Stagecoach boosted by strong UK rail showing

LONDON (Reuters) - British transport group Stagecoach said it had traded well in its first half due to a strong performance from its British rail and U.S. bus businesses.

The Scotland-based company, on Tuesday said like-for-like revenues at its British rail unit rose 7.9 percent in the 24 weeks to October 14, while sales at its North America coach business, which includes Megabus, rose 10.7 percent.

Its British regional bus division reported a 3.6 percent sales uplift during the period but its London bus business posted revenues down 0.9 percent after it dropped some contracts as part of a restructuring drive.

Stagecoach said the overall profitability of the group had remained good, and that there had been no significant change to its annual pretax profit forecasts.

Virgin Rail, jointly owned by Stagecoach and Richard Branson's Virgin Group, was last month stripped of the West Coast Mainline franchise, which runs from London to Scotland, after Britain's Department for Transport (DfT) awarded the 13 year franchise to rival FirstGroup.

However, the DfT has since asked Virgin and Stagecoach to continue operating the service for up to 13 months from December, while it revamps the country's rail franchising process.

"The group welcomes the opportunity to participate in these reviews where appropriate," Stagecoach said.

"Overall current trading remains good and the prospects for the group remain positive."

Stagecoach, which transports some 2.5 million passengers a day, is also shortlisted for Britain's Greater Western and Thameslink rail franchises.

The company said a review into its Twin America joint venture, formed by Stagecoach North America and City Sights in 2009, by the U.S. Department of Justice and the New York Attorney General's Office would likely be completed soon.

Shares in the company, which have fallen 4.5 percent in the last three months, closed at 270.4 pence on Monday, valuing the group at around 1.55 billion pounds ($2.48 billion).

($1 = 0.6241 British pounds)

(Reporting by Rhys Jones; editing by Paul Sandle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stagecoach-boosted-strong-uk-rail-showing-073516420--finance.html

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INTERVIEW: Courting the Foreign Investors ? Next American City

Toledo | 10/30/2012 10:40am |
Matt Bevilacqua | Next American City

Last year Chinese investors shelled out several million dollars for two waterfront sites in Toledo, Ohio. Credit: Flickr user rsteup

This week, Nancy Scola brings you the story of officials in Toledo, Ohio wooing potential investors in China in the hopes that foreign direct investment, or FDI, is what the city needs to jump-start economic development.

Christiana McFarland, interim director at the National League of Cities Center for Research and Innovation, knows a little something about what Toledo is trying to do. Co-authoring a report last year on FDI and international trade, McFarland writes about how cities can approach foreign investment in order to compete on the global level. Here, she chats with Next American City about some of the common concerns local leaders have with FDI, and how to best address them.

Next American City: For starters, can we define foreign direct investment for readers who may not be familiar with the term?

Christiana McFarland: Sure. [It?s] investment in the community by a foreign entity, and can include a whole host of different types of investment. Usually when we?re talking about foreign direct investment, it?s investors providing capital for development projects, investing in research or development, or developing or expanding manufacturing facilities. It can sometimes also include new ownership of an existing business in the community.

NAC: We here at Next American City are getting ready to run a story about efforts in Toledo, Ohio to court Chinese investors. The idea has its share of critics, including a member of Congress who represents Toledo. What are some concerns that local leaders might have over attracting FDI, and how would you address them?

McFarland: Some of the concerns are [regarding] just the businesses themselves, and in some cases it may be specific to China. But it really is advantageous, for local leaders looking for foreign investment in general from any country, to do proper vetting of the businesses that they?re interested in investing in the community. So that would be one caution and one challenge for local leaders on the ground. And ways to do that are really building business connections and relationships in advance to help ensure sound investment leads. For example, local leaders can connect with economic development organizations in cities abroad that have similar industry or complimentary targets to share investment opportunities.

It?s also important to remember that foreign businesses may operate under a different set of cultural and business practices that can impede success in the U.S. Communities can provide an ombudsman, or set up a one-stop-shop to help foreign and domestic investors alike navigate processes and procedures.

NAC: One recommended FDI strategy that you outlined in your report you call ?creating regional awareness,? which essentially means having a community brand itself so investors know what it has to offer. This is clearly easier for certain places than others ? small- or mid-sized former company towns, industrial cities that haven?t quite gotten back on their feet, might have a harder go at it. How can a small city assess what it has to offer, and then market itself to a foreign investor?

McFarland: The regional approach to foreign investment is going to be critical, and although it may seem to be an easier endeavor for larger communities, what we are seeing is a lot of smaller communities taking it on. So it?s not a matter of how, as a smaller community, do you go about it alone, but how do you see yourself as a complement within the region in terms of the assets that you bring to the region?

And we?re seeing a lot of places do this: Smaller communities outside of Seattle ? for example, Tacoma. Smaller communities in Indiana, in Grant County. It?s all about building relationships so that you?re making a mark on the map with your community. It?s building these relationships, visiting these communities [and] countries, and showing what you have to offer. It could be in terms of workforce or businesses. It could be the industries that you have. It could be the physical infrastructure that you have. These are all typical for economic development. It?s a just a way of broadening their reach to foreign investors who may not necessarily be immediately aware of the assets that you have.

NAC: You gave a few examples there. Can you think of any specific communities that have had a particularly successful time attracting FDI?

McFarland: The case study that we?re outlining for next week, in Toledo, Ohio. They?re working not only with the City of Toledo, but also with communities within the region ? with their Regional Growth Partnership, which includes smaller communities that are outside of Toledo as well.

And, of course, Chattanooga, Tenn. I just heard the president of Volkswagen America talk about picking Chattanooga as a location for their manufacturing facility not only because of available location and infrastructure, but also because of the commitment from the local and regional partners to make the investment a success. Particularly important was the willingness of the community college to help develop an educated and technically skilled workforce.

NAC: One interesting detail about Toledo, which you alluded to a little bit earlier, is that the city has appealed to the Chinese. On a daily basis, both of the major presidential candidates spar over who will take a tougher stance on China. They continually throw barbs at China over its business as economic policies. What happens when a local government sees opportunity from a country that has a less-than-friendly relationship with the United States?

McFarland: For localities, in order for them to be successful going forward, the bottom line is they need to be connected and tapped into the global economy. And in some cases, the opportunities are going to be with businesses that are in these countries [that have tense relationships with the U.S.]. Again, there always needs to be a proper vetting process, which goes all the way up the line to stakeholders and agencies in the federal government as well. All these investments and business practices that are here in the U.S. are being vetted. So it?s important for [local leaders] to figure out what the needs are of the local economy [and] how they can be more proactive and integrated with the global economy. That?s really what is going to propel their economies forward in the future.

NAC: The U.S. does seem to have more of isolationist past than other Western nations. As our writer in the Toledo story put it, ??Made in the U.S.A.? has retained its cache.? Onshoring is a perennial topic in political discussions these days. What can be done to make the U.S. more open to working with foreign investors in an increasingly globalized economy?

McFarland: That?s a really good question. Some have concerns that FDI means providing support for businesses that are not home grown. We agree that local businesses are critical to the success of city economies, and that FDI is not a silver bullet. However, foreign investors, in conjunction with broader local economic strategies, have generated millions of jobs for U.S. residents, often pay higher wages, have helped bolstered the manufacturing industry and often exports goods generating local income from outside the region.

It really comes down to? having those virtual connections. You?re afraid of what you don?t know, and if you are able to establish personal connections and personal relationships ? for example, working with local leaders and policymakers in other countries, working with development organizations and businesses in other countries ? that really is the first step. Attending trade shows, inviting foreign delegations and visiting counterparts in other countries. We?ve seen that be successful in quite a few places.

NAC: Let?s say a city is shopping around for a potential investor and finds interest from both a domestic body and an international body. What are the advantages that either one has over the other, if any?

McFarland: They?re going to have to weigh the trade-offs, obviously, of what each will bring to the local economy, and how they?ll support the local economy. But there?s also that added understanding that the international investor, in order to be successful, may need assistance from the local community to help navigate the complexities of the U.S. business and regulatory environment.

Tags: forefront, economic development, interviews, national league of cities, toledo, foreign direct investment, regional growth partnership, grant county, christiana mcfarland, tacoma

Source: http://americancity.org/daily/entry/interview-courting-the-foreign-investors

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Ford to shut more plants as Europe losses grow

LONDON (AP) ? Ford pressed ahead Thursday with its plan to slash production in Europe, announcing another plant closure and 1,500 more job cuts, as it warned that annual losses in the region will exceed $1.5 billion this year and next.

Ford Motor Co. is struggling in Europe, like many major carmakers, because labor costs are relatively high and there are too many plants given that demand for cars is sliding due to the economic crisis. Worries about its European business have dragged down Ford's stock price this year.

A day after announcing the closure of a major plant in Belgium, Ford said it also will close its Transit van plant in Southampton, Britain, and the stamping and tooling facility at its plant in Dagenham, east London.

The actions announced this week ? along with a previously announced initiative to cut about 500 salaried and agency positions across Europe ? affect a total of 6,200 Ford jobs, or about 13 percent of the company's European workforce.

Counting the indirect impact on suppliers that depend on doing business with Ford's factories, the plant closures will cause about 11,000 job losses.

"We recognize the impact our actions will have on many employees and their families in Europe, and we will work together with all stakeholders during this necessary transformation of our business," said Ford's president and CEO, Alan Mulally.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Britain's Unite union, said workers would fight against the closures.

"This announcement has been handled disgracefully," McCluskey said "Only a few months ago Ford was promising staff a new Transit model for Southampton in 2014."

The company said it needs to cut costs in Europe, where it will try to refocus its operations on fuel-efficient motors and safety technologies. It expects the European business to return to profitability by mid-decade, thanks to the plant closures and the introduction of new models.

Despite the losses in Europe, Ford still expects a strong pretax profit this year for the company overall. Earnings will be better in the third quarter than in the second, excluding one-time costs and gains.

The Southampton plant, which employs 500 workers and will be shut in July, is Ford's last vehicle assembly plant in Britain. Production there has fallen from 66,000 vehicles in 2008 to 28,000 last year. Transit van production will be consolidated at the plant in Kocaeli, Turkey.

At the Dagenham plant, where it will close a stamping facility in 2013, Ford promised to invest in the production of a new series of 20-litre, four-cylinder, low-CO2 diesel engines. It will also invest at the Bridgend plant in Wales to support gasoline engine manufacturing.

Closing the Belgian and British plants reduces vehicle assembly capacity, excluding Russia, by 18 percent, or 355,000 units, yielding annual savings of at least $450 million, Ford said.

Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks said that with its proposed plant closures, the use of its European production capacity would jump from about 65 percent to more than 80 percent. He said the company expects to spend more than $100,000 (?77,000) per worker in separation payments.

Talks with Belgian unions will take four to six months by law. In the U.K., Ford aims to achieve employee reductions through voluntary means, employee separation programs and redeployment to other Ford locations.

Shares in Ford were up 2 percent to $10.39 in late afternoon trading Thursday, though they remain down for the year. The problems in Europe have weighed on the stock as investors worried about the drop in sales and the need to close unused plants.

Ford's sales were down nearly 15 percent in September compared with a year ago, worse than the 10.8 percent fall for all European vehicle brands, according to Acea, the European carmakers' association. Shanks said Ford lost market share because it wasn't discounting as aggressively as some rivals.

Ford is not the only company struggling with the car market in Europe. Big names like General Motors Co., which owns the Opel brand, as well as Fiat, which owns Chrysler, have said that production must be slashed in Europe.

France's PSA Peugeot-Citroen is currently in talks to take a ?7 billion lifeline from the French government, which wants to avoid layoffs. Ford of Europe Chief Stephen Odell said the French government's aid might not comply with European laws. But more broadly, he said, it doesn't help Europe address its market issues.

"In the end, and this is my view, I don't think it's sustainable for support from government to keep companies competitive going forward."

Odell said it is likely European car sales could be even lower next year than this year.

"Frankly, we do need to see some signs of economic recovery, or at least stability," he said.

___

Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ford-shut-more-plants-europe-losses-grow-154247585--finance.html

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The Plants of Green Cay Wetlands-It's More Than Gators & Birds!

The ?Plants of Green Cay Wetlands- It?s More than Gators & Birds.

One of the many things I love about Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach is that every day is a new day there. ??It?s more than gators and birds... there are the plants of Green Cay. ?

However because those interesting alligators tend to take center stage, it is very easy to overlook the plant and flowers that provide ?shelter and food for our birds such as the American Moorhens, black bellied whistling ducks, red-winged blackbirds, egrets and many others. ?

Take a look at some of the plants of Green Cay.

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Green Cay Wetlands
12800 Hagen Ranch Road

Boynton Beach FL 33437

561-966-7000

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Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3489518/the-plants-of-green-cay-wetlands-it-s-more-than-gators-birds-

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Apple posts rare earnings miss

Apple earnings are out, with Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray; David Pearl, Epoch Investment Partners; Daniel Morgan, Synovus Trust; Shaw Wu, Sterne Agee; and CNBC's Jon Fortt.

By CNBC.com and wire services

Fresh off its much-anticipated iPad mini reveal,?Apple?reported quarterly earnings that missed Wall Street's forecasts on Thursday and an outlook that fell shy of estimates.

Apple shares ended the regular trading day down 1.2 percent and were halted after-hours. After shares resumed trading, they fell more than 2 percent.?(Click here to get the latest quotes for Apple.)

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Net income in the fiscal fourth quarter rose to $8.2 billion, or $8.67 per share, from $6.6 billion, or $7.05 per share, a year ago.

Revenue increased 27 percent to $35.97 billion from $28.27 billion a year ago.

Analysts had expected the company to report earnings excluding items of $8.75 a share on $35.8 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.

For the fiscal first quarter, Apple said it expects earnings of $11.75 a share on $52 billion in revenue. Analysts currently expect earnings of $15.43 per share and $55 billion in revenue.

"Relative to our numbers, they were kind of in line," said Shannon Cross, an analyst at Cross Research. "What people are going to focus on is that iPad was a bit weak and iPhone was solid during the quarter. The big question comes from the guidance.''

During the quarter, the company said it sold 26.9 million iPhones, 14 million iPads and 4.9 million Mac computers.

In the earnings release, the company announced that its board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of common stock.

"The dividend is payable on November 15, 2012, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 12, 2012," the company's release said.

Shortly before the end of Apple's fourth quarter, the company launched the?iPhone 5, the latest version of its popular smartphone. Apple only had nine selling days of the new iPhone 5 in its fiscal fourth quarter, which means that all eyes are now on the current holiday quarter.

Since the iPhone 5's release in stores, the company's shares have slipped more than 13 percent from their $705 all-time high. Following the earnings release, the company's shares briefly fell below $600 for the first time since July 30.

The release comes two days after the company introduced the?iPad mini?and an update of its popular full-sized iPad. It said it has sold more than 100 million iPads since the devices debuted in April 2010.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.

Source: http://marketday.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/25/14701159-apple-posts-rare-earnings-miss?lite

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My First Video Game Console! ? The Jumpingpolarbear Blog

Home
> Entertainment, Gaming > My First Video Game?Console!

When I was around 10 years old, me and my younger brothers got just the present we were hoping for that Christmas. The Sega Master System II, who did much better here in Europe than in North America (it even looked different), was every boy?s dream. I spent infinite hours playing games like Alex Kidd, Teddy Boy, Fantazy Zone, Rampage, Sonic and Spell Caster. Even though the graphics are a joke compared to the games today, they still hold a special place in my heart : ).

This is of course way before the Internet went worldwide and there was few multiplayer options. The game control only had two buttons, 1 and 2, but I remember having the time of my life. I think Teddy Boy was the only game we didn?t complete (man, that got hard on the later levels), but I am sure we were not far off. The only problem about being three brothers and only one game console is that you have to wait a long time for your turn, but since I was the oldest, I usually got to go first : ). When playing multiplayer games like Tennis Ace or Super Monaco GP , this became less of a irritation. A couple of years after the Sega, we bought the Nintendo 64 where we played legendary games like Goldeneye and Mario Kart. This took it to a whole other level, and the N64 is probably my favourite console of all time, but your first is always your first!

Teddy Boy

Alex Kidd in Miracle World was built into the console and is known to everyone who owned a Sega Master System II

A Sega Master System Game Cartridge

Source: http://jumpingpolarbear.com/2012/10/24/my-first-video-game-console/

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Impelsys' iPublishCentral Platform powers new Bowker book as an Android app

Press Release: Impelsys [October 23, 2012]

Copyright (c) 2012 Impelsys

Summary	Impelsys, a global leader in providing electronic content delivery solutions, is powering the innovative new Bowker "Book as an Android App," with its award-winning iPublishCentral software platform.

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New York ? October 23, 2012 ?Impelsys, a global leader in providing electronic content delivery solutions, is powering the innovative new Bowker "Book as an Android App," with its award-winning iPublishCentral software platform.

"Book as an Android App" allows authors and small publishers to use Bowker's popular www.myidentifiers.com to create Android-compatible eBook apps from any PDF or ePub document, opening new sales channels such as Google Play and the Amazon App Store.

"We've partnered with Bowker to make available to their customers a simple option for creating their own eBook app, which helps authors and small publishers better market their titles to potential readers," said Sameer Shariff, founder and CEO of Impelsys. "In today's new market for book sales, it's crucial to have a digital strategy in place for how you will get your book electronically published, discovered and purchased by readers. The Bowker Book as an Android App showcases the flexibility of iPublishCentral for integration with existing solutions such as Bowker's MyIdentifiers site."

"At Bowker, we are delighted to take another important step forward in our continuous effort to make it easier for publishers to connect with buyers in a shifting marketplace," said Beat Barblan, Director, Identifier Services at Bowker. "Simplifying the path to the creation of eBooks is an absolutely essential need among small and self-publishers. Impelsys played a critical role in helping us address thisneed."

Bowker Identifier Services provides authors and small publishers with the resources that enable customers to find and purchase their books. After an author has written a book, www.myidentifiers.com provides the path to publish ? through the assignment of ISBNs and barcodes ? and sell the title through enhanced discovery.

iPublishCentral is a comprehensive platform that allows publishers to warehouse, deliver, distribute, market and sell their eBooks without making significant capital or engineering resource investments on their own. For more information, please go to www.ipublishcentral.com.

About Bowker

Bowker is the world's leading provider of bibliographic information and management solutions designed to help publishers, booksellers, and libraries better serve their customers. Creators of products and services that make books easier for people to discover, evaluate, order, and experience, the company also generates research and resources for publishers, helping them understand and meet the interests of readers worldwide. Bowker, a ProQuest affiliate and the official ISBN Agency for the United States and its territories, is headquartered in New Providence, New Jersey with additional operations in England and Australia.

About Impelsys

Impelsys, a leader in providing electronic content delivery solutions to the global publishing market, helps its clients compete, evolve and grow in an increasingly complex marketplace. Impelsys-powered products such as iPublishCentral help publishers increase their revenues by delivering content online quickly and cost effectively. Impelsys' passion for client success has helped it build long-term partnerships with its customers becoming critical in the client's electronic delivery strategy. Leading clients include McGraw-Hill, MIT Press, Elsevier Science, F&W Media, Wolters Kluwer, Thieme Publishers, Benchmark Education, Marshall Cavendish, Houghton Mifflin, American Academy of Pediatrics, Sesame Street, Lerner Education and Hong Kong University Press. Headquartered in New York, Impelsys operates across North America, Europe, Middle East and India. For more information, please visit www.impelsys.com / www.ipublishcentral.com

Source: http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=17329

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Why Blog? What Bloggers Say. | Trade Show Tales Blog ...

Why Blog?

We?re often asked by Classic Exhibits Distributors about the benefits of blogging:? ?Isn?t it time consuming? How do you decide on topics? How often should I submit posts?? I have a hard time answering those questions because the answer is, ?It depends.? I ask them if they enjoy writing about our trade shows and events, or if they feel they have something to share about sales, marketing, or small business. They do, even if they don?t realize it. That?s the first reason to blog. Everything else is frosting on the cake.

Blogging may seem a little old fashion compared to Facebook and Twitter, but it?s not. Good content (and the catharsis that comes from writing) is important. So why should you do it? I did a search on ?Why Blog?? You might enjoy the answers, along with links to the original posts. Enjoy.

Build Trust

People are skeptical. They are skeptical about strangers on the street and they are even more skeptical about strangers on the internet. A blog with consistent, truthful and helpful content will allow you to bridge that gap between distrust to trust.

Growing Stream of Organic Search Traffic

It?s hard to think that anybody would doubt the benefits of blogging to improving your organic search engine efforts, which in turns drives more traffic to your site, but in case there are any unbelievers out there?here?s the evidence: ?people who?ve blogged five times in the last 7 days will get 6.9 times more search traffic.

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/7-reasons-why-blogging-is-still-important-in-2012/39225/

But influence may be the grandest reason to blog. Garnering influence means building an online voice and thought leadership with every word you write, and every piece of content that you would share online.

http://wpengine.com/2012/08/why-blog/

Writing Leads to Understanding

Blogging forces you to write down your arguments and assumptions. ?This is the single biggest reason to do it, and I think it alone makes it worth it.

When you move from your head to ?paper,? a lot of the hand-waveyness goes away and you are left to really defend your position to yourself.

http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/blog/2011/08/why-i-blog.html

A business blog is an informal, easily maintained method for regularly communicating with your customers. A business blog offers a more approachable, informal information-providing approach in which customers find enjoyment, get to know your company, and learn about your products, achievements, and innovations.

A business blog is an informal, easily maintained method for regularly communicating with your employees. Whether you host your internal employee blog on a commercial site, on your webpage in a password protected location or on your Intranet, you have created a strong communication tool.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/businessblogs/a/business_blogs.htm

Email Filters Can?t Stop Blogs.

Blogs are primarily viewed through a Web page or newsreader. Therefore email filters are a non-issue.

Blogs Are Forever.

Since your blogs are posted to the Web, they are immediately available and remain live until you take them down (or stop paying for hosting). Email newsletters-on the other hand-are gone once they?re sent. Sure, the content from an email newsletter can (and should) be archived on your Web site?but it?s an additional step.

Search Engines Love Blogs.

Like Homer Simpson at the all-you-can-eat buffet, search engines just can?t get enough. It?s probably all that fresh content covered with a delicious sauce of hyperlinks that keeps them coming back for more.

http://www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/05/05-blogs-vs-email.php

Humanize

One of the most important reasons to begin a blog is to better connect with your audiences. A blog injects a faceless company (large or small) with a personality. Much like successful social media strategy, a blog lets audiences know that there is, indeed, a face behind that company logo.

Visibility

A blog will make great strides in enhancing your company?s visibility online. If your information is valuable, or noteworthy, enough it could facilitate conversations and ?buzz.? A company that is actively participating in educating their audiences, while including them in conversation, will receive more interaction than a company that simply boasts a webpage

Expertise

By having a blog, you?ll force yourself to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in your industry.

Relationship Building

This aspect plays right into the ?trust? concept. Once your audience trusts you, you?ll be better able to construct valuable relationships with them . . . . A relationship is a two-way street. Don?t just blog AT them. Blog WITH them.

http://socialnicole.com/business-why-blog/

Did you know that there are currently?more than 164 million blogs on the Internet? Did you also know that more than 123 million people read blogs? If you are on the fence about whether you should start your own blog?and these numbers don?t convince you, here are five other?reasons why you should take the leap.

1. Maximization of your brand ? Blogging allows you the opportunity to continue to brand your business, product or service. It is another outlet to discuss what makes you unique, discuss the success stories you have and offer helpful advice to your target audience positioning yourself as the expert in your industry.

2. You have ultimate control of the content ? Unlike being interviewed for a newspaper or magazine article where after the interview is secured, it is up to the reporter?s discretion on what quotes and background info to use, blogging gives you 100% control over the content you publish. If you have an opinion or point to make, having a blog is the perfect forum to do so.

3. Personal connection ? Blogging allows you to connect with your target audience on a more personal level. It also builds trust.?It is true that people conduct business with those that they like. Blogging allows you to discuss yourself and your interests in a fun and creative way. Having a blog simply makes you more accessible and relatable.

http://info.hjmt.com/blog/bid/200480/Why-Blog

10 Reasons for Creating a Blog . . . .

1. Enhances your search engine optimization so interested prospects can find you easier.
2. Demonstrates your expertise in your industry to build your reputation.
3. ?Provides an outlet for reader?s opinions so you can create a dialog and build a relationship.
4. Attracts potential customers by offering information of value regarding decision making about your industry.
5. Brings recent industry news to light as a service which positions you to be a helpful resource to viewers.
6. ?Draws positive attention to your company by offering a trusted voice.
7. ?Promotes creativity by posing challenging questions people want to address.
8. Advances digital marketing campaigns by delivering self-evident proof of the power of the medium.
9. Informs others about your industry to create interest in its products or services.
10. Challenges you to be an industry leader by forcing you to keep pace with the changes and trends.

http://www.godwin.com/blogs/why-blog

I hope this was helpful. Please share any reasons you blog not covered by the list above. Thanks.

?Mel White
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melmwhite
mel@classicexhibits.com

*********************************

Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions and engineered aluminum extrusions (ClassicMODUL). Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100.

Tags: blogging, blogs, booths, Classic Exhibits, displays, exhibits, rentals, Trade Shows

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 at 6:44 pm and is filed under Business Tips, Mel White. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.classicexhibits.com/tradeshow-blog/2012/10/23/why-blog-what-bloggers-say/

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Apple expected to unveil smaller iPad today

Tuesday October 23, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) -- Those who follow Apple believe they have figured out most of the particulars of a smaller iPad expected to be revealed today. One big question remains, though: What will it cost?

Apple hasn?t said anything about the device, but the veil of secrecy it throws over unreleased products has been a see-through affair this year. Most of the details of the iPhone 5 were known well in advance of its launch a month ago.

In the case of the "iPad Mini" (the real name is not known), tech bloggers and analysts expect a device with a screen measuring 7.85 inches on the diagonal, making it about half the size of the regular iPad. It would be slightly larger than the 7-inch tablets it?s presumably designed to compete with, including Amazon.com Inc.?s Kindle Fire and Google Inc.?s Nexus 7.

The Kindle Fire starts at $159, and the Nexus 7 at $199. Meanwhile, Apple sells the iPad 2 for $399 and the 4-inch iPod Touch for $199. Company watchers are pegging the price of the smaller iPad somewhere in between.

Most of the guesses range from $249 to $299, but the blog 9to5Mac said Monday that the price would be $329. That would make the iPad Mini twice the price of the cheapest Kindle Fire and leave plenty of room for other manufacturers to snap up value shoppers this holiday season. The blog did not disclose its source and has had a mixed record in predicting details on unreleased

Apple products.

Analysts such as Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets believe that Apple will also sell a step-up version of the iPad Mini, one with the ability to access 4G cellular networks for an additional monthly fee. That?s a feature the cheaper, 7-inch tablets don?t have.

Source: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/berkshirebusinessnews/ci_21832544/apple-expected-unveil-smaller-ipad-today?source=rss

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HEALTH and FITNESS | Stop Smoking Self Hypnosis Audio - Typepad

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As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Source: http://hamptonlarry129.typepad.com/blog/2012/10/health-and-fitness-stop-smoking-self-hypnosis-audio.html

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Source: http://demonstrability-jamesy.blogspot.com/2012/10/health-and-fitness-stop-smoking-self.html

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Trainee presence during endobronchial ultrasound increases complications

Public release date: 22-Oct-2012
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Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians

The presence of a trainee during endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) may have negative implications, including increased procedure time and complications. Researchers from the University of Calgary retrospectively reviewed 607 EBUS procedures, of which a trainee was present for 512. Significant differences were seen when a trainee was present vs when no trainee was present for procedure length (58.32 vs 37.69 min) and for the dose of propofol used (178.28 vs 137.11 mg). In addition, more complications were seen in the trainee group (24 vs 1). This study was presented during CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 20 25, in Atlanta, Georgia.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/acoc-tpd101812.php

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pumpkin craft, how to make a pumpkin

It is pumpkin craft time! With just a few items from around the house your kids can create a little bit of fun with this how to make a pumpkin tutorial. Over here at the Kids Activities Blog we have been creating and sharing some of our favorite halloween crafts and halloween activities.

?

Pumpkin Craft

There are so many ways to have fun with pumpkins, you can make an easy craft, edible treat or create home decor. ?I love all things pumpkin, the smell of it in my kitchen is my favorite. Maybe I should rephrase that to, the taste of it in my mouth is my favorite. ? This is my very own crafted pumpkin patch that I started back in September. I know a bit early for some but I told you I love all things pumpkin.

How to Make a Pumpkin

You can find most of the crafts shown above ?here but what I am going to share with you today is how to make a pumpkin: these adorable little tissue paper pumpkins.

Include this fun pumpkin rhyme to your crafting for more fun pumpkin halloween activities with your child. Ready to be silly? That was one of the things I enjoyed about being a preschool teacher, have an excuse to be silly.

Halloween Activities

I?m an Orange Pumpkin Rhyme

sung to the tune of ?I?m a Little Teapot.?

I?m an orange pumpkin, fat and round. (hold arms rounded out to the sides)

Sitting in the cornfield on the ground.

I?ll be a jack-o-lantern with two big eyes (use hands to make circles around eyes)

Or maybe I?ll be a big fat pie! (hold arms in circle in front)

Kids love to do all of the fun hand motions so make sure you join in. ?You can also make 5 pumpkins and sing 5 Little Pumpkins rhyme with it.

Halloween Crafts

Pumpkin Treat:

1. You will need round chocolate or other kind of candy. ?I taped the ends to the bottom.

2. Cut out Orange tissue paper squares and place the candy in the center.

3. Wrap it up and twist the end. Place tape over the twisted end to keep it from unraveling.

4. Add brown or green tissue paper to the tip and glue or tape.

There now you have your own cute little pumpkin patch from this easy pumpkin craft.

More Kids Activities

Your little pumpkin will be excited to make this pumpkin craft! We love easy-to-do Halloween activities like this how to make a pumpkin tutorial. We have more Halloween crafts for you to check out here at the Kids Activities Blog:

Source: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/pumpkin-craft-how-to-make-a-pumpkin/

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Hulu Plus Coming To Windows 8, Featuring Multitasking ?Snap View? And One-Touch Access To Shows From The Start Screen

Tablets and PCs sporting the new operating system will also have access to some broadcast TV content from Hulu Plus, as well. On the company?s blog today, Hulu announced that it will be launching its Windows 8 app on October 26, the same day that devices running the Microsoft operating system will finally become available.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rXMxTdkX7GY/

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Besa's Pizza and Pasta Review| Preston Beltline Alexis | North ...

I?ve enjoyed the pizza at Besa?s Pizza & Pasta plenty of times for dinner, but for some reason, it never occurred to me until last week to go for lunch. That?s too bad because I missed out on years of great lunch deals.

There are plenty of pizza joints near my Addison office. Many offer good lunch specials, but none quite as good as Besa?s.

You can, at the time of this writing, get a slice, salad and drink for $4.99. Add another slice to that for $5.99. Though I haven?t deviated from the pizza, other lunch specials ? pasta dishes and such ? are offered for well under $10.

Besa?s Neapolitan Thin Crust Pizza, with its chewy crust and not-too-sweet sauce, succeeds at representing the New York style well. The slices are big, and two of them, plus a salad, is more than enough food.

Before I finish, I?d like to say praise Besa?s house salad dressing: it is a delectable tomato vinaigrette, not some American creamy Italian cop out. Even the employee behind the counter with the Russian-sounding accent said he could drink the stuff all day.

Besa?s Pizza & Pasta is located at 14856 Preston Rd., Suite 212, Dallas, TX 75254. Order online at www.BesaPizza.com.

Source: http://www.dallasing.com/besas-pizza-pasta-north-dallas/

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe - Tv Food and Drink ...

Through these cookies, you will come to understand why it is necessary for me to keep all my toilet paper in the trunk of my car.

Let me back up for a moment and start with the picture directly above.

Do any of your kitchen cabinets look like this?

All of my kitchen cabinets look like this. ?Crammed to the fronts with food items I have needed, thought I might need in the future, given to me by friends or co-workers, or food that merely fell into my hands by absolute chance.

Those three boxes of Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta came free to me from the week Ronzoni sponsored GSN Live. ?On top of the Ronzoni Triplets you?ll see a box of grits that I sought out at my local Ralphs when I had just gotten back from my Georgia trip where I had tasted them for the first time. ?I was sure I was going to make them repeatedly back home. ?The box has remained unopened since.

Moving clock-wise?. well, you always have to have chicken broth on hand in case you?re unexpectedly visited by your grandmother or you catch pneumonia. ?Next to that are the tostada shells I bought when I made MG crab tostadas. ?They were a big hit and I was sure they were going to go into high rotation at Chez Tv Food and Drink. ?I?ve never made them again.

Propping up the tostada shells is my bag of dried guajillo chile pods which one should always have on hand when ?Suddenly Salsa? is required. ?Black beans go into just about everything I make from stuffed chicken and tacos to omeletes, casseroles and stews. ?The small jar of honey sometimes goes into my pizza dough, but is on hand mostly for when I?m sick and need something to temper the cayenne pepper I use to flood my tea. ?Three jars of pasta sauce (Prego Heart Smart ? another week of GSN Live sponsorship). ?Tonic water for the nights I like to pretend a vodka tonic is a satisfying as a vodka martini. ?And shoved in over on the right hand side is a cannister of oatmeal for cookies and a small container of blackened jerk chicken rub my show?s script supervisor gave to me as a present. ?I have yet to open it.

And that?s just one of the cabinets in my kitchen. ?The others are equally crowded with containters of every style of salt known to man, sauces from every corner of the world, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, canned tuna, more black beans, two ten pound bags of sugar, five bottles of vinegar, tortilla chips, olive oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, corn syrup, baker?s chocolate, cocoa powder, peanuts, and a 72-ounce bag of Nestle chocolate morsels.

Two years ago, before I started my food quest, you could have hidden away several corpses in my kitchen cabinets. Now, it? an ingredient infestation!

In order to make more room for all of these food items in my meager little galley kitchen, I have had to re-locate anything that might regularly live in a kitchen cabinet but is not readily edible to other spots in my home.

Empty vases now live on top the refrigerator along with my cake caddy, my NuWave oven and all my nested mixing bowls. ?The limited counter space is crammed with a crock pot, a coffee maker, food processor, slap chopper, Magic Bullet, a tray of glassware and the twin sugar and salt containers I adamantly refuse to label for reasons I still do not fully understand.

I removed any and all cleaning supplies that were taking up kitchen space and crammed them into the cabinets underneath my bathroom sink. ?They filled them entirely. ?That meant that I had to find a new home for the thirty-pack of Costco toilet paper rolls and the only empty space I had left was in the trunk of my car.

So now a four-floor elevator ride is needed whenever a replacement roll of TP is required.

If you?re not the kind of person who?s really really good at planning ahead, I suggest you not take this step.

?Great!? said MG, ?Now I know whose car I hope I?m in if I ever need to take a shit on the side of the road!?

So with my kitchen real estate in such high demand, the minute I discover something that seems to be hanging around for no good reason, I quickly concoct a recipe that will use it up so I can clear up some space for say? an extra box of raisins or a new tin of sardines.

Seeing that I had originally purchased them way back in November, it was clear to me that the three leftover cans of Libby?s pumpkin puree were going nowhere fast. I had originally purchased six of them on sale to make some pumpkin muffins at the request of a producer at work just around Thanksgiving time, but as we?re a few days away from it officially being summer, it was time for the puree to be voted off the island.
For the first batch, I used Martha Stewart?s chocolate chip recipe as is and merely added in one full can of puree to see what would happen. The resulting cookies came out gooey and sticky, but had next to no cakiness. ?So for the next batch I increased the amount of almost all of the other ingredients to offset the moistness of the puree. ?The second batch was more to my liking, but were also still a little sticky on the fingers. ?Not sure that the sticky element can be avoided with that much puree, but don?t let it stop you from trying these out. ?Both sets of cookies were sweet and chocolaty and went very fast at the office. ?The stickiness just adds to the fun.

Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Cakey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from Martha Stewart

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges and set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Makes about three dozen

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Tags: chocolate chip, cookies, Costco Toilet Paper, Crowded Kitchen Cabinet, Halloween cookie recipe, Halloween cookies, Halloween cookies for kids, Martha Stewart cookie recipe, Martha Stewart cookies, pumpkin, pumpkin chocolate chip, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin puree cookies, pumpkin puree in baked goods, what to do with pumpkin puree

Posted in Cookie Season and Desserts and Homemade 7 hours, 24 minutes ago at 9:00 am. 2 comments

Source: http://tvfoodanddrink.com/2012/10/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies-2-versions/

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XOOM WiFi Receiving Android 4.1.2 ? OTA Update File Made Available for Stock and Rooted Users

Over the weekend, owners of the XOOM WiFi began to have their tablets updated to Android 4.1.2. If waiting for the roll out to make its way to your tablet is not in the cards, then the OTA update file has been made available for both stock and rooted users.?

For starters, if you still haven?t received the OTA, you can try the trick of going into Settings and Apps menu and clearing the Google Framework Services data, then checking to see if there?s an update. If you?ve tried that and still no luck, you can download the official OTA file straight from Google?s servers here. If you need instructions on how to apply the update, we have some written on this post.

If you live dangerously and your XOOM is rooted, a rooted version of the OTA has been made available on XDA?and you can find instructions below by following the via link.

Via: XDA

Cheers Shawn, Inspector Butters, Tanuj, and Brett!

Source: http://www.droid-life.com/2012/10/15/xoom-wifi-receiving-android-4-1-2-ota-update-file-made-available-for-stock-and-rooted-users/

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