Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/267535146?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Friday, November 30, 2012
Urban Survival Skills: Computer Security for Pre and Post Collapse
With the significant amount of preppers that believe in the?probability that the coming collapse will be either generated by the Government or will result in a heavy handed Government exerting martial law across the land, I offer this article on computer security.
While the Government has phenomenal capabilities when it comes to electronic tracking and eavesdropping, this capability is spread across many different agencies, so it is not a central location manned by 25,000 intelligence analysts per shift. It is really?a bunch of diverse agencies and even separate offices within these agencies who don?t like to share information because it degrades the other?s power and status. So when people try to convince me of large government conspiracies, I always think and sometimes speak out and say,??Really? This is the same government that is bankrupting social security?...the same government that purchases $3,200 office chairs and $5,000 hammers?.......the same government that wear clown suits to work, shoots funny videos and posts them to You Tube? ?
Some of this article came from a Yahoo! article on computer security when shopping, but the same principles apply. See bottom of article on the Poor Man's e-mail communications.
Browsing the web anonymously? Think your online activities are private? Think again. Not only are your surfing sessions tracked by websites, search engines and social networks, but often your Internet service provider (ISP), web browser, government and potentially hundreds of online tracking companies. Whether it's to collect valuable marketing data or prevent terrorist activity, movie piracy or kiddie porn, everything you think you're doing privately in the comfort of your home is anything but private.
But just because you want to spend time online anonymously doesn't mean you're a cybercriminal or have something to hide. Not only do regular folks want privacy, but remaining anonymous can also protect yourself from malicious types out to steal your identity for financial gain ? from spammers and scammers alike. And so there are a few things you can do to reduce the odds every click is tracked, archived and shared. The following are a few suggestions on where to start.
Software
How does Facebook know to show you ads for your local gym, supermarket or college? This is because your computer's unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, assigned by your ISP, reveals your geographical whereabouts. Even if your computer generates a different IP address every time you boot up or log online, this number (e.g. 220.165.119.12) can still tell of your general location.
And so there are many different solutions that can hide your Internet connection, allowing you to remain anonymous while online. Some are websites, such as free "online proxy servers" that conceal your identity ? simply point the web address (URL) to the proxy server and surf right from their website (check out proxy.org for a list of great options).
Others prefer Virtual Private Network (VPN) software that encrypts your online sessions. The browser-independent Hotspot Shield from AnchorFree, for example ? available for Windows, Macs, iPhone and Android ? channels all web activities through a personal VPN and secures all Internet communications by turning all HTTP traffic into the safer HTTPS (which is what your bank uses for a safe connection).
Free to use but with more features packed into the "elite" version ($29.95), Hotspot Shield is ideal for email and instant messaging, too, and reduces the likelihood of identity theft because you're not leaving a digital footprint -- including cyber-snoopers and rogue connections at Wi-Fi hotspots, hotels, airports, and so on.
Similarly, Tor is free software that defends you against Internet surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy. Short for "The Onion Router" ? which gets its name for its "layered" approach to the encryption process -- Tor provides online anonymity as the software routes Internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer network of servers to conceal your location or online usage patterns.
Use USB sticks.??
In some cases, software to encrypt your connection is kept on a USB drive ? therefore you can remain safe and secure even when using a public PC.
SurfEasy ($59.99) is a tiny USB key that fits into a credit card-shaped case to be kept in your wallet. When you plug it into a PC or Mac -- be it your own computer or a communal one -- it instantly launches its own password-protected browser and you're good to go -- no proxy or network settings to configure. Your browsing session is handled through SurfEasy's fast and secure private proxy network.
Your IP address will be masked throughout the session. A fr
ee alternative is called Tails, which can be downloaded and installed onto a USB stick to run independently of the computer's original operating system. Like SurfEasy, it lets you browse the web anonymously -- on virtually any computer ? as all connections are channelled through the aforementioned Tor network.
Browser tweaks Anonymous proxy software is a great way to mask your IP address online, but there is still plenty of information about your web surfing habits stored on your computer ? which could also be viewed over a network, say, at the office, by your IT department. At least it's somewhat easy to control your privacy settings directly in your web browser ? unless your business forbids non-administrators from making changes to your browser settings, that is.
You can disable cookies ? tiny text files stored on your computer with information about where you've been online, passwords and other info ? and you should also delete your browser history to cover your tracks. All major web browsers ? such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome or Safari -- allow you to delete your surfing history: simply go to the Options or Settings in your favorite browser and you'll see how to do this.
You might want to turn off auto-complete or someone on your computer could type in a few letters in a search engine or web address (URL) bar and any recent places you visited could fill in automatically. And don't click to allow sites to "remember my password" or someone could gain access to your private or financial information.
The easiest thing to do, however, is to see if your web browser has settings for surfing incognito ? most of the major browsers do today. By enabling these privacy settings, your browser won't save any history (and download history), search queries, cookies or passwords. On a related note, Twitter recently announced a "Do Not Track" feature that prohibits the service from collecting info about its millions of users. Nice.
And Microsoft, in June 2012, said its upcoming Internet Explorer 10 browser -- expected to launch alongside Windows 8 later this year -- will not collect data about the online activity of its users by default. 'Do not track' tools and plug-ins Google raised a few eyebrows earlier in 2012 with its revamped privacy policy, which was updated to allow for the sharing of information between its various services such as Google Search, Gmail and YouTube. Therefore, if you search for recipes in Google Search you might be presented with cooking-related videos on YouTube. Handy? Sure. Invasion of privacy? Debatable. You could choose not to log into your Google account when using these services (er, or not use them at all) or you might want to install one of the free browser plug-ins that tell Google and other advertisers to back off.
One called Do Not Track Plus from Abine blocks marketers, search providers and social networks from tracking your online activity ? and it's compatible with all major web browsers. After it's installed, a small icon will appear to the right of the browser's address bar to tell you if a website wants to send data from your visit to other companies. Speaking of requiring a login name and password on a variety of sites, some web-based services like Anonymizer can automatically generate temporary email addresses with unique usernames and passwords for any site you wish to access (excluding your bank or shopping sites, of course, or you can't access your account).
Similarly, another solution called BugMeNot lets users post free usernames and passwords for shared access to popular websites like video sharing sites and newspapers.
Poor Man?s secure E-mail
One of the easiest things to protect communications from two or more different people or groups that are geographically separated is to use the same e-mail account. This would require giving the account e-mail and password either face to face or through hard copy correspondence,?.yes, the U.S. postal service is good for something.
Each party can access the e-mail account and left a message for the other saved in the drafts folder so the message does not have to be sent out over the internet. The subject line and to address should be benign and fake respectively. Using simple encryption, such as a book code, for the text of the e-mail text can enhance message security from all but the most sophisticated agencies.
Source: http://get-urban-survival-skills.blogspot.com/2012/11/computer-security-for-pre-and-post.html
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Video: Preview: 'Under A Killing Moon?
Dateline NBC
'Dateline NBC,' the signature broadcast for NBC News in primetime, premiered in 1992. Since then, it has been pioneering a new approach to primetime news programming. The multi-night franchise, supplemented by frequent specials, allows NBC to consistently and comprehensively present the highest-quality reporting, investigative features, breaking news coverage and newsmaker profiles.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/50017007#50017007
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Thursday, November 29, 2012
Congress must fix broken swipe-fee system, NRA's DeFife says ...
The National Restaurant Association says Congress should scrutinize the problems surrounding the way credit-card companies charge restaurateurs, and other small-business operators, swipe fees on credit-card sales.
Scott DeFife, the NRA's executive vice president of policy and government affairs, said the debit-card fee reforms enacted in 2010 and implemented last year were an important first step, but lack of competition and transparency on credit swipe fees continues to threaten the health of the industry. He added that legislators should examine the broken market.
According to the Merchants Payments Coalition, credit-card transactions end up costing retailers about $50 billion a year in swipe fees.
"In the U.S., credit-card swipe fees average 2 to 3 percent of each transaction - a level close to the profit margins of many restaurants," DeFife wrote in an op-ed appearing in the Nov. 20 edition of The Hill's Congress Blog. "Credit-card swipe fees have tripled since 2004 despite technological improvements that should have driven costs down. And, rates in the U.S. are 7 to 8 times higher than they are in Europe, even though the volume of transactions here is the highest in the world."
DeFife stated that because two major card companies - Visa and Master Card - control 80 percent of the market, they don't have to compete on price.
"The dominant card companies together set rates for swipe fees on behalf of the banks that sponsor their cards," he wrote. "And the rates are nearly impossible to figure out. Currently, Visa has 60 different fee categories and MasterCard has 243.
"Congress took a good first step in 2011 when it said that debit fees need to be reasonable and proportional to the actual cost of processing the transaction," he continued. "We are still working to ensure those regulations are properly implemented, but now it's time to start examining credit-card fees. We need transparency and competition to make the market work like it should, and we need a clear and predictable system so restaurant operators can understand what they are paying and why they are paying it."
On Nov. 27, 10 retail groups, including the National Restaurant Association, appealed a judge's decision to proceed with a preliminary settlement in a long-running antitrust case merchants filed against Visa and MasterCard over anti-competitive swipe-fee rates. There is no word yet on when the appeal will be heard. In the meantime, the NRA is reminding its members to continue to be cautious of third-party collections agents since it is still too early for merchants to join any sort of claims process.
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Zebra, mini horse corralled after NYC street jaunt
NEW YORK (AP) ? New York City can be like a zoo sometimes, but a zebra running wild through the streets is not something you ordinarily see.
The Staten Island Advance reports (http://bit.ly/Yr7soL) a zebra and a miniature horse were spotted trotting through a shopping center parking lot Wednesday morning in Staten Island.
Metropolitan Drape & Blind owner Zachary Osher saw the runaway equines and shared his video with the newspaper. He says the animals ran down a street and narrowly escaped being hit by a car. He says two men in dark suits ran after them with lassoes.
A police spokesman says the animals were corralled and returned to a petting zoo.
___
Information from: Staten Island Advance, http://www.silive.com
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Multi-million pound investment secured to rejuvenate London's historic Berwick Street
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A much needed multi-million pound investment has been secured from commercial real estate and leisure investment group PMB Holdings to rejuvenate Soho's historic Berwick Street, in London?s West End. Working closely with local residents, businesses and traders, PMB Holdings has acquired the rights for the redevelopment from the City of Westminster Council and will launch a series of wide reaching consultations to develop proposals for the planned scheme. The project aims to bring new life to the area while maintaining its strong sense of character and local Soho feel.
We represented the City of Westminster Council throughout the process and continue to.
The redevelopment scheme will provide the much needed regeneration of out-dated 1960?s buildings to create a dramatically improved street scene. Retail units will also be improved to offer an enhanced shopping experience. Plans are also in place which will support and improve the social housing in Kemp House, and will enhance amenities for all residents living in and around Berwick Street.??
Recently voted Westminster residents' favourite market, Berwick Street has been the home of local traders since at least 1778. PMB Holdings will work to transform the currently out-dated street market and create a more exciting offer. To demonstrate its commitment to supporting the future of the existing market, PMB Holdings is providing ?100,000 in upfront funding to improve utilities for market traders and deliver better access to water and electricity, as part of what will be a wider community benefits package.
Edward Jones, CEO of PMB Holdings, comments, ?Berwick Street and its market is a fantastic and essential part of Soho?s character and feel, but its traders and retailers are in need of modern facilities to improve their businesses. This redevelopment will attract tourists, visitors and new residents to the area which will reinvigorate the street and its economic wealth. Consulting the locals is key to our plans to rejuvenate the street while maintaining its current personality.? PMB Holdings is excited to be working with the local community and feel confident we can make this project a success.?
Commercial property advisers, Lambert Smith Hampton represented City of Westminster Council throughout the process and continue to.
Commenting, Tim Shaw, Director at Lambert Smith Hampton said: ?There is a clear connection between the performance, condition and management of both the retail units and other real estate owned by the City Council and the surrounding Berwick Street Market, of which the City Council is acutely aware.? We have developed a plan with PMB Holdings to allow the private sector to invest millions of pounds in the property and the surrounding infrastructure to the benefit of local residents, market traders, retailers and stakeholders, to breathe new life into this historic part of the capital.?
Jonathan Glanz, Cabinet Member for Housing and Property at Westminster City Council, said: "Through working with the private sector, we are now able to put forward proposals which will see the regeneration of Berwick Street in the heart of Soho. It is an area which has a fantastic history and this deal will see the famous London street and market restored beyond? its former glory, as it is recreated as a unique destination market with a wide variety of shops and stalls."
PMB Holdings will be holding workshops with local groups and residents throughout November and December to fully develop plans. A public exhibition will be held in early 2013 with planning permission expected to be submitted in April 2013.
Goldenberg Real Estate LLP acted on behalf of PMB Holdings.
16 Nov 2012
For information about the services covered in this news story please contact Tim Shaw
News list
Source: http://www.lsh.co.uk/pages/news_detail.asp?id=1668
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Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Will.i.am unveils horribly overpriced punctuation-laden iPhone camera accessories
Have you ever wanted to have a better camera on your iPhone? How about a physical keyboard? Sure, there are people that want those things. The camera on the iPhone has always been quite good for a smartphone, always leading with quality sensors and optics. But Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas thinks he can make it better, and he's unveiled his new line of "i.am+" accessories with the goal of doing such.
Mr. William James Adams's i.am+ line is a perplexing set of beasts, consisting of four "foto.sosho" cases that add considerable bulk to your iPhone while also adding new elements to the camera. All four add a grip to the right side of the landscape orientation, but sadly don't add do anything fancy with that grip like adding a reserve battery pack for the iPhone. They all also include a built-in flash purported to be of higher power than the single LED bulb on the iPhone, thought you've got to use the shutter button on the case to actuate it and the volume button on your phone.
So, there are four different versions of the foto.sosho? There are, and they come with even more unnecessary punctuation, as seems is the way of Will.i.am. The C.4 is intended for the iPhone 4/4S and has a "modern" look (it's all smooth and lacking in excess accoutrement) in black or white and includes a screw mount for the included standard, 0.67x wide macro, and 0.28x fisheye lens attachments.
If you're not into the modern look, then there's the V.4, which includes the same lenses and mount and adds a slide-out landscape keyboard that pairs with the iPhone via Bluetooth. The V.4 also has vintage styling, which you might think with a slide-out landscape keyboard means it's going to look like an HTC Touch Pro or some other pre-iPhone smartphone, but actually kicks the styling back several decades for something a little more retro chic. The i.am+ foto.sosho V.4 (the punctuation nightmare continues) comes in white/gold or black/silver color combinations.
Lastly, there are the V.5 and L.5 models, which really ratchet things up a notch. The aforementioned C.4 and V.4 only augment the iPhone 4/4S cameras by mounting an additional lens element over the existing hardware, whereas the x.5 models circumvent the iPhone camera hardware entirely by adding on a 14-megapixel sensor with a 5x zoom lens, but only for the iPhone 5. Will.i.am promises that the camera will provide better image quality than what the iPhone offers, but somehow we expect there will be tradeoffs to be made. The V.5 includes just the camera attachment, while the L.5 throws the slide-out keyboard as well. Both x.5 models are of the "vintage" look, with your choice of silver and brown leather, all white leather, or all black leather.
If you're thinking this all sounds pretty ridiculous, you're entirely right. The benefit of the iPhone's camera is that it's not only quite good, but it's also slapped into a slim and light package that slips into your pocket or purse without a worry. There are plenty of existing attachments that allow you to add zoom, wide-angle, and other lenses to the iPhone, and they do it without the excessive bulk of the foto.sosho line. Sure, they don't add a flash, but if we're being honest here, the flash units on point-and-shoot cameras typically fall short of even barely adequate, let alone whatever flash unit is included on these accessories. Take the Olloclip, for example. It just slips on over the corner of your iPhone (a new model for the iPhone 5 is coming soon), and if you don't need it it's easy enough to pop off and leave in your pocket or bag. foto.sosho isn't going to be so quick-and-easy optional.
Aside from the extra weight and thickness of the foto.sosho line, there's also the pricing, which it turns out is the most ridiculous part of this whole exercise. The C.4 is retailing for a whopping ?199 and the V.4 for a galling ?299. If you're wanting to see those numbers in United States Dollars, that's $318 and $478, respectively. Yes, more than three hundred gorram dollars for an iPhone case with a mount for cheap screw-on lenses, a flash, and a bulk-adding grip. And another $160 if you want to add on a Bluetooth keyboard. Olloclip retails for seventy bucks and includes fisheye, wide-angle, and macro lenses.
Or you can pay ?199 to carry around a bulky iPhone with screw-on lens mount with only half of Will.i.am's name attached to it. The only thing saving us from this absurd punctuation.laden nonsense (besides the pricing, which should only appeal to those suffering from empty craniums), is that the foto.sosho will be available only at the three Selfridges stores in London, starting on December 6th. There's also a new i.am+ plus service launching alongside the foto.sosho that aims to needlessly replicate Instagram with basic photo editing and filters.
Pricing for the V.5 and L.5 hasn't been announced, but we wouldn't be surprised to find that it's least another ?100 for each level up, making the top-tier L.5 an appalling ?499/$798. At that price you've crossed over from point-and-shoot pocket camera range to entry-level DSLR territory. Sure, a Canon EOS Rebel T3i with an 18-55mm lens is quite a bit bulkier than any of the potential iPhone+foto.sosho combinations, but it also will take much better pictures - and it's priced at $699.99.
But, you know, there's always the need to show that you have more money and than sense. Common sense that is, because your style sense will be clearly evident as you walk around with your thick vintage-look iPhone camera thing. Or so we're told.
Source:?The Telegraph,?Engadget
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/_0Q8sMUhj_M/story01.htm
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Erick Erickson Is in 'Prayerful Consideration' About Far Right Challenge to Chambliss (Little green footballs)
jerrie famish: Web Audio A New Level In Online Marketing - ocombs ...
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Source: http://ocombygq32.fotopages.com/?entry=6167358
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Source: http://sweetfelipe360.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/web-audio-a-new-level-in-online-marketing-ocombs-fotopage.html
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Source: http://jerrie-famish.blogspot.com/2012/11/web-audio-new-level-in-online-marketing.html
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
DOT fines Travelzoo over code-share disclosures
13 hrs.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is fining online travel company Travelzoo Inc. $50,000 for failing to properly disclose to consumers that they were selling flights operated by airlines using code-sharing arrangements.
Under code-sharing arrangements, an airline will sell tickets on flights that use its own designator code but are actually operated by a separate airline. Federal rules require airlines and ticket agents to disclose to consumers, before they book a flight, if the flight is operated under a code-sharing arrangement.
"Passengers deserve to know which airline will be operating their flight before they purchase their tickets," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
The federal department also ordered Travelzoo to cease and desist from future violations
A representative for Travelzoo was not immediately available to comment.
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The advantages of Using Podcast to Your Site
Numerous websites apply the conventional way when it comes to creating their content such as writing out the material, putting up photos or using video blogs. However, there is another method that has been underestimated in creating an appealing website but is now gaining popularity?Podcast.
Podcast is the digitized version of a radio broadcast. Unlike its predecessor, podcast delivers the audio recording more conveniently to its user via a digital portable format like an MP3. People can have easy access to the audio file by downloading it from the source and listening to it anytime they want.
Derived from the terms broadcast and iPod?a proprietary media player by Apple?Apple made audio files of information, interviews and lectures easily downloadable from iTunes until it has become a well-known online medium.
However, an iPod is not a requirement to access a podcast. Anybody who has an internet connection or an MP3 player can listen to podcasts anytime.
Just the same, you don?t need expensive paraphernalia or tons of equipment to create a podcast. If you have a computer, a decent microphone and a worthy material, you may begin exploring the benefits of podcasting on your website.
The Advantages of Using Podcast
There are quite a lot of reasons a podcast can be good for your website. Why?
1. It breaks away from the norm.
Especially in the online marketplace, podcasting is an unchartered territory. Those brave ones who risked it have profited greatly not only in traffic but in revenue as well. Because it is an uncommon way of reaching your target audience, the fresh approach of presenting your content gains you a distinctive niche in the industry you belong to.
2. The personal touch appeals to visitors.
Podcast is more intimate in engaging with your visitors. To hear the voice behind the company or website gives your audience the impression of sincerity in what you are offering them since they can literally hear the emotion in your tone. This can transform an ordinary visit to your website to a loyal following or develop relationship with your audience.
3. You can connect to a new audience.
People have different preferences in consuming media. Providing podcast as option in your website broadens your audience reach. If you haven?t yet, you can now reach the percentage of users who prefer audio podcasts and draw them to your website because you provided that choice for them.
4. It enhances your website content.
If all you had before was plain blog entries in your website, a podcast can present your content more creatively. Since your visitors can hear you, you can explore sound effects, add background music, and even include intro plugs into the material you want to communicate.
5. It helps establish integrity in your line of expertise.
Through podcasting, you can communicate more effectively the knowledge you have on a particular matter. If you are a motivational speaker and would like to publish your notes online or share your lectures, podcast can make it available even for those who can?t physically attend your seminars. It would also emphasize your potential to be a reliable resource person for the subject matter you are expert in.
6. It can be a prospective profit venture.
When you have gained the credibility and have a regular following, you may sell some of your podcasts at a minimal fee. ?You also open an opportunity for others to advertise and/or promote their products or services that is related to yours. But you have to be wary of this as the majority would prefer free subscriptions.
7. It makes your website friendlier than others.
Using podcast to answer your audience?s concerns exhibits your openness to what they need instead of a write-up that feels obligated and distant. This kind of feedback experience will set yours apart as an inviting and sociable website.
So there you have it?seven points why podcast is an advantage to your website. If the existence of your website in the worldwide web has not generated enough traffic, then it is about time you try podcasting. Witness how a podcast will help emphasize your online presence and rake in the traffic you?ve been targeting.
Author Bio:?Jeff Foster is the internet marketing manager of WebBizIdeas. His main focus is building and marketing quality content. Over the past 8 years he worked with clients to develop marketing strategies.
Source: http://www.itmashable.com/2012/11/the-advantages-of-using-podcast-to-your.html
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jamainai: Pharmacy Technician Jobs - references and education ...
Regardless of how our economic situation fares, the pharmacy technician career will have an easier time staying afloat and the demand for it will only continue to grow. Pharmacy technician jobs are teeming all over the place, but the heavy competition may make things had for you. So if you want to find yourself being sought after by an employer, receiving proper training and certification is necessary.
You don?t really have to undergo formal training in order to become a pharmacy technician, but there are additional benefits if you do. Educational institutions such as vocational schools, community colleges, and hospitals offer formal training programs ranging from a 6 months to 24 months. If you want to be qualified for the best pharmacy technician jobs, getting formal education is recommended.
Once you have completed you formal training program, you can make yourself even more attractive to potential employers by working hard to attain certification and other credentials. Certification is an excellent indication of your competency as a pharmacy tech. You can seek to become certified by either the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (PTCB).
If you try to notice the requirements among the majority of pharmacy technician jobs, they require applicants to have reliable communications and interpersonal skills since they will be spending most of their time working with healthcare workers and interacting with patients. Sound mathematical and analytical skills are also a must when preparing medications.
Pharmaceutical firms are not the only places where pharmacy technician jobs can be found ? there are also plenty of employment opportunities in hospitals, convenience stores, and department stores which have their own pharmacy. To help make your search easier, you can take advantage of the internet and you can also submit your resume to online job directory websites.
The classified ads section of your local newspaper can also give you plenty of options when it comes to pharmacy technician jobs. If you have decided that you want to apply for a job in a pharmaceutical firm, you may want to drop by the company website to check out their employment opportunities and know more about what they are looking for.
If you think getting a diploma from a pharmacy tech school is very difficult, well think again. Check out our website about pharmacy technician certification and we?ll provide you with materials to help you reach your dreams. Visit www.pharmacytechnicianreviews.org now.
Source: http://referencesandeducation.info/2012/11/pharmacy-technician-jobs-how-to-deserve-a-higher-pay/
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Source: http://jamainai.blogspot.com/2012/11/pharmacy-technician-jobs-references-and.html
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Monday, November 26, 2012
Energy efficient windows ? Home Improvement: House Plans
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Source: http://hometown-yelp.blogspot.com/2012/11/energy-efficient-windows-home.html
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The Death Of The Banner Ad - Business Insider
Banner ads, those benighted rectangles and boxes, have been the primary way publishers make money online since a digital offshoot of Wired magazine ran the first one 18 years ago.
But the industry is ripe for disruption, and many feel it won't be long before banners are replaced by a better, more attractive advertising solution.
One industry source went so far as to say that we'd one day look back on 2012 and deem it the "defining year in the death of the banner ad."
"The traditional standard media model is challenging," this person said. "There's a lot of pressing need for innovation around the approaches people are taking [to make money online]. I see a lot of people refusing to acknowledge the trend lines here.... 2012 is really the defining year in the death of the banner ad. Other people are refusing to believe it because then they don't have another clear revenue path."
John Battelle, an advertising visionary and the founder of Federated Media, who was present for the invention of the banner ad at Wired, agrees. He told us recently that, as an industry, "we messed up when we decided banner ads would be how we make money on the Web."
"We shoved them up in the corners and tried to ignore them, and advertisers have had to scream from the sidelines," he says. "There's a way to make web advertising a better experience, like an ad in between every pageview that you can simply flick away if you don't want to see it. I'm a big fan of full-page ads, especially on tablets."
"I see a lot of people refusing to acknowledge the trend lines here and are clinging stubbornly to direct sales model," says an industry source. "2012 is really the defining year in death of the banner ad. Other people are refusing to believe it because then they don't have a clear revenue path."
Banner ads achieved mass scale because they're easy to implement on Web pages. Increasingly, their placement is standardized and automated by computers, though big banner-ad deals are still negotiated the old-fashioned way, human to human.
They're also supported by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), a trade organization whose standards apply to 80 percent of banner ads sold. Battelle, who is on the IAB's board, says he's trying to push the group to rethink Web advertising and come up with a widely implemented solution that makes advertisers look and feel more welcome on Web pages.
The transformation away from banner ads will take a long time. Battelle thinks it could take ten years before the online advertising industry is thoroughly disrupted. In the meantime, more and more companies are steadily working at more engaging banner-ad alternatives.
Foursquare, for example, offers businesses a way to deliver updates to users who use its mobile app to check in to their locations. Facebook and Tumblr offer ad formats that promote specific posts to more users. BuzzFeed tries to create viral stories that feature advertisers. And Twitter's promoted tweets are working well, particularly on mobile devices.
These are so-called native ads that play off user behavior and enhance the experience rather than interrupt it.
Arguably, banner ads tried to do something like that 18 years ago, when every Web page felt fresh and new and the notion of multimedia-rich pages mixing graphics and text were novel.
But the Web has moved on since then. It's time banners did, too.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-death-of-the-banner-ad-2012-11
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Stocks open lower on new fiscal cliff warnings
3 hrs.
The stock market edged lower Monday morning, pulled down by old worries about the debt crisis in Europe and a political standoff over taxes and spending in the U.S.?
In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 66 points at 12,945. The Standard & Poor's 500 was down 6 to 1,403. The Nasdaq composite index slipped less than a point, to 2,966.?
Monday was the first trading day after the beginning of the holiday shopping season, a crucial time for retailers that rely on Christmas shopping to make up for shortfalls during the rest of the year. But the impact of Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and the rest of the weekend was hard to read.?
The National Retail Federation reported that 247 million shoppers visited stores and shopping websites during the Thanksgiving holiday, up 9 percent from a year ago. They spent an average of $423, up 6 percent.?
Still, retailers worry that the momentum won't last. Retailers like Macy's, Target and Saks were down in early trading.?
One major reason is the overhang of the "fiscal cliff." That's when both higher taxes and cuts to government programs, like unemployment benefits and Social Security, will kick in at the end of the year unless Congress and the White House work out a compromise before then.?
A government report released Monday warned that a sudden increase in taxes would result in lower consumer spending next year, and some analysts wondered if the concerns about what could happen might crimp spending throughout the rest of the holiday season.?
The report, by President Barack Obama's National Economic Council and his Council of Economic Advisers, estimated that a married couple earning between $50,000 and $85,000 with two children would see a $2,200 increase in their taxes.?
The White House wants to raise some taxes, but key business groups have protested vehemently. The homebuilding industry says it won't stand for even small cuts to the mortgage interest deduction, a tax break that's meant to encourage homeownership. AARP has publicly lobbied against cuts to Medicare and Social Security.?
To be sure, the fiscal cliff fighting could be mostly grandstanding for lawmakers. Lawmakers often fight over budget issues until the dramatic 11th hour, then work out a compromise at the last moment.?
Overall, Monday morning was quiet, with no major economic reports due in the U.S. and no major companies scheduled to make big announcements. In Europe, leaders of European Union countries tried to hammer out a deal to lend more money to debt-crippled Greece, but many analysts have come to view that as another tired theme that has already been baked into the markets.?
Count David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Funds, among the underwhelmed.?
"The themes seem about as recycled as Thanksgiving turkey," Kelly wrote in a note to clients, referring to the fiscal cliff and the European debt crisis. He expected a better read on the economy later this week, with reports on consumer confidence on Tuesday, and unemployment claims and third-quarter economic growth on Thursday.?
Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ, was similarly unmoved. "Most of these uncertainties have been with us for quite some time," he wrote in a note, "and are now regarded by many as annoyances to resolve rather than obstacles to fear."?
Overall, the U.S. economy has been hard to read. For every sign that it is improving, there's another that indicates it's not. The market jumped 421 points last week, one of the best weeks of the year. It was down for four straight weeks beforehand.?
Stocks opened the trading day lower?as investors?returned to the market after a holiday-shortened trading week, focused on the meeting of euro zone finance ministers on Greece and negotiations over the U.S. fiscal cliff.
The fiscal cliff concerns?dampened what had been a huge weekend for retailers.?
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 85 points to 12,925 shortly after the opening bell Monday.?
The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost eight points to 1,401 and the Nasdaq composite was also off eight points at 2,959.?
Shoppers flooded stores in record numbers over the weekend, according to the National Retail Federation. The organization said 247 million shoppers visited stores and shopping websites during the Thanksgiving holiday, up 9.2 percent from last year.?
On Monday, however, the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers said that a sudden increase in taxes for middle-income taxpayers could reduce consumer spending next year by nearly $200 billion.?
Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund will seek to unfreeze the second bailout package for Greece on Monday, but they first need to agree if some of the official loans to Athens might eventually be forgiven to cut Greek debt.?
U.S. lawmakers have made little progress in the past 10 days toward a compromise to avoid the harsh tax increases and government spending cuts scheduled to start taking effect on January 1, a senior Democratic senator said on Sunday.?
"On the most pressing issue for the markets into year end, that of the tax and spending issues in the U.S., the Sunday morning talk shows didn't reveal that we're on the cusp of a deal as more horse trading will go on in the weeks to come," said Peter Boocvkar, managing director at Miller Tabak & Co in New York.?
U.S. shoppers went to stores earlier this Thanksgiving weekend and bought online more than in years past, giving retailers a strong start to the holiday shopping season, data showed on Sunday. Total spending for the long weekend rose to $59.1 billion, up 12.8 percent from last year, according to the National Retail Federation.?
Black Friday's online sales topped $1 billion for the first time ever as more consumers used the Internet do their early holiday shopping, comScore said on Sunday.?
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-open-lower-new-fiscal-cliff-warnings-1C7208006
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Sunday, November 25, 2012
Fetal alcohol exposure affects brain structure in children
ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2012) ? Children exposed to alcohol during fetal development exhibit changes in brain structure and metabolism that are visible using various imaging techniques, according to a new study being presented November 25 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Alcohol use by expectant mothers can lead to problems with the mental and physical development of their children -- a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Research suggests an incidence of 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Costs for care of individuals affected by fetal alcohol syndrome in the U.S. have been estimated at $4 billion annually.
Advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are affording unprecedented insights into the effects of alcohol on the central nervous systems of children whose mothers drank alcohol during their pregnancy. Recently, researchers in Poland used three different MRI techniques to better define these effects.
The study group included 200 children who were exposed to alcohol during their fetal stage and 30 children whose mothers did not drink while pregnant or during lactation. Researchers used MRI to evaluate the size and shape of the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerve fibers that forms the major communication link between the right and left halves of the brain, in the two groups. Prenatal alcohol exposure is the major cause of impaired development or complete absence of the corpus callosum.
The MRI results showed statistically significant thinning of the corpus callosum in the children exposed to alcohol compared with the other group.
"These changes are strongly associated with psychological problems in children," said Andrzej Urbanik, M.D., chair of the Department of Radiology at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland.
Dr. Urbanik and colleagues also used diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to study six areas of the central nervous system in the children. DWI maps the diffusion process of water and can be a more sensitive means than traditional MRI for detecting tissue abnormalities.
Children in the alcohol group exhibited statistically significant increases in diffusion on DWI compared with the other children.
"The increase of diffusion indicates neurological disorders or damage to the brain tissue," Dr. Urbanik said.
To noninvasively study metabolism in the brains of the children, the researchers used proton (hydrogen) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HMRS), a common adjunct to structural MRI studies. HMRS results showed a complex collection of metabolic changes.
"In individual cases, we found a high degree of metabolic changes that were specific for particular locations within the brain," Dr. Urbanik said.
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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/X3n18VbRstc/121125103949.htm
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Home Improvement building a new home | KPM Construction ...
Building a new home can cost you on your pocket a little bit but it is an investment that we all are willing to make. Building a new home is not as easy as it may seem to be, for this job you really need to plan and plan again. Whether it is about finance, the architect, the builder or the material provider you need to make arrangements for all of them. Not only this you need to keep a check on them all the time to see whether they are doing their work properly or not and this can be a tiring task.
When it comes to finances you need to plan cautiously as there is no space for a mistake. It is always better to apply for a financial help of whatever kind suits you way before the construction work starts.? As if you will apply for such services near the construction schedule then the delay in the formalities can greatly affect the construction schedule. This can lead to wastage of materials and increase in overall cost of the work.
Then hire a trusted professional for your constructions work. They might be costly initially but in the long run they prove to be beneficial as their services and work is completely satisfying. Also getting work done by a professional avoids any need for often fixes and repairs.
While deciding on the interiors of the house, choose wisely. You should arrange for all the products and furniture of the house according to the interiors of the house. As picking out on something that does not goes well with your interiors can land you up in a complete disaster.
Make a wise choice be whatever you are choosing!
?
Source: http://www.kpmconstruction.com/home-improvement-building-a-new-home/
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Officials to announce cause of Mass. gas explosion
Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Inspectors stand in debris, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, at the site of a gas explosion that leveled a strip club in Springfield, Mass., on Friday evening. Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the blast where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Items from the Score's Gentleman's Club are seen in the rubble on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, the morning after Friday night's explosion in Springfield, Mass. Dozens of building inspectors began assessing homes and businesses in Springfield on Saturday, a day after a natural gas explosion leveled the Scores Gentleman's Club located next to a day care and heavily damaged a dozen other structures. (AP Photo/The Republican, Dave Roback)
A day care next door to a gas explosion that leveled a strip club Friday evening is seen in Springfield, Mass., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the Friday evening blast that could be heard for miles, and that left a large hole in the ground where the multistory brick building housing Scores Gentleman's Club once stood. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) ? Authorities on Sunday planned to announce the cause of a natural gas explosion that damaged 42 buildings and injured 18 people in one of New England's largest cities.
The announcement was set for 1 p.m. at fire department headquarters in Springfield, where Friday's blast flattened a strip club, heavily damaged a day care center, shattered windows and scattered debris over several blocks.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno was to join state officials in revealing the cause.
Investigators and cleanup crews returned to the blast-affected area Sunday morning. Police reported no problems related to the explosion overnight.
The explosion occurred at about 5:30 p.m. Friday, after authorities had evacuated part of the entertainment district while responding to a gas leak and odor. It left a large hole in the ground where a multistory building that housed the Scores Gentleman's Club once stood.
Gas workers venting a gas leak got indications that the building was about to explode and they ? along with firefighters and police officers ? ducked for cover behind a utility truck just before the blast, said Mark McDonald, president of the New England Gas Workers Association.
Most of the injured were in that group, and the truck that saved their lives was essentially demolished, he said.
"It really is a miracle and it's an example of our public safety officials, each and every day, putting themselves in harm's way, taking what could have been considered a very routine call of an odor of gas, but they took the proper precautions," State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said. "And thanks to God that they did."
Sarno and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray were attending a tree-lighting ceremony when the explosion occurred. Sarno said some people mistakenly thought the boom was part of the holiday event.
Preliminary reports showed the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units. Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe.
Columbia Gas of Massachusetts continued monitoring for potential leaks and kept at least 30 workers at the scene.
Springfield, which is 90 miles west of Boston and has about 150,000 residents, is the largest city in western Massachusetts. It's known as the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is not near the blast site.
The city has been rebuilding from damage caused by a tornado in June 2011.
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Saturday, November 24, 2012
boniness cogency: Shopping And Product Reviews: Collectible ...
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Article Creator: Margeret W.Q. Peters
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Source: http://www.chicagoweddingphotographer.biz/shopping-and-product-reviews-collectible-jewellery-short-article/
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Source: http://boniness-cogency.blogspot.com/2012/11/shopping-and-product-reviews.html
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9 more Iraq, Afghan war veterans joining Congress
FILE - This Nov. 15, 2012 file photo shows Iraq war veteran, Rep.-elect Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who lost both legs in combat before turning to politics, arriving for a group photo on the East steps of the Capitol in Washington. Veterans groups say the influx of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Congress is welcome because it comes at a time when the overall number of veterans in Congress is on a steep and steady decline. In the mid-1970s, the vast majority of lawmakers tended to be veterans. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
FILE - This Nov. 15, 2012 file photo shows Iraq war veteran, Rep.-elect Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who lost both legs in combat before turning to politics, arriving for a group photo on the East steps of the Capitol in Washington. Veterans groups say the influx of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Congress is welcome because it comes at a time when the overall number of veterans in Congress is on a steep and steady decline. In the mid-1970s, the vast majority of lawmakers tended to be veterans. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
FILE This Nov. 6, 2012 file photo shows Iraq war veterans Rep.-elect Tulsi Gabbard in Honolulu. Veterans groups say the influx of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Congress is welcome because it comes at a time when the overall number of veterans in Congress is on a steep and steady decline. In the mid-1970s, the vast majority of lawmakers tended to be veterans. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? As Tammy Duckworth sees it, her path to Congress began when she awoke in the fall of 2004 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She was missing both of her legs and faced the prospect of losing her right arm.
Months of agonizing therapy lay ahead. As the highest-ranking double amputee in the ward, Maj. Duckworth became the go-to person for soldiers complaining of substandard care and bureaucratic ambivalence.
Soon, she was pleading their cases to federal lawmakers, including her state's two U.S. senators at the time ? Democrats Dick Durbin and Barack Obama of Illinois. Obama arranged for her to testify at congressional hearings. Durbin encouraged her to run for office.
She lost her first election, but six years later gave it another try and now is one of nine veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who will serve in next year's freshman class in the of House of Representatives.
Veterans' groups say the influx of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is welcome because it comes at a time when the overall number of veterans in Congress is on a steep and steady decline. In the mid-1970s, the vast majority of lawmakers tended to be veterans.
For example, the 95th Congress, which served in 1977-78, had more than 400 veterans among its 535 members, according to the American Legion. The number of veterans next year in Congress will come to just more than 100. Most served during the Vietnam War era. In all, 16 served in Iraq or Afghanistan, not all in a combat role.
"We're losing about a half a million veterans a year in this country," said Tom Tarantino, chief policy officer at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America. "We are not going to be in a world where a significant plurality of people spent some time in the military, so to have 16 men and women who fought in this current Congress is incredibly significant."
Tarantino said he recognizes that the 16 Iraq and Afghanistan vets have wide-ranging political views. But at the end of the day, he said, their shared experiences make it more likely they'll put political differences aside on issues like high unemployment and suicide rates among returning veterans, or in ensuring that veterans get a quality education through the post-9/11 GI bill.
Their election victories also provide a sense of assurance to veterans.
"The biggest fear we have as veterans is that the America people are going to forget us," Tarantino said. "When you have an 11-year sustained war, the fight doesn't end when you pull out."
Duckworth carries the highest profile of the incoming vets. She was co-piloting a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq when a rocket-propelled grenade landed in her lap, ripping off one leg and crushing the other. At Walter Reed, she worried about what life as a double amputee had in store. But during her recovery, she found a new mission ? taking care of those she describes as her military brothers and sisters. That mission led her to a job as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs during Obama's first term.
"Had I not been in combat, my life would have never taken this path. You take the path that comes in front of you," Duckworth said from a wheelchair last week as she and her fellow freshmen went through orientation at the Capitol. "For me, I try to live every day honoring the men who carried me out of that field because they could have left me behind, and they didn't."
Duckworth is one of two freshmen Democrats who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. The other is Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who served near Baghdad for a year and was a medical operations specialist. Gabbard said she hopes the two of them can be a voice for female veterans and the unique challenges they face.
About 8 percent of veterans are women. They tend to be younger on average. Nearly one in five seen by the Department of Veterans Affairs responds yes when screened for military sexual trauma.
Seven Republicans served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Most had backing from tea party supporters who share their views that the size and scope of the federal government should be curtailed.
?Ron DeSantis of Florida was a judge advocate officer in the Navy who deployed to Iraq as a legal adviser during the 2007 troop surge.
?Brad Wenstrup of Ohio was as a combat surgeon in Iraq.
?Kerry Bentivolio of Michigan served in an administrative capacity with an artillery unit in Iraq and retired after suffering a neck injury. He also served as an infantry rifleman in Vietnam.
?Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma was a combat pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.
?Scott Perry of Pennsylvania commanded an aviation battalion in Iraq in 2009 and 2010.
?Doug Collins of Georgia was a chaplain in Iraq.
?Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Harvard Law School graduate, was an infantry platoon leader in Iraq and then was on a reconstruction team in Afghanistan. In between, he was a platoon leader at Arlington National Cemetery.
Cotton said the reason he ran for Congress is the same one that led him to enter the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"I felt we had been attacked for who we are ? the home of freedom," Cotton said. "And I worry now our liberty is threatened at home by the debt crisis we face, which in the long term will mean less prosperity and less opportunity, and therefore less liberty."
Cotton said he could easily see himself working with Duckworth and Gabbard on veteran's issues. "They've carried a heavy load and we owe them a great debt," he said.
At the same time, it's clear the freshmen veterans have clear differences of opinion over policy matters. For example, Gabbard is a strong critic of the war in Afghanistan. She says the United States needs to get out as quickly and safely as possible. Cotton opposes setting timetables for withdrawal.
"We're trying to win a counter-insurgency war where we can put a friendly, allied, stable government in place," Cotton said. "It's certainly been a long and somewhat winding road, but on the whole, America and our interests in the world are much better off for having waged the war in Afghanistan."
There also will be differences over spending priorities. Cotton is reluctant to trim spending on defense as a way to deal with the deficit.
Duckworth said certain programs need close examination, particularly in the area of government contracts. She said she "can actually stand up and talk about defense spending in a way that will be realistic without being attacked for lack of patriotism or not being strong on defense."
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