The Internet has allowed unprecedented growth in social areas. We have seen regimes fall , Government changes, mass mobilizations of citizens never before accomplished [...]Seth Crofton
- Warning on Transparency and the lack of assumption January 24, 2012
- Leadpile
- Are Mobile Consumers Finding your Business? May 14, 2012Are You Shifting Towards Mobile? How much are you using your smartphone for online searches compared to just a few years ago? How do you think this compares to your average customer? Has your online marketing budget and emphasis changed to match this shift in how we access the web? According to a recent study more than [...]Jason Sperfslage
- Are Mobile Consumers Finding your Business? May 14, 2012
- A List Apart
- Responsive Images and Web Standards at the Turning PointResponsible responsive design demands responsive images—images whose dimensions and file size suit the viewport and bandwidth of the receiving device. As HTML provides no standard element to achieve this purpose, serving responsive images has meant using JavaScript trickery, and accepting that your solution will fail for some users. Then a few months ago, […]
- Responsive Images and Web Standards at the Turning Point
- Auto News From Around The World
- Audi eyes management reshuffle, CEO says May 20, 2012Volkswagen's Audi division is looking into a management reshuffle as it eyes an expansion in China, Latin America and the United States, the unit's head told a German magazine.
- Audi eyes management reshuffle, CEO says May 20, 2012
New Drug Attacks Cancer Stem Cells
A chemical compound that targets the parent cells which help breast cancers to develop and spread has been discovered by US scientists.
During tests conducted on mice, Salinomycin eliminated breast cancer stem cells far more effectively than some existing drugs, and slowed tumor growth. The drug, a farm antibiotic, has not yet been tested on humans.
Despite the success of Salinomycin in lab mice, some UK experts say that it will be years before we see a human version of the drug yielding the same results. Unfortunately, even after powerful chemotherapy, the reasons why some cancers will grow back are not completely understood at this time.
Many scientists believe the answer lies in stem cells, which are notorious for their resistance to conventional chemotherapy, which stay behind to ’seed’ new tumors and promote their growth.
Salinomycin’s potential for cancer treatment was discovered by a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), after testing 16,000 existing chemical compounds against breast cancer stem cells. The compounds that performed best were later tried in mice and compared to existing drugs such as paclitaxel.
Salinomycin appeared to be 100 times better at killing the cells in a test tube, and when treated cells were given to mice with tumors, the growth of the cancer slowed.
The MIT researchers stressed that “it was too early to know if similar successes could be achieved in human cancer patients.”
“Many therapies kill the bulk of a tumor only to see it regrow,” stated Professor Eric Lander. “This raises the prospect of new kinds of anti-cancer therapies.”
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8201376.stm
Sales Decrease As Layoffs Increase
Source: Bloomberg
“Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in July, raising the risk that consumers will keep cutting back as job losses mount and temper a recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s.
Purchases decreased 0.1 percent, the first drop in three months, as shrinking demand at department stores such as Macy’s Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. overshadowed a boost from the cash-for-clunkers automobile incentive program, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington.
A separate government report today showed more Americans than forecast filed claims for unemployment insurance last week, underscoring the threat to spending from the continued deterioration in the job market. Treasury securities jumped and the dollar fell after the reports, and some economists lowered estimates for growth this quarter.
“Until we start seeing job growth, consumers are still going to be very cautious,” said Michael Gregory, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto, which accurately forecast the drop in purchases excluding automobiles. “It’s premature to talk about the sustainability of a recovery,” he said, until there’s “follow-through on the demand side.”
The gain in Treasuries sent the yield on the benchmark 10- year note down to 3.66 percent at 11:40 a.m. in New York from 3.72 percent late yesterday. The dollar dropped against the Japanese yen to 95.47 yen from 96.06 on Aug. 12. Stocks were little changed.
More Claims
The Labor Department said today that 558,000 people filed first-time claims for jobless benefits last week, up from 554,000 the week before.
Retail sales were projected to rise 0.8 percent, according to the median estimate of 76 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. Forecasts ranged from a decline of 0.9 percent to a gain of 2 percent. Commerce revised June sales up to show a gain of 0.8 percent from the 0.6 percent increase previously reported.
Excluding automobiles, sales fell 0.6 percent, also worse than anticipated and the biggest drop since March. They were forecast to increase 0.1 percent, according to the survey.
Americans cut back on furniture, electronics, building materials, groceries and sporting goods in July, according to the report. The drop in sales at department stores, at 1.6 percent, was the biggest this year.
‘In the Tank’
“It’s hard to find anything encouraging in this report,” said David Resler, chief economist at Nomura Securities International Inc. in New York. “For the most part, discretionary spending is in the tank.”
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, today reported profit that exceeded some analysts’ estimates after managing inventory to lower costs. Comparable-store sales trailed the company’s forecast.
The drop in sales was attributable to consumers being “more selective” in buying discretionary items and to larger declines in grocery prices than anticipated, Eduardo Castro- Wright, Walmart’s U.S. stores chief, said on a recorded call.
Macy’s, the second-biggest U.S. department store chain, said yesterday it cut inventories 7.5 percent in the second quarter from a year ago as sales dropped.
Other reports today showed companies trimmed inventories in June for a 10th consecutive month, and prices of imported goods dropped in July for the first time in six months as the cost of commodities such as petroleum and chemicals decreased.
Cash for Clunkers
Figures from the retail sales report showed the government’s cash-for-clunkers plan did boost auto purchases, confirming industry data released earlier this month. Sales at dealerships and parts stores climbed 2.4 percent last month, the biggest gain since January.
The government is offering credits of up to $4,500 to trade in gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles. President Barack Obama last week signed into law an emergency measure giving an additional $2 billion to the program after the original $1 billion ran out three months earlier than projected. The infusion of funds was meant to extend the program through August.
Excluding autos, gasoline and building materials — the retail group the government uses to calculate gross domestic product figures for consumer spending — sales dropped 0.2 percent after no change in June. The government uses data from other sources to calculate the contribution from the three categories excluded.
Forecasts Trimmed
After the report, economists at Morgan Stanley in New York projected the economy will expand at a 3.7 percent annual pace this quarter, down from a prior estimate of 4.2 percent.
The economy has lost about 6.7 million jobs since the recession started in December 2007, the worst of any downturn since World War II. GDP contracted at a 1 percent annual rate in the second quarter, the fourth consecutive drop.
Federal Reserve policy makers yesterday said they will hold the benchmark interest rate “exceptionally low” for an “extended period” to help sustain a recovery. They also added “sluggish income growth” to the list of reasons why household spending is likely to be slow to rebound. Headwinds previously mentioned included job losses, tight credit and falling home values.”
Obama’s Plan For Cheap Tylenol
Today, President Barack Obama sent Congress his proposal for reining in over-the-counter medications, including restrictions on municipalities and small investors seeking to trade in the drug industry which is worth over $592 millon.
The proposal includes a provision to better protect small businesses and unsophisticated investors by limiting their eligibility to trade O.T.C. derivatives. Obama’s new proposal parallels previous legislative outlines by asking Congress to impose higher capital and margin requirements, move most derivatives to regulated exchanges, and impose supervision over all dealers.
The plan is part of a wider overhaul of financial industry rules intended to prevent a repeat of events last year, when the collapse of Lehman Brothers froze credit markets, worsened the recession and increased losses for state and local governments.
The idea is to “encourage substantially greater use of standardized O.T.C. derivatives, and thereby to facilitate substantial migration of O.T.C. derivatives onto central clearinghouses and exchanges,” said US Treasury secretary Timothy F. Geithner to House lawmakers at a hearing last month.
GM To Sell On eBay!!!
On Monday, GM announced that they will offer cars from California Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Pontiac dealers through Ebay auctions.
Ebay users will be able to browse virtual showrooms, ask questions, negotiate prices, and arrange financing and payment to purchase 2008, 2009 and 2010 models.
“With 12 million individual car shoppers visiting our site every month, eBay Motors has unique insight into how people prefer to buy their cars,” said Rob Chesney, vice president, eBay Motors. “Through this program, we are helping GM dealers to extend their physical showroom while at the same time delivering to our buyers the great deals and broad selection they expect from eBay.”
With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 219,000 people and does business in some 140 countries.
NFL, ESPN & US Marine Corps Ban Facebook and Twitter
Facebook is facing a large spread of ban action this month. Just like the NFL and U.S. Marines, television sports network ESPN is banning their employees from using services like Twitter to discuss sports.
According to The NY Times:
“The guidelines say that on-air talent, reporters and writers are prohibited from having sports-related blogs or Web sites and that they will need a supervisor’s approval to discuss sports on any social networking sites. They will also be restricted from discussing internal policies or detailing how stories are ‘reported, written, edited or produced.’”
While some critics would say that this is a bad move on ESPN’s part, I have to disagree. If I were running a major network television channel/corporation, I wouldn’t want some ill-informed employee stating opinions and posting information while representing this corporation. Just like the military, police force or even the Catholic Church, one members actions and statements will reflect upon the entire organization.
16 Easy Ways To Cut Power Bills
Spending too much on power bills? Simple adjustments you can make in your home will reduce power consumption by up to 40 percent! Sure, you’re probably already using low wattage halogen light-bulbs and turning them off when leaving the room; but what about the other power-suckers in your house? The editors of Fresh Home Magazine have identified many ways to save power you might not have heard of.
Here’s a list to get you going:
Heating & Cooling
- Use the bathroom fan as little as possible. A strong ceiling fan not only sucks out shower steam, but the warmth (or coolness) in the bathroom and nearby rooms.
- Close heat vents in the summer and air conditioning vents in the winter. It’s basic physics: cool air falls, warm air rises — often, right through open vents.
- Keep outdoor air-conditioning units out of the sun. Direct sunlight causes them to use 10 percent more electricity. Surround with tall shrubs, shade trees or high screens.
- Get a rolling air conditioner. These portable units can be moved from room to room and will vent through almost any window. They allow you to cool only the rooms people are using.
- Hold a gallon bucket under your showerhead and time how long it takes to fill. If less than 20 seconds, switch to a more efficient showerhead that reduces your hot water usage.
The Kitchen
- Buy an electric water kettle. They’re the most efficient way by far to bring water to boil. Use to preheat water for stovetop usages like making soup or pasta.
- Turn off clocks on appliances.
- Have just one refrigerator! End the long-running family tradition of having a second unit in the basement. Shop farmers’ markets more frequently so you don’t need to store so much food.
- Pack your freezer tight. It’s far more efficient to keep food frozen than to keep air at a freezing temperature.
The Laundry Room
- Sort clothes by fabric, not color. A dryer will keep going until every last piece is dry; when you dry similar fabrics, everything becomes dry at the same time.
- Throw a dry towel in with the load. Some people seare it speeds drying time.
- Wash lightly soiled everyday clothes in a cold/cold cycle. Today’s soaps work fine in cooler water.
Lighting
- When sitting, reading, or watching television in a room, use lamps, not overhead lights, whenever possible.
- Switch to solar lights outdoors. The new breed of solar-powered pathway lights are reliable and attractive.
Home Entertainment
- Use power strips with on-off switches for your home entertainment and computer centers. When not in use, turn off power to everything with one switch on the power strip.
- Do a wall plug audit. Walk through your house and see how many items are plugged into the wall that don’t need to be. Then pull the plug on those you can.
Why Can’t You Sell Your Kidney?
The hype of The New Jersey Scandal has raised alot of questions, the validity of their charitable work, the sanctity of the religion, and the roles of which our elected government officials are playing. But not one has sparked my interested hotter than the one a Rabbi from Brooklyn created. Levy Izhak Rosenbaum is said to be trafficking organs from over seas, and after careful research and hard thought I’m sitting here wondering if that’s such a bad thing?
Rosenbaum is a well respected member of his community. Not only is he a Rabbi, he heads a charity for sick children. This charity which was previously headed by convicted financier Bernie Madoff, is said to be where the money for Rosenbaums organs is kept. To some Rosenbaum is referred to as a macher which means fixer, and is seemed to be doing the world some good, pairing up people who can benefit from each other in such a way. To others (like myself) I’m left questioning why is it if this is coming out of the kindness of his heart why is he charging 160,000 dollars and only giving the donor 10,000? It’s one thing to help people, it’s another to milk them for every penny they have.
In Iran - the only country where organ sales are legal - a kidney can go for about $6,000, the price some of us might put as down payment for a car, or buying a really nice living room set. In India - where the majority of the trained doctors are - they can go for half that much. In the United States, after the one to five years you’ll most likely be on the waiting list for a transplant, the approval process can take up to three months to complete. An article in TIME magazine reads: U.S. hospitals run donor-recipient couples through a series of interviews, including a meeting with a social worker, who checks to make sure that no money is exchanging hands and ensures that both parties understand the details of the surgery. Dr. Arthur Matas, renal-transplant director at the University of Minnesota’s medical school, says that hospitals ask unrelated donor-transplant couples how they met each other, but that there is no “hard rule” or set of fixed guidelines to help authorities determine if the donor is receiving payment. Donors also must meet an array of requirements before a hospital will operate. You must be healthy enough to withstand a four-hour operation. You must be free of disease — HIV, hepatitis or cancer will disqualify you — and, of course, you need to have the same blood type as the recipient.
As you can see the process here in the United States can be a pain, and more than 6% of patients die while waiting for transplants. There are more than 80,000 people currently waiting for a transplant, and with an economy in which Medicare pays for indefinite dialysis treatment — which is both costly and debilitating — why not allow money in exchange for organs people need to keep them alive? Other “parts of the body” are often paid for such as hair, sperm, or to be a surrogate mother. I believe that legalizing this would create less desperate situations in health and money, better the economy and bring a whole new safer, healthier America. And eventually we could leave the greedy, manipulative Rosenbaum’s of the world behind.
Palin Resigns As Governor of Alaska
Only one and a half years from the end of her term, Sarah Palin announced her resignation from the office of Governor of the State of Alaska earlier today. During a speech given just before she relinquished her post, Governor Palin covered a list of tasks she accomplished during her time in the Governor’s chair — which included winning legislative approval for a massive natural gas pipeline.
Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin
“Now people who know me, they know how much I love this state … I feel it is my duty to avoid the unproductive, typical, politics-as-usual, lame-duck session in one’s last year in office,” Palin was quoted as saying.
“With this decision, now I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right and for the truth, and I have never felt you need a title to do that.”
With former director of governmental relations for the oil company Conoco Phillips — Sean Parnell — stepping in to act as governor I can only imagine where the future of Alaska is headed. Maybe we’ll finally see the oil-drill talked about so much in the past year.
Education Stimulus To Be Announced Shortly
As one round of stimulus money reaches school districts, President Obama is planning to announce the next step in education reform — in the form of a $4.35 billion dollar stimulus package. This will be the largest federal investment in school reform in the United States, according to the Department of Education.
The funds will be distributed at the discretion of each state according to the following areas:
• Adoption of internationally benchmarked standards.
• Recruiting and retaining quality teachers and principals.
• Building data systems to measure student success.
• Informing teachers on how to improve their practices and turn around low-performing schools.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said states will be judged on how well they have managed stimulus money they have already received, according to a letter received by Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell in June.
“Discretionary award applications, including for Race to the Top funds, will be available in the coming months, and will ask, among other things, to what extent has a state increased/decreased its education budget (as a percentage of revenue) and what has a state done with the dollars it has received to date,” Duncan wrote.
According to the letter, a state’s eligibility to receive funds will be determined by its ability to manage stimulus money it has already received.
“We are working like heck to put together an application that shows the state’s commitment,” stated Rendell’s policy secretary, Donna Cooper.
The educational stimulus will be distributed in two phases: Applications received later this year will be awarded in early 2010 and those in next spring will be awarded in September 2010. Though, this will all be confirmed on friday.
Donna Cooper described the fund as “the catalyst in terms of focusing local school districts in the state on the changes that are necessary to turn around the schools that teach the kids who have the greatest challenges in life.”
Now, whether the fund actually comes through or not, we’ve seen with previous stimulus packages that funds tend to get “lost in the sauce” so to speak. If any of this money actually does reach the physical schoolyard and not the schoolboard wallets, we may expect to see an extra swingset or personal computer for the kids to goof around on. God forbid we see updated textbooks or world maps.
