Shaken, not stirred: Scientists spy molecular maneuvers

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Stir this clear liquid in a glass vial and nothing happens. Shake this liquid, and free-floating sheets of protein-like structures emerge, ready to detect molecules or catalyze a reaction. This isn't the latest gadget from James Bond's arsenal -- rather, the latest research from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientists unveiling how slim sheets of protein-like structures self-assemble. This "shaken, not stirred" mechanism provides a way to scale up production of these two-dimensional nanosheets for a wide range of applications, such as platforms for sensing, filtration and templating growth of other nanostructures.

"Our findings tell us how to engineer two-dimensional, biomimetic materials with atomic precision in water," said Ron Zuckermann, Director of the Biological Nanostructures Facility at the Molecular Foundry, a DOE nanoscience user facility at Berkeley Lab. "What's more, we can produce these materials for specific applications, such as a platform for sensing molecules or a membrane for filtration."

Zuckermann, who is also a senior scientist at Berkeley Lab, is a pioneer in the development of peptoids, synthetic polymers that behave like naturally occurring proteins without degrading. His group previously discovered peptoids capable of self-assembling into nanoscale ropes, sheets and jaws, accelerating mineral growth and serving as a platform for detecting misfolded proteins.

In this latest study, the team employed a Langmuir-Blodgett trough ? a bath of water with Teflon-coated paddles at either end ? to study how peptoid nanosheets assemble at the surface of the bath, called the air-water interface. By compressing a single layer of peptoid molecules on the surface of water with these paddles, said Babak Sanii, a post-doctoral researcher working with Zuckermann, "we can squeeze this layer to a critical pressure and watch it collapse into a sheet."

"Knowing the mechanism of sheet formation gives us a set of design rules for making these nanomaterials on a much larger scale," added Sanii.

To study how shaking affected sheet formation, the team developed a new device called the SheetRocker to gently rock a vial of peptoids from upright to horizontal and back again. This carefully controlled motion allowed the team to precisely control the process of compression on the air-water interface.

"During shaking, the monolayer of peptoids essentially compresses, pushing chains of peptoids together and squeezing them out into a nanosheet. The air-water interface essentially acts as a catalyst for producing nanosheets in 95% yield," added Zuckermann. "What's more, this process may be general for a wide variety of two-dimensional nanomaterials."

###

This research is reported in a paper titled, "Shaken, not stirred: Collapsing a peptoid monolayer to produce free-floating, stable nanosheets," appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) and available in JACS online.

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: http://www.lbl.gov

Thanks to DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114697/Shaken__not_stirred__Scientists_spy_molecular_maneuvers_

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Oakland protesters hold late-night march (AP)

OAKLAND, Calif. ? Anti-Wall Street protesters filled a street with a late-night march Wednesday and Oakland's police chief pledged a vigorous investigation into an earlier clash between police and protesters that left an Iraq War veteran in critical condition with a fractured skull.

Police Chief Howard Jordan spoke as tensions grew over demonstration encampment in the Bay area.

"It's unfortunate it happened. I wish that it didn't happen. Our goal, obviously, isn't to cause injury to anyone," the chief said at an afternoon press conference.

Scott Olsen, 24, suffered a fractured skull Tuesday in a march with other protesters toward City Hall, said Dottie Guy, of the Iraq Veterans Against the War. The demonstrators had been making an attempt to re-establish a presence in the area of a disbanded protesters' camp when they were met by officers in riot gear.

It's not known exactly what type of object struck Olsen or who might have thrown it, though Guy's group said it was lodged by officers. Several small skirmishes had broken out in the night with police clearing the area by firing tear gas and protesters throwing rocks and bottles at them.

An Oakland hospital spokesman said Olsen, a network administrator in Daly City, was in critical condition Wednesday.

Earlier, Oakland officials allowed protesters back into the plaza outside City Hall where their 15-day-old encampment had been raided the day before, but said people would be prohibiting from spending the night.

About 1,000 people quickly filled the plaza, but later many of them filed out and began marching down nearby streets.

A reporter at the scene says police erected wooden barricades to block the march, but the protesters veered off as a group and continued down another street.

There were no signs of clashes between the two sides.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people were left in the plaza, where some had vowed to spend the night.

"I'm going to stay here tonight," said Jhalid Shakur, 43, of Oakland. "I don't have a tent, but I'll sleep on a bench if there's space."

"We're about to build our city back," he said.

Mayor Jean Quan said Oakland supports the protesters' goals but had to act Tuesday when a small number of them threw rocks, paint and bottles at the police.

"We had, on one hand, demonstrators who tried to rush banks, other demonstrators saying don't do that, and we had police officers, for the most part, 99 percent, who took a lot of abuse," the mayor said. "So yesterday was a sad day for us."

Jordan said an internal review board and local prosecutors have been asked to determine if officers on the scene used excessive force. He asked witnesses with recordings of violent interactions between civilians and the officers who came from several Bay Area agencies to submit them to investigators.

The clash Tuesday evening came as officials complained about what they described as deteriorating safety, sanitation and health issues at the dismantled camp.

Oakland City Administrator Deana Santana said protesters would be allowed to assemble in the plaza outside City Hall from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. She pleaded with those who planned to make another stand there to refrain from smashing windows, lighting fires and attempting to stay overnight.

"If we could have these simple, reasonable requests, we think we can assure safety in the streets tonight," Santana said.

The same concerns were being raised by San Francisco officials who warned protesters Wednesday that they could face arrest if they continue camping in a city plaza. In a letter, Police Chief Greg Suhr said the protesters could be arrested for violating a variety of city laws against camping, cooking, urinating and littering in public parks.

"Existing and ongoing violations make you subject to arrest," Suhr wrote in the notice, but didn't say if or when arrests would occur.

Police have taken down a previous Occupy San Francisco camp in the Justin Herman Plaza and also cleared another camp outside the Federal Reserve Bank downtown.

Late Wednesday some of the San Francisco protesters, estimated to be about 200 people, had their arms locked and were practicing trying to keep police from entering the perimeter of their encampment.

Police estimated at least five protesters were arrested and several others injured in the Tuesday evening clashes.

____

Associated Press writers Jason Dearen and Marcus Wohlsen contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_re_us/us_occupy_wall_street_oakland

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Rescuers battle to find Turk quake survivors, save baby (Reuters)

ERCIS, Turkey (Reuters) ? Rescuers pulled a two-week-old baby girl alive from the wreckage of a collapsed apartment block Tuesday as they battled to find survivors from a earthquake in eastern Turkey that killed at least 432 people and left thousands homeless.

The baby's mother and a grandmother were also brought out alive on stretchers to jubilant cries from onlookers who followed the dramatic rescue under cold, pouring rain.

"It's a miracle!," said Senol Yigit, the uncle of the baby, Azra, whose name means "purity" or "untouched" in Arabic. "I'm so happy. What can I say. We have been waiting for two days. We had lost hope when we first saw the building," he said sobbing.

However, hope of finding more people alive under tonnes of rubble faded with every passing hour as rescuers pulled out more bodies.

The death toll from the 7.2-magnitude quake rose to 432, from an earlier 366, the Disaster and Emergency Administration said. The final count was likely to rise further as many people were still missing and 2,262 buildings had collapsed.

Thousands slept for a second night in crowded tents or huddled around fires and in cars across a region rattled by aftershocks in Van province, near the Iranian border.

The center of Van, a city of one million, resembled a ghost town, and in the hard-hit town of Ercis thousands of people roamed the streets.

With victims accusing the central government of being slow in delivering aid to a region inhabited mostly by minority Kurds, Ankara said it was sending more tents and blankets. In some distribution centers, fighting broke out among desperate victims to grab tents from overwhelmed aid workers.

The prime minister's Disaster and Emergency Administration said priority should be given to delivering tents, blankets, sleeping bags, water and food to the victims. Electricity cuts have hampered rescue efforts, and there are worries about the weather with winter snows less than a month away.

"We have no tents, everybody is living outdoors. Van has collapsed psychologically, life has stopped. Tens of thousands are on the streets. Everybody is in panic," Kemal Balci, a construction worker, said as he awaited news on friends injured in the quake at a hospital in Van.

"Aid has been arriving late. Van has been reduced to zero. We have no jobs, no bread, no water and there are nine members in my family. If the government doesn't give a hand to Van it will be like Afghanistan. Van has been pushed back 100 years."

The quake, Turkey's most powerful in a decade, is one more affliction for Kurds, the dominant ethnic group in impoverished southeast Turkey, where more than 40,000 people have been killed in a three-decade-long separatist insurgency.

In an escalation of hostilities, Turkish warplanes struck targets overnight in northern Iraq, where the separatist militants have bases.

Some 500 soldiers have crossed the border with armored vehicles in the wake of an attack last week by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters that killed 24 Turkish troops, security sources said.

Quake rescue efforts focused on Ercis, a town of 100,000 that was worst hit, and Van, the provincial capital.

"MIRACLE" BABY

Emergency workers extracted the infant girl alive from the wreckage two days after she was buried with her mother under an apartment block.

The mother was clutching the child to her chest when they were reached by rescuers, who then set about rescuing the mother and a grandmother who were also still alive.

"We're going to get them out soon," a rescuer assured the other grandmother, whose eyes brimmed with tears of joy at the survival of her grandchild, who was born prematurely.

Elsewhere, exhausted workers used machinery, jackhammers, shovels, pick axes and bare hands to comb through rubble. Every so often, they would shout for silence and generators and diggers would stop, straining to hear voices under rubble. Seconds later the drone of the machinery would start again.

The Turkish Red Crescent has said it is preparing temporary shelter for about 40,000 people, although there are no reliable figures for the homeless. Many residents spent the night outside fearing any return to their damaged homes.

SLOW RESPONSE

Officials said 12,000 more tents would reach Van Tuesday after complaints that entire families were cramming into tents. Authorities have been criticized for failing to ensure that some of the neediest, particularly in villages, received tents as night temperatures plummeted.

"Life has become hell. We are outside, the weather is cold. There are no tents," said Emin Kayram, 53, sitting by a campfire in Ercis after spending the night with his family of eight in a van parked nearby. His nephew was trapped in the debris of a building behind him, where rescue workers dug through the night.

"He is 18, a student. He is still stuck in there. This is the third day but you can't lose hope. We have to wait here."

How fast Ankara manages to deliver aid and long-term relief to the survivors might have political consequences in a region plagued by poverty and the Kurdish insurgency, analysts said.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who won a third consecutive term with a strong majority at a June election, has pledged to push reforms in parliament and rewrite the constitution to address long-time Kurdish grievances in an effort to end violence. Erdogan traveled to the region Sunday, and President Abdullah Gul has also announced plans to visit.

"If we want to win the hearts of our brothers of Kurdish origin, we should act now. We should beat the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with this approach, which is more effective than arms," leading analyst Mehmet Ali Birand wrote.

There were scenes of chaos at one aid center in Van, where a crowd of survivors including women broke out in a fight when new tents arrived. Police intervened but proved ineffective.

The government has received offers of aid from dozens of countries, including from former ally Israel, but has so far accepted aid only from Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Iran.

"The prime minister runs for help when it's Palestine or Somalia, sends ships to Palestine, almost goes to war with Israel for the sake of Palestinians, but he doesn't move a muscle when it comes to his own people," said Emrullah, a young man of about 18.

"He rejects aid offers from around the world, but we need tents here."

(Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Ibon Villelabeitia, Daren Butler and Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111025/wl_nm/us_turkey_quake

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Tony Fadell Demos His New Nest Learning Thermostat (TCTV)

Even if you read our story earlier tonight on iPod Godfather Tony Fadell's new company Nest Labs and its new Learning Thermostat, you may still be wondering how anyone could make a thermostat an object of beauty.?So we sat down with Fadell to get a video demo of the device that brought him out of retirement and has been eighteen months in the making. True to the Apple aesthetic it's one big dial you can spin and push to control a sophisticated array of features. It'll be the first thermostat marketed directly to consumers. Can they get excited enough to plunk down a couple hundred dollars? My husband and I are finally putting a new heating system in our drafty San Francisco Victorian. After this demo, I was sold. How about you?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GT9vFLNAeDg/

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Yoga eases back pain in largest U.S. yoga study to date

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2011) ? Yoga classes were linked to better back-related function and diminished symptoms from chronic low back pain in the largest U.S. randomized controlled trial of yoga to date, published by the Archives of Internal Medicine as an "Online First" article on October 24. But so were intensive stretching classes.

"We found yoga classes more effective than a self-care book -- but no more effective than stretching classes," said study leader Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute. Back-related function was better and symptoms were diminished with yoga at 12 weeks; and clinically important benefits, including less use of pain medications, lasted at least six months for both yoga and stretching, with thorough follow-up of more than nine in 10 participants.

In the trial, 228 adults in six cities in western Washington state were randomly assigned to 12 weekly 75-minute classes of either yoga or stretching exercises or a comprehensive self-care book called The Back Pain Helpbook. Nine in 10 of them were primary-care patients at Group Health Cooperative. Participants in the trial typically had moderate -- not severe -- back pain and relatively good mental health, and most had been at least somewhat active before the trial started.

The class participants received instructional videos and were encouraged to practice at home for 20 minutes a day between their weekly classes. Interviewers who didn't know the patients' treatment assignments assessed their back-related function and pain symptoms at six weeks, 12 weeks, and six months.

In 2005, Dr. Sherman and her colleagues conducted a smaller study that found yoga effective for easing chronic low back pain. "In our new trial," she said, "we wanted both to confirm those results in a larger group and to see how yoga compared to a different form of exercise of comparable physical exertion: stretching.

Both the yoga and stretching classes emphasized the torso and legs:

• The type of yoga used in the trial, called viniyoga, adapts the principles of yoga for each individual and physical condition, with modifications for people with physical limitations. The yoga classes also used breathing exercises, with a deep relaxation at the end.
• The stretching classes used 15 different stretching exercises, including stretches of the hamstrings and hip flexors and rotators. Each was held for a minute and repeated once, for a total of 52 minutes of stretching. Strengthening exercises were also included.

"We expected back pain to ease more with yoga than with stretching, so our findings surprised us," Dr. Sherman said. "The most straightforward interpretation of our findings would be that yoga's benefits on back function and symptoms were largely physical, due to the stretching and strengthening of muscles."

But the stretching classes included a lot more stretching than in most such classes, with each stretch held for a relatively long time. "People may have actually begun to relax more in the stretching classes than they would in a typical exercise class," she added. "In retrospect, we realized that these stretching classes were a bit more like yoga than a more typical exercise program would be." So the trial might have compared rather similar programs with each other.

"Our results suggest that both yoga and stretching can be good, safe options for people who are willing to try physical activity to relieve their moderate low back pain," Dr. Sherman concluded. "But it's important for the classes to be therapeutically oriented, geared for beginners, and taught by instructors who can modify postures for participants' individual physical limitations."

In an invited commentary, Timothy S. Carey, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, called Dr. Sherman's study "an excellent example of a pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial," noting that the Institute of Medicine has identified chronic back pain as a priority condition for such studies.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the trial.

Dr. Sherman's coauthors were Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, Robert D. Wellman, MS, Andrea J. Cook, PhD, Rene J. Hawkes, and Kristin Delaney, MPH, of Group Health Institute; and Richard A. Deyo, MD, MPH, of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Drs. Sherman, Cherkin, and Cook are also on the faculty of the University of Washington School of Public Health.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Group Health Research Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal References:

1. Karen J. Sherman; Daniel C. Cherkin; Robert D. Wellman; Andrea J. Cook; Rene J. Hawkes; Kristin Delaney; Richard A. Deyo. A Randomized Trial Comparing Yoga, Stretching, and a Self-care Book for Chronic Low Back Pain. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011; DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.524
2. Timothy S. Carey. Comparative Effectiveness Studies in Chronic Low Back Pain: Comment on 'A Randomized Trial Comparing Yoga, Stretching, and a Self-care Book for Chronic Low Back Pain'. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011; DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.519

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024164708.htm

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Sencha Raises $15 Million For Their HTML5 App Development Tools

What a week Sencha is having. Just minutes ago, they announced their new HTML 5 cloud services suite, Sencha.io. Tomorrow morning, the company will announce they've raised a $15 million Series B.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/uHqATdY6i6s/

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There Are 10 Million People in China Using iPhones on 2G [IPhone]

Like a premature bird with stunted wings, the original iPhone's 2G suckiness was a real sore spot in smartphone history. The hardware was great, yeah, but the speed sucked. And yet, 10 million Chinese iPhone owners still ride EDGE. Blech. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/HEbFoaIG4BQ/there-are-10-million-people-in-china-using-iphones-on-2g

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The Nokia 800 with Windows Phone appears on TV in the UK?

Directly from the channel ITV2 in the UK, the U.S. commercial break of the X factor, might have seemed a teaser video of the Nokia 800 with Windows Phone.

Since the Nokia N9 in the United Kingdom will not come to us who we saw on the web in several photos, images of the video seem to be quite clear.?What do you think?

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All technology news This article was written by hassanjanujee on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 7:43 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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Death toll rises to 31 in India bridge collapse (AP)

KOLKATA, India ? Officials say the death toll has risen to 31 in the collapse of a wooden bridge in the northeastern Indian district of Darjeeling.

The 100-foot-long (30-meter-long) bridge gave way as more than 150 mountain villagers gathered on it Saturday night to hear speeches by local officials in Bijanbari, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the hill town of Darjeeling. The bridge was built in 1942 and weakened by a September earthquake.

Authorities say some who fell about 100 feet (30 meters) into the swirling Rangeet Khola River were likely swept away in the rapids. Rescuers searched Sunday in areas down river.

West Bengal state police official Surajit Kar Purakayastha says more than 100 people who were injured in the collapse have been found.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111023/ap_on_re_as/as_india_bridge_collapse

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Sound the All Clear: ROSAT Does Not Go Splat [Space]

ROSAT, the latest manmade object to fall from the heavens and threaten humanity's safety, has apparently burned up in Earth's atmosphere. The 1 in 2,000 chance of death from above we had all feared never materialized. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Dp2hdwQ58z8/sound-the-all-clear-rosat-does-not-go-splat

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Is Mexico's economy really driving down illegal immigration to the US?

A big drop in illegal immigration seems to be taking place along the US-Mexico border. Some attribute this to rising prosperity in Mexico, but other more influential factors are in play.

According to a 2010 Department of Homeland Security report, the number of undocumented immigrants living in the US declined from 11.6 million in 2008 to 10.6 million in 2009, the largest decrease in 30 years. One of the most common explanations for this phenomenon is that Mexico has witnessed the emergence of a middle class, lessening the economic incentive to cross the border. While it is true that a segment of the population has seen a growth in disposable income over the past five years, a July study by consulting firm De la Riva Group revealed that only 32 percent of the country is ?middle class,? defined as making the equivalent of between 13,500 pesos ($1,000) and 98,499 pesos ($7,360) per month.

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In contrast, the latest poverty statistics from Mexico?s government poverty monitor CONEVAL indicate that the number of people living below the poverty line in Mexico (2,114 pesos or $158 per month in urban areas, 1,329 pesos or $99 per month in the countryside) increased by 3.2 million between 2008 and 2010, and now stands at 52 million. This figure amounts to more than 46 percent of the country's 112 million inhabitants. This directly contradicts optimistic accounts in the US media which imply that increasing standards of living in Mexico are causing immigration to fall, such as recent articles in the Sacramento Bee and New York Times. While CONEVAL notes that some states (notably Puebla, Coahuila, and Morelos) have made inroads against poverty, it cannot by any means be said that Mexico is mostly middle class.

Another commonly cited explanation for the reduction in undocumented migration is the surge in deportations under the Obama administration, which presents a further deterrent to those thinking about crossing the border. According to figures recently released by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), a record 396,906 individuals were deported from October 2010 through September of this year. As a result of this trend, many individuals who continue to risk the perilous border crossing are seasoned experts who have crossed multiple times, often because they have families in the U.S. According to the New York Times, 56 percent of arrests at the Mexican border in 2010 involved people who had been caught previously, up from 44 percent in 2005.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/I_G-StEcyp0/Is-Mexico-s-economy-really-driving-down-illegal-immigration-to-the-US

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[Etf] ETF Investing : Invest Like A 'Pro' ? Gold Silver ETF

It?s a fact indeed that the development of the Exchange Traded funds (etfs) has changed the whole landscape of the investment world. The whole idea of actually offers you all the benefits of investing in the stocks or mutual.

With ETF trading you in fact get the advantage of the mutual funds but the best part is that, you get all these at a lower fee, compared to your mutual fund trading requirements. Quite ideally therefore ETF investing stands as a less expensive option to diversify the portion of your portfolio that you want to shield well from the unsteady swings of direct investments in common stocks.? As a result it offers you the flexibility to bet on a sector without being worried about the finding which stocks in that sector will provide the best return.? Honestly, in the volatile financial market, the idea of ETF investing acts as a great way of investing meager amount to get a decent return.

However, just like other investment ideas you also need to understand the A,B,C,Ds of ETF investing prior jumping into the financial market to trade ETFs. As a matter of fact the ETF market is changing continuously. Hence there is now less room left for any kind of prediction ? even the seasoned traders are finding it difficult to predict. In this typical scenario you indeed need something more dependable, something which is even more precise and accurate to trade ETF like a professional and this is where Finance Banter, a successful part of the Banter network is playing its part by offering you cutting edge ETF investing guidelines and ETF trading strategies to help you in making the maximum profit. Yes, as the market scenario stands now, you need to adjust your ETF trading strategies as per the changing market requirements.

As a beginning investor you certainly need to think seriously about learning strategies. Finance Banter weaves together all the best investing minds and brings them to the site to offer you nothing but the BEST ETF trading strategy. With a series of articles, online tips and tutorials the trading strategies of Finance Banter helps traders in becoming successful investors.

Source: http://goldsilveretf.net/etf-etf-investing-invest-like-a-%E2%80%98pro%E2%80%99/

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Father of NYC plotter pleads guilty to visa charge

NEW YORK (AP) ? The father of a man who admitted plotting to bomb New York City subways pleaded guilty Friday to charges he forged immigration forms on behalf of a nephew who ended up testifying against him at a trial earlier this year.

Mohammed Wali Zazi, an Afghan-born U.S. citizen, admitted that about five years ago he instructed a lawyer to fill out the forms to say the nephew was his son so the nephew could enter the United States more easily.

"I knew he was not my biological son," Zazi told a judge in federal court in Brooklyn.

Zazi, 56, was convicted in July of more serious charges of destroying evidence and lying to investigators to cover up his son's al-Qaida-sanctioned plot to attack the New York City subways in 2009 as one of a trio of suicide bombers.

The son, Najibullah Zazi, admitted in a guilty plea last year that he returned from Pakistan to his family's Denver-area home to practice cooking up homemade bombs using chemicals extracted from beauty supplies. He then drove to New York City in September 2009 with plans to attack the subway system in a "martyrdom operation" before he learned he was being watched by the FBI and fled back to Colorado.

At the father's trial, his nephew and brother-in-law both testified how the FBI and immigration agents put the squeeze on the Zazi clan as soon as the plot unraveled. Both had pleaded guilty and agreed to become government witnesses to stave off stiff prison terms.

When it became clear Najibullah Zazi was a suspect and family members were getting grand jury subpoenas, the cousin said "Uncle Wali" recruited him to get rid of plastic containers of peroxide and other evidence. The family agreed to code name the chemicals "medicine" in case the FBI was eavesdropping, he said.

He also claimed his uncle admonished the family, "If anybody asks questions, tell them we don't know nothing."

The father, a former cab driver living in Colorado, is free on bail pending sentencing on Dec. 2. He faces up to 40 years in prison, although the term could be much lower under federal sentencing guidelines.

Despite the conviction and guilty plea, the elder Zazi has maintained his innocence. Outside court on Friday, he said that after he's sentenced he will "tell the whole truth" about his involvement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-21-NYC%20Terror/id-b60bf88f201a4d998d943374807c4813

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Microsoft to keep Windows Phone monogamous with Qualcomm's chipsets, for now

Microsoft may not be jumping on the dual-core bandwagon just yet, but it does place a high amount of emphasis on making sure its phones run smoothly. To do so, Windows Phone President Andy Lees stated to Bloomberg that it would continue to keep Qualcomm as its exclusive chipmaker, and has no plans to work with any other company. According to Lees, the monogamous relationship was made to allow Microsoft to use specific technical details, ensuring a smoother experience on all Windows Phones across the board. Lees also mentioned that the kind of production volume generated by such an agreement also allows production costs to dip down, which makes the platform even more appealing to OEMs. If any of you have dreamed of a Windows Phone with NVIDIA or TI running the show, don't try to pinch yourself -- you may be dissatisfied with the results.

Microsoft to keep Windows Phone monogamous with Qualcomm's chipsets, for now originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple shares slide after rare earnings miss (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Apple Inc (AAPL.O) shares fell more than 5 percent on Wednesday, the first trading session after a rare quarterly earnings miss, but analysts said the drop presented a buying opportunity for investors.

On Tuesday, Apple stunned Wall Street with quarterly results that missed expectations for the first time in years as customers held off buying iPhones until the latest version came out in October.

One analyst called the results a "black swan" and said now was the time to buy shares, with Apple providing a stronger-than-expected outlook for the current quarter.

"We would be aggressive buyers of Apple this morning as we anticipate a big holiday season for the company," said Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, who reiterated a "buy" rating on the stock.

White said he expected Apple's iPhone 4S to be "another blockbuster iPhone product."

JPMorgan said in a note to clients that the rare miss was explainable and could be an entry point for opportunistic investors. The firm added that shares of Apple were likely to come under pressure in the near term but that the company's sales overseas would ultimately boost growth.

"Apple's ongoing penetration of China and other emerging markets likely can be measured in years and stands to have a significant, positive impact on the growth profile," JPMorgan said in a research note.

The quarterly earnings report on Tuesday was Apple's first under Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who took over from Steve Jobs in August at a critical juncture for the company. Apple is battling Google Inc (GOOG.O) in the mobile arena, as well as other challengers such as Samsung (005930.KS) and Amazon.com (AMZN.O).

Apple said it sold 17.07 million iPhones in the fourth quarter ended on September 24 -- well short of the roughly 20 million forecast by analysts. The iPhone is Apple's flagship product, yielding some 40 percent of annual sales.

Apple shares were down 5.2 percent at $400.12 on Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Fareha Khan and Liana B. Baker, editing by Dave Zimmerman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111019/bs_nm/us_apple_shares

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Health Tip: Why Cough? (HealthDay)

(HealthDay News) -- Coughing is the body's way of ridding the respiratory tract of an irritating substance. Allergies, asthma or inhaling secondhand smoke are common triggers for a cough.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute mentions these additional potential causes:

• Air pollution or inhaling fumes from paint or perfume.
• Medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Bronchitis or a respiratory infection.
• Certain medications, including beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, both commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111019/hl_hsn/healthtipwhycough

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Giuliana Rancic: 'I Have Breast Cancer' | Radar Online

By Radar Staff

Giuliana Rancic said Monday that she has breast cancer, RadarOnline.com is reporting.

The popular E! News and Style Network host, 37, told Today?s Ann Curry that she?s in the early stages of the disease.

Rancic -- who?s married to former Apprentice winner Bill Rancic? -- said doctors discovered the tumor during a mammogram while she was undergoing another round of in-vitro fertilization in an effort to get pregnant.

PHOTOS: Guiliana And Bill Tour Italy

She says her doctor insisted she undergo a mammogram because the surge of hormones during pregnancy can accelerate cancer. (Rancic was 36 at the time of the test? and said she initially resisted it since she was under 40 years of age).

Rancic says she?ll undergo surgery this week and then have six weeks of radiation therapy.?
Rancic said doctors gave her a good prognosis on her chances of beating the deadly disease, and that her husband Bill has been "unbelievable" in staying by her side throughout the tough times.

"The best thing about Bill is, he lets me cry when I want to cry," Rancic said.

Rancic added she "still [wants] this baby ... because this baby has saved my life. I truly feel God was looking out after me ? If I had gotten pregnant later down the line, I could have been a lot sicker."

Watch the video on RadarOnline.com

After her appearance on Today, E! issued a statement in support of Rancic, saying: ?On behalf of her E! family we are sending our love and support to Giuliana and applaud her for sharing her recent breast cancer diagnosis in the hope that it will encourage women everywhere to take necessary and preventative measures.? Giuliana has chosen to talk about her breast cancer on E! News tonight prior to her lumpectomy later this week.? We are grateful that thanks to early detection Giuliana is expected to have a swift and complete recovery.?

Giuliana & Bill airs on The Style Network Mondays at 8/7c.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

?

RELATED STORIES:

Giuliana And Bill Rancic Try IVF Again, May Adopt

Bill & Giuliana Rancic Open Up About Adoption Plans On Chelsea Lately

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Giuliana Rancic: 'Eat A Cheeseburger' Advice Didn't Help Me Get Pregnant

Source: http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/10/giuliana-rancic-i-have-breast-cancer

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Rupert Murdoch Heckled: Occupy Protesters Interrupt News Corp. CEO (VIDEO)

Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corp., found himself the target of hecklers -- some dressed as "Sesame Street" characters -- during a speech he gave Friday in San Francisco, the Associated Press reports.

According to KGO-TV, Murdoch was only minutes into his speech about technology in education when a man interrupted him.

"Resist corporate domination of public education!" the man cried out, according to KGO-TV. "Resist it, folks! Isn't it time to stand up?!"

Another protester, who AP reports was dressed as the count from "Sesame Street" and identified as Joe Hill, yelled, "Corporations own all the media in the world. Why should they not own all the education as well?"

According to Marketwatch, which is owned by News Corp., the protesters were part of US Uncut, a group that opposes corporate tax loopholes and public service cuts.

From AP:

Murdoch appeared as part of a two-day education forum sponsored by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a group chaired by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The organization champions school vouchers, charter schools, performance pay for teachers and digital learning.

...

Last year, News Corp. acquired Wireless Generation, a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company that provides software and services to K-12 schools. In August, New York's comptroller rejected a $27 million contract with the educational technology company because of the phone-hacking scandal involving News Corp.'s British newspapers.

WATCH: Murdoch heckled at National Summit on Education Reform in San Francisco.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/15/rupert-murdoch-heckled-sesame-street-video_n_1012812.html

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Video: Growing "Occupy" anger, but over what? (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/148837889?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Mutu won't celebrate if he scores against old club

Associated Press Sports

updated 2:44 p.m. ET Oct. 14, 2011

MILAN (AP) -Cesena striker Adrian Mutu says he will not celebrate if he scores against former club Fiorentina Sunday.

Mutu moved to Cesena in June after five years at Fiorentina.

The Romanian says, "If I score, I won't celebrate because of the respect I have for the fans who always supported me. This doesn't mean I don't want to win and won't do everything to get the result."

Mutu scored 69 goals in 143 games for Fiorentina.

? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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More newsAndrew Yates / AFP - Getty Images

Man United, Liverpool draw

??Substitute Javier Hernandez scored a late goal Saturday to help Manchester United maintain its unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Nightmare Rooney

No one could have predicted the brilliant but flawed gem of England would become such a disappointment and liability.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44906579/ns/sports-soccer/

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New NOAA-funded research to illuminate connections between reefs in the Gulf of Mexico

Public release date: 14-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barbra Gonzalez, UM Rosenstiel School
barbgo@rsmas.miami.edu
305-421-4704
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

Deeper knowledge could be a key to reef's protection

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Pulley Ridge, a relatively healthy mesophotic (mid-light) coral ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico, is home to groupers and snappers, important species in commercial and recreational fisheries. With the well-documented decline of Florida's reefs, places like Pulley Ridge may serve as sources of larvae that can help sustain the Florida Keys' reef ecosystem and the tourism economy that is dependent on it.

The NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research is initiating a 5-year $5 million project focused on the role that the reefs of Pulley Ridge and the northern Gulf of Mexico may play in replenishment of key fish species and other organisms in the downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas.

With this type of information, resource managers will be able to develop more effective strategies to protect these reefs. Teams will use technical diving, remotely operated vehicles and advanced modeling and visualization tools to investigate the role such reefs may play in the replenishment of downstream and adjacent shallow coral ecosystems.

The project, led by Principal Investigator and University of Miami Professor Robert Cowen, represents a unique collaboration of more than 30 scientists at ten different universities pooling their expertise through NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) in coordination with the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration Research and Technology (CIOERT).

"There is limited information on the ecological role mesophotic (mid-light) coral ecosystems may play," said Cowen. "This project brings together several disciplines to conduct studies on the physical characteristics of the region, the biology and ecology of the resident species, and the valuation of ecosystem services that Pulley Ridge provides. Our intent is to create a comprehensive understanding that can support a variety of decision support tools, including scenario-building options, to facilitate comprehensive resource planning in the eastern Gulf of Mexico."

"The project takes full advantage of the unique expertise and experience of the two NOAA Cooperative Institutes and their long-standing relationship with the resource management community. All but one of the Florida university partners in CIMAS will be participating in the project," said Peter Ortner, Director of CIMAS.

To assure that the outputs from the project are of maximal utility to the responsible resource managers, the project will be guided throughout by a standing Stakeholder Advisory Board consisting of senior federal, state and regional resource managers.

###

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

About NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science/Center for Coastal Ocean Research

For more information please visit http://cop.noaa.gov/

About CIMAS

The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) based at the University of Miami, within the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, brings together the research and educational resources of nine major public and private research universities in Florida and the U.S. Caribbean to further NOAA's mission by providing a Center of Excellence relevant to understanding the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. For more information, please visit http://ci-mas.miami.org.

About CIOERT

The Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) was established in July 2009. CIOERT is a consortium led by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Pierce, FL. For more information please visit http://cioert.org.

---

[ | 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: 14-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Barbra Gonzalez, UM Rosenstiel School
barbgo@rsmas.miami.edu
305-421-4704
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

Deeper knowledge could be a key to reef's protection

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Pulley Ridge, a relatively healthy mesophotic (mid-light) coral ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico, is home to groupers and snappers, important species in commercial and recreational fisheries. With the well-documented decline of Florida's reefs, places like Pulley Ridge may serve as sources of larvae that can help sustain the Florida Keys' reef ecosystem and the tourism economy that is dependent on it.

The NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research is initiating a 5-year $5 million project focused on the role that the reefs of Pulley Ridge and the northern Gulf of Mexico may play in replenishment of key fish species and other organisms in the downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas.

With this type of information, resource managers will be able to develop more effective strategies to protect these reefs. Teams will use technical diving, remotely operated vehicles and advanced modeling and visualization tools to investigate the role such reefs may play in the replenishment of downstream and adjacent shallow coral ecosystems.

The project, led by Principal Investigator and University of Miami Professor Robert Cowen, represents a unique collaboration of more than 30 scientists at ten different universities pooling their expertise through NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) in coordination with the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration Research and Technology (CIOERT).

"There is limited information on the ecological role mesophotic (mid-light) coral ecosystems may play," said Cowen. "This project brings together several disciplines to conduct studies on the physical characteristics of the region, the biology and ecology of the resident species, and the valuation of ecosystem services that Pulley Ridge provides. Our intent is to create a comprehensive understanding that can support a variety of decision support tools, including scenario-building options, to facilitate comprehensive resource planning in the eastern Gulf of Mexico."

"The project takes full advantage of the unique expertise and experience of the two NOAA Cooperative Institutes and their long-standing relationship with the resource management community. All but one of the Florida university partners in CIMAS will be participating in the project," said Peter Ortner, Director of CIMAS.

To assure that the outputs from the project are of maximal utility to the responsible resource managers, the project will be guided throughout by a standing Stakeholder Advisory Board consisting of senior federal, state and regional resource managers.

###

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

About NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science/Center for Coastal Ocean Research

For more information please visit http://cop.noaa.gov/

About CIMAS

The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) based at the University of Miami, within the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, brings together the research and educational resources of nine major public and private research universities in Florida and the U.S. Caribbean to further NOAA's mission by providing a Center of Excellence relevant to understanding the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. For more information, please visit http://ci-mas.miami.org.

About CIOERT

The Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) was established in July 2009. CIOERT is a consortium led by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Pierce, FL. For more information please visit http://cioert.org.

---

[ | 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/2011-10/uomr-nnr101411.php

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Auto Insurance Coverage Might Be Void In These Circumstances

Normally nobody would pay for car insurance and knowingly cause it to be voided. In most cases policyholders might not know the consequences of something that might seem immaterial to them. In few other times drivers might think they can get away with a small discretion. The problem is that they might not even know their policy is not valid until after an accident. They might then be in real trouble especially if they are at fault. There are a few things to be mindful not to face surprises of auto insurance invalidation.

Losing Driving Licence or Not Being Properly Licensed

Basically there is no point in having or keeping insurance if you have no license to drive a car. Sometimes people might lose their license because of accumulated traffic violations. Or they might get negligent and fail to renew it in time. Whichever way, car insurance companies would cancel policies of unlicensed drivers as soon as they find out or not pay any claims if it is discovered after an accident.

Providing False Information While Getting Car Insurance

Car insurance premiums entirely depend on information you provided at the time of arranging coverage. Most companies never actually check if they were true or not. People might think that they could get away with it since it is not confirmed. It is true until they have an accident and their coverage gets annulled leaving them on their own with the losses. Simply they would allow you to pay the premiums for the given particulars and desired coverage as long as you want. But they will not pay claims if they find out policyholder lied in the proposal. Commonly people might lie about the address and yearly mileage and some other details that might actually border fraud.

Not informing Insurers About Vehicle Upgrades

Some internal upgrades might not really be important at all unless considerable enhancements made to car performance. For example, when people install expensive comforts to cars insurance might refuse to pay all the additions in case of a theft or accident. However if the engine is replaced with a much powerful one insurance might become void completely. The best thing to do is to check with the auto insurance company before making the improvements. People might be agreeable to paying extra premiums and be safe or decide against improvements at this stage.

Failing To Take Due Care To Avoid Losses

Policyholders are required to look after their cars, protect it from harm and be honest all the time. For example, insurers might refuse to pay a theft claim if they find out the car was an easy target. If the car insured with an alarm you need to keep that alarm functional at all times. Another one is to tell the insurance company that you keep the car in the garage but in fact you filled it with junk and car is left on the street. But that still can not top leaving the car running on the street unattended. When the companies find out you have been negligent in the incident they might refuse to pay a specific claim even though they might not cancel the policy.

Not Updating Particulars Held By Car Insurance Companies

Probably a pretty common case is not to bother telling providers about changes in personal circumstances. These cases might only result in retrospective premium payments at times depending on importance of particulars. For example, not informing a change of job might be seen as an oversight unless new job require long drives everyday. But changing the car and not telling insurance company might not go down well when you report an accident. You are required to inform insurers of any material changes as soon as possible.

Related posts:

1. How Changes In Your Circumstances Affect Auto Insurance?

Filed under: Auto Insurance Coverage by admin
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Source: http://autoinsurancequoteseasy.com/blog/car-insurance-coverage/

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Jeremy Kerley ? Jeremy Kerley slides up depth chart - Fantasy Sports

With the trade of veteran WR Derrick Mason to the Houston Texans Tuesday, Oct. 11, it is expected that WR Jeremy Kerley will serve as the team's third wide receiver as he did in Week 5 against the New England Patriots.
Huddle Up: The Mason trade gives the Jets an opportunity to get Kerley on the field more frequently. With the Jets planning to return to "ground and pound," a third WR in that offense might not hold much fantasy value. But Kerley is dynamic in the return game and should at least be on the radar, especially in dynasty leagues.

Click to continue reading this fantasy sports article at The Huddle's Fantasy Player News Feed.

?

Tagged as: fantasy football, Fantasy Sports, nfl

Source: http://www.fantasysportsdish.com/jeremy-kerley-jeremy-kerley-slides-up-depth-chart/

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Quay West PR: GET YOURSELF IN CRISIS MODE BEFORE THE ...

I think the mobile phone gods were shining on me a few weeks ago when I made the bold ? and derided by some ? step to switch from my trusty Blackberry and go over to the dark side by opting for an iPhone. Who?s having the last laugh now, I hear myself saying , as Research In Motion tries to recover from what is looking like a catastrophic failure of the Blackberry network that has users up in arms and leaving the brand looking more than a little tarnished.

And the problem is compounded by users taking to Twitter to vent their own anger against RIM for the world to read. The Guardian reported three tweets that must have been the tip of a social media iceberg. One wrote: "BlackBerry down again. Very poor communications from them about what the problem is. ?Fail." Another said: "Maybe I'd like my phone more if it wasn't a stupid BlackBerry" Whilst one even said: "It was nice of BlackBerry to honour Steve Jobs with two days of silence".

And it?s in these tweets that a lot of the damage for RIM lies. You often judge a brand not by what goes wrong, but how they deal with that situation and what steps they take to put it right. Some people call it crisis management, others call it contingency planning. Either way, planning is the important word because, whatever your size or business, you can and should pre-prepare for a crisis.

Our key tips would be:

1. Don?t panic. Think calmly and rationally, because how you interact with all of your stakeholders ? customers, media, suppliers, shareholders etc ? during this initial phase will set the tone for how you will handle the crisis and how perception of your brand will be impacted.

2. Get your facts straight. Be honest. Don?t lie. Do not put out information about which you cannot be certain. Having to retract information later for inaccuracy will damage your brand. Make sure everybody who needs to hear information directly and personally does so before you release information via the media.

3. If you can, use your PR team to prepare holding statements and to liaise with the media on your behalf. They will ensure that you are seen to be taking the situation seriously. Make sure your staff do not speak to the media and all calls are passed through only to those designated to handle them.

4. Work with your crisis team to determine what information to release, what statements to put out, to whom and when. Make sure you have a senior member of staff as the ?face? of the situation ? it makes your brand look more like it?s taking the situation seriously if the MD is perceived as taking direct control.

5. Monitor what coverage is appearing and what is being said about you online. Do not engage in bickering but if factual errors need to be corrected, make sure they are done so politely and promptly.

That?s a lot to consider if an emergency breaks today. That?s why you should consider now what your crisis PR strategy would be, how it would be implemented and to have those plans shared and available for use at a moment?s notice. This puts you on the front foot and enables you to set rather than respond to the agenda of others. We can work with you to put these plans together.

And don?t forget, just as the Blackberry crisis is an opportunity for iPhone and Android manufacturers, so a crisis for your competitors is an opportunity for you. You need to be equally prepared for that and ready to exploit those opportunities as well.

Source: http://quaywestpr.blogspot.com/2011/10/get-yourself-in-crisis-mode-before.html

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Obama raises more than $70 million (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama's campaign raised more than $70 million combined for his re-election and the Democratic Party during the summer, an amount that gives him a clear financial advantage over his Republican rivals even as faces economic and political headwinds.

The fundraising total announced Thursday exceeds a goal set by the campaign of $55 million combined for the July-September fundraising period but is about $16 million less than Obama raised during the April-June quarter.

Obama has dealt with declining poll numbers and a weakened economy during the summer, prompting the president to recently call himself the "underdog" in the presidential race. Campaign officials had said they would raise less because of canceled fundraisers during the summer's debt ceiling negotiations and a typical summertime lull in raising cash.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in an e-mail to supporters that more than 600,000 people donated to the campaign in the most recent quarter, more than the previous three months. He said more than 980,000 people have given money to the campaign, and in the most recent quarter, 98 percent of the donors gave $250 or less, with an average donation of $56.

"Getting to a million grassroots donors isn't just a huge accomplishment this early in the campaign. It's our answer to our opponents, the press, and anyone who wants to know whether the president's supporters have his back," Messina said.

The numbers include $42.8 million for Obama's campaign and $27.3 million for the Democratic National Committee, which will help Obama's re-election effort next year. Obama raised $86 million combined during the April-June quarter.

Obama still leads his Republican rivals in fundraising by tens of millions and can save most of it for next year because he does not face a primary opponent.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads the Republican field in fundraising, pulling in more than $18 million in his first three months of campaigning. He is not expected to surpass that mark for the past three months but should lead the pack in cash on hand.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry raised $17 million in his first seven weeks of campaigning and had $15 million in the bank. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a favorite of libertarians, collected $8 million during the summer after raising $4.5 million in his first three months.

The fundraising by the presidential field doesn't include money being raised by independent organizations trying to get their preferred nominee elected by raising and spending unlimited amounts of money to run ads supporting their candidate or attacking a rival. Perry and Romney have at least one super PAC working to enhance their candidacies while another super PAC is backing Obama's re-election bid.

Obama advisers have told donors privately they hope to match or exceed the $750 million they raised in 2008, a staggering amount that would help the president pay for expensive TV ads and a massive get-out-the-vote operation. But to match the amount they raised the last time, Obama would need to bring in nearly $120 million combined for each of the next five quarters to keep pace.

Messina said the campaign was using the money to build its operation. He said the campaign has opened up three new field offices every week during the past three months, and volunteers and organizers have made 3 million phone calls and in-person visits to voters.

"We're up against a Republican Party and special interest-funded groups that will spend hundreds of millions of dollars spreading any message that they believe will defeat the president and roll back our efforts to build a fairer economy that rewards hard work and responsibility, not large corporations," Messina said.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski said Obama would "need every penny he can raise because voters don't believe he has the ability to turn the economy around or create much-needed jobs."

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111013/ap_on_el_pr/us_obama_fundraising

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