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Source: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=447785058598000&id=25963305308
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BANGKOK (AP) ? Hopes that the global economy might see some improvement after Spain announced far-reaching steps to fix its ailing economy helped keep oil prices on the upswing for a second day.
Benchmark oil for November delivery was up 61 cents to $92.46 per barrel at late afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.87 to finish at $91.85 per barrel on the Nymex on Thursday.
Brent crude gained $1.28 to $113.29 on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.
"Risk appetite improved yesterday on the Spanish budget," analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong said in a market commentary. "With the Spanish budget paving the way for an official bailout request ... renewed concern about the Eurozone crisis has eased."
After three straight days of declines, oil posted gains in Asia on Thursday, helped by expectations the People's Bank of China will soon take more steps to stimulate the world's No. 2 economy. Spain later announced severe budget cuts intended to convince the world that it can meet deficit-reduction targets.
Still, oil analyst Stephen Schork said he expects "high volatility" as oil contracts for October expire.
In other Nymex trading:
? Heating oil rose 2.1 cents to $3.172 per gallon.
? Wholesale gasoline gained 1.2 cents to $3.156 per gallon.
? Natural gas rose 0.1 cent to $3.306 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-prices-march-upward-second-day-055051166.html
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Corn grain price fluctuations during the peak harvest in Mindanao has dampened the spirits as well as the livelihood of many Filipino farmers. This sad development in the corn sector is aggravated by the unabated soaring cost of farm inputs, such as fertilizers.
Efren Sarto, a corn farmer from South Cotabato, in the midst of this entire dismal scenario still has a success story to share to his fellow corn farmers. Sarto is the candidate of Region 12 for the prestigious Gawad Saka Award given annually by the Department of Agriculture to technologically inclined and successful farmers in the country.
In December 2004, Sarto planted Pioneer hybrid 30M50. He harvested his corn crop and, to his satisfaction, he obtained a dried weight of 8,500 kilos per hectare. With a grain price of P8.25 per kilo, his gross income per hectare reached nearly P70,000. Even with the high input cost of around P26,000, he was able to net more than P40,000.
In March, corn grain prices fluctuated to an average low of P7.20 and average high of P8 per kilo. Fertilizer prices in the national level soared from 34.89% to 53.57% over the previous year. This farm input constitutes around 35% of the total corn production cost.
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With this almost bleak landscape, corn farmers must be really wise in choosing the right technology as well as the right seed that will help them increase their production and realize the highest potential income from their livelihood.
Sarto is one of the many corn farmers who have tried and continue to plant Pioneer varieties because of the high yields and income they get from using these products. His confidence in choosing to plant corn instead of other crops was not shaken by recent developments. ?This season, I will be renting an additional seven hectares of land and plant it with the Pioneer hybrid 30Y50,? Sarto happily declared.
Pioneer hybrid 30Y50 is the Bt version of 30M50 which is enhanced with a naturally occurring protein from soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, which protects plants from the Asiatic corn borer (ACB). ACB is the most prevalent insect corn pest in the country and causes up to 80% damage and yield loss.
Sarto believes that this new technology is essential in his corn production especially since corn borer problems are prevalent in the area. ?I believe that with 30Y50, I will get even higher yield because it is corn borer protected,? he stressed.
Jet Parma, country manger of Pioneer Hi-Bred Philippines said ?The experience of Mr. Sarto and all the other corn farmers who have succeeded by using our products keeps Pioneer committed in its goal of helping Filipino corn farmers achieve their maximum profit.?
With the story of Mr. Sarto, it is envisioned that Filipino corn farmers will continue to hope for the best.
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It is safe to assume that everyone with a bike should have a set of bicycle tools that they keep with them all times. This set of tools will be able to help you in solving problems related to your bike. If possible, you need to carry the tool with you everywhere and every time you ride your bicycle. It eases you in fixing problems you have with your bike. There are some tools that must be present in your bicycle tool box. Without these tools, you will find it difficult to fix the bike yourself.
The first bicycle tools you must have are tubes. If you have a bike, it is suggested that you have at least two extra tubes with you. Tubes or tire valves can be found in almost every bike store around you. There are two types of tire valve owned by almost every bike that are released recently. Those tubes are called "Presta" and "Shrader". The former is a valve tire that comes from France. It is also called French valve. This valve is characterized as small and thin. The latter, on the other hand, is bigger than the former and looks a lot like a car tire valve.
The second tool is a lever for the tires. This tool is an important bicycle tool you should have. Lever is shaped like a beer bottle opener and is used to detach the tires from the wheels. Since it can break the tires, you have to be really careful in using it. If you go to bike stores, you will find that lever is sold in a set.
The third tool is a bicycle pump. This is an essential bicycle tool that people must have. The bike pump that you should have is the one that is attachable to your bike. People call this kind of pump as a frame pump. The characteristic of this pump is its light weight. This pump can come in handy during a sudden flat tire during a cycling activity. Using a pump requires practice and an inexperienced person can experience difficulty in doing so.
Other bicycle tools that are needed are a bicycle patch repair kit, which serves as a back up when there is a sudden flat tire; a "Presta" valve adapter that is used to repair a flat tire that your friend may have, which weighs less than the frame pump; and carbon dioxide cartridge inflation that you can use when you do not have times to fix a flat tire yourselves. These tools are really necessary helpful to your bike. So, if you have not had them with you, you should buy them right away.
Furthermore, there are also some regular maintenance bicycle tools. First tool that should be owned is cleaning liquid. This liquid is usually sold with soft cloths. You can use the soft cloths to help you apply the cleaning liquid on your bike. However, you have to be careful not to scratch the surface of your bike. The second maintenance tool is a screwdriver. You need to have, at least, two kinds of screwdriver for your bike, which are flat head and cross-head or Phillips screwdrivers. Next tool that needs to be possessed is a pair of pliers. It is better to have both short and long pliers. The following tool is a wire cutter that you usually can get together with the pliers. A small hammer is complimentary if you need to hit a part of the bike to get it back to its place. Other maintenance tools are plastic tire levers, which are used to peel off the bike tires; a torch to calibrate the disc brakes; a set of wrenches; brush, to clean the various parts of your bike; and a toothbrush for bike parts that are hard to reach with brush.
Both these companies make great products, but they do so utilizing completely different technologies So which is best, and further more which is the better choice when considering purchasing a dive watch
Agility is such an important component when it comes to an athlete being fast. Tennis requires the athlete to be fast over short distances, in multiple directions and have the ability to develop explo
It is recommended that you buy boots before purchasing a pair of snowboard bindings. Finding the best-fitted boots makes it easier for you, since you can fit your snowboard bindings snugly without worrying about the shoes being too big or too small.
Strings have been one of the hottest topics of discussion on the pro tour in recent years. Most specifically how the Luxilon strings have become such powerful method of improving player performance.
The Decathlon crowns the World's Greatest Athlete. Why? Because the Decathlon is a true test of every attribute of an athlete.The Decathlon tests strength, mental toughness, consistency, commitment,
Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/recreation-and-leisure/sports/bicycle-tools-you-need-to-have.htm
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FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2012 file image from video provided by CBS2-KCAL9, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that has inflamed parts of the Middle East, is escorted by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies from his home in Cerritos, Calif. Nakoula, 55, was arrested Thursday for violating terms of his probation, authorities said. (AP Photo/CBS2-KCAL9, File) MANDATORY CREDIT CBS-KCAL9, LOS ANGELES OUT, LOS ANGELES TV OUT
FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2012 file image from video provided by CBS2-KCAL9, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that has inflamed parts of the Middle East, is escorted by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies from his home in Cerritos, Calif. Nakoula, 55, was arrested Thursday for violating terms of his probation, authorities said. (AP Photo/CBS2-KCAL9, File) MANDATORY CREDIT CBS-KCAL9, LOS ANGELES OUT, LOS ANGELES TV OUT
This courtroom sketch shows Nakoula Basseley Nakoula talking with his attorney Steven Seiden, left, in court Thursday Sept. 27, 2012. The U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal on Thursday determined the California man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that inflamed parts of the Middle East is a flight risk and ordered him detained. (AP Photo/Mona Shafer Edwards)
This courtroom sketch shows Nakoula Basseley Nakoula talking with his attorney Steven Seiden, left, as U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal presides over the proceeding Thursday Sept. 27, 2012. The federal judge on Thursday determined the California man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that inflamed parts of the Middle East is a flight risk and ordered him detained. (AP Photo/Mona Shafer Edwards)
This courtroom sketch shows Nakoula Basseley Nakoula talking with his attorney Steven Seiden, left, in court Thursday Sept. 27, 2012. The U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal on Thursday determined the California man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that inflamed parts of the Middle East is a flight risk and ordered him detained. (AP Photo/Mona Shafer Edwards)
U.S. Federal marshals drive away in a vehicle believed to be carrying Nakoula Basseley Nakoula after his arraignment in federal court in Los Angeles Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. A federal judge on Thursday ordered Nakoula, the man behind a crudely produced anti-Islamic video that inflamed parts of the Middle East to be detained because he is a flight risk and for violating terms of hisprobation. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The surrounding mystery of the man behind the crudely produced anti-Islamic video that sparked violence in the Middle East took a strange turn after he appeared in court and gave yet another name in a string of aliases.
Arrested on Thursday after authorities said he violated his probation from a 2010 check fraud conviction, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula told a judge his real name was Mark Basseley Youseff. He said he'd been using that name since 2002, even though he went by Nakoula in his fraud case.
The full story about Nakoula and the video "Innocence of Muslims" still isn't known more than two weeks after violence erupted in Egypt and Libya, where Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others were killed in Benghazi. Violence related to the film has since spread, killing dozens more.
Citing a lengthy pattern of deception and the potential to flee, U.S. Central District Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne Segal ordered Nakoula to remain in prison without bond until another judge can hold a hearing to determine if he broke the terms of his probation.
"The court has a lack of trust in this defendant at this time," Segal said.
Prosecutors noted Nakoula had eight probation violations, including lying to his probation officers and using aliases. He could face new charges that carry a maximum two-year prison term.
After his 2010 conviction, Nakoula was sentenced to 21 months in prison and was barred from using computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer, though prosecutors said none of the violations involved the Internet. He also wasn't supposed to use any name other than his true legal name without the prior written approval of his probation officer.
Three names, however, have been associated with Nakoula this month alone.
The movie was made last year by a man who called himself Sam Bacile. After the violence erupted, a man who identified himself as Bacile spoke to media outlets including The Associated Press, took credit for the film and said it was meant to portray the truth about Muhammad and Islam, which he called a cancer.
The next day, the AP determined there was no Bacile and linked the identity to Nakoula, a former gas station owner with a drug conviction and a history of using aliases. Federal authorities later confirmed there was no Bacile and that Nakoula was behind the movie.
Some of the false statements in Nakoula's alleged probation violations had to do with the film, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Dugdale said. Nakoula told probation officials his role was just writing the script, and denied going by the name Sam Bacile in connection with the film, Dugdale said.
Before going into hiding, Nakoula acknowledged to the AP that he was involved with the film, but said he only worked on logistics and management.
Nakoula, a Christian originally from Egypt, then went into hiding after he was identified as the man behind the trailer, which depicts Muhammad as a womanizer, religious fraud and child molester. He met with federal probation officials two weeks ago, led out of his home in suburban Cerritos in the middle of the night, flanked by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and cloaked in heavy clothing to protect his identity.
The public got their first good look at Nakoula on Thursday, although the news media was banned from the courtroom and reporters had to watch the proceedings on a TV in a nearby courthouse.
Nakoula wore beige pants and a collared shirt when he was led into the courtroom handcuffed and shackled. He appeared relaxed, smiling at one point before the hearing and conferring with his attorney.
Nakoula's attorney Steven Seiden sought to have the hearing closed and his client released on $10,000 bail. He argued Nakoula has checked in with his probation officer frequently and made no attempts to leave Southern California.
Seiden was concerned that Nakoula would be in danger in federal prison because of Muslim inmates, but prosecutors said he likely would be placed in protective custody.
Lawrence Rosenthal, a constitutional and criminal law professor at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, said it was "highly unusual" for a judge to order immediate detention on a probation violation for a nonviolent crime, but if there were questions about Nakoula's identity it was more likely.
"When the prosecution doesn't really know who they're dealing with, it's much easier to talk about flight," Rosenthal said. "I've prosecuted individuals who'd never given a real address. You don't know who you're dealing with, and you're just going to have very limited confidence about their ability to show up in court."
Enraged Muslims have demanded punishment for Nakoula, and a Pakistani cabinet minister has offered a $100,000 bounty to anyone who kills him.
First Amendment advocates have defended Nakoula's right to make the film while condemning its content. And federal officials likely will face criticism from those who say Nakoula's free speech rights were trampled by his arrest on a probation violation.
In arguing that Nakoula is a possible flight risk, Dugdale said Nakoula couldn't even reveal something as fundamental as his real name.
"He's a person who simply can't be trusted," he said.
___
Associated Press writer Gillian Flaccus contributed to this report.
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Public release date: 26-Sep-2012
Share ] Contact: Jeremy Moore
jeremy.moore@aacr.org
215-446-7109
American Association for Cancer Research
What:
The Fifth AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities will gather scientists, survivors and patient advocates to share the latest research on access to care, treatment and survival in minority populations.
The conference, scheduled for Oct. 27-30, 2012, in San Diego, Calif., will feature a series of groundbreaking presentations and hundreds of new research abstracts including:
When:
Oct. 27-30, 2012
Where:
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Calif.
###
Press Registration and Hotel Accommodations:
To register, please visit http://www.aacr.org/DisparitiesReg, or contact Lauren Riley at lauren.riley@aacr.org or (215) 446-7155.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
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.
Public release date: 26-Sep-2012 Share ] Contact: Jeremy Moore
jeremy.moore@aacr.org
215-446-7109
American Association for Cancer Research
What:
The Fifth AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities will gather scientists, survivors and patient advocates to share the latest research on access to care, treatment and survival in minority populations.
The conference, scheduled for Oct. 27-30, 2012, in San Diego, Calif., will feature a series of groundbreaking presentations and hundreds of new research abstracts including:
When:
Oct. 27-30, 2012
Where:
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, Calif.
###
Press Registration and Hotel Accommodations:
To register, please visit http://www.aacr.org/DisparitiesReg, or contact Lauren Riley at lauren.riley@aacr.org or (215) 446-7155.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
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/2012-09/aafc-ath092612.php
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Democrats launched two ads in North Dakota on Tuesday criticizing Republican Senate candidate Rick Berg over the stalled farm bill as the party seeks to capitalize on rural voters' frustration with congressional inaction.
Congress left town last weekend with the five-year, nearly $500 billion farm and food bill, in limbo. The House Republican leadership declined to bring a bill to the House floor, contending that they did not have the votes to pass it. That has created a political headache for Republican candidates in states that count farming and ranching as top industries, such as North Dakota, Montana, Iowa and South Dakota.
In one of the new ads, newspaper headlines about the stalled bill and Berg's votes for the House budget that would cut $180 billion from farm programs are superimposed on water towers and the side of a red barn. North Dakota residents assail Berg and offer testimonials for his Democratic rival, Heidi Heitkamp, in the open seat race.
"We don't vote the party line, we vote for who we feel will do the best for us," Judi Hintz of Tappen, N.D., says in the commercial. "Heidi will get past the politics and get things done for North Dakota."
In a second spot, Les Franklund of Bismark, N.D., says Berg is "not thinking about my farm or my family." The ads, which are expected to air for at least a week, are part of the Democrats' $3 million-plus buy in North Dakota.
In response, the Berg campaign cited the congressman's repeated pleas to the leadership to move on the bill.
"I refuse to sit back and watch our farmers and ranchers face uncertainty while Washington plays political games," Berg said in a statement in early August when he raised the prospect of various procedural maneuvers to force a vote.
The congressman along with several of his House Republican colleagues had asked Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other leaders to bring legislation to the floor before Congress adjourned last weekend.
The Senate passed its version of the bill in June, and the House Agriculture Committee approved a similar version in July.
But the House Republican leadership declined to act. A key factor was the food stamp program, which costs nearly $80 billion a year, or 80 percent of all the spending in the bill. House conservatives say the committee's decision to trim that budget by about 2 percent was too small, while some Democrats said any cuts to the food stamp program were unacceptable.
And while both the House and Senate take major steps to reform farm subsidy programs, some conservatives say farmers still receive too much federal aid.
North Dakota is a Republican-leaning state that is expected to go heavily for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But Heitkamp is locked in a close race with Berg for the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad.
Farmers and ranchers also appear in a Republican ad in the Montana Senate race between incumbent Democrat Jon Tester and GOP Rep. Denny Rehberg. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign is airing a spot with rancher Turk Stovall, who expresses concern that the death of his father will mean the loss of the family ranch because of the estate tax.
The spot cites a March 23, 2007 vote that Tester cast against Sen. Jim DeMint's amendment to repeal the tax. Stovall says he can't understand Tester's vote and wonders whether the Democrat was voting with his party. One of the final images in the spot is Tester with President Barack Obama.
The federal estate tax reaches fewer than 1 percent of inheritances. The top tax rate is 35 percent but it exempts the first $5 million of an individual's estate; couples can exempt $10 million.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-launch-ads-nd-over-stalled-farm-bill-185150579--election.html
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KaZoing! Party and Play is bringing together two kid favorites: bouncing and stuffed animals! On Wednesday, September 26, your child can take his/her stuffed animal into the inflatables and have a play date. If you bring your stuffed animal, kids can receive $4 admission. This event is a special open play and will have two times: 10am-12pm and 4pm-6pm. Included in admission is a craft as well.
KaZoing! Party and Play is a very interactive sports and rec center that focuses on kids? imaginations and fun. They host many different types of activities including open play with an emphasis on art, music, and dance. Their birthday parties, camps, and Mother?s Day Out programs are very popular.
If you?re looking for a couple of hours of indoor recreation to dodge any rain showers Wednesday, check it out. Take advantage of some reduced fees and bounce away!
KaZoing! Party and Play is located at 3600?Chamberlain Lane, Suite 218. Call 502-412-1500 for more information.
Photos Courtesy of KaZoing! Party and Play, Facebook
Source: http://www.louisville.com/content/kazoing-kids-and-bears-oh-my-family-and-parenting
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bbc-apology-story-involving-queen-extremist-135802242--finance.html
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If you are purchasing a game for your child, look for one that allows several people to play together. Gaming can be a solitary activity. However, it is important to encourage your child to be social, and multiplayer games can do that. They allow siblings and friends to all sit down and laugh and compete with one another.
The best times to buy video games are during seasonal holidays. Retail stores and online platforms will generally hold sales around the winter holidays or during the middle of summer where new and used games will be sold at reduced prices. If you take advantage of these sales, you can get multiple games for the price of one new game that isn?t on sale.
If you spend a lot of time video gaming, but your girlfriend doesn?t, it could mean relationship trouble. Try different ways to help your girlfriend enjoy video gaming as much as you do. By converting your girlfriend to the world of video games, you will spend less time arguing and more time playing.
Trade in your old games at a video game store. You may not know this, but you can trade your old games to the video game store, and you can get cash or credit toward new games. Check with a few different stores so you can get the best deal on your games, though.
Rent before you buy! It is not uncommon to buy a new game, take it home and then play it only to realize that it is nowhere near the fun you thought it would be. It may not appeal to you in any number of ways. Rent it first and find out if it truly offers what you want.
A great resource for buying games is your local gaming store. The people who are employed at these stores are usually some of the most knowledgeable that you will find. Certain video game stores will only hire employees who own every console gaming system available. They even could have specialists who play online games, computer games, and console games.
Become aware of the recent trends in gaming to take advantage of the technological innovations that are out on the market today. The new Wii controller has a motion sensor, which is something that you may want to experience in your game play. Always be on the lookout for new trends to optimize your gaming experience.
Give the in-game music a chance. If, however, you are annoyed with it after an hour or so, don?t be afraid to mute the television or computer and play some music of your own. You will have a much more enjoyable gaming experience that way and are less likely to get a headache from playing.
You can develop problems with your wrist and fingers with excessive game play. A good way to minimize the fatigue and problems associated with this, try exercising your hands and wrists with stress balls or other devices. This will allow you to play for longer periods of time and might actually improve your gaming skills.
Don?t be afraid to play a game on ?Easy? mode the first time around. You are supposed to enjoy the experience of playing, not suffer through it. If the game is any good, you may want to replay it later on anyway. Don?t feel bullied by games that tease you for choosing ?Easy,? either?return them!
Get involved in contests and tournaments. If you are really good at video games, start giving serious thoughts to entering tournaments. It will make the game more exciting for you, since you play others at your level, and it might also give you a financial reward you can really appreciate.
If you and your child have a long road trip ahead, bringing along his hand-held video games can help your child pass the time away. Car trips can be difficult on a child, and anything that can make his trip more pleasant can give him a better experience. Just be sure to set ground rules and time limits on how much time he spends on it.
Now you can see that there are many different things you need to know about video games. This can turn into an addictive hobby and is something the whole family can enjoy. You just have to know what you?re doing, and what to look for in video games. Use the above article to learn just that.
Sheldon Bujnowski has online resources concerning how to build a gaming computer
Source: http://articlepdq.com/health-fitness/must-try-video-games-for-everyone/
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Source: http://www.fayebsg.com/2012/09/outgrown-your-accounting-software-buy-intacct-with-confidence/
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I just finished Thou Shall Prosper for probably the third time.? I typically read it at least once a year.? The content, especially when it pertains to business, is superb.? Rabbi Lapin does an excellent job of helping the reader to understand the idea that all people are in a position of service.? It really doesn?t matter if you work for a private or public business, the government, or if you are unemployed.? If you at all interact with anyone, at any time, then you are in the business of service.? I love the concept put forth in the book that business is just the reimbursement for your services, plain and simple.? If you approach business in this manner, then you are never going to be on the side that compensation occurs for deeds not performed.? Many very successful business people are excoriated by those who do not understand this simple concept.?? Those individuals who make up the ?99%? do not understand this concept.? Your level of service, especially service that comes from the heart and soul, is your ticket to your livelihood.? Don?t squander it, and for goodness sake, don?t try to bring down those who discovered this concept long ago.
Be the first to like this.
Source: http://steelegoing.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/striving-to-serve/
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This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
Are you among the one-third of small businesses in the U.S. using Twitter to promote your products and services? If so, you?re on the right track: Research from digital intelligence firm Compete shows Twitter followers are more than 60% more likely to visit your website and more than 50% more likely to make a purchase and recommend your company.
Many companies are content to allow Twitter accounts to grow organically, but some are looking to accelerate growth of their follower base and increase the reach of promotions. To that end, Twitter recently rolled out two new paid advertising options for small businesses, currently available via invitation: Promoted Accounts and Promoted Tweets.
According to Richard Alfonsi, VP of Global Online Sales at Twitter, ?Promoted Accounts are best for growing a loyal follower base, while Promoted Tweets are best for getting tweets in front of a larger audience to drive more clicks and engagement around a promotion, product launch or event.? Alfonsi notes that businesses of all types see success so far with these new products, from local businesses (such as bakeries, restaurants and photographers) to purely online businesses, such as online retailers and digital publications.
For both offerings, you can control how much you spend each day by setting a daily budget ? you bid how much you are willing to pay for a new follower or an engagement, and an auction determines the price you pay. There are no minimum monthly spend requirements and you can stop your advertising at any time. You also only pay for results, meaning you will only be charged when someone follows your Promoted Account or engages with your Promoted Tweets (an engagement with a Promoted Tweet can be a click, a retweet or a favorite).
If you?re primarily looking to build a relevant follower base, Promoted Accounts may be for you. Twitter will study your current followers to look for people with similar interests, and when they find a match, they?ll suggest your account in the user?s ?Who to Follow? section. Promoted Account campaigns can also be geo-targeted at the country and city level to reach users in specific locations.
Los Angeles-based photographer Drew Ressler used Promoted Tweets to accelerate his follower growth and find more people who would be interested in his photographs of electronic dance music DJs. He set a maximum budget of $7 per day and targeted Twitter users all over the world. Twitter automatically took care of the rest, identifying other Twitter users who were interested in the electronic music scene and who would be interested in Drew?s work. Drew gained over 1,300 new followers for @Rukes in just two months, at less than $0.30 per follower.
?I just set a budget, and I constantly get 17 to 20 new followers each day,? says Ressler.
Small businesses wanting to expand the reach of their message plus increase follower base should consider Promoted Tweets. Promoted Tweets are generated directly from your own tweets; Twitter will monitor your account for engagement and promote your best tweets to the top of a user?s feed.
?I?ve used Twitter ads for several months now, and they?ve helped me get to over 37,000 followers,? says nutrition blogger Tom Corson-Knowles. ?I tried both Promoted Accounts and Promoted Tweets, and I recommend promoting tweets hands down ? it?s had a much higher ROI for me. With Promoted Tweets, you can get targeted traffic to your website by paying per click, and then you get the added benefit of followers and tons of brand exposure on Twitter.?
Amelia Lerutte of luxury dog product company i Love Dogs, Inc. agrees.
?We started using Twitter ads earlier this year. Our initial strategy was to pay for both follows and retweets, but after a couple weeks, we only saw a slight increase in the growth rate for new followers. Since we?re a small business used to optimizing ads to suit our budget, we decided to stop using Promoted Accounts to pay for followers and instead focus on gaining retweets through Promoted Tweets,? says Lerutte.
According to Lerutte, the high volume of retweets the company has received has made the price point of Twitter ads well worth the investment.
?Through the use of Promoted Tweets, our company has a seen a positive increase in the number of natural followers and engagement with our brand on Twitter. We?ve even had our Promoted Tweets retweeted by celebrities. So even though we?re not paying for followers, Twitter ads have allowed us to become a big dog on Twitter, with more than 11,000 followers,? adds Lerutte.
According to Alfonsi, the way clients measure results will vary by company and by each one?s business objective.
?Some businesses are trying to grow their community of advocates and measure success by the quality of engagement they?re seeing on Twitter, while others are trying to drive sales and store visits,? says Alfonsi.
Followers and clicks are beneficial, but you?ll see the most impact from your paid Twitter programs ?if you think about the ongoing conversation, not just the immediate payoff,? says Tom Burg, head of North American marketing at advertising technology company Criteo. Burg recommends small businesses think about Twitter ads as a way to create a ?funnel? for their business that eventually leads to a particular action, whether that?s a store visit, a coupon download or a purchase.
?Eventually it?s all about getting to a call to action,? adds Burg. ?With Twitter, you?re paying if someone clicks, but you should measure based on a cost-per-action model. Once they clicked, did they do the action you wanted them to, like download a whitepaper or a coupon??
To measure beyond followers and engagement, in addition to using Twitter?s results reporting, you can also use Google Analytics to see how much site traffic is coming from Twitter. You might also consider creating a special landing page where you can drive Twitter users, or develop Twitter-specific codes or coupons to track customers who find you through these funnels, writes Lisa Barone in Small Business Trends.
While these two offerings are currently available on an invitation-only basis, businesses can request access by filling out this form. Alfonsi says Twitter expects these products to eventually reach millions of small businesses, and the company will steadily increase the number of participants in the program in the coming months.
Just remember: Prior to kicking off your program, make sure your overall Twitter presence is robust.
?Before you spend money to promote your tweets or your Twitter account, you better be certain that there is something there worth following,? adds Barone. She recommends first creating a solid Twitter strategy and letting it run for a month or two to build up a history of quality tweets and engagement. This will not only help you to attract people but will also help Twitter match you with the right kind of users.
Also be prepared to make the most of each click: What offer or content awaits users on the other side? Make sure what you?re offering is compelling, so it?s worth paying to get people there.
Have you tried advertising on Twitter? Share your experience in the comments section.
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Article source: http://mashable.com/2012/09/22/twitter-ads-small-business/
Source: http://www.deondesigns.ca/blog/getting-started-with-twitter-ads-for-small-business/
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?Mom, we have a problem.? In our home, with four young children, that?s a phrase I hear more than I would like. Often it?s something easily solved. Other times, the solution doesn?t come quite so quickly. As we approach the upcoming election and the Texas legislative session, there are many important problems to be solved.
In our community, the number of children living in low socioeconomic homes increased to more than 68 percent from 50 percent just 10 years ago as reported by our local public schools. The effects of poverty have a significant impact on a child?s ability to be successful in school. Doing well in school and achieving a post-high school credential, certificate or degree sets the stage for increased earnings.
Today Texas ranks 51st ? even behind Puerto Rico ? in the number of adults who have received a high school diploma. Poor academic achievement and the implications for our future present complex problems with few easy answers.
In 1969, the founders of Opportunity School saw children, especially those living in poverty, were at risk of starting behind in school and being unable to catch up. By creating a program that provides high quality, affordable early education for children primarily from low-income families, they began planting seeds of opportunity that have blossomed decades later. These young, visionary women and men did more than just talk about the problem; they took action. Early Opportunity School students who came from humble beginnings have become doctors, administrative assistants, department supervisors, lawyers, teachers, bankers, opera singers, professional musicians, good citizens, volunteers in our community and successful parents.
While not the entire solution, high quality, early childhood programs are a very important part of the journey to success in school and in life.
All parents ? regardless of where they live or work or how much money they make ? want the best for their children, both now and in the future. Sadly, there are far too many working families stressed by the struggle just to make ends meet. However, when parents can access high-quality child care, especially in the early years, children have a stronger chance of overcoming poverty?s effects. Long-term studies have demonstrated the seeds for school success begin before children even begin kindergarten.
Recent research from The University of Texas at Austin proves high-quality preschool significantly reduces the achievement gap between rich and poor. The study was published in the February 2012 issue of Psychological Science. The study found that for children in wealthier homes, there were no differences in test scores between those who went to preschool and those who did not. However, poor children who attended preschool had test scores much higher than if they stayed home.
The Abecedarian Project at the University of North Carolina has found that children who participate in high-quality early education are found to be four times more likely to earn college degrees; they are also more likely to be employed consistently and less likely to have used public assistance.
?Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.?
That well-known verse from Proverbs affirms what research has proven: that lessons learned as young children stick with us for years to come. Investing in early education, especially for children living in poverty, is one of the best investments we can make in the future prosperity of our community.
If you have a heart for helping young children break out of the cycle of poverty, please invest in them by joining Opportunity School supporters for ?LIPS! Country Cabaret? on Oct. 4. Reservations can be made online at www.opportunity
school.com.
Jill Goodrich is the Executive Director of Opportunity School. Opportunity School serves 150 children per year from infant to age 5 providing affordable, high quality early childhood education with two campuses.
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In this May 9, 2012 photo shows actress Lindsay Lohan at the A&E Networks 2012 Upfront at Lincoln Center in New York. Lohan will star as Elizabeth Taylor in the upcoming Lifetime TV movie "Liz & Dick." Lohan was arrested in New York early Wednesday on charges that she clipped a pedestrian with her car and did not stop, police said. The 26-year-old actress was arrested at 2:25 a.m. as she left a nightclub at the Dream Hotel on 16th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, police said. They said no alcohol was involved. Lohan was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and causing injury. She was given a ticket and will have to appear in court at a later date. (AP Photo/Starpix, Kristina Bumphrey, file)
In this May 9, 2012 photo shows actress Lindsay Lohan at the A&E Networks 2012 Upfront at Lincoln Center in New York. Lohan will star as Elizabeth Taylor in the upcoming Lifetime TV movie "Liz & Dick." Lohan was arrested in New York early Wednesday on charges that she clipped a pedestrian with her car and did not stop, police said. The 26-year-old actress was arrested at 2:25 a.m. as she left a nightclub at the Dream Hotel on 16th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, police said. They said no alcohol was involved. Lohan was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and causing injury. She was given a ticket and will have to appear in court at a later date. (AP Photo/Starpix, Kristina Bumphrey, file)
A man stands in front of the Dream Hotel in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012. Lindsay Lohan was arrested in New York early Wednesday on charges that she clipped a pedestrian with her car and did not stop, police said. The 26-year-old actress was arrested at 2:25 a.m. as she left a nightclub at the Dream Hotel on 16th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, police said. They said no alcohol was involved. Lohan was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and causing injury. She was given a ticket and will have to appear in court at a later date. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
A camera man films in front of the Dream Hotel in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012. Lindsay Lohan was arrested in New York early Wednesday on charges that she clipped a pedestrian with her car and did not stop, police said. The 26-year-old actress was arrested at 2:25 a.m. as she left a nightclub at the Dream Hotel on 16th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, police said. They said no alcohol was involved. Lohan was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and causing injury. She was given a ticket and will have to appear in court at a later date. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
People walk in front of a driveway on the side of the Dream Hotel in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012. Lindsay Lohan was arrested in New York early Wednesday on charges that she clipped a pedestrian with her car and did not stop, police said. The 26-year-old actress was arrested at 2:25 a.m. as she left a nightclub at the Dream Hotel on 16th Street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, police said. They said no alcohol was involved. Lohan was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and causing injury. She was given a ticket and will have to appear in court at a later date. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
FILE - In a Saturday, April 28, 2012 file photo, Lindsay Lohan attends the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner headlined by late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel, in Washington. Police say Lohan was arrested at 2:25 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, in New York City on charges that she clipped a pedestrian with her car and did not stop. Police say no alcohol was involved. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Grainy surveillance footage released Thursday shows Lindsay Lohan's car driving toward a man who says she hit him outside a nightclub and kept going, but the blur used to conceal witnesses' faces partially obscures the scene.
The black-and-white video, released by police, shows Lohan's Porsche turning from a Manhattan street onto an alley around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday as Jose Rodriguez passes in front of the car and apparently is struck. Rodriguez, a 34-year-old restaurant worker from Jersey City, N.J., stays on his feet and walks after the car as it drives away.
Rodriguez called 911 and was hospitalized with a knee injury. He said he was coming from his job at a restaurant inside the nearby Maritime Hotel when he was struck and was in a lot of pain. He criticized Lohan and her entourage.
"They acted like I was nothing," he told the Daily News. "That no one could touch her because she was so rich and powerful."
The 26-year-old actress later was arrested as she left the nightclub at the Dream Hotel in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, police said. No alcohol was involved, they said.
Lohan was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and causing injury. She was given a ticket and was scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 23.
Her publicist Steve Honig said he was confident the claims being made against the troubled "Mean Girls" star would be proved untrue.
This summer in California, Lohan was involved in a car accident that sent her and an assistant to a hospital, but no one was seriously injured. The accident remains under investigation.
In May, she was cleared of allegations that she struck a Hollywood nightclub manager with her car.
The "Freaky Friday" actress remains on informal probation for taking a necklace from a jewelry store without permission last year. She's not required to check in with a judge or probation officer, but she could face a jail term if she is re-arrested.
She recently filmed "The Canyons," a movie by "Less Than Zero" author Bret Easton Ellis.
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Depot is about a year old, and is an incredibly happy little guy! He was rescued by the kind employees at Home Depot. He was found hiding in a car and very terrified, but quickly calmed down and showed his friendly personality. Depot is very happy in his foster home. He enjoys looking at the window from the safety of indoors,and plays enthusiastic handball against the wall with catnip toys. Depot's most favorite activity is to lay in laps and to rub lovingly up against everything, he just can't get enough positive attention. In fact, the groomer who bathed him said that she had never groomed a cat who was so good natured and wanted to play after being dried with a hair dryer! Depot is a very special boy, and needs a loving indoor home. He would probably be good with older children since he very active. He has done well with the other dogs and cats he has met since his rescue. If you would like to meet Depot, send an email to [email removed] or call our message center at 509-943-4722. His adoption fee is $60 and includes a complimentary vet exam, coupons from Petsmart, and a gift bag from POPP. Adoption fees help provide spay/neuter assistance to needy pets in our community.
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MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is considering freezing pensions and speeding up a planned rise in the retirement age as it races to cut spending and meet conditions of an expected international sovereign aid package, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
The measures would save at least 4 billion euros a year as well as fulfil European Union policy recommendations issued in May which senior euro zone sources said were being used as a blueprint for the terms of a sovereign aid program.
The accelerated raising of the retirement age to 67 from 65, currently scheduled to take place over 15 years, is a done deal, the sources said. The elimination of an inflation-linked annual pension hike is still being considered.
Spain, the new epicenter of the euro zone debt crisis after Greece, Ireland and Portugal, is hesitating to apply for external aid to handle a high public deficit and soaring debt. Its borrowing costs fell on Thursday at an auction of a 10-year benchmark bond but relief may be short-lived.
The new pensions steps, which could be announced as soon as next week along with the 2013 budget, would send a strong signal to investors that Spain is serious about implementing structural reforms it has delayed because of the political cost.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was forced earlier this year to break campaign pledges such as not raising taxes, has repeatedly said he would not touch pensions, but he has few options left to trim the budget after drastic cost cuts.
He toned down his language last week and said it would be "the last thing" he would do. On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said the government was not implementing any cut on the pensions "for the time being".
Sources with knowledge of the government's thinking said Rajoy's comments were a sign that his stance was shifting.
"He just said that he would not cut the pensions. But did you hear anything else? We both know that there are several ways of cutting. One is to simply leave them steady against inflation," said one of the sources.
A second source said the acceleration in the change in the retirement age was backed by the government while a third source, who discussed the issue with senior Spanish officials, said a freeze was expected.
"Not increasing them is also an adjustment," the third source said.
FREEZE
Many economists also believe a freeze is inevitable.
The 2012 budget earmarks a 1 percent inflation review - or about 1 billion euros - but inflation is running close to 3 percent, meaning an extra 4 billion euros that would be paid to pensioners in January but booked to the 2012 budget.
So cancelling this year's inflation-linked raise would save the government about 5 billion euros.
For following years, based on annual inflation of 2 percent, the reference used by the European Central Bank to set its main rates, the adjustment would cost 4 billion euros.
"There is no way around it. You have to cut the link with inflation and freeze the pensions next year," said Jose Carlos Diez, chief economist at Intermoney brokerage in Madrid.
"And to me, that would be just a start... The pensions, the unemployment benefits and the borrowing costs are eating up all the efforts on the spending side so you need to act in those areas," he added.
Both removing the inflation adjustment and accelerating the retirement age increase are long-standing European Union demands and any bond-buying program to help Spain finance its debt would insist on this, senior euro zone sources said.
Countries which were previously rescued, such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal all had to pass steep cuts on pensions.
In Greece, the cuts ranged from 20 percent to 40 percent, while new pensioners had a 10 percent pay cut in Ireland and Portugal scrapped the Christmas and summer extra payments.
SUSTAINABILITY
While an announcement could be made next week when the government adopts the first draft of the 2013 budget, political analysts say Rajoy may be tempted to wait until after a regional election in his native north-western Galicia.
The timing of any request for European aid is in Rajoy's hands. Some pointers suggest he could make the move along with the budget package to pre-empt a credit review by ratings agency Moody's, due by end-September, which might otherwise downgrade Spanish debt to junk status. Moody's has said it would welcome a Spanish aid request.
However in Brussels, EU officials close to the discussion said they did not expect Madrid to seek an assistance program before the October 21 regional vote. That would mean Spain would have to get over a 27.5 billion euro refinancing hump at the end of October without the euro zone rescue fund or the ECB buying its bonds.
The spread between Spanish and German benchmark 10-year bonds, a measurement of the perceived risk of investing in Spain, widened a few basis points on Friday to 417.
As Reuters reported first last month, Spanish officials led by Economy Minister Luis de Guindos have been talking discreetly to the European Commission since at least early August about possible conditions and supervision for a precautionary program that would keep Spain in capital markets.
De Guindos made clear at a meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Cyprus last weekend that Spain, keen to avoid having terms imposed from outside, would announce its own reform measures and timetable on September 28, a day after a draft 2013 budget is approved by the cabinet.
Rajoy performed especially well among pensioners when he was elected in a landslide last year and his first move after taking office was to restore the inflation adjustment his predecessor Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had removed in May 2010 when Spain entered in the eye of the storm of the euro zone debt crisis.
Zapatero also passed last year a law to add two years to the retirement age by 2027. Rajoy's People's party, then in the opposition, voted against the change.
With unemployment soon to top 25 percent and set to remain at high levels until at least 2015, the number of people contributing to the state pension system has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years. There are now 2.39 workers contributing fees to support one pensioner.
As unemployment is expected to grow and the population to age, this ratio is set to fall to 2 in the next months, a level the OECD in 2011 expected Spain to reach only in 2011.
A spokesman for Spain's employment ministry said on Friday EU authorities were no longer pushing to speed up the raising of the retirement age, since they May recommendations were revised in July. A parliamentary committee would soon begin debating other ways to make the pension system sustainable, he said.
The government tapped 4.4 billion euros from an insurance fund to make July and August payments to the 8.1. million pensioners, about a fifth of the population.
It also said it could not rule out using the pension guarantee fund -- meant only for emergencies - by the end of the year to pay the pensioners their monthly cheque.
(Additional reporting by Luke Baker and Paul Taylor in Brussels; Editing by Fiona Ortiz, Philippa Fletcher and Paul Taylor)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spain-considers-pension-reforms-aid-package-sight-060905762--business.html
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DUBAI (Reuters) - Syria's main opposition bloc wants Arab states to work together to effect an international intervention in Syria similar to the joint initiative in Libya, Syrian National Council (SNC) head Abdulbaset Sieda said in an interview published on Wednesday.
"We call on the Arabs to undertake a clear and serious initiative, like the position they took towards the Libyan revolution," he said after talks in Doha with Qatari officials.
The Arab League asked the U.N. Security Council for a no-fly zone last year to protect civilians in Libya, paving the way for NATO and Arab allies to help rebels overthrow Muammar Gaddafi.
Sieda also told pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper, that the SNC objected to Iran's participation in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis, saying Tehran was part of the problem.
The West has shown little appetite for repeating any Libya-style action in Syria, and Russia and China, both veto-wielding powers on the U.N. Security Council, oppose such intervention.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been battling an uprising which began as peaceful street protests last March and escalated into a civil war in which over 27,000 people have died. Daily death tolls are about 200 and last month was the bloodiest yet.
Sieda, speaking after talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, who heads an Arab League committee on Syria, said everything should be done to stop the killings in Syria.
"There must be a serious initiative to move with the Europeans for the purpose of removing complete legitimacy from the regime first and not to let the killing of Syrians to continue in this manner. Thus, there must be pressure," he said.
"We demand everything that will stop the killing of Syrians, there is Chapter Seven at the Security Council, which puts all options on the table, including international intervention to stop the killing," he said, referring the option of using military force against Assad's forces.
Sieda also dismissed the chances that Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's initiative for a "contact group" to try to resolve the Syrian crisis would succeed, saying he opposed Iran's participation in the efforts.
"We believe that Iran is part of the problem," Sieda said.
"Iran is providing the regime with arms, money and plans, and even the commander of the Revolutionary Guards admitted that there are men from the Revolutionary Guards inside Syria."
Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, told Kuwait's al-Rai newspaper that Iran should be part of the solution. He also said he did not know whether Iranian Revolutionary Guards were in Syria.
"But what I expect and hope for is that Iran be part of the solution in Syria and we have strong and honest relations with Iran and we agree on some things and disagree on others," he said, and reiterated his call that Assad step down.
"I believe that with the blood that had been spilled, there is nothing left for President Bashar except to take a courageous decision, which is an orderly handover of power, provided that there is no revenge from one party to another," he said.
Former international mediator Kofi Annan had wanted Iran to be involved in efforts to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. He resigned in August complaining about a diplomatic deadlock at the U.N. Security Council.
Sieda said the first sign of failure were evident from Saudi Arabia's boycotting of the meeting of Mursi's contact group. Saudi Arabia stayed away from the meeting held in Cairo on Monday, a setback for the forum, which includes Turkey and Iran.
"We have informed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's aides of our reservations over the Iranian participation," he said.
The SNC has been torn by a power struggle between Islamists, secular politicians, exiled leaders and activists in Syria, undermining its claim to be an alternative to Assad.
(Reporting by Sami Aboudi; Additional reporting by Sylvia Westall in Kuwait; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebel-leader-wants-libyan-style-arab-initiative-155015274.html
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