AFP - Mexico's electoral tribunal unanimously rejected a left-wing bid to overturn the July 1 presidential election victory of Enrique Pena Nieto.
"The request to invalidate the election is groundless," court president Jose Alejandro Luna Ramos said after the seven judges voted to reject the bid presented by leftist runner-up Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The tribunal dismissed claims by Lopez Obrador that the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) bought millions of votes and exceeded campaign spending limits to secure Pena Nieto's victory.
The ruling clears the way for Pena Nieto to be formally declared president-elect and begin his six-year term on December 1, returning the PRI to power after a 12-year absence.
Pena Nieto, who has rejected his opponent's allegations, won the election with 38.2 percent of the vote compared to 31.6 percent for Lopez Obrador, who lost by 3.3 million ballots.
Lopez Obrador claimed that the PRI bought five million votes, including by distributing gift cards for a retail store. His coalition also charged that children were sent to polling stations to check how people voted.
"There is no proof of vote buying, there is no proof of coercion," said Judge Flavio Galvan Rivera.
Pena Nieto will succeed President Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN), whose six-year term has been overshadowed by a drug war that has left more than 50,000 people dead. Calderon could not run due to term limits.
This time, the 26-year-old walking nightmare is being accused of trashing a vintage 38-foot trailer once belonging to the legendary Elizabeth Taylor herself.
Wait ... what?
According to CNN, Taylor fan Angel Alger bought the lavish 38-foot travel trailer, where Taylor's romance with Richard Burton began, for $50,000 in June.
However, due to previous contracts, Alger was obligated to allow the use of Taylor's trailer for the Lifetime film Liz & Dick, starring Lohan, for two days.
When the trailer was given back to Alger, there was an estimated damage of over $100,000 from cigarette burns, broken mirrors and missing furniture.
Yup, sounds about right.
"I was specifically told that it would come back in pristine condition and in even better condition than it was at that time," she said of the vandalism.
Alger adds, "Only a psychotic and rebellious person or people would steal irreplaceable museum belongings and leave it in this vandalized condition."
Yup, sounds about right too.
Lindsay's rep Steve Honig slams the idea that his client, a huge fan of Taylor, would do such a thing, saying, "You should ask the producers about it."
It does seem hard to believe LiLo would do that, or stiff a hotel out of $46,000, or steal $100,000 in valuables from a guy's house, or rob a jewelry store, or crash into an 18-wheeler and lie about it, or pass out so hard people call 911, or ...
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits was unchanged last week at a seasonally adjusted 374,000, suggesting slow improvement in the job market.
The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, increased to 370,250.
Applications for unemployment benefits reflect the pace of layoffs. They have risen slightly over the past three weeks, though they remain lower than in spring, when hiring nearly stalled. Last week's number was revised upward to 374,000 from the 372,000 that was reported initially.
Still, when applications fall consistently below 375,000, it generally indicates that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.
The latest applications data suggest that the government's employment report for August, to be released next week, will show job gains near the recent monthly average of 100,000, said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist with Capital Economics. That isn't enough to drive down unemployment significantly.
"Given some of the indicators seen so far, the August payroll report is not going to look terribly inspirational," said Jennifer Lee, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets, in a note to clients.
Employers added 163,000 jobs in July. The hiring gains were an improvement from the previous three months, when the economy created an average of only 73,000 a month. But they weren't enough to lower the unemployment rate, which rose to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in June.
When the government releases the August jobs report on Sept. 7, analysts expect it to say the economy added 118,000 jobs in August and that the unemployment rate held at 8.3 percent, according to FactSet.
Economists say stronger growth is needed to create more jobs and lower unemployment.
The economy grew at a tepid 1.7 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, the government said Wednesday. That's much slower growth than the 2 percent rate in the January-March quarter and 4.1 percent rate in the final three months of 2011.
Economists expect the economy will keep growing modestly in the second half of the year but at a subpar rate of roughly 2 percent. Growth at or below 2 percent is not enough to lower the unemployment rate. Most economists expect the unemployment rate to stay above 8 percent for the rest of this year.
A weak economy and high unemployment could hurt President Barack Obama re-election chances and bolster Mitt Romney's campaign. Republicans in Tampa, Fla., this week to nominate Romney have pointed to the dismal growth in making the case to elect their candidate.
The Labor Department's report Thursday said the number of people receiving benefits continues to decline. The total fell to 5.5 million in the week ended Aug. 11, the latest period for which figures are available. That's down about 62,000 from the previous week.
Some of the decline likely results from people finding jobs. Many also are exhausting their benefits because of the still-struggling economy and job market.
Refinancing a mortgage to a lower interest rate can make sense for some homeowners. So too can taking out a home equity loan against the value you have built up, perhaps to finance a kitchen remodel or pay for college tuition. What does not make sense is losing your home because you fall for home equity loan and refinancing scams such as loan flipping and equity stripping. Although scam artists can be very convincing, homeowners who know what to look out for are less likely to become victims.
Loan flipping
Loan flipping is a scam targeted at homeowners looking to get money back when they refinance a mortgage. This is often referred to as a ?cash-out refi?. Scammers take advantage of this desire to tap the equity in a home to pay for things the homeowner could not otherwise afford.
A cash-out refi in itself is not a scam. For some, it is a smart way to borrow. What is a scam is when a lender, after receiving a few payments, comes back to you with an offer of another refinance, this time to fund a vacation or a new car. The easy money is difficult for some homeowners to turn down.
Many borrowers do not realize how much they are paying in fees to refinance. The U.S. Federal Reserve estimates the settlement costs on a typical refinance to be 3% to 6% of the loan amount. Loan flippers often charge much more, and they may quietly roll the settlement costs into the loan to disguise the total charges. Take a day or two to get quotes from several lenders and compare terms.
Loan flipping ultimately leaves you with more debt and more years that you will owe on that debt. When the equity finally dries up, you might not be able to afford your higher monthly payments and another refinancing will be impossible. You could be forced to sell your home.
Equity stripping
Equity stripping can occur in several ways, but at its heart is a scam artist who gains ownership of your home, borrows against it or sells it, pockets the proceeds, and disappears. You are often left with a hefty mortgage balance and no place to live.
A telling sign of equity stripping is a lender that offers more loan than you can afford or that encourages you to pad your income on a loan application. Homeowners with low incomes but a good amount of equity built up are prime targets because they otherwise would have a hard time borrowing. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, a lender that is pushing a home loan with too-high monthly payments is likely counting on foreclosing on the property when you fall behind.
A variation on equity stripping has a scam artist talking you into selling your home at a discount or signing over the deed, perhaps with a promise of securing better loan terms if your name is not on it. The scammer promises to let you stay in the home as a renter until the refinancing is finalized, then you can buy back the home. In reality, the scam artist drains equity by borrowing against the house or selling the house, perhaps after evicting you.
According to Consumers Union, do not agree to a home equity loan if you cannot afford it. A good rule of thumb: Your combined home loan payments shouldn?t exceed 28% of your gross income. The nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine also warns against signing any documents unless you understand them and turning over your property to anyone without first consulting a trusted adviser.
Phantom help
Watch out for unsolicited offers to refinance from companies claiming government affiliations. In particular, do not be fooled by the use of official-sounding acronyms like ?TARP? or official-looking website addresses. Scammers use these to gain your trust. Once they do, they will likely try to charge you for access to government assistance. Worse, they might extract enough personal information to commit identity theft.
You never need to pay to find out about legitimate government programs. A housing counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can point you in the right direction. For federal refinancing and loan modification help, check out the Making Home Affordable program.
New disclosure rules make spotting scams easier
Many unscrupulous lenders have relied on confusing paperwork to dupe borrowers into paying excessive upfront fees on loans. Others would pull last-minute rate switches at closing. Still others would disguise prepayment penalties, which can prove costly if you ever try to refinance again or retire a loan early.
Balloon payments, which come due at the end of a loan term, can also catch borrowers off-guard. A lender may offer a low monthly payment on an equity loan, but only because the payment is interest-only. The principal is due in one lump sum. Surprised homeowners must scramble to refinance again, tap other assets, or sell.
Disclosure rules that went into effect Jan. 1, 2010, make spotting these types of deceptions easier. All lenders are required to use redesigned Good Faith Estimate and HUD-1 Settlement Statement forms that clearly disclose key loan terms?including interest rates, prepayment penalties, and balloon payments?and closing costs.
The GFE is an estimate of loan terms and closing costs, while the HUD-1 is a final accounting of terms and costs. The redesigned forms, cross-referenced by line number, must be used for mortgage refinancing and home equity loans (with the exception of home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs). The only fee a lender is allowed to collect to issue a GFE is a charge for a credit report, which averages $37.
If you do not receive the new forms, do not do business with the lender. If the estimates on the GFE do not match the final figures on the HUD-1, ask why. Some, but not all, fees are allowed to increase within a fixed range.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Whether it turns out to be a tearful farewell or simply another fun-filled evening of tennis, Friday night figures to be electric in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Pretty much like any night Andy Roddick is playing at the U.S. Open.
The man who has defined American tennis, for better and worse, over the last decade or so, announced on Thursday, his 30th birthday, that this year's U.S. Open will be his last tournament.
He's calling it quits at the scene of his biggest triumph, the 2003 U.S. Open, and at the place where his name was virtually always on the marquee, even as his days as the world's top-ranked player faded further into the rearview mirror.
Wearing a black T-shirt with a black cap pulled low over his eyes, Roddick came into his hastily called news conference, held shortly before a night session that featured No. 1 Roger Federer's straight-set victory and Venus Williams' three-set loss to No. 6 Angelique Kerber.
"I'll make this short and sweet," Roddick said. "I've decided that this is going to be my last tournament."
But there will be some time to linger, to reflect on a career that produced only the one major title but always kept people filing through the turnstiles at Flushing Meadows. They came because they knew they'd get their money's worth from a gritty, no-nonsense guy who helped the U.S. to the 2007 Davis Cup title and remains the last American man to hoist a trophy at a Grand Slam.
"Do we love to have a guy like that out there? Sure," said Gordon Smith, the CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association. "Was it great that he's an American? Sure. But the greatest part was that he battled. He was a warrior. And he loved to play for his country. We could use another dozen Andy Roddicks."
Certainly, Smith isn't the only one who feels that way, and Roddick said he was announcing his retirement a little early because he wanted a proper chance to say goodbye ? not only to the hundreds of players he battled but the dozens he mentored, as well.
"He's been my biggest role model the last 10 years playing tennis, watching tennis," said American Sam Querrey, one of the many young players who has spent years trying to replace Roddick at the top of the country's tennis ladder.
"It doesn't get to be 'Besides Andy Roddick, who is there?'" said 20-year-old Ryan Harrison, who sometimes trains with Roddick near their home in Austin, Texas. "It's now, like, 'What's coming?' and I'm ready."
But before that, Roddick's second-round opponent will be 19-year-old Bernard Tomic and, yes, there's at least a decent chance the 43rd-ranked Australian could beat him.
The prospect of Roddick falling so early in the fortnight in front of the home fans used to be unthinkable. Not the case anymore ? he's lost in the second round in 2010 and the third in 2009 ? and as the summer of 2012 wore on, he could see the future, not as a top-20 player anymore but as someone struggling to make it into the second week of events like this one.
No way to play, in Roddick's estimation.
"Probably the first time in my career that I can sit here and say I'm not sure that I can put everything into it physically and emotionally," he said. "I don't know that I want to disrespect the game by coasting home. I had plans to play a smaller schedule next year. But the more I thought about it, I think you've either got to be all in or not."
And while his fans and critics may have questioned his tactics and some of his brutish antics over his colorful career, nobody ever doubted that Roddick was always in it, 100 percent.
He had one of the biggest serves on tour and was still clocking in as high as 141 mph in a first-round win over 21-year-old American Rhyne Williams earlier this week. And he could be stubborn, willing to stay out there for hours and pound away from the baseline, even as the players got stronger, faster, more consistent and the results started going against him.
Some say his only real mistake was coming along at the wrong time, sandwiched in between the last golden era of American tennis ? Agassi and Pete Sampras ? and the current golden era of worldwide tennis, featuring Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
After his 2003 win at Flushing, Roddick ran into Federer the final four times he made a Grand Slam final and lost all four. The most memorable of the meetings was the 16-14 fifth set at Wimbledon in 2009 ? the last time Roddick played for a major title.
"But let's forget about that," Federer said of the loss. "He was in those Wimbledon finals. He could have gotten that title. That's what I said when I beat him in '09. He deserves this title, as well. In my mind, he is a Wimbledon champion as well, a wonderful ambassador for the game."
Besides settling down with his supermodel wife, Brooklyn Decker, Roddick says he wants to get more involved in a youth tennis center he's started in Austin, Texas. He's got other projects, too, "that excite me a lot right now."
For now, he lives in the present, knowing every match this week (and next?) could be his last at a tennis park that has long felt like his second home.
Back in 1991, Roddick was at Flushing Meadows ? a 9-year-old kid who only had a grounds pass, but somehow made it into the stadium whenever Jimmy Connors was playing, pumping up the volume during a memorable run to the semifinals at age 39.
Is Roddick ready to let it all hang out one last time and create some magic of his own?
[prMac.com] New York, New York - Polymash Inc. has designed a free tool for individuals or small businesses who want to publish apps, but don't know where to start. The tool is especially helpful for people with good content, for example: published authors or aspiring authors; consultants or trainers with their own unique subject matter or methodology; photographers and videographers; professional practitioners in health and fitness, wellness, education, human sciences to name just a few.
The Mobile Readiness tool covers six dimensions of readiness that, once completed, produce clarity for the individual about their current state of mobile readiness. The report it generates provides invaluable tips to help kick-start a mobile strategy. The tool's intention is to provide a very real look at what it takes. The tool helps the individual (or business) to:
* Translate great ideas and visions into a real actions * Identify existing strengths as a starting point * Think strategically about the six dimensions covered in the tool and the alignment between each * Appreciate what it takes to offer engaging end user experiences wherever users are * Clarify their market, the resources needed and marketing effort required * Inform themselves about current mobile trends globally * Learn about the different app market places and devices
Polymash draws on data sets from its own experience and a cross-section of mobile media and technology research organizations, resulting in a white paper with the most up-to-date facts and mobile trends in 2012.
After two years of building relationships and educating content owners, and with nine successful apps and a #2 ranked app in the Business category on iTunes, the Polymash team has been able to distill the key drivers of successful app creation to six major dimensions.
Their self assessment tool realistically shows what it takes to make a successful app in a still relatively new, yet rapidly growing market place. The self-assessment is not for the faint-hearted. Yet, with good content, a strong desire and a blend of realism and strategic effort, Polymash states that with their guided approach, the chances of producing successful apps for content owners and their users is very high.
Polymash Inc. is a US-based boutique creative agency whose mission is to transform knowledge and content into exceptional experiences on web and emerging mobile platforms, offering a full range of mobile, app creation and mobile marketing services with a strength in integrating the artistic, human and technological dimensions to all projects. Copyright (C) 2012 Polymash Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Tags: graphic design, internet applications, php development, php programming, search engine optimization, seo, web applications, web design, web development, web hosting, web programming
If you have a positive attitude, you will find it much easier to manifest your desires, as you will be naturally giving out positive emotional thought vibrations which will attract positive things to you. Even if you are not consciously trying to manifest something, your positive attitude will naturally attract more things to be positive about and you will be one of those people who seem to attract endless good fortune.
Try to remain positive at all times. This doesn?t mean you can never feel down or can never again have a good old moan, but you have to make your natural state as positive and as upbeat as possible. Get out of the habit of complaining about certain situations in your life. Stop any negative self talk, such as Oh I?ll never be able to do that?. Expect that good things will happen to you and that every outcome will be positive.
If something unwanted happens, try to see a positive side to it if you can. For example, if you moan that every time you have a little extra money, your car needs repairs or you receive an unexpected bill, try turning it around and start being thankful that you have the extra money to allow you to pay for these unexpected expenses.
I heard about someone whose car required so many repairs it was not economically worth repairing. He couldn?t afford to replace it, so decided he would have to go without a car until he had saved the money for a new one. He started cycling to work, and after a few months realized that he had lost two stones in weight and was enjoying cycling so much he decided to take it up competitively. So from not being able to afford a new car, he became fit and healthy and found a new hobby!
Always get into the habit of looking for the positive side to your problems.
Unfortunately our natural state is to feel either negative or at best in a state of what I call flat- neither unhappy but not particularly great either. It is very difficult to attract positive things into your life by feeling flat, as you are shutting yourself off from vibrating at a higher level; these vibrations flow best when you are feeling happy, positive and good about yourself.
Do more of the things that bring you joy, for whenever you feel joy, happiness and love you are connected most strongly to your higher self. Chat to your partner, laugh with your children, stroke or play with your pet. Meet up with a friend for coffee and have a laugh. Listen to your favorite music, or music that calms, relaxes or inspires you, or watch a television show that motivates you or makes you laugh.
Place pictures of your family, your pets or of you enjoying a favorite hobby around your home and place of work. Looking at them should help you to feel instantly more positive and full of love.
Exercise can be a great mood lifter. Even a gentle walk can raise your spirits and boost your energy levels.
Nobody can feel happy all of the time, although feeling upbeat becomes easier the more you practice it, but start by finding things to feel great about in your life; laugh more, moan less, hang around with positive, upbeat people and try to avoid negative folk. Expect that things will turn out well and that if you experience a problem you will find a solution. Expect good things to come your way!
Not only will you start to attract many more good things than bad into your life, but you will be much more open to receiving your intentions.
Chemicals today, drugs tomorrow: U-M's new Center for Drug DiscoveryPublic release date: 29-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laura J. Williams lauralw@umich.edu 734-615-4862 University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich.-- A new center at the University of Michigan will accelerate the progression to the marketplace of drugs under development at laboratories across campus.
Called the Center for the Discovery of New Medicines (CDNM), it will coordinate and support work in a range of departments and schools to streamline drug discovery and development, support the translation of early research toward patient usea gray area where funding is scarceand fully leverage the technical capabilities and intellectual resources at U-M in service of discovering the therapies of tomorrow.
"The CDNM will be a central hub for a dynamic community of researchers working on cures for devastating diseases," said Phil Hanlon, U-M povost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "Making collaborations possible and offering expert guidance throughout the process will catalyze activity in this area."
Funding for early stage drug discoveryidentifying pathways involved in disease and finding ways to interact with those pathwayshas declined in the pharmaceutical industry. The National Institutes of Health has recently increased funding for translational research, but the investment is insufficient and many projects frequently languish without the financial support to conduct the next stage of development.
The CDNM is a virtual organization founded by multiple schools and departments at U-M that are involved in biomedical research. Through rapid-access seed grants and twice-yearly pilot grant competitions, the CDNM will fund crucial steps in the drug discovery process while linking facilities that are currently unconnected.
"There is a lot of exciting work happening in drug discovery at U-M, but it's fragmented," said Rick Neubig, professor of pharmacology and director of the CDNM. "By marrying the power of chemical diversity with the broad reach and expertise of Michigan biologists, we expect a big impact."
Disease areas in which U-M is making the most immediate progress are cancer, inflammation, orphan and metabolic diseases and neurodegeneration, Neubig said.
The participating organizations at U-M pooled about $500,000 a year for the next three years to distribute as grants. Neubig expects the CDNM will fund 10 to 15 projects a year. Tenure-track and research-track faculty members at U-M will be able to apply. Applications for the first round of grants are due Oct. 1.
"The NIH is increasingly awarding its research funding to translational areas like innovative pharmacology and drug discovery," said Dr. James O. Woolliscroft, dean of the U-M Medical School. "The center will help position us to compete for this funding."
The CDNM will also be a hub to connect U-M researchers with commercial partners and foundations, Neubig said, adding that he expected the CDNM to help stimulate the region's economy.
"The CDNM can really maximize the potential for academic drug discovery at U-M and accelerate the discovery of new therapeutics," said David Sherman, the Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and associate dean for research and graduate education in U-M's College of Pharmacy and a Life Sciences Institute faculty member. "We hope this work will lead to increased business development around drug discovery, which has the potential ripple throughout the industry and the region."
The CDNM is distinguished from academic drug discovery efforts at other institutions by the breadth and depth of U-M's biomedical research, its capabilities in areas like medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics that are traditionally associated with the pharmaceutical industry, unique natural product extract libraries and a data-sharing system that increases efficiency and supports collaboration.
"Universities play a critical and growing role in early-stage drug discovery," said Dr. Jeff Leiden, chairman, CEO and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. "The work of academic researchers who are identifying and testing promising new targets and compounds is an important step in developing new breakthrough drugs for serious diseases. Collaborations between academic groups and biotech companies are increasingly important in discovering the next generation of transformational medicines."
U-M has the technological infrastructure critical to early stage drug development, but because the scientists working in this area are spread throughout the university, collaboration is sometimes difficult.
"We've seen firsthand the progress than can be made when scientists are able to work together spontaneously and smoothly," said Alan Saltiel, the Mary Sue Coleman Director of the Life Sciences Institute. "The CDNM will make it possible for scientists with promising discoveries to work together in new and highly productive ways to further develop potential treatments."
###
Funding for the CDNM has been provided by the College of Pharmacy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Pathology, Endowment for the Basic Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, Medical School Office of Research and the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research. For more information, visit cdnm.lsi.umich.edu.
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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.
Chemicals today, drugs tomorrow: U-M's new Center for Drug DiscoveryPublic release date: 29-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laura J. Williams lauralw@umich.edu 734-615-4862 University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich.-- A new center at the University of Michigan will accelerate the progression to the marketplace of drugs under development at laboratories across campus.
Called the Center for the Discovery of New Medicines (CDNM), it will coordinate and support work in a range of departments and schools to streamline drug discovery and development, support the translation of early research toward patient usea gray area where funding is scarceand fully leverage the technical capabilities and intellectual resources at U-M in service of discovering the therapies of tomorrow.
"The CDNM will be a central hub for a dynamic community of researchers working on cures for devastating diseases," said Phil Hanlon, U-M povost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "Making collaborations possible and offering expert guidance throughout the process will catalyze activity in this area."
Funding for early stage drug discoveryidentifying pathways involved in disease and finding ways to interact with those pathwayshas declined in the pharmaceutical industry. The National Institutes of Health has recently increased funding for translational research, but the investment is insufficient and many projects frequently languish without the financial support to conduct the next stage of development.
The CDNM is a virtual organization founded by multiple schools and departments at U-M that are involved in biomedical research. Through rapid-access seed grants and twice-yearly pilot grant competitions, the CDNM will fund crucial steps in the drug discovery process while linking facilities that are currently unconnected.
"There is a lot of exciting work happening in drug discovery at U-M, but it's fragmented," said Rick Neubig, professor of pharmacology and director of the CDNM. "By marrying the power of chemical diversity with the broad reach and expertise of Michigan biologists, we expect a big impact."
Disease areas in which U-M is making the most immediate progress are cancer, inflammation, orphan and metabolic diseases and neurodegeneration, Neubig said.
The participating organizations at U-M pooled about $500,000 a year for the next three years to distribute as grants. Neubig expects the CDNM will fund 10 to 15 projects a year. Tenure-track and research-track faculty members at U-M will be able to apply. Applications for the first round of grants are due Oct. 1.
"The NIH is increasingly awarding its research funding to translational areas like innovative pharmacology and drug discovery," said Dr. James O. Woolliscroft, dean of the U-M Medical School. "The center will help position us to compete for this funding."
The CDNM will also be a hub to connect U-M researchers with commercial partners and foundations, Neubig said, adding that he expected the CDNM to help stimulate the region's economy.
"The CDNM can really maximize the potential for academic drug discovery at U-M and accelerate the discovery of new therapeutics," said David Sherman, the Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and associate dean for research and graduate education in U-M's College of Pharmacy and a Life Sciences Institute faculty member. "We hope this work will lead to increased business development around drug discovery, which has the potential ripple throughout the industry and the region."
The CDNM is distinguished from academic drug discovery efforts at other institutions by the breadth and depth of U-M's biomedical research, its capabilities in areas like medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics that are traditionally associated with the pharmaceutical industry, unique natural product extract libraries and a data-sharing system that increases efficiency and supports collaboration.
"Universities play a critical and growing role in early-stage drug discovery," said Dr. Jeff Leiden, chairman, CEO and president of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. "The work of academic researchers who are identifying and testing promising new targets and compounds is an important step in developing new breakthrough drugs for serious diseases. Collaborations between academic groups and biotech companies are increasingly important in discovering the next generation of transformational medicines."
U-M has the technological infrastructure critical to early stage drug development, but because the scientists working in this area are spread throughout the university, collaboration is sometimes difficult.
"We've seen firsthand the progress than can be made when scientists are able to work together spontaneously and smoothly," said Alan Saltiel, the Mary Sue Coleman Director of the Life Sciences Institute. "The CDNM will make it possible for scientists with promising discoveries to work together in new and highly productive ways to further develop potential treatments."
###
Funding for the CDNM has been provided by the College of Pharmacy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Pathology, Endowment for the Basic Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, Medical School Office of Research and the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research. For more information, visit cdnm.lsi.umich.edu.
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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.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) ? Maine environmentalists celebrated the adoption of new federal regulations that will nearly double the average gas mileage of new cars and trucks by 2025, calling them a major step toward reducing global warming while saving consumers hundreds of millions of dollars in reduced fuel costs.
"Future generations may well look back on today as a decisive step toward breaking our destructive oil addiction," said Emily Figdor, director of Environment Maine.
The regulations finalized Tuesday by the Obama administration require the fleet of new cars and trucks to average 54.5 miles per gallon in 13 years, up from 28.6 mpg at the end of last year. President Barack Obama said in a statement that the new fuel standards "represent the single most important step" his administration has taken to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, a claim echoed by environmental groups in Maine.
Lisa Pohlmann, executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said the regulations will not only lesson America's oil thirst, but also cut gasoline costs in half, lower emissions of global warming pollution and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.
"These standards show that companies, workers, government, consumer and conservation interests can work together and find solutions to the biggest problems that face us today," Pohlmann said.
Adam Lee, president of the Lee Auto Malls chain of car dealerships, said the appearance of more fuel-efficient vehicles will save Maine drivers 195 million gallons of gasoline and $610 million a year when the standards take full effect.
Lee, also board chairman of the statewide energy-conservation effort Efficiency Maine, added that the new standards will spur innovation and put people to work. He cited a study by the BlueGreen Alliance, a mix of unions and environmental organizations, that estimates 570,000 jobs could be created by the fuel efficiency standards as they spark auto industry investments and consumer savings.
Environment Maine's Figdor said Maine played a role in prompting the new standards. Long before Obama took office, California, Maine and 12 other states were developing and implementing their own state-level clean car standards, she noted.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Every day is one of the longest you'll want an open currency trade, and many trades are for a few hours, or even a few minutes. The reason being currency traders typically use massive amounts of financial leverage in their ...
A leading teaching hospital located in the US capital, Washington D.C., has announced that it is to replace its old internal network of business phone systems with a single state of the art internet protocol (IP) telephony network. Included as part of this will be the widespread deployment of business VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone handsets for the organisation?s 1,700 staff.
The hospital ? the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, which specialises in providing medical treatment to former US military personnel ? says it has made the decision to implement the new business VoIP system as part of a much needed overhaul of its entire communications network.
The hospital says it also intends to integrate its new IP telephony system with tablet usage amongst medical and administrative staff to further extend the mobility integral in the new business VoIP system.
Among the benefits accruing from its new IP telephony solution, says the hospital, is that voice calls, telephone conferencing and instant messaging will all now become more easily accessible, regardless of where any of the organisation?s employees are located.
It is anticipated that the hospital?s proposed IP telephony system will be ready for use by the end of the year.
The adoption of a new IP telephony and business VoIP system by the Veterans Affairs medical Center is representative of a worldwide trend among many organisations that have found that switching to IP telephony not only overcomes the inefficiencies inherent in their ageing business phone systems, but also grants them access to vastly enhanced communications processes. In many cases, it can even lead to reduced annual phone costs.
The shift to IP telephony and business VoIP is also evident among smaller companies and organisations that, although not necessarily able to afford to invest in new capital equipment, can still access IP telephony via the services of a business VoIP provider or VoIP reseller.
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Employers are expecting you to be able to write and speak effectively.? This is nothing new.? Communication skills have always been critical.? Being able to write and speak well sets you apart from other candidates.? When your boss delegates a writing assignment to you, even as simple as a letter to a client, your boss trusts that you can effectively convey information in that letter.? If someone has to rewrite your work to fix your grammar and spelling errors, it wastes time.
Sue Shellenbarger wrote in her Wall Street Journal article This Embarrasses You and I*, Grammar Gaffes Invade the Office in an Age of Informal Email, Texting and Twitter, ?Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors, many managers say.
Bryan A. Garner, one of the leading legal writing experts, is mentioned in the article for his own hiring practices.? Garner requires his employees to pass a spelling and grammar test before being hired.? Paralegal students will recognize Bryan A. Garner as the author of the textbook Legal Writing in Plain English (Chicago University Press, 2001) that is used LA425 Legal Writing II.? His books are great resources for any professional to keep handy.
The good news is that you can learn writing and speaking skills.? Even good writers and speakers can enhance their skills to be an asset in the workplace.? Resources are available to help when you have questions about grammar or spelling.
If you want to improve your writing, follow these guidelines.
1.??????Always spellcheck.? This is least that you can do.? It is obvious when you do not use it.
2.??????Go beyond spellcheck.? Garner?s employees have two other employees read and edit emails and letters before they go out.
3.??????Make use of the resources all around you.? There are citation guides in your library or available online.? A simple Google search will bring up many grammar guides.? Even dictionaries are available online.? Do not sell your writing textbooks.? They are excellent resources to keep.
4.??????Have someone else proof read your writing for tone and grammar/spelling errors.
If you take the feedback you receive on your writing and fix your errors the next time you write, you can make your writing stronger.? If you listen to how others speak in a professional setting, you can learn the proper way to convey your message to a client or a boss.? As the saying goes, if you don?t use it, you lose it.? Practice every day to make your communication skills stronger.
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Health, nutrition and conditioning are the three interrelated areas that establish an individual?s sense of happiness and well being.
Wellbeing involves the physical, mind and spiritual quantity of an individual. A physically wholesome person is one who can carry out normal daily physical activities and react to emergencies with out undo-options fatigue or ache. The health part of health, nutrition and fitness will be achieved through a healthy program of good nutrition, balanced physical activity, continuous education and learning and mental activities, and social as well as spiritual activities. Your selections of the food you eat and your regular activities affect both your current short term and long term health (how you feel now and in the future). You could be getting plenty to nibble on, but if it is not an effective balance of alternatives from all five of the basic food groups you may well be adding fat in your body without producing the energy to burn the actual calories and energy for the cells to carry out their own functions. Healthy physical activity aids burn off any extra calories you consume, and keeps muscles and joints versatile and strong.
Zija
Your efforts involving continued education (reading, attending seminars, as well as attending formal training classes), and religious activities (social routines, attending devotional services, deep breathing, etc) provides you with a sense accomplishment and well being.
An important part of good health is being physically fit tweaking proper body weight. Maintaining a healthy body requires following a dietary diet, and training to build and maintain muscle tissue, and to burn associated with an excess calories.
Nutrition
The particular nutritional health portion of health, nutrition and health and fitness deals with the food we all consume to maintain our overall health and provide energy to carry on our daily lives. Nutrition is the procedure of nurturing or being nourished; the total of all the so-called processes that a place or animal uses to take in and procedure food substances to maintain a healthy life.
A proper nutrition life style requires a healthy diet of meals selected from the several basic food groups, fresh fruits, vegetables, naturally calcium supplements rich dairy products or perhaps calcium enriched products, whole grains, and necessary protein (lean meat fish, peas and beans). Other healthy factors should also be deemed. Most fruits and vegetables are better if they are consumed uncooked because heating ruins some of the healthy nutrients. Steaming and broiling meals is better than boiling as well as frying foods. Preparing fruits and vegetables is preferable to processed or geared up foods. The prepared food generally contain a lot more salt (sodium) when compared with necessary and other flavor enhancing substances. Some of these additives do not add any nutritional value for the food and may even always be harmful to your health.
Far more nutritional factors to consider include the variety of the vegatables and fruits in our diet. Nutritional information shows that dark green veggies (romaine lettuce, kale, broccoli, and so forth.), and orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin as well as summer squash) offers more nutritional value as compared to some of the less multi-colored vegetables.
Here are more nutrition facts. Some foods give rise to burning fat. Green tea contributes to fat burning by enhancing the body?s metabolism and growing energy level. Foods high in protein are more difficult to break down so they require a lot more calories in the digestive process.
Good nutrition procedures may not be sufficient for a lot of they may require unique supplements such as CoEnzimeQ10 kinds.
Physical Fitness
Physical fitness section of fitness, health and nutrition could be the ability to carry out day to day activities, enjoy leisure actions and have a healthy body?s defence mechanism to resist disease and infection. Developing and maintaining great physical fitness requires an equilibrium of good nutrition and varied physical exercise.
For more information about Zija please visit the website.
Will.I.Am, with Black Eyed Peas, sings at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Tuesday Aug. 28, 2012, in Pasadena, Calif. The NASA rover Curiosity beamed to Earth his new song "Reach for the Stars" on Tuesday in the first music broadcast from another planet, to the delight of students who gathered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to listen. Earlier, engineers uploaded the song to the rover, which landed near the equator of Mars, and played it back _ a journey of some 700 million miles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Will.I.Am, with Black Eyed Peas, sings at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Tuesday Aug. 28, 2012, in Pasadena, Calif. The NASA rover Curiosity beamed to Earth his new song "Reach for the Stars" on Tuesday in the first music broadcast from another planet, to the delight of students who gathered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to listen. Earlier, engineers uploaded the song to the rover, which landed near the equator of Mars, and played it back _ a journey of some 700 million miles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Mars rover Curiosity is hitting the road.
It headed east Tuesday, driving 52 feet toward a spot where it will use its robotic arm for the first time to drill into bedrock. It'll take weeks for the six-wheel NASA rover to reach the site called Glenelg about a quarter mile away.
"It's nice to see some Martian soil on our wheels," mission manager Arthur Amador said in a statement Wednesday.
The drive was the third and longest one yet since the car-size rover touched down in an ancient crater Aug. 5 to study whether the Martian environment could have been favorable for life. The early drives have been deliberately short, allowing Curiosity to identify any hazards on the road and so that engineers can gain practice driving on the Martian terrain.
Scientists have said they eventually expect the rover to travel about the length of a football field a day.
Curiosity spent Wednesday at its new locale, snapping pictures of a distant mountain that is its ultimate destination. Intriguing layers of rocks have been spotted at the base and most of its two-year mission will be spent examining the lower slopes.
Since landing, Curiosity has been busy checking out its instruments and it's not done yet. Next week, it will make a longer stop along the way to Glenelg to continue its health checkups.
What happens to honest businesses when unscrupulous competitive businesses fail to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees? In the difficult economy, some of the honest players have suffered losses while scofflaws thrive. North Carolina's NewsObserver features an investigative series on Ghost Workers, which takes an in-depth look at the many ramifications of workers' comp avoidance schemes and the ways that this type of fraud hurts other businesses, the state's coffers, and any workers who are injured on the job.
State legislators and candidates in the upcoming state elections are competing to raise the outrage meter in the wake of the NewsObserver's revelations that as many as 30,000 employers are failing to carry workers' compensation insurance. Many of these employers are misclassifying workers as independent contractors, so they are also thumbing their noses at other statutory obligations such as taxes, Social Security, unemployment tax, and overtime pay.
Unsurprisingly to those who have followed the misclassification trail in other states, the construction industry offers a fertile climate for fraud to thrive. The NewsObserver explains how a unique bureaucratic loophole in the state can be worked to game the system:
"A business owner, often in the construction industry, tells his insurance agent that he has no employees. He excludes himself from the policy, which is his right as a sole proprietor. He buys a policy to cover a "ghost," an unknown employee who might unexpectedly join him to work during the year.
These policies can make a business look like it has more insurance coverage for its workers than it has."
Tax dodging employers can hide under layers of subcontractors, as well as by hiring illegal immigrants. And state agencies that operate in silos are not coordinating to thwart this practice.
Not all the employers are small operations - the expose talks about a firm named Martin's Bricklaying, which supplied 76,000 hours of labor to help build the $125 million Wake County Detention Center, earning $1,066,538 for this work.
"The company's owner, Sabas Martin Galeana, has run afoul of state and federal tax obligations in years past, court records show; he settled the last of three liens in 2009. A review of several employees' recent pay stubs shows that Martin has failed to withhold state and federal taxes as recently as July. The workers say he didn't provide his workers the tax forms they needed to settle their own obligations."
The practice of employee misclassification isn't unique and it's hardly surprising. But what is surprising is that North Carolina is so slow off the mark when other states and the federal government have been taking aggressive steps to curb misclassification and to penalize scofflaws. We've been covering stories of states getting tough on misclassification and workers comp avoidance since 2004. We wonder how the heads of various agencies in North Carolina never noticed. The state has faced serious budget cuts to valued services in recent years, all the while bleeding much needed tax revenue to lawbreakers. Kudos to the NewsObserver for their series.
North Carolina legislators will be working to plug this hole - particularly since it's an election year. They may also want to sign on to federal efforts such as the Deparment of Labor's Misclassification Initiative. Thirteen states have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, and in some cases, with its Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), and the Office of the Solicitor. The DOL says that these MOUs, "will enable the Department to share information and to coordinate enforcement efforts with participating states in order to level the playing field for law-abiding employers and to ensure that employees receive the protections to which they are entitled under federal and state law. Employers that misclassify their employees may not be paying the proper overtime compensation, FICA and Unemployment Insurances taxes, or workers' compensation premiums."
Ife Ekpenuma, CEO of Audacrease Entertainment Group, recently shared his Twitter dos and don?ts for indie artists and labels. They strike a nice balance of connecting with people via Twitter without overwhelming them with irrelevant tweets and content.Whether or not you agree with each one, I think you?ll find Ekpenuma presents a consistent, well thought out perspective on taking care of business in the land of 140 characters.
Ashley Neal recently invited Ife Ekpenuma to present his ?13 Do?s and Don?ts of Twitter for Indie Artists and Labels? because he ?truly has a natural knack and ability for connecting people via his social networks.?
As CEO of Audacrease Entertainment Group, a small emerging label based in Columbia, SC, Ekpenuma (aka @ThatGoToGuy) has a solid take on social networking via Twitter. ICheck out his do?s and dont?s below.
1. DO come up with a twitter handle that incorporates your company and/or artist name succinctly. Make sure that it is not too over the top, too long, or of an explicit nature. Your twitter handle should be able to catch someone?s attention, draw positive attention to your brand, and be easy to remember. (My twitter handle is @ThatGoToGuy, memorable, to the point, and effective).
DO NOT come up with a twitter handle that can possibly isolate or narrows your reach on twitter. Stay away from a twitter handle that includes expletives or has sexual connotations. (There are too many examples of this).
2. DO identify your WARM market. Your WARM market are your friends, colleagues, and people you know will have no problem receiving the information and material that if you tweet to them. READ people?s twitter bios before asking them what they do, especially when they have CLEARLY outlined what their profession is and who they work with or for. BE OBSERVANT. (I have stressed to my artists to have an ?online street team? who will RETWEET or TWEET out your music whether you are online or not).
DO NOT tweet ALL your followers or people you follow with the same generic tweet. Some people will consider this SPAMMING and may not be open to interacting with you again. Realize that everyone on twitter is not on twitter to hear music or view a music video.
3. DO DOUBLE your content. What is meant by DOUBLING? DOUBLING is simply posting what you tweet on Facebook. If there is an article of interest, music file, or music video tweet/retweet it and then also post it to Facebook. Some people decide to interwine their tweet with their facebook. It all depends on what you want to do. (I usually tweet or retweet music, a video, or an article of interest and then post it to my facebook profile or post material to my label?s facebook page).
DO NOT tweet/post on Facebook only your material ALL DAY. Your Facebook friends and Twitter Followers may get PROMO-fatigue, meaning that they will start to TUNE YOU OUT. Find more innovative ways to promote your material and spread the word out about what you have coming up. (Build relationships with bloggers and when they post a blog with your material, thank them, post it, and retweet it. Additionally, keep a record of blog features, this is especially useful for artists).
4. DO CONTROL the language of your promotion and label account. If you have a PROMO account use it as such. If you have a twitter account for your record label, be sure that tweets are as business-like as possible and also reflect the nature and spirit of the company. Having a Facebook page for your label is strongly suggested so you can keep up with the people who actually follow what your company is doing because everyone on Facebook is not on Twitter and vice versa.
DO NOT tweet or post intimate details about business ideas that you have or extremely personal matters. All too often people use Twitter as their ?stream of consciousness? and maybe in actuality hurting their brand(s) and warding off clientele. (If you feel the need to tweet personal matter, have a PERSONAL twitter that is not affiliated with your brand or business. Therefore, you can be yourself and separate personal and business).
5. DO Identify your niche and who you want to follow and get followed by and ultimately build relationships with. As a music label, it would make sense to follow and get followed by other music labels, A&Rs, producers, artists, bloggers, and anyone related to or working in your field. Artists would also want to follow and get followed by the same group of people and also their fans. BIGGEST THING- interact with your fans and have them wanting to be a part or actually BELIEVE your MOVEMENT. (It is okay to shout-out people who support and are part of your movement. There are opportunities to do so like #FF ? FollowFriday)
DO NOT?come off as unapproachable on Twitter. If someone tweets you, unless you are tied up or it is offensive, try within reason to tweet back. Twitter is a tool that can be used to get you connected to people that you may not be able to find or connect with via other social media outlets.
6. DO use hash tags (#) on Twitter (also referred to as trending topics). Use hash tags for events that you have or events that you are presently attending. Simple but catchy hash tags draw people in and are a good branding tool on twitter. A unique hash tag is also beneficial for measuring analytics of who is engaging in and following your tweets. (Examples of hash-tags that I use #MotivatedMonday, #TakeOverTuesday, #ThoroughThursday, #AEGWisdom, and more).
DO NOT just tweet a link to your music or video. CLEARLY title it and possibly use a hash tag and CAPITALIZE THE ACTION WORDS that you want people seeing your tweet to do.
7. DO FOLLOW UP with your followers. If a blogger is interested in your music or upcoming event, ask them for their email address so you can send them material and they can possibly post it on their blog or website. Turn your followers into fans and supporters of your MOVEMENT. (I have had my artists gain fans simply by tweeting their cover art and someone liking that and then checking out the music and becoming a fan).
DO NOT conduct all your business publicly via Twitter. It is okay to initialize business or attract business via Twitter. But when both parties want to engage in business, utilize DM (direct message) which is only seen by the parties involved. Share contact info (email, phone numbers, etc and handle business). Do not allow vast and wide world of Twitter to see ALL that you are doing. (There are people who twatch (twitter watch) what you do on twitter and will take what you tweet and will attempt do use your ideas. PROTECT your ideas on twitter as much as possible).
8. DO shout out (S/O) your team and thank people that support you who may not be directly tied into your company. A special thank you/appreciation tweet goes a LONG WAY.
DO NOT publicly BEEF or argue on Twitter. If you have an issue with someone who is on Twitter, BY ALL MEANS, talk to them offline and settle the issue. Twitter beef is not a good look for an artist and especially not a company. It is important that an artist or label do what?s best for their brand.
9. DO let your Facebook friends know that you are on Twitter. This is especially helpful when someone is FIRST getting on Twitter. You get your follower numbers up and it is people that know who you are.
DO NOT use Twitter as your only source of promotion and marketing, it is not enough. Go to networking events, performances, and any other events and let people know about YOU, YOUR MUSIC, YOUR BRAND, and what you have coming up. If Twitter disappears tomorrow? What will you do? (I have seen artists wear T-shirts at their performances with their twitter handle and that subconsciously has people remember the name and follow the artists).
10. DO use software that allows you to stay on top of your Twitter presence. Apps like TweetCaster allow you to tweet from multiple accounts via your smartphone. Buffer will tweet out a message based on the maximum activity of Twitter and your followers (this is important so that people SEE what your tweeting).
DO NOT let your Twitter get stagnant. Try to tweet a few times a day if possible or let it be known you will be off Twitter for awhile. You may lose some followers if you go for days without tweeting.
11. DO have fun on Twitter and tweet about who or what you like. If you see another artist?s material that you like, retweet it. It is not ALL ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME. If there is an AWESOME article that relates to what your company is doing or your industry RETWEET and share it.
DO NOT allow Twitter to take your time away from conducting business. Learn to balance your time tweeting with getting things done for yourself and your company.
12. DO have a promo/street team that will retweet your music or tweet music or information about your events, music, etc., when you are not on Twitter.(This is good but beyond that, artists need have a real team that will go to performances and show support, pass out material, and more).
DO NOT BUY FOLLOWERS! Think of it as steriods, you may pump your numbers up but A&Rs, music executives, and people who know what is going on will see right through that and that can PERMANENTLY damage your reputation and burn bridges you have yet to build.
13. DO be open to people?s opinion and ask if it is okay to tweet or email your material to them. Everyone is NOT going to like your music but you can learn even from those that have less than positive things to say about your work. (I have had people say they did not like the music that I sent their way to review, I simply thanked them and took note of their input and kept it moving).
DO NOT tweet people while they are in the middle of a conversation just because they are in the music business and they have a great deal of followers. Would you in real life just interrupt a group of people having a conversation to push your single or music project. Would that not be awkward? So why would you do it on twitter. You risk being reported as SPAM, BLOCKED, or make a lasting impression on someone who could possibly help your music career.
Whether you are in the music industry or not be sure to connect with @ThatGoToGuy on Twitter.
Ife Ekpenuma is a 2007 graduate from the University of South Carolina. He is the founder/CEO of Audacrease Entertainment Group, an indie music label based in the Carolinas. Audacrease is a combination of greek words roots that, put together means ?SOUND WITH GROWTH?. Therefore, Audacrease?s motto is SOUND, GROWTH, UNITY. You can find Audacrease on twitter @Audacrease, on Facebook, and Youtube. Ife just recently became a member of Catalyst Business Consultants as a social media consultant. To find out more about Catalyst Business Consultants follow on Twitter @CatalystBusiness, on Facebook, and visit the website www.catalystbusinessconsultants.com. Ife is also a rep for Stiletto Talk Magazine, a street team rep and writer for Hip-Hop Stardom 101 Magazine, and a rep and contributer to Mahogany Vogue Magzine. Ife believes strongly in making the most of the present and walking in your purpose.
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/twitter/13-dos-and-donts-of-twitter-for-indie-artists-and-labels-0251297#73SCuIL7OWPLhghy.99
An industrial road on the outskirts of Boston winds its way deep into a mess of run-down factories and broken brick buildings. It?s a part of town you have no business going to without specific purpose, or a GPS that has led you horribly astray. Nevertheless, on this sunny Saturday in the dead heat of summer, I found myself standing at a crossroads amongst these factory buildings, trying to find my way to beer.
Not all breweries are what your mind has made them out to be. You paint a picture of gleaming steel fermenters and glorious bottling lines, row upon row of wooden barrels and full kegs as far as the eye can see. Maybe even a parking lot to leave your car whilst visiting said brewery. But the reality of the situation is that many of the upstart craft shops that have trickled into the market over the past year or two have had to start with the bare bones. With limited funding, these graduated homebrew-turned-nanobrew operations have set out to build the commercial basics that will allow them to establish a place in the local market and take a shot at the dream. Night Shift Brewing is one of these operations.
I first came upon Night Shift at a tasting back in the spring, just shortly after the brewery?s launch in March 2012. Their line of beers was bold, intriguing. Unlike most craft breweries, Night Shift skipped over the usual suspects ? IPA, Pale Ale and the like ? for a trio of offbeat brews with ingredients you?d sooner see on a food menu than on a beer label. Bee Tea is a wheat ale brewed with sweet orange peel and orange blossom honey, and aged on tea leaves ? a surprisingly mellow and impressively restrained beer. Taza Stout is a mouth-watering flavor bomb brewed with chicory root and ginger and aged on cacao nibs from nearby Taza Chocolate. And their most popular release, Trifecta, is a Belgian-style pale ale fermented with three Trappist yeast strains and aged on vanilla beans.
Back at the industrial compound in Everett a metal door on a drab concrete building opens into a dark, shadowy hallway. Once a factory for World War II machinery, the building is now home to two small breweries (the other, Idle Hands) working side-by-side to pump out beer as quickly as they can. Night Shift?s facilities are indeed that of a fledgling start-up ? somewhat manual, somewhat all over the place. But they?ve got the essentials to produce the impressive beers they?ve been putting out, and the chops to back it up.
Michael Oxton, Robert Burns and Mike O?Mara are the threesome behind Night Shift. Friends, roommates, and brewers, these beer-savvy young entrepreneurs have crafted their passion through years of home brewing and experimentation into the late hours of night (hence, Night Shift). They have a penchant for offbeat ingredients like rose hips and habanero and for making beers that go well with food. They have a sour room that stays at a summery 85 degrees and plays host to wild yeast fermentation and barrel-aging beers. Their latter two releases, a Belgian-style quad ale fermented with brown sugar and Shiraz and a Berliner Weisse style sour ale brewed with lemongrass and ginger show that not only can these guys come up with creative concepts but they can execute as well.
When I was at the brewery, Night Shift was in the process of bottling their fourth batch of Somer Weisse (personally, my favorite release by Night Shift). The last batch was scooped up by the beer-consuming public at impressive speed and had been out of stock everywhere in the Boston area. Clearly a sign that Night Shift is doing something right. Viva Habanera, the newest entry to the lineup, is?currently available at retailers in the Boston area. It?s another?impeccably?balanced, flavorful beer with a touch of spicy heat to kick start the senses.
In the months to come, the craft beer industry will inevitably continue to grow and more home brewers will cast aside their day jobs in pursuit of the dream. If Night Shift tells a story of this new breed of nanobrewers, we, the beer drinking public, are truly in for a remarkable and exciting year ahead.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, attorney Joe Escalante answers legal questions for free on the?LegalZoom Facebook Page. Did you miss the last?Free Joe? Don?t worry. We?ve got it all right here.
Habib: question- I had a corporation 10 years ago. business failed and I walked away from it. what do I need to do to close it officially with the state?
Joe Escalante: Check the link below for Corporate Dissolution information. You want to limit your potential liability from business transactions while you were active. Since the corp is probably not adequately funded right now, that might cause a potential plaintiff to pierce the corporate veil and come after your personal assets.
LegalZoom: Here you go, Habib:?http://www.legalzoom.com/additional-business-services/articles-of-dissolution-corporation-llc.html?cm_mmc=social-_-fb-_-freejoe-_-na
Gilbert: lets start this up ill be the first one today GOOD MORNING LEGAL Zoom ok
PARENTS getting a divorce mom got in a police pursuit with child on board mom is getting charge with vc2800.2 ( a ) evade police disegard safety & pc273a (A) Child cruelty pos inj/dth & vc2800.1 ( A ) EVADING PEACE OFFICER mother bail out yesterday but child is still in the household father has emergency hearing today any good advice
thanks love good advice =) thanks Mr Escalante and legal zoom you guys do a good job
Joe Escalante: The judge is going to rule on what?s in the best interest of the child. It?s usually in the best interest to be with the biological parents, but not if they drive like that. So one parent has to appear to be better than sending the kid to f oster care which will cover the judge?s ass, in case something happens to the kid later that he could have prevented by placing the kid in foster care. That?s what he?s going to be thinking. The father needs to counter it with some appearance of stability.
Patricia: Do I need to allow easement to another property if I was not given an easement agreement when I purchased a home? Does there have to be a signed easement agreement?
Joe Escalante: Easements are easy when they are express easements, meaning they are recorded, or somehow evidenced by writing. But sometimes an implied easement is just as valid and you might have one here. Courts will rule them valid based on prior use a nd practicality. To prevent an easement from occurring, you would normally block the pathway on some kind of regular basis, declaring that it is not an easement, and you have control over it.
Patrica: How do I do that though. I am purchasing a home from my husbands father. There is a trailer court next door and the two back trailers use our driveway to get to them. We want to fence in our home but the driveway is a question. And the property is odd shaped also. Can we partially fence the drive to just allow them to get to the trailers? They use the part in front of our garage as a turn around.
Joe Escalante: This is one of the most complicated areas of the law. Without an experienced property rights attorney on your side, you?re going to have problems. Click below to find one in your area.
LegalZoom: Here?s the link, Patricia: http://attorneyconnect.legalzoom.com/?cm_mmc=social-_-fb-_-freejoe-_-na
Josh: what?s your general policy on credit card debt and collections? do you wait? or handle it immediately?
Joe Escalante: Wait if you need the money for your mom?s operation. Other than that, I can?t advise waiting.
Shawn: there is a home up for forclosure nad i have contacted the county treaser, city hall and development. there is a 90 day notice to purchase house by oct 4th .. what should i do to regain possesion of this .
Joe Escalante: Go to the county recorder and get information on when the Trust Deed Sale is going to be. Bring some cash.
Kelly: Getting Married. Don?t want my future husband to make medical desisions (I have been in a similar situtation) for me regarding life-support what should I have in-place besides a Will?
Joe Escalante: You can create a ?living will? that leaves it up to a medical professional, or you can create an ?advanced medical directive? that names a specific person, and only that person to make such decisions for you. Catholics and evangelicals are supposed to use AMDs, and not living wills because they give control to a trusted person and not what could end up being a ?mad scientist.?
Karen: I live in Ohio and land contracted a house purchase in a different county.The personI bought the house from didn?t keep his end of our contract and has also moved to another state and the house was sold for back taxes. Which county do I file my lawsuit in?
Joe Escalante: You can file it in the county where the land sits, or where he resides. You just need personal jurisdiction over him.
Glenn: they want me to put my dad in a nursing home can a Dr?s office or insurance company demand a copic of a will or power of attorney in this case
Joe Escalante: The answer would be different for each request. No one has to listen to you unless you have power of attorney, so they might need to see it, right? I can?t think of a reason why they could demand to see the will, without a court order.
Beatrice: Say a couple was buying a house thru a lawyer and the homeowner.the homeowner agreed to take $425 a month over 4 years totaling in $22,500 then after that would find new agreement.after the 4 years he decides to pull the house out from under the couple.the total he wanted for the house was $37,000.did he have an legality to take the house back from a couple whom was consistent with the monthly payments?
Joe Escalante: It all depends on the language in the contract. If they breach the language, they are liable for a breach of contract suit. You can sue for money damages, or what is called ?specific performance? of the original language in the contract.
Betty: What do you think about the companies who claim they can settle your debt with the IRS?
Joe Escalante: They are probably better at it than you. Although my tax lady kicks ass at it and she?s not a lawyer. It all depends on the math. Will the discount justify their fee? Something to do some math over. Good luck.
Kelly: Hi Joe..if a dr left clips in me after surgery and though he removed 1 many years later and now even more years later I find out there are 2 more which are causing some pain and discomfort to which current family dr doesn?t want deal with it and of course having no insurance doesn?t help?I finally made a appt to see original surgeon and request his help does he have any obligation to help me since he the one who left the clips there. Do I have a rights to have this corrected by him?
Joe Escalante: You need to consult with a medical malpractice attorney. They might get you some money to go to a real doctor, and maybe a trip around the world as well. Click below to find one.
LegalZoom: Here?s the link, Kelly: http://attorneyconnect.legalzoom.com/?cm_mmc=social-_-fb-_-freejoe-_-na
Kelly: Thank you for responding I shall look into this further and though never crossed my mind of seeking legal help if getting this resolved then all options on the table. Should I keep appt to see dr who performed surgery?
Joe Escalante: I?d talk to a lawyer first.
Jennifer: I was fired from my job, after filing complaints against my supervisor and her daughter for harrassment. The union did not represent me. Do I have any legal recourse? (State of PA)
Joe Escalante: Yes, retaliation for whistle blowing can be a serious offense. Go to the state labor commission and file a complaint, and get a consultation with a wrongful termination attorney. Click below to find one in your area.
Brooke: How do you find a pro bono divorce lawyer?
Joe Escalante: Unless you are a battered woman, I don?t think you?re going to have much luck. It depends on what kind of services there are in your area, but it?s ugly work that I wouldn?t even do for elephant dollars. But if you have been physically abused, there seems to be more chance for help from referrals made by contacting a women?s shelter.
Candy: why is it some childsuport angancy go after people who owe back suport and other just sent friendly reminder how far do they gota get before anything done
Joe Escalante: All this is usually decided by the District Attorney?s office. They all view deadbeat parents with different sets of priorities. Some may even BE deadbeat parents, for all we know.
Clifford: Joe:
I am starting a new company, and I am thinking of creating it as a ?non-profit? as opposed to a LLC. I heard that I can?t pay myself with the non-profit, is that true?
Thanks in advance,
Clifford
Joe Escalante: Yes sir. A non profit organization is allowed to pay its employees a reasonable competitive salary. Good luck.
Jack: I owned a house in Sanford, FL. In February 2010 my tenants moved out leaving the house in a deplorable condition. I had 3 adjacent, non-build able lots down the road from my house. A neighbor offers to buy them from me. The sale would give me enough money to fix up the property with a little left over. When we went to closing, I found out that the lots were still encumbered by the first mortgage. I had asked that they be excluded when I refinanced. They were not and I blame myself for that because I did not double check. I called Washington Mutual, the mortgage holder and was told we could do a partial release on the lots. They said it would take approximately 4-6 weeks. I managed to keep up the mortgage using credit cards and borrowing from family. The appraisal was ordered, it took 5 weeks to get it and it was on a different property, a much smaller property in town. I filed a complaint and after 3 weeks I received a corrected appraisal. They changed the legal and all of the pictures to represent my house but none of the figures changed. In the meantime Chase took over Washington Mutual. All of the records were moved from North Carolina to Louisiana. After 4 months I was unable to continue making the mortgage payments. I kept calling and was continuously informed that it was being worked on. Finally in September I was informed that due to discrepancies in the appraisal and the fact that I was now in danger of foreclosure, they could not grant the partial release. I was too far behind in the mortgage so I placed the property with a short sale specialist. They found a buyer and submitted the paperwork but Fannie May missed the filing deadline and Chase foreclosed on the property. The interesting thing is, that property is scheduled to be taken by the state for a new highway. Do I have any recourse as to the way this was handled?
Joe Escalante: You could file a breach of contract lawsuit, or a consumer fraud action maybe. However, you?d have to pay an attorney up front and that would cost anywhere from 5 to 30 thousand dollars to get started. Get a consultation with a property rights attorney, or a consumer rights attorney. But everyone?s suing these kinds of entities right now so you have to stand in line. Good luck.
Katrina: I have a detached garage and city is redoing road BUT they didn?t put a slant drop drive to go over sidewalk and curb. ?? Is they must come back and fix this as a drive way right? I have a camper to leave in hurricane evacuation. Now can?t . Help
Joe Escalante: You need to send a written demand to the city, with pictures and diagrams. If they don?t act, you have to file a lawsuit to get them to act. Consult with an attorney in your area who has litigated against the city before.
LegalZoom: Joe will be back on Tuesday with more free legal advice. Join us then and have a great weekend! http://zoo.mn/bFreeJoe
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Public release date: 29-Aug-2012
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Ife Ekpenuma, CEO of Audacrease Entertainment Group, recently shared his Twitter dos and don?ts for indie artists and labels. They strike a nice balance of connecting with people via Twitter without overwhelming them with irrelevant tweets and content.Whether or not you agree with each one, I think you?ll find Ekpenuma presents a consistent, well thought out perspective on taking care of business in the land of 140 characters.
