montezuma centurion: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

Stocks little changed as budget talk drag on

7 hrs.

NBC News and wire reports

The S&P 500 wrapped up its fifth positive month in the last six on Friday, although it ended the day flat as politicians remain at odds about how to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff.?

Trading has been choppy in the last two weeks as investors react to statements from policymakers on the state of discussions on how to avert a series of tax hikes and spending cuts that could pull the economy back into recession.?

The S&P 500 was up 0.29 percent in November even as it suffered a slide of more than 6 percent from the month's high to its low.?

"Given the 'on again, off again' fiscal cliff (negotiations), it's rather surprising how resilient this market has been," said David Rolfe, chief investment officer at St. Louis-based Wedgewood Partners.?

"Between now and the end of the year, there's going to be an information vacuum outside the fiscal cliff, and I believe that resiliency will be tested."?

In contrast to the apparent calm in equities, the CBOE Volatility Index, a gauge of market anxiety, jumped 5.4 percent, its largest daily gain in two weeks.?

The VIX also rose for the week, but posted a whopping 14.7 percent decline for November.?

On Friday, President Barack Obama accused a "handful of Republicans" in the U.S. House of Representatives of holding up legislation to extend tax cuts for middle-class Americans in order to try to preserve them for the wealthy.?

Speaking shortly after the president, House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said: "There is a stalemate; let's not kid ourselves."?

Despite the divisive language, many market participants are betting that a deal will be struck - if only at the eleventh hour.?

Corporations continue to react to what is expected to be a harsher tax regime next year. Whole Foods Market was the latest to announce a special cash dividend - of $2.00 per share in this case - ahead of expected higher tax rates in 2013.?

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 3.76 points, or 0.03 percent, to 13,025.58 at the close. The S&P 500 ?gained a mere 0.23 of a point, or 0.02 percent, to finish at 1,416.18. But the Nasdaq Composite Index dipped 1.79 points, or 0.06 percent, to end at 3,010.24.?

For the month of November, the S&P 500 rose 0.29 percent, its smallest monthly variation since March 2011. The Dow fell 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq gained 1.1 percent.?

For the week, though, all three major U.S. stock indexes advanced, with the Dow up 0.1 percent, the S&P 500 up 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq up 1.5 percent.?

VeriSign shares dropped 13.2 percent to $34.15 after the company said the U.S. Department of Commerce approved its agreement with ICANN to run the .com internet registry, but VeriSign won't be able to raise prices as it did before.?

Yum Brands slid 9.9 percent to $67.08 a day after the parent of the KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut chains said it expects a drop in fourth-quarter sales at established restaurants in China.?

After a close relationship for several years, Facebook and Zynga revised terms of a partnership agreement, according to regulatory filings on Thursday. Under the new pact, Zynga, creator of the "Farmville" game, will have limited ability to promote its site on Facebook.?

Zynga's stock fell 6.1 percent to $2.46. Facebook's stock gained 2.5 percent to $28.?

Apple Inc's latest iPhone received final clearance from Chinese regulators, paving the way for a December debut in a highly competitive market where the lack of a new model had severely eroded its share of product sales. Apple's stock fell 0.7 percent to $585.28.?

The markets' reaction to data on Friday was muted.?

U.S. consumer spending fell in October for the first time in five months and income growth stalled, leading some economists to cut already weak estimates of fourth-quarter economic growth.?

Slightly more than 7 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, more than the daily average so far this year of about 6.48 billion shares and the largest in two weeks.?

On the NYSE, roughly six issues rose for every five that fell, while on Nasdaq, the ratio was nearly 1 to 1.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-little-changed-budget-talk-drag-1C7360707

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These Impossibly Light Basketball Shoes Kind of Feel Like Sweatpants (And Kobe Will Wear Them)

Kobe Bryant, the most decorated basketball player still playing in the NBA, has a new pair of shoes, the Kobe VIII, that's so ridiculously light you can hardly tell you're wearing them. Weighing at only 9.6 ounces, the secret in its lightness is in Nike's new engineered mesh technology. It feels like sweatpants. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/iiiE9l0i6w8/these-impossibly-light-basketball-shoes-kind-of-feel-like-sweatpants-and-kobe-will-wear-them

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Real-Life Popeye Arms: Moustafa Ismail Insists Guns Are All-Natural

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/real-life-popeye-arms-moustafa-ismail-insists-guns-are-all-natur/

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eumakh Takes English-Speaking K-Pop Fans Beyond ?Gangnam Style?

Has being blasted with ?Gangnam Style? whetted your appetite for Korean pop, but you have no idea how to delve more deeply into the genre? Eumakh is an online video platform with a sleek, user-friendly interface that makes exploring and discovering new Korean music videos easy for K-pop fans that don?t speak or read the language.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/nKRWlgsXY_s/

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Republicans already announcing U.S. Senate campaigns for 2014

(Reuters) - Former South Dakota Republican Governor Mike Rounds said on Thursday he will run in 2014 for a U.S. Senate seat now held by a Democrat, the second state where a Republican has jumped into the campaign two years before the election.

The announcement by Rounds came just weeks after President Barack Obama won re-election and Democrats unexpectedly strengthened their U.S. Senate majority. Rounds is running for the seat now held by Democratic Senator Tim Johnson.

Republican U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia on Monday said she would run for the U.S. Senate seat of incumbent Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller, who was first elected to the Senate in 1984.

The early entry of Republicans sparked speculation that they are trying to encourage the veteran Democrats to retire rather than face a long and expensive race for reelection.

Republicans failed to capitalize on several opportunities to gain seats in the Senate this year because of nasty battles between conservatives and more traditional Republicans in primaries, and gaffes by candidates during the campaign.

They lost Senate elections in Indiana and Missouri after conservative candidates made controversial comments about abortion and rape that hurt their support, particularly among women.

Democrats gained two seats in the election and now hold a Senate majority of 53 to 45, plus two independents who caucus with Democrats.

Rounds, 58, was elected governor in 2002 after serving a decade in the South Dakota state Senate and was reelected in 2006. Rounds is chief executive of an independent insurance agency with an office in Pierre, the state capital.

"I am here today to ask the people of South Dakota for their support and to allow me to work for them as their United States Senator in 2014," Rounds said in an appearance in Sioux Falls.

Rounds said there were many problems to solve at the federal level including deficit spending, healthcare reforms and fixing Social Security, and he urged cooperation in solving them.

"We need to become a country of cooperation instead of confrontation," Rounds said, adding that many of the most important decisions would be made in the U.S. Senate.

Johnson said in a statement he would wait until later in 2013 to announce his formal plans, "But I feel great, still have work to do, and I fully intend to put together a winning campaign in the weeks and months ahead."

Johnson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. He nearly died in December 2006 after suffering from bleeding into his brain, but returned to full Senate work in September 2007.

Johnson, who also served five terms in the U.S. House, said he had an excellent working relationship with Rounds while Rounds was South Dakota's governor.

"I consider Mike a friend, and I welcome him to the race," Johnson said.

(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Greg McCune and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-already-announcing-u-senate-campaigns-2014-020726136.html

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Mike Tyson to take his 1-man show nationwide

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2012 file photo, former boxer Mike Tyson takes part in a curtain call following his 'Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth' performance in New York. Tyson will take his one-man show on a three-month tour to more than a dozen cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington, D.C. The tour starts in Indianapolis in February. (Photo by Donald Traill/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Lock up your ears ? Mike Tyson's coming to a theater near you.

The former champion boxer and convicted rapist will take his one-man show "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" on a three-month tour to more than a dozen cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

The two-hour show, directed by Spike Lee and written by Tyson's wife, Kiki, debuted in Las Vegas and had a limited run on Broadway this summer. The tour starts in Indianapolis in February.

The show traces Iron Mike's rise from violent street hood in Brooklyn to a fearsome athlete. Then comes the fall ? prison inmate, tabloid target, cocaine and Evander Holyfield's delicious ear. There are stories about first wife Robin Givens, promoter Don King and Brad Pitt.

___

Online: http://www.facebook.com/MikeTysonOnTour

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-28-Theater-Mike%20Tyson%20Tour/id-026b3f6ca3ec4fc88f682eeffb16172b

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Being Social Savvy in 2013: An Infographic by Boot Camp Digital

Boot Camp Digital is excited to present our latest infographic in preparation for 2013? After 2012?s huge year for social media, businesses need to start thinking about their 2013 Internet marketing strategies now! Did you know that 70% of adult social networkers shop online, and 2.27 BILLION people are now online? Social media is the new way to talk to consumers, and if your business isn?t adapting, you?re going to miss out on thousands of opportunities for new leads, sales, and customers. We created this social media in 2013 infographic to show you why you need to get your social media marketing in shape, and what you can expect for the new year. Enjoy!

<img?src=?http://bootcampdigital.com/nfs/c03/h02/mnt/52724/domains/bootcampdigital.com/html/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Being-Social-Savvy-in-2013-Infographic-by-Boot-Camp-Digital.png? alt=?" width=?600? height=?1500?/>

Being Social Savvy in 2013 ? An infographic by the team at <a href=?http://bootcampdigital.com/?>Boot Camp Digital Social Media Training</a>

Source: http://bootcampdigital.com/being-social-savvy-in-2013-an-infographic-by-boot-camp-digital/

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Can Tzipi Livni oust Netanyahu and the Likud Party?

Tzipi Livni, a former foreign minister of Israel, is making a political comeback. At the same time, the ruling Likud Party has announced a hard-line slate of candidates. Can Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win re-election in January?

By Josef Federman,?Associated Press / November 27, 2012

Former centrist Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni greets supporters in Tel Aviv Nov. 27, 2012. Livni announced she would challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by running for office as head of a new political party.

REUTERS/Nir Elias

Enlarge

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared to be cruising to re-election a few weeks ago, suddenly appears vulnerable as the country prepares to go to the polls in January.

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The political comeback of a popular former foreign minister on Tuesday, coupled with the ruling Likud Party's selection of an especially hard-line slate of candidates, has suddenly raised questions about Netanyahu's prospects. Eager to portray Netanyahu as an extremist, opposition parties see an opportunity to mount a formidable challenge to the Israeli leader.

Ousting Netanyahu remains a formidable task, but the return of Tzipi Livni, who served as Israel's foreign minister and chief peace negotiator from 2006 to 2009, injected a high-profile name into what had been a lackluster race. Well respected internationally, Livni immediately took aim at what she called a "leadership vacuum" and promised an aggressive push for peace with the Palestinians.

RECOMMENDED: Five top Israelis who don't want to bomb Iran

"I came to fight for peace," she said. "And I won't allow anyone to turn peace into a bad word."

During Netanyahu's nearly four years in office, peace efforts with the Palestinians have remained frozen.

The Palestinians refuse to resume talks unless Israel stops building settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, occupied areas that the Palestinians claim for an independent state.

Netanyahu blames the Palestinians for the deadlock. The prime minister imposed a partial freeze on settlement construction early in his term, leading to a brief attempt to resume negotiations. But Netanyahu refused to extend the construction slowdown, and the talks quickly collapsed. He says talks should resume without any preconditions.

The deadlock has pushed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to head to the United Nations this week to upgrade the Palestinian observer mission to "nonmember state" status. The General Assembly is expected to pass the request.

The Palestinians believe the international endorsement, while largely symbolic, will bolster their position if negotiations resume. Israel, backed by the United States, opposes the bid and has been furiously lobbying allies to oppose it, saying all differences must be resolved through negotiations. In a setback for Netanyahu, France announced Tuesday that it would vote in favor of the Palestinians.

At a time when there are no talks with the Western-backed government of Abbas, Israel this week opened an indirect dialogue with Abbas' rival, the Islamic militant Hamas movement, as part of a cease-fire that ended an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip last week. Israel considers Hamas, which seized control of Gaza five years ago, a terrorist group.

"Everything is upside down: a government that negotiates with terrorists and freezes all dialogue with those who work to prevent attacks," Livni said.

Livni told the audience that the fighting in Gaza, in which her youngest son was mobilized to Israel's southern front, had factored into her decision to return to politics.

"A week ago when my youngest son, today an officer in the Paratroopers, went down south, I sent him a text message that I had decided to fight on my turf, politics, so that he maybe won't have to fight on his turf, the battlefield," she said.

Throughout his term, Netanyahu relied on a handful of moderate figures in his Cabinet to blunt international opposition. Following a pair of events this week, Netanyahu appears to have lost this political cover.

On Monday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak resigned from politics. Barak, a former prime minister, had often served as Netanyahu's unofficial envoy to Washington to ease tensions with the White House.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/WgnFWAwnmzA/Can-Tzipi-Livni-oust-Netanyahu-and-the-Likud-Party

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EPA strengthens water quality guidelines for beaches

WASHINGTON ? The Environmental Protection Agency updated water quality guidelines for the nation's beaches Monday, moving in response to charges that the federal government has not done enough to protect bathers from polluted water.

The new guidelines, which update standards issued in 1986, may not immediately mean safer beaches and coastal waters. States have the authority to set their own water quality standards.

But federal environmental officials said they hoped the suggested guidance would prompt state leaders to toughen their own oversight of recreational waters where people swim, surf and go boating. California is among the states that may tighten standards.

One set of new guidelines parallels recommendations issued 26 years ago for acceptable concentrations of Enterococci and E. coli bacteria, which can cause serious illnesses if ingested.

The EPA also issued a second set of standards with lower recommended thresholds for both bacteria.

The tougher guidelines are expected to keep illnesses down to 32 per 1,000 people, compared with 36 illnesses for the lower standard, the agency said.

The EPA also recommended a more aggressive testing schedule to monitor water quality at beaches.

Ellen Gilinsky, senior policy advisor in the EPA Office of Water, said the agency made the move after reviewing new research on water quality.

"We felt it was appropriate to strengthen our recommendations," she said.

The decision to issue two sets of guidelines drew a mixed response from the Natural Resources Defense Council, which was among a group of organizations that sued in federal court in California to force the EPA to update its water quality standards.

"It's an odd approach," said Steve Fleischli, the council's director of water programs.

Fleischli said the two standards could perpetuate inconsistencies between states that adopt the tougher guidelines and those that opt for the more lenient ones.

Other parties to the lawsuit include the National Assn. of Clean Water Agencies and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District.

noam.levey@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/HQgmlNcRLqU/la-na-epa-beaches-20121127,0,931248.story

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Manchester City striker Tevez banned for speeding

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:48 a.m. ET Nov. 26, 2012

MORECAMBE, England (AP) -Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has been banned from driving for speeding.

Magistrates in the northern English town of Lancaster imposed the interim ban on Monday after he failed to provide identification when he was caught speeding in nearby Morecambe on March 28.

The Argentina international did not attend the hearing.

His solicitor Gwyn Lewis told the court that "my instructions are though (Tevez) was not the driver on that occasion I am not going to argue against a ban on grounds of exceptional hardship."

Separately, Tevez's Porsche Panamera was impounded in Manchester on Nov. 15 because he could not produce a full British driving license.

Two days later, Tevez mimicked driving a car after he scored twice in his team's Premier League win against Aston Villa.

More news

Chelsea is held 0-0 by Man City

Rafa Benitez endured a hostile reception and gave the restless Chelsea fans nothing to cheer about as his first match in charge ended in a drab 0-0 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49963280/ns/sports-soccer/

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Quick Win in China - Business 2 Community

On Nov 11, China?s Single?s Day, Chinese consumers broke the world record for online shopping.? In 24 hours, on just Taobao and TMall, shoppers stuffed their carts with $3 billion of discounted goods; more than double the $1.25 billion on America?s Cyber Monday.? It?s yet another signal of China?s love for the Internet.

Even the Chinese Government are getting behind it, implementing policy in its latest 5-year plan to quadruple ecommerce revenue to $2.9 trillion from 2010-2015.

Get your website right for Chinese consumers

As Chinese become increasingly urban, they?re commuting longer and spending more nights at home than most westerners.? Many are online during that time.?China?s 538 million Internet users spend an average of 2.7 hours a day online, more than any country except Japan.

When Chinese consumers are online, they?re doing much more than shopping; they?re increasingly using it as an aid for buying from bricks & mortar stores as well.? A recent Ipsos survey discovered that 37.6% of Chinese consumers regularly increase their brand awareness through websites.? A further 47.5% claimed official websites increased their purchase intent, significantly more than the 31.3% for newspaper ads, 22.4% for TV and 20.9% for radio commercials.

In short, optimizing your website for the Chinese market is one of the most important things you can do.

Having analyzed many foreign websites in China, here are the common issues I?ve found and how best to deal with them:

1. Its essential that your site is optimized for mobiles

Chinese now visit more websites on their mobiles than their PCs.? With Android smartphones costing as little as $100, mobile traffic will continue to rise.

Make Sure: Your website is optimised for mobiles and tablets.? Information should be easy to find and tailored to small displays, with links that suit fingers on touch screens.

2.?Social media is a too good opportunity to ignore

Social Media?s influence in China is big.? 91% of online Chinese used social media in the past 6-months, and they believed what they read more than on traditional media. 55% have used it to participate in a conversation about a foreign brand. Social Media is a key channel to talk to, influence and listen to customers.

Make Sure: You have an active presence on Chinese social media. Facebook/Twitter references should be removed from your site?s Chinese pages (they?ll be blocked inChina) with the Chinese equivalents added.? Sina Weibo should be on every site, and depending on who you?re selling to, you should look into Renren, Kaixin, Qzone and Douban. Tudou or Youku should replace Youtube (also blocked) for your China-clips.

3. Don?t cut corners with your translations

?Finger-Lickin? Good? translates to ?Eat Your Fingers Off? in Chinese. A correct translation could be the difference between crowds or tumbleweed. Amazingly, there are still websites with Google Translated content.

Make Sure: When translating content into simplified Chinese, use a Mainland Chinese speaker who understands the nuances of the Mandarin and English. Traditional Chinese characters used in Taiwan, HK and by Malaysian Chinese also deserve a look-in; the market?isn?t?as large as China, but it still accounts for more people than Australia.

4. Localisation is more than just translation

When designing a Chinese website, just translating the language generally?isn?t?enough. China?s education system is much different to the west, and Chinese often learn to solve problems differently.? Something that may make sense to you, may be very confusing to Chinese visitors.

Make Sure: You test navigation and key site tasks with genuine Mainland Chinese users and ensure it?s easy and logical for them to use.

5.?Offer additional payment options than you normally would

Although Chinese users are increasingly paying with plastic, more than 50% of purchases are still made with cash. Most Chinese can?t and won?t use credit or western debit cards to buy goods online.

Make Sure: You offer a popular payment system on your website such as Alipay. Cash on delivery is popular in China.

6.?Service is important to online Chinese

Customer service is a relatively new phenomenon in China, but expectations online are high.? Chinese anticipate they?ll be able to chat online or call if they have a question and they?re used to receiving purchases within a few days of purchasing them.

Make Sure: You have a Chinese speaker available for support when Chinese are online (8am-midnight at least).? You should have stock in China and a trustworthy logistics partner for delivery.

7.?Search Engine Optimization is different in China

If you?re hoping Chinese will find you through a search engine, your tried and true Google optimisation strategy will need some work. Baidu accounts for most PC searches and plays by a different set of rules.

Make Sure:?You?ve optimized your site for China?s big search players, especially Baidu. For paid search engine marketing, China is also different, so learn the rules and test different scenarios.

8. Analytics for your Chinese site will often be different than your other sites

Don?t expect your traffic to align with China and other markets. Christmas, Thanks Giving and Easter aren?t too important for Chinese, whereas Chinese New Year is big, and there?s Qingming, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn Festivals and October National Day.

Make Sure:?You familiarize yourself with Chinese holidays and periods and plan your online promotions and messaging around these.

Ensuring your website is up to scratch is one of the most straightforward things you can do and will mean you?ve got your best foot forward in China. Good luck!

Source: http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/the-quick-win-in-china-8-tips-on-optimizing-your-website-0341808

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Payday Lending Can Come To Maryland - Business Debt Relief Blog

Payday Lending Can Come To Maryland

Last Updated on Monday, 26 November 2012 12:58 Written by Ebiz Monday, 26 November 2012 12:58

At present, the laws of Maryland prohibit payday and car title lending. However this will soon change. In the House of Representatives sits a bill that could allow such businesses to open up. Consumer rights have the reigns pulling the wagon in, bringing this proposal to the House. The Consumer Rights Collision is fighting HR 1909. This bill, if passed, would do away with all the payday lending industries protection that Maryland processes.

HR 1909 creates a charter that provides for the overseeing of the payday lender by the federal financial services and credit companies. This means that the comptroller of currency could and does regulate companies known as Ferederal Finance Services and Credit Companies. This bill was intended for the payday lender and other non-bank lenders, this bill would give these industries a way to skirt past strong scrutiny from the Federal Financial
Protection Bureau, as well as, other pertinent regulatory legislations.

Many of Maryland?s neighboring states, Delaware and Virginia, has introduced legislation that has tightened the reigns of payday lending and other non-bank lending without austraziing the non-bank lending industries ability to operate? in the state. The group of people most affected by the payday lender and other non-bank lenders are the impoverished. This group of consumers is unable to afford the high interest rates and end up getting another loan in order to pay of the initial loan.

Stay On The Right Side Of The Law With A Payday or Car Title Loan

Maryland is one of many states who have tried to outlaw the payday lender. Payday lenders have still been reaching the citizens, however, through the internet and through Maryland citizens crossing state borders in order to obtain a payday loan. To outlaw the Maryland payday lenders industry just causes less revenue and less spending for the state. Also, when the consumer uses an online payday service, he or she is fraught with the terms and conditions that the online lender is regulated under. Some online lenders could be Native Americans and have tribal autonomy or be from another country. A tribal affiliated lender claims that they do not need to follow the rules of the state or any other federal regulations. The tribal affiliated lender can charge a 700% interest rate or more to the borrower and the terms and conditions of the loan are not scrutinized. The borrower can be placed in a very dangerous financial situation. The overseas lender is not required to follow the rules or regulations set by the state or the federal government, either, so the same situation applies to these lenders.

Maryland would have more control over payday lenders, if payday lenders were allowed to operate within the state boundaries. Maryland could set the rules and regulations, to control interest percentages and rates, as well as, the terms and conditions attached to the loan that the payday lender is offering.The payday lender?s operations would better serve the citizens of the state and the citizens would be offered more financial protection. If the state of Maryland has no regulatory rules governing the payday lender, then its citizens are prey for the out of state online payday lender. The poor will always find a way to gain more cash, if the state wishes to help the poor, then they need to be more flexible as to the needs of the poor citizen. A payday loan, bad credit or no credit consumer, to get needed cash for their everyday payday to payday struggle.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 26th, 2012 at 12:58 pm and is filed under Debt. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Source: http://blog.ebusinessdebtrelief.com/debt/payday-lending-can-come-to-maryland

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Pope Benedict urges fresh efforts towards Middle East peace

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict made a new appeal on Monday for peace in the Middle East and freedom of worship for Christians, following repeated bouts of violence and intimidation that have caused deep concern to the Vatican.

"I want particularly to encourage the life and presence of Christians in the Middle East, where they must be able to live out their faith freely, and to launch once again a pressing appeal for peace in the region," Benedict said in comments addressed to Lebanese pilgrims at the Vatican.

The appeal follows a call last week for an end to the conflict in Gaza, where a ceasefire was agreed on Wednesday.

The pope addressed the Lebanese pilgrims after Beatitude Bechara Boutros Rai, 72, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church in Lebanon, was named as a new cardinal at a ceremony called a consistory.

"The church encourages all efforts for peace in the world and in the Middle East, a peace that will only be effective if it is based on authentic respect for other people," said Benedict, who visited Lebanon in September.

(Reporting By James Mackenzie; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-benedict-urges-fresh-efforts-towards-middle-east-133856990.html

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Marketing Your Business through Video Production | Sharktorrent

Photos on the 1-18-08.com viral video marketing website (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the increasingly video driven society of today, many businesses that have not yet caught up to the standard of multimedia promotional efforts of their counterparts are finding market share and customer loyalty decreasing rapidly. No matter how good your product or service, you must build and maintain a visual marketing and branding component to your overall promotion strategy.

The great thing about video production is that it does not have to be expensive or ?polished? in a traditionally professional way. The customer online is looking for personal engagement and individual attention. This is why many of the marketing videos that have gone viral and created instant PR for their companies have been quite low budget.The Internet is the one place in which the small and midsize business can compete with the multinational corporation on an even playing field.
Below are some of the characteristics of small and midsize business video production efforts that have proven quite successful in an increasingly cluttered marketing environment.

One ? Comedy works wonders.

Disarming the consumer with humour before hitting them with the hard sales pitch is much more effective online than anywhere else. On average, people are 65% less likely to reblog, re-tweet or otherwise share a video with a sales pitch than a video without one.

This means that in order to create a viral effect, you must disarm the consumer first so that they do not know they are being marketed to. Comedy is one of the most effective ways to do this and create a viral campaign that will eventually bring in loyal customers.

Two ? Videos are short and sweet.

No matter what your message is, brevity is the soul of wit on the Internet. Most viral videos are less than 1 min. in length and have a strong plot line with strong punchlines.

If you can incorporate this type of brevity into your marketing message, you have a much better chance of getting through to your audience than any kind of hard sales pitch.

Three ? Choice of keywords / search engine optimization is much more important than the polished look of a video.

Indexing your video properly online so that it gets to the right eyes is much more boring than the overall polish of your video production. People are much more interested in being personally engaged, so make sure that after you produce your video, you select the right keywords for it on video sharing sites.

This article was brought to you by Digital Black Corporate Video Production Sydney,?one of the leaders in engaging digital media experience.

Source: http://www.sharktorrent.com/all-articles/marketing-your-business-through-video-production

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Sunday?s Political Ledes (TIME)

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Ibrahimovic scores twice as PSG beat Troyes 4-0

Associated Press Sports

updated 8:18 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2012

PARIS (AP) -Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice on his return from suspension to help Paris Saint-Germain get back to winning ways with a 4-0 victory over struggling Troyes in the French league on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic also set up the other two goals for Maxwell and Blaise Matuidi before netting his first in the 70th minute. The Sweden striker doubled his tally in the 89th, with his 12th league goal of the season.

"That's normal," PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "Ibra is a player with a lot of talent. He's the most important element of this team, but we shouldn't always think that we can only win the match with Ibrahimovic. Behind him, there has to be a solid team."

PSG's first win in four league games follows two losses and a draw.

It had slipped to third in the standings after losing to nine-man Rennes last weekend, but was back in top spot provisionally.

"I'm happy because it's been a good week," Ancelotti said. "We had a good reaction after the Rennes defeat. It's a vital week for the future of the team and the club.

"We didn't want to play at too high a level, because we played Wednesday night and only got back Thursday. That's not enough time to have a lot of energy. That's why we decided to play more defensively and go on the counterattack. It was calculated."

PSG was desperate for a win at Parc des Princes after losing its past two home games, and welcomed Ibrahimovic back from a two-match suspension for a red card.

It started brightly and Troyes goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien pulled off good saves to deny Matuidi and Ibrahimovic.

PSG took the lead in the 17th when Ibrahimovic beat Rincon on the right flank and his cross was deflected to Maxwell, who fired home from close range.

PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu was called into action for the first time five minutes from the interval and he did well to stop a low shot from on-loan PSG striker Christophe Bahebeck on the line.

Troyes should have had a penalty minutes later when Bahebeck was brought down by Marco Verratti but the referee waved play on and, with the visitors still protesting, PSG almost doubled its lead but Thuram-Ulien again did well to snatch the ball off Lavezzi's feet.

PSG got its second shortly after the hour mark on the counterattack, as Ibrahimovic released Matuidi who sped forward before firing in off the post.

Ibrahimovic scored his first seven minutes later. Nene found himself in acres of space and he picked out Ibrahimovic to unleash a powerful effort which flew in under the crossbar.

Marcos almost grabbed one back for Troyes in stunning fashion in the 83rd but Sirigu pulled off a great save to tip the Brazilian's overhead kick over the bar.

Ibrahimovic doubled his tally when Lavezzi raced down the right flank and into the area before crossing for the former AC Milan striker to tap home.

Troyes remains second from bottom, but is only a point above Nancy, which drew 1-1 with AC Ajaccio.

Djamel Bakar gave Nancy the perfect start when he fired it in front in the eighth minute but Adrian Mutu leveled from the penalty spot 16 minutes from time after Romain Grange handled in the area.

Mutu had earlier sent a free kick crashing off the left upright.

Evian was out of the relegation zone after beating Rennes 1-0. Zouhaier Dhaouadi scored the only goal of the game.

Fellow strugglers Bastia also won, triumphing 2-1 against Lorient despite playing almost the entire match with 10 men after Anthony Modeste was harshly sent off in the 12th minute for a tackle on Kevin Monnet-Paquet.

Modeste opened the scoring seconds earlier. Lamine Kone headed in the equalizer about 30 minutes in before Wahbi Khazri scored what was to prove the winner three minutes later.

Nice won 1-0 at Sochaux thanks to Daroo Cvitanich's spot kick at the end of the first half after Roy Contout handled a free kick.

Elsewhere, Reims drew 0-0 at home to Brest.

More news

Man United back on top

Manchester United fought back to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 on Saturday, reclaiming top spot while the bottom-placed team fell to 0-4-9.

Arsenal held to 0-0 draw at Aston Villa

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -Arsenal endured its third 0-0 draw of the English Premier League season, allowing Aston Villa to climb out of the relegation zone on Saturday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44046620/ns/sports-soccer/

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Why I Don?t Like Cyber Mondays

Don't be fooled. Sure, you can get good bargains on Cyber Monday. But you can also get them pretty much anytime this week as well, online or off.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/6pJ9IqmjmEk/

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Paxatore | Many Characters Wanted!

>> Setting & Information <<

After the Protest of 2056, demanding equal rights for everyone, government fell completely, leaving no one to rule the country. For years, the country was war-torn, with no rules to guide anyone. People were dying all the time, of starvation, murder and suicide. People soon realized how much they missed rules, but there was nothing they could do about it.

The Rising of Baxter, as it is called, in 2098, was when Charlie Baxter II, after a few protests and a lot of great speeches, was elected as President. He renamed the country that used to be the United States of America to Paxatore, saying that their dreadful history would never be repeated. For this to happen, they needed a set list of rules, one that everyone would abide by, or suffer the consequences. With the new government came a lot of changes, including the removal of people's right to vote for the ruler, and the biggest change, the scientific break-through known as Purus Humans.

Purus Humans, are people who have either broken the law severely or have volunteered to be cleansed, or purified. This means that all their memories are wiped, excluding the basics. Their brains are completely rewired to be the perfect servants for other humans, and if you can pay enough, they can be specifically rewired to your particular needs. Purus humans, if there is a lack of criminals or volunteers, are sometimes just innocent people the government steals off the street, though the country of Paxatore has yet to learn this.

It is now 2287AD, and David Baxter, Charles grand-son, now rules Paxatore. This roleplay will be set in the third largest city in Paxatore, which is called Sectates. It is quite big, as you can imagine, which though it means a lot more security is around and a lot more monitored than some others, it also means it is too big for the security to be everywhere, meaning that a few areas will not always be guarded, though people rarely test these boundaries as the guards switch where they are situated every few hours and there are few areas that escape their watch.

>> Plot <<

There won't be one main plot to this roleplay, and this will be a very sandbox type roleplay, with no set way for the plot to go. There will be a starting ground but that is it, and we will see where the plot develops from there. Some of the Purus are starting to become faulty, meaning that they are developing thoughts outside those of their masters wishes, and slowly remembering their past. If this is found out by the government, they will either be purified yet again, or if this doesn't work executed. At the beginning of the roleplay the families will not yet know this, it is up to the players of the Purus to decide whether they will tell anyone.

The Characters Wanted Are As Follows:
-- The Cherren Family --
Father: RESERVED [Could Possibly be NPC, works as security at The Chains.]
Mother: OPEN [Could Possibly be NPC, part-time waitress at a fancy local restaurant called Bia.]
Eldest Brother: OPEN [Aged Nineteen, Male, In a relationship with eldest Everly sister.]
Youngest Sister: OPEN [Aged Sixteen, Female, best friends with eldest Everly brother.]
-- Home -;;- House --
PURUS: The Innocent One

-- The Swefield Family --
Mother: OPEN [Could Possibly be NPC, works as a shopkeeper at CEES&MON.]
Twin One: OPEN [Aged Fourteen, Male, sympathetic towards Purus Humans.]
Twin Two: TAKEN [Aged Fourteen, Female, Worried about Twin One's thoughts on Purus.]
-- Home -;;- Apartment --
PURUS: The Volunteer

-- The Everly Family --
Father: OPEN [Could Possibly be NPC, works as an accountant.]
Eldest Sister: OPEN [Aged Eighteen, Female, In a relationship with eldest Cherren brother.]
Eldest Brother: OPEN [Aged Seventeen, Male, Has a crush on youngest Cherren sister.]
-- Home -;;- House. --
PURUS: The Criminal

NOTE
The Everly and Swefield family are related, their parents are divorced but the twins live with the mother and older siblings live with the father. They visit often, at least once a week.

All of the Purus have the same room, which look like this.

-- Faulty Purus Humans --
The Criminal: RESERVED [Male, Aged (Above 18), was arrested after trying to start a mob to overthrow the government and stop the purifying of humans, and beating up and eventually killing a guard that attempted to stop him.]

The Innocent One: RESERVED [Female, Aged Fifteen, was taken off the street after a shortage of Purus.]

The Volunteer: TAKEN [Female, Aged Fifteen, volunteered after their mother passed away and was left at home with abusive father, thought of committing suicide but decided to become a Purus instead.]

-- Other Characters --
There are no basics for a character here, but if you wish to create a different character than the ones listed [all characters above except for those saying that they could possibly be NPC's, must be filled unless it is an exceptional character sheet before I shall except one of these] then either PM me or comment in the OOC with your idea, and I will most likely approve, depending. Some possible character ideas could include; Cherren Cousin, Eldest Everly Sister's Best Friend etc.

>> The Role Play <<

The link to the roleplay is here, click it for more information and to create a character. I except semi-literate/literate roleplayers with a minimum of 100 words per post.

Go on, click the link, I know you want to. ^^;;

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/GxwKi6P7lRI/viewtopic.php

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Sunday, November 25, 2012

50Plus : Health : Obesity gene could protect against depression

The notion that obese people are more likely to be depressed is challenged by Canadian researchers.

It has long been thought that people who are obese are more likely to be depressed ? whether because of self esteem and?discrimination?issues resulting from?their?appearance, the?perceived?lack of physical activity and healthy eating habits, or the fact that anti-depressants are known to cause weight gain.

A new study at McMaster University in Ontario has found the opposite to be more likely. While it is common knowledge that depression has a genetic component, no gene has been found to be associated with the illness.

Researchers decided to test how the obesity gene may be linked to depression, and the results showed that a variant of the FTO gene may actually give carriers a lower risk for depression, no matter its effect on their weight. The new findings challenge the common stereotype that overweight people are depressed, since researchers found that those with the genetic mutation were actually protected from the disease.

?This suggests that the FTO gene may have a broader role than initially thought with an effect on depression and other common psychiatric disorders,? they wrote in the study report.

This protective effect was found to be the case regardless of ethnicity, as it was consistent in four different studies around the world.

For the McMaster study, led by David Meyre, associate professor in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, researchers?analysed?the FTO gene mutation in 6,591 people with depression, along with 21,000 others who were not diagnosed with the disease.

While the study may not affect the way doctors diagnose and treat depression, researchers hope it will change the biased and limiting view that obesity leads to depression. Next steps include an examination of the 59 other genes associated with obesity as well as similar research with various diseases linked to obesity, such as Type 2 diabetes.

Sources: CBC.

Photo ?iStockphoto.com/okeyphotos

READ MORE
The Zoomer Report: Obesity and Later Life
The obesity epidemic
Fatty food linked to depression
The Zoomer Report: Testosterone and Aging

Source: http://www.50plus.com/health/obesity-gene-could-protect-against-depression/196375/

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Israeli forces kill Gaza man despite cease-fire

By Ayman Mohyeldin and Andy Eckardt, NBC News

Updated at 7:55 a.m. ET: GAZA -- A 20-year-old Palestinian was killed and 10 others injured by Israeli forces Friday, Palestinian medical officials told NBC News, despite the U.S.-brokered cease-fire declared Wednesday.

The men were shot on the Gaza side of the border as they tried to access their farmland in the eastern part of Khan Younis, the Palestinian Medical Service said early Friday.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the shooting had broken the cease-fire, Reuters reported.?Malki, speaking at a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, called the incident ?a clear violation of the agreement and should not be repeated.?

Bernat Armangue / AP

Israel's military said it had accomplished its objectives while Hamas claimed victory after the two sides exchanged deadly airstrikes and rocket attacks for over a week.

The Israeli Defense Forces imposes a no-go zone on the Gaza side of the border, but the officials said the men believed they would be able to access their farmland safely during the truce, which began late Wednesday.

A spokesman for the IDF told NBC News that it did not have any immediately information about the death of Palestinian.

Israel arrests suspects in Tel Aviv bus bombing

The spokesman said there were several "incidents of disquiet and unrest at the Gaza border" and that "Israeli soldiers fired warning shots in the air.?

When the rioters did not comply, the soldiers responded by firing at the rioters legs, the spokesman added.

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas had been holding firm, with scenes of joy among the ruins in Gaza on Thursday, including a celebratory rally past wrecked houses and government buildings.

However, schools stayed closed in southern Israel, where nerves were jangled by warning sirens - a false alarm, the IDF said.

Residents of Gaza return to their homes with hope the cease-fire persists. ITV's John Ray reports.

The truce was the fruit of intensive diplomacy by Egypt?s new Islamist regime, spurred by U.S. President Barack Obama, who sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Middle East.

Reuters contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/23/15382148-israeli-forces-kill-gaza-man-despite-cease-fire?lite

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Vps Internet Hosting Overview | Healthuse - Health & Fitness Tips

In the present computer age, if you want your small business to acquire standing and get client recognition, then web site presence has turned into a persuasive need. Further more to stand out, you?ll have to produce stylish online business design on your organisation. An imaginatively constructed online business will lure more and more new clientele and assistance what you are promoting grow.

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The vast majority of the pictures, headers, colors and fonts could in fact be competently developed to go well with the look and think your corporation must have. You ought to be equipped to choose a color scheme with a few branding graphics like for a logo and persuasive material to obtain the general presentation. The aims of a stylish world-wide-web pattern are:

Generate a bit more purchaser enquires

Make it possible for your possible buyers to easily entry your product advice

Enhance your pro impression

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The information site have to be thoroughly instructive

Lure alot more site visitors and make them linger

Its purposeless for ones opportunity to possess a classy online site except it will be able to deliver results. The design features, aesthetics, subject matter and features are the four basic ingredients for a stylish shopping web-site.

Your site in addition has for being purposeful to fetch optimum outcomes. You will need to tag your pages for serps, and present you with advice on how to webpage to achieve more traffic including social press tutorials.

The web has drastically altered just how enterprises across the globe purpose earning them much more successful and dynamic. The web site is the vital component of many commerce advancement plans. Your internet site is your on the internet consultant and supplies your merchandise and products and services to future consumers 24/7. Its elegant development due to this fact can further incorporate worth towards your enterprise.

E-commerce stands out as the buy belonging to the working day and your home business can ill-afford to ignore internet business options. Please know that right now potential clients have an interest in looking sitting from the ease and comfort of their residences and avoid stirring out. In your own classy word wide web design, you should combine a fully featured browsing cart application and facilitate payments from purchasers by using PayPal or any comparable gateway.

The online market place isn?t really only a destination where visitors should buy your merchandise / expertise but it is also starting to be a medium for communicating with potential clients to create your organization will get noticeable internet based. A stylish internet site can established your online business aside from competition, can propel what you are promoting on the forefront and open up new avenues for the corporation to additionally mature and prosper.

Shared Web Hosting Service Explained can present you with greatest information for Web Hosting All About. Remember to pay a visit to the published article for more data!

Source: http://www.healthuse.com/vps-internet-hosting-overview.html

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Friday, November 23, 2012

US stocks open higher on Black Friday retail rush | National ...

U.S. stocks are opening higher on Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.

In the first few minutes of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average is up 61 points at 12,898. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up six at 1,397. The Nasdaq composite index is up 17 at 2,943.

Retail is a key driver of the nation's economy. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. Traders will be looking for signs about how enthusiastically Americans are spending. That could reflect the momentum of the economic recovery.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday because it begins the period in which many retailers turn profitable for the year.

The market will close early, at 1 p.m. EST.

Source: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/11/23/2287056/us-stocks-open-higher-on-black.html

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MATTHEW TILFORD ? Tackle Online Marketing Effectively With ...

MATTHEW TILFORD ? Tackle Online Marketing Effectively With These Brandon Marshall Jersey Ideas

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Source: http://matthewtilford.com/?p=5956

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