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The Innovators They are the mad scientists, the game-changers, the contrarians.
They are the mad scientists, the game-changers, the contrarians. Whatever you choose to call them, they represent a new economy driven not by products and profits, but rather by people willing to take a chance on a new idea and make it happen. They are the innovators, moguls of the entreprenurial economy.
Mark Price
Founder, Firewire Sufboards
Firewire Surfboards is hoping to have carved out a niche with a board that suggests new ways of riding waves. The featherweight product is made of bamboo and carbon, and uses a computer-aided, eco-friendly lamination process that owner and founder Mark Price says is 50 times less toxic than the traditional board. "When Firewire came on the scene, it was disruptive to technology," Price says. Its capabilities were on display when teen surfing sensation Dusty Payne won the Kustom Aire Strike best-aerial contest after shooting off a wave and spinning 360 degrees in the air while riding a Firewire board, and when Firewire's signature rider Taj Burrow rode his Firewire to a No. 2 world ranking in 2007.
Ben Huh
Founder, Pet Holdings, Inc.
"Pet Holdings basically makes people happy for five minutes every day," says Ben Huh, founder of Pet Holdings, Inc. Not a humble goal for a company that boasts network-wide totals of 170 million page views a month and annual revenue in the millions. As you might expect from a guy who saw opportunity in posting silly pictures of cats with misspelled captions on URLs like icanhascheezeburger.com, he has a nontraditional view of how to run a business. But some things do remain traditional. "I learned how to keep costs low and make sure that whatever commitment you make to employees, you keep," says Huh. "No matter how strange or ridiculous a business looks, those fundamentals still need to be there."
Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons made his mark as the inventor of hip-hop entrepreneurialism and by identifying woefully underserved markets--in music, film, television, jewelry, fashion and even banking--and then creating businesses precisely tailored to those needs. Now he's targeting what he calls "the urban graduate"; educated members of the hip-hop generation who are officially too mature for Rocawear or even Phat Farm, which Simmons sold in 2004 for $114 million. Simmons is a serial entrepreneur in the truest sense--with both failed and successful ventures. His model has been followed by many others, including Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z.
Tony Hawk
Founder and CEO, Tony Hawk, Inc.
Tony Hawk got his first skateboard when he was nine years old, turned pro at 14 and launched his first business in 1999. With Tony Hawk branded skateboards, clothes, shoes, bicycles, video games and a best-selling biography, Hawk has become the highest paid action sports athlete in the world.
Kim Jordan
Founder and CEO, New Belgium
Kim Jordan started New Belgium 18 years ago in her basement. Now the Colorado-based microbrewery grosses nearly $100 million annually. Jordan believes the secret to New Belgium's success is maintaining the heart of a startup, a company culture centered on sustainability, collaboration and employees being emotionally vested. Based on a 13.4 percent growth rate over the past five years, New Belgium's strategy seems to be working and has made it arguably one of the biggest microbreweries in the U.S.
Rick Alden
Founder, Skullcandy
Inspiration hit Rick Alden on a chairlift, during a snowboarding trip in 2001. The iPod had just been introduced, but none of the headphones were designed to appeal to the iPod-toting action-sports crowd. It was time to change the game. Skullcandy launched in 2003 with a line of headphones and earbuds in bright colors and skater-boy patterns. The demand was immediate, but the production? Not so much. Factories weren't willing to take risks on a newcomer. "The first year, we had to pay 100 percent of our costs upfront," he says. Things got easier after that, and Alden, now 45, is riding high. 2008 revenue topped $86 million, and 2009 was expected to reach $120 million.
Kelly Giard
Founder and CEO, Clean Air Lawn Care
Ask Kelly Giard, founder and CEO of Clean Air Lawn Care, how he turned a part-time project into the nation's first sustainable lawn-care franchise, and he'll tell you it had a lot to do with timing: "We landed on the front end of the green movement, and it immediately took off." The idea of tending lawns with organic soil treatment and quiet electric-powered equipment struck a chord with people in his hometown, Fort Collins, Colo., and soon after, points beyond. "At least 5 percent of pollution is caused by gas-powered maintenance equipment," Giard says, "even though this is one of the last dirty frontiers in America that can be easily solved. I think people are seeing that."
Bradley Ericson
Co-Founder and CEO, 3SecondReceipts
The idea for 3SecondReceipts came to Bradley Ericson when he noticed the appalling amount of waste generated by paper receipts on campus. "The average lifespan of a receipt is three seconds, so I wanted to find a way to digitize them." His system is aimed at universities (for now) and will link transactions to a student's ID card, itemize the data and store them on the school server for students to access and download. Revenue was around $50,000 in 2009, with four times that estimated for this year. In 2011, growth could be "exponential." After that? His sights are set on partnering with a credit card, bank or major company to break into the retail market.
Ilja Laurs
Founder, GetJar
Apple may have popularized the app store concept, but the company did not invent it. The pioneers of the application distribution segment include GetJar, an independent app sales portal founded in 2004 by Lithuanian-born serial entrepreneur Ilja Laurs. With roughly 57,000 applications contributed by about 350,000 registered developers, the GetJar catalog yields about 60 million downloads per month, up from 15 million monthly a year ago and second in volume only to the App Store.
James Stewart
Founder, Slingshot Wines
James Stewart is a new breed of entrepreneurial winemaker--capitalizing on sudden surpluses of top-quality wines and grapes, producing better wine at lower prices and potentially remaking the California wine industry along the way. "Now we have to watch who else is going to jump," he says. "I adapted early to the changes, but now everyone will come out to take advantage of the opportunities. Really great wine is everywhere."
Fabrice Penot
Co-Founder, Le Labo
There's no false modesty about it--Fabrice Penot wanted to start a revolution with Le Labo, the fragrance company he co-founded in 2006. How could he not? For starters, he didn't want the small, boutique brand to do any advertising. Then Penot insisted on limiting distribution to his own stores and a handful of exclusive perfume counters. On top of that, he refused to keep stock on the shelf, instead making each store a kind of chic lab experience: a cool, minimalist space where ingredients are blended together on the spot, poured into plain glass bottles, wrapped in a brown paper package and custom labeled like a science project, with the date, scent and name of the buyer. Today, just four years later, Le Labo has grown into a $4.5 million a year fragrance brand.
Yvon Chouinard
Founder, Patagonia
Yvon Chouinard has no problem being first. At 26, he made the first ascent of Yosemite Valley's Muir Wall, a 2,900-foot rock face in California that took eight days to conquer with unsecured ropes and some hand-forged pitons. Chouinard takes the same approach with Patagonia, the outdoor gear and clothing business he founded in 1974. The company turned direct-mail catalogs into good reading in the '70s, and last year, began releasing interactive and beautifully photographed online catalogs for its fishing and surf lines. Decades before businesses embraced the green movement, Patagonia spearheaded campaigns to use eco-friendly materials and fabrics in its clothing and pioneered sustainable manufacturing practices. The result? While most of the world was grappling with the Great Recession, Patagonia had its two best years ever. Sales at the 1,265-person company stood at $315 million in 2009, and Chouinard--still the sole owner--says they're still growing. This year they're expected to be near $340 million.
Shawn Burst
Founder, Dukky
After 15 years in the direct-mail and printing industries in New Orleans, Shawn Burst knew that the most effective direct-mail campaigns have a good offer and a good mailing list. But he also knew that even the best lacked strong customer engagement and truly measurable results. What Burst and his Dukky partners developed is, simply, a souped-up lead-generation device. It makes print advertising trackable, and it lets marketers watch the progress of their campaigns in real time. And by adding social media, it can make the despised coupon-in-the-mailbox a full-on, viral-marketing phenomenon. In January, Dukky launched the first version of its software platform. Within months, it had more than 100 clients, including Chik-fil-A restaurants and Stein Mart department stores. It monitored their campaigns in real time and collected detailed information about their customers (including e-mail address, birthday and gender). It orchestrated one campaign so effectively, the response rate was an unheard-of 280 percent--with no additional investment.
Alex Calderwood
Co-founder, Ace Hotel
The Ace Hotel brand is so cool, it even has its own special-edition Converse high tops. Alex Calderwood didn't break the bank creating it, either. He financed the first hotel for less than $2 million, through an equal mix of debt and investor and personal money. Four hit hotels later, it's clear Calderwood has discovered a way to engineer the vibe of a lifestyle brand, complete with product collaborations, agreements with local vendors and partnerships with independent artists. Most recently, he collaborated with three independent film directors associated with the social media website Massify, providing the New York Ace as a location for three short films--a genius marketing ploy that cost next to nothing.
Trip Hawkins
Founder, Digital Chocolate
In the early '80s, he left his post as director of product marketing at Apple Computers to start Electronic Arts, the video game giant known for mega-hits like Madden NFL, The Sims and Rock Band. In 2003, he rounded up some venture capital ($44 million to date) and founded Digital Chocolate. The private company now employs more than 300 workers around the globe, but compared with EA's thousands, it means Hawkins is back to being one of the little guys. Digital Chocolate's 2010 progress: 50 million-plus iPhone downloads last year, almost 10 million users on Facebook and cracking the top five list of game developers in number of users (alongside Zynga, Playdom, Crowdstar and EA).
Richard Branson
Founder, Virgin Group
If Richard Branson has nine lives, he's on at least his fourth or fifth. He has attempted to navigate the Atlantic in a powerboat, cross the Pacific in a hot air balloon and leap into thin air on a skydiving expedition. The boat sank, the balloon caught on fire and, during his skydiving freefall, Branson pulled the wrong release tag, jettisoning his parachute. He's a high roller gambling with the biggest stake of all: his life. Yet somehow he always comes out alive -- and ahead. He's not only the closest thing we have to a real James Bond, he's also living proof that big risks do pay off. Parlaying his daredevil approach for life to the business world, he's built the Virgin brand to encompass approximately 200 companies spanning dozens of countries and industries, and a net worth valued at $5 billion.


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Anonymous 4m 889
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
So, I just need to tell the world because I am so happy that I have finally accomplished something that has been 3 months in the making.
I farted on every single one of my 37 employees.
The initial fart began on January 21st, 2008 while I was expediting at my somewhat famous restaurant in the meatpacking district.
Lets just say, I am a chef, I dont know if I would call myself world famous, but I am definitely known in and around NYC.
I have had several specials on food network.
You probably know me if you like food and eating in manhattan.
That said, lets get back to the first fart, the maiden fart, the perfect fart.
It was hot as hell in the kitchen that night, sometimes I like to turn off the air conditioning to give my staff a bit of a stir, it makes their blood flow, their tempers flash, but for some reason, their discomfort turns out better quality food.
So with all the air off, there is no air flow in our downstairs kitchen, and its small and cramped and really really fucking hot, even in january.
We have our plates in the warmer under our pass, so i was helping my hot apps guy plate a new fungi misti when it happened.
He had the pan in his right hand, and we both reached to bend over to get the hot plate, i got there first, so he inhaled the entire hot air load that i let roar out of my pants.
It was bold, loud, and completely unapologetic.
I was louder though, laughing so fucking hard at his coughing and gagging that i almost lost the granddaddy, the origin of the fart, the poop.
This actually did happen on fart employee #19, but we will get back to that.
So with this began my mission.
I had to fart on everyone that works for me, and write it all in a log book so that I can keep track.
Some people I couldn't just directly fart on, like my accountant, shes a sweet girl, and I think she might feel that I have accosted her or something, department of labor could be called, etc.., so much care has to be taken with these types of cases.
1. The only rules I had were this: I had to fart on everyone, I mean including my bread guy, my pasta guy, all our dishwashers, my sous chef, etc…
2. They had to either hear, smell or be somehow aware that I have farted on them. This is where it gets tricky.
3. I have to do it in order of name, alphabetically, and I cant skip people and come back.
4. At least 80% had to make a comment or some type of revolting behavior afterward, and if they didnt, I had to do them again and again, the same person, until they finally surrendered to the demon that is my fart.
This was easy with the line cooks and basic kitchen staff, as they are used to this kind of shit, the front of the house however, are like a bunch of fucking statues scared to move.
My farts on them where secretly my most favorite, because I think it took them out of whatever musical they thought they were living in, and made them alive, made them smell, made them want to throw up for a valid reason.
I think all farts should have a color assigned to them, because you know when that one fart comes out and lingers in the air and wont leave, I mean its obvious that is a green fart. Everyone should know this by now, its even documented in cartoons.
A red fart is a spicy one, probably incurred by some type of spicy ethnic food with a great amount of chilis and onions.
A yellow fart, well these are worse on the farter, than they are on the fartee.
These are sick farts, the ones that are on the verge of being sharts. Just imagine the fart that comes after downing like gallon of vodka, eating like 5 gyros on st. marks, then bagging a hooker named natasha, who acts like she is from russia, but you know just know she fucking grew up in Hackensack.
This is never good, especially in the kitchen, so if I think I have a yellow in tow, I clamp my hole shut and run to the nearest bathroom to unleash the fury.
Unless, of course I am at home, then what the hell, I let it rip and see what happens. New underwear are only like 5 feet away, so lets see what happens, life is a journey.
I think I will post the story of every single persons very own and original fart on here every night for 37 nights. Some are really good ones, some are just farts, but I will let you be the judge.
And maybe by the end some of you will know who i am, and if you ever do figure it out, come to my restaurant and tell the bartender this: "Mr. Bojangles and his two sidewinders sent me", he will give you a free drink, and a laugh.
Check u tomorrow for EF#2.
Original Source: best of craigslist: I farted on every single one of my employees. All 37 of them.


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Some positive news for those employers that retain independent contractors. On October 22, 2018, the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District, held that the Dynamex "ABC" test (which we previously discussed here) to determine whether an independent contractor is an employee, only applies to wage order claims. But the case is a mixed bag and is a reminder that post-Dynamex, hiring parties bear a heavier burden to overcome the presumption that all workers are employees.
The case is Jesus Cuitlahuac Garcia v. Border Transportation Group, LLC, et al., involving plaintiff Jesus Garcia ("Garcia"), a taxi driver, who brought a wage and hour lawsuit against Border Transportation Group ("BTG"), with whom he drove taxi for several years. The trial court granted summary judgment for BTG, applying the decades-old multifactor S.G. Borello & Sons, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations, 48 Cal. 3d 341 (1989) test and finding Garcia was an independent contractor, not an employee entitled to wage order protection. The trial court's reasoning included that Garcia controlled the means and manner of his work and "could and did market his business in his own name."
Garcia appealed, during which time the California Supreme Court decided Dynamex, adopting the "ABC" test to determine whether a worker is an employee. Under this test, a hired individual is presumed an employee and the burden lays entirely on the hiring party to rebut that presumption by showing:
- that the worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of such work and in fact;
- that the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity's business;
- that the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity.
Turning first to Garcia's wage order claims, the court focused on the "C" prong and found that BTG failed to carry its burden to show Garcia actually "provided services for other entities 'independently' of his relationship with BTG." The court rejected BTGs reliance on Sebago v. Bos. Cab Dispatch, Inc., which focused the inquiry on whether the worker is permitted to establish an independent business operation. The court noted that Dynamex requires an "existing, not potential showing of independent business operation." The court reversed summary judgment on the wage order claims.
But in positive news for hiring parties, turning next to Garcia's non-wage-order claims, the court held the ABC test did not apply, and upheld summary adjudication as to those claims.[1] The court explained that the Supreme Court did not reject the more flexible, multifactor Borello test in all instances, and that Borello applies when a cause of action is predicated solely on the Labor Code, while the ABC test is properly limited to wage-order claims. The court reasoned that the Supreme Court "recognized that different standards could apply to different statutory claims…" and emphasized that "primacy of statutory purpose" should resolve "the employee or independent contractor question." The court found "no reason to apply the ABC test categorically to every working relationship, particularly when Borello…remains the standard for worker's compensation." And because the parties did not identify a "a basis to apply Dynamex to [the] non-wage-order claims," the court concluded that Borello "furnished the proper standard as to those claims" without analyzing their primary statutory purposes.
Orrick will continue to track interpretations of the Dynamex case as they are published. For the latest employment law updates, subscribe to the Orrick Employment Law and Litigation Blog.
[1] Garcia's non-wage-order claims included wrongful termination in violation of public policy, failure to pay overtime, and waiting time penalties.


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Experience vivid, legendary picture quality in your favorite outdoor spaces with QLED 4K and 2,000+ nit brightness levels. Rain or shine, enjoy year-round outdoor entertainment with an IP55 rating that assures protection from water and dust. Read More
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Bring the Samsung QLED experience outdoors.
Experience vivid, legendary picture quality in your favorite outdoor spaces with QLED 4K and 2,000+ nit brightness levels.
Rain or shine, enjoy year-round outdoor entertainment with an IP55 rating that assures protection from water and dust.
Navigate The Terrace with just your voice through the remote control. The intuitive Smart TV features are powered by Tizen, for a simplified, effortless viewing experience.
Soak in true-to-life picture quality outdoors with Quantum Dot technology that delivers 100% Color Volume* for a billion shades of brilliant color, without washing out in extreme brightness. Motion Rate 240 minimizes motion blur on screen, so action-packed movies and sports stay smooth and crisp.
Enjoy your favorite shows and movies even on sunny days with a display that minimizes reflection and enhances picture contrast.
Bring stunning depth and precision contrast to everything you watch with Direct Full Array 16X*, which provides fine control of the lighting zones behind the screen.
Get 4K resolution no matter what you watch. 4K AI upscaling automatically reduces image noise, restores lost detail and offers crisp definition regardless of the input source.
Experience brilliant viewing any time of day with an intuitive display that optimizes picture settings based on surrounding lighting conditions.
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View your favorite mobile apps, videos and more mirrored on your TV with a tap of the phone.
Multi View lets you watch TV while mirroring your mobile screen at the same time. Watch workout videos, check sports stats and more while watching your favorite show or game.
With AirPlay 2 built-in, you can effortlessly play videos and music, or share photos from your iPhone, iPad and Mac on your Terrace TV. So sit back, relax and enjoy it all on the big screen.
Use The Terrace to manage your home with SmartThings, which connects the TV to your compatible IoT devices so you can control your lights, check inside your fridge and more.
The Bixby voice assistant can go beyond just controlling what you want to watch on TV. Just ask Bixby and get more.
Control your TV with your voice. Just ask Alexa to change the change the channel, open apps, search for movies and shows, control your smart home devices, and more.
Easily find and enjoy your favorite photos, quickly access entertainment and ask questions. Dim the lights and control smart home devices. Just press the mic button on your remote to get started.
The Terrace has HD Base-T already built-in, so you no longer need to purchase one to connect with external devices. Simply plug in the included cable and you are good to go! Its built-in Media Bay provides additional support for media sticks and protection from water and dust.
Make your outdoor TV experience seamless with wireless connection to your favorite content providers, as well as compatible mobile phones, soundbars and more.
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General Specs | |
Product Weight (lbs.) | 64.6 |
HDMI Inputs | 3 |
Wall Mountable | Yes |
Screen Resolution | 4K |
Width (in.) | 49.1 |
Depth (in.) | 12 |
Height (in.) | 55 |
Voice Controlled Assistants | Samsung Bixby, SmartThings |
Screen Size Class (in.) | 55 |
Screen Size (Measured Diagonally) (in.) | 54.6 |
Screen Refresh Rate (Hz.) | 60 |
Bluetooth | Yes |
Number of USB Ports | 1 |
Display Technology | QLED |
Collection | The Terrace |
Optical Digital(Fiber Optic) Audio Inputs | 1 |
Wifi Connectivity | Yes |
Airplay | Yes |
Smart Compatible | Yes |
Wifi Capable | Yes |
Bluetooth Capable | Yes |
Airplay Capable | Yes |
App Capable | Yes |
High Dynamic Range | Yes |
Product Depth Without Stand (in.) | 2.4 |
Product Height Without Stand (in.) | 28.7 |


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These golden years Kathy Kale '86 14 Oct 2013 yearlong jubilee to celebrate the first half century of women's athletics at SCU. When the students who work in the Alumni Office during their time on campus are ready to graduate, we always send them off with three pieces of advice: * Keep your contact information current with the University. * Write your thank-you notes. * Honor those who have gone before you, because anything we accomplish is possible only because of the courage, commitment, and perseverance of those who went first. These words ring especially true this fall as the University begins a yearlong celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics. Santa Clara first admitted undergraduate women in the fall of 1961. Two years later, Marygrace Colby M.A. '91 was hired as the first female athletics administrator. By 1964, Santa Clara had organized competitive women's teams in basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Those first 30 female student-athletes braved hardships and challenges daily without scholarships or program funding, just because they loved to play. They also had success as the basketball team went undefeated in their first two years and won the school's first women's athletics trophy. FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS The University now fields 10 teams with 173 women competing at the intercollegiate level and almost 60 percent receiving some athletically related financial aid. Accomplishments over the past 50 years include one national championship, 11 NCAA Final Four appearances, 24 conference championships, 52 All-Americans, and five Academic All-Americans. Along the way, Jody Berscheidt '66 became the first woman inducted into the Santa Clara Athletic Hall of Fame for her prowess in tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Tennis player Darby Teichgraeber Cunning '77 received the first women's athletic scholarship, in the amount of $500. In 1988, Caren Choppelas Horstmeyer '84 made history as the first former female student-athlete to work full-time for the athletics department when she was named head coach of the women's basketball team. In that role, Horstmeyer led her 1991 basketball team to the Women's National Invitation Tournament title. The women's soccer team won the University's first outright NCAA national championship in 2001. And just five years ago, cross-country runner Noelle Lopez '08 became the first female Rhodes scholar in school history, and only the second SCU student to be so honored. In all, more than 2,500 women have proudly donned a Bronco uniform while representing Santa Clara on the court, field, track, or course. Some have achieved regional, national, and international recognition. Some have played professionally in their chosen sports. But most alumnae leave the University with lifelong experiences, relationships, and memories that shape who they are and what they become. SOLID GOLD To mark the golden anniversary of women's athletics at Santa Clara, I ask you to heed the same advice we give our graduating seniors: Keep your contact information current with the University: * Keep your contact information current with the University: Stay up to date with Santa Clara classmates, news, and events by updating your personal and professional contact information.www.scu.edu/addressupdate * Write your thank-you notes: Take a moment to visit the 50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics website to read more history, meet the athletes, and post your own stories and notes of gratitude: www.scu.edu/alumni/celebrate50. * Honor those who have gone before you. Plan on attending one of the many matches and events scheduled throughout the year to cheer on our current Bronco teams and celebrate 50 years of women's athletics. And if you're a former student-athlete, you should have already received a special invitation to the privileges and celebrations awaiting you this year. As a former women's soccer player, I know my Santa Clara athletic experience was possible only because of those who blazed the trail before me. At work and at home, I'm grateful every day for the friendships, toughness, tenderness, and leadership lessons forged on the pitch and in the locker room. And I hope the footprints my teammates and I left on the fields of Stanton and Bellomy in some small way helped those who came after us. Whether you were a student-athlete or cheered on a fellow Bronco who was, I invite you to join me this year in honoring all those whose courage, commitment, and perseverance during the last five decades have made an inclusive, coeducational Santa Clara athletic experience possible. Go Broncos! Kathryn Kale '86 Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations
Art History Majors Make History Art history graduates Lauren Stein '23, Maggie Walter '23, and Annika Singh '23 joined forces to create the first student-led art exhibit at Santa Clara's de Saisset Museum. Francesca D'Urzo '24, 13 Feb 2024 share 3 min read
Back to School SCU Alumni and senior community members are pursuing life-long education at SCU. Sarah Young '24, 13 Feb 2024 share 3 min read
Again & Again & Again Sagi Solomon '00, J.D. '03 approaches sustainable fashion by moving beyond the individual and targeting entire brands. Lauren Loftus, 13 Feb 2024 share < 1 min read
Funding Unlocked Two Bronco alums announce next-round funding for projects aimed at helping the Earth and her people. Lauren Loftus, 13 Feb 2024 share < 1 min read


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- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 05:21 06:34 12:33 15:53 18:26 19:40
Verizon Communications vowed overnight not to mess up its iPhone launch next month.
It's a bold boast, considering how problematic the iPhone has been for its exclusive US carrier so far, AT&T.
The iPhone 3G launch in 2008 was accompanied by a server meltdown, which left people unable to use their phones for as long as a day. The phone later overloaded AT&T's network in many areas.
Verizon believes it has learned from AT&T's mistakes since its first iPhone in 2007.
Through last year, Verizon added capacity to its network with the iPhone in mind.
"We're not going to have any flaws on the execution of the iPhone launch," Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo told Wall Street analysts overnight.
Verizon announced two weeks ago that it would start selling Apple Inc.'s iPhone on February 10.
AT&T's exclusive hold on the phone has left Verizon behind in attracting smart-phone subscribers, but it now hopes to catch up.
However, the company doesn't have a good idea of how many iPhones it might sell. Refusing to give a projection, Shammo would only acknowledge that the average analyst forecast is for 11 million units this year, roughly the same amount AT&T sold in the first nine months of last year. Analyst projections vary from 5 million to 13 million.
Verizon Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam confirmed on the sidelines of the meeting that the company's standard $30-per-month unlimited data plan will be available for the iPhone. AT&T abolished its unlimited data plan for new customers last summer, ahead of the launch of the iPhone 4 in June.
"That's a competitive advantage for us right now," McAdam said.
However, the offer won't last: McAdam reiterated that the company is going to switch to plans with a monthly data allotment soon.
A $15-per-month limited data plan the company tried out over the holidays for other smart phones won't be available for the iPhone. That plan is being phased out at the end of the month, executives said.
Verizon is also tightening some of its policies ahead of the launch. It's abolishing its "New Every Two" program, which has given existing customers additional discounts of up to $100 on new phones. Current customers will get the discount one last time. Verizon is also reducing its return period for phones to 14 days, from 30.
Analysts had been assuming that Verizon would take a hit to its earnings this year because it will subsidize each new iPhone by about $400 to bring the purchase price down to $200 to $300. On Tuesday, the company indicated that the drag on earnings would be smaller than expected, if iPhone sales come in around 11 million. It projected earnings of $2.18 to $2.25 per share for 2011, excluding unusual items. Analysts polled by FactSet on average expected earnings of $2.19.
Verizon shares rose 65 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $35.89 in midday trading Tuesday.
The shares hit a multi-year high of $37.70 in early January as investors grew excited about the prospect of a Verizon iPhone.
Verizon also reported fourth-quarter results Tuesday, revealing that its wireless arm did well even without help from the iPhone.
Verizon Wireless added 872,000 subscribers on contract-based plans, well above analyst expectations of about 650,000. Contract-based subscribers are the most lucrative, and Verizon said three-quarters of the new subscribers bought smart phones, which come with added data fees.
Verizon was also helped by another Apple device. It started selling the iPad tablet computer in October, and bundled it with an Internet access device that comes with a two-year contract. It also started selling a competing tablet, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Tab, with a data plan. Together, Verizon sold 86,000 tablets.
The company also got a boost from the launch of its super-fast "4G" cellular data network in December. It sold 65,000 plug-in modems for laptops for that network in three weeks.
The New York-based telecommunications company reported net income of $2.64 billion, or 93 cents per share, for the last three months of 2010. That's up from $617 million, or 22 cents per share, a year ago, but the increase was mainly because of adjustments for the value of the company's retirement plans.
Excluding special items, earnings were 54 cents per share, a penny shy of analysts' estimates.
Revenue fell 2.6 percent to $26.4 billion from $27.1 billion and was roughly in line with analyst estimates of $26.5 billion. Verizon sold off landlines in outlying areas last summer, reducing revenue compared with a year earlier.
Verizon announced last week that it was changing how it accounts for the value of plans that cover pensions and retiree health care. The company will recognize losses and gains in its plans in the same year they occur rather than amortizing them over time, as is standard practice. Verizon had accumulated $20.2 billion in losses that were going to weigh on future earnings, but the maneuver allowed it to move those losses into the past.
In making the change, Verizon was following in the footsteps of AT&T, which moved $17 billion from future losses to the past. Analysts believe other companies with substantial retiree benefit plans may make similar changes.
Although Verizon Wireless is doing well, that doesn't help the parent company, Verizon Communications, as much as it would like. Vodafone Group PLC owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless and claims that proportion of its earnings. Meanwhile, Verizon's local-phone business operates essentially at break-even, despite massive investment in upgrading its lines with optical fiber for FiOS Internet and TV service.
For the full year, Verizon said net income fell 48 percent to $2.5 billion, or 90 cents per share, from $4.9 billion, or $1.72 per share, in 2009. Revenue fell 1.2 percent to $107 billion, though it rose 3.9 percent excluding the summer's sale of landlines to Frontier.
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The Interview Panel:
- Nick Koutsianas, Founder, APIVITA S.A., www.apivita.gr
- Sharon Christie, President and CEO, Aromafloria, www.aromafloria.com
- Curt Valva, General Manager, AUBREY ORGANICS, Inc., www.aubrey-organics.com
- Mike Indursky, Chief Marketing & Strategic Officer, Burt's Bees Inc., www.burtsbees.com
- Achille Riviello, Perfumer, drom Fragrances International, Ltd., www.drom.com
- Carina Menzies, Owner, Everyday Minerals, www.everydayminerals.com
- Angella Green, Brand Manager, JASON Natural Products, www.jason-natural.com
- Steve Byckiewicz, Founder, Kiss My Face Corp., www.kissmyface.com
- Laura Setzfand, Vice President of Marketing, Nature's Gate, www.natures-gate.com; Editorial Advisory Board member, GCI magazine
- Noah Bremen, President, Noah's Naturals, www.noahsnaturals.com
- Vorravit Siripark, Marketing Director, Pañpuri, www.panpuri.com
- Christina Marcaccini, Founder, RAW Natural Beauty, LLC, rawnaturalbeauty.com
- Debbie Ludington, President, Sweet Grass Farm, www.sweetgrassonline.com
- Bernard Guerra, President, Tact Beauty Care, www.tactbeautycare.com
- Kayla Fioravanti, R.A., Chief Formulator, Registered Aromatherapist and Founder, von Natur, www.vonnatur.com
- Ido Leffler, CEO, Yes To Carrots, www.yes-to-carrots.com
GCI: What is your typical audience demographic?
Kayla Fioravanti: Our audience includes anyone who cares about what they put on their skin. Our Chaotic Facial Line is unisex and is designed for blemished and chaotic skin. The typical age group for this line is 12 to 30. The Balance Facial Line is a unisex line that is for anyone with sensitive, damaged and irritated skin. This skin care system knows no age limits. The Absolute Line is typically for women from their thirties and up. Because we sell mineral makeup, bath products, body products, spa products and more, we have a very wide range of ages and ethnic groups. Our price point is in the medium range.
Ido Leffler: We actually are amazed by the amount letters we receive from happy Yes To Carrots family members, ranging in age from 12-years-old to 90.
Steve Byckiewicz: Females, [ages] 15-60.
Noah Bremen: Women [ages] 18-45, but men's grooming is growing rapidly, and natural/organic and eco-friendliness appeals equally to both sexes. We certainly sell to "enthusiasts," but the enormous opportunity for us and our retail partner is to trade up consumers who either buy natural/organic in other categories but haven't yet in beauty or simply are looking for an opportunity to do something that is both right for their bodies and the earth.
Vorravit Siripark: Pañpuri products are unisex. Our customers are mainly 25-45 years old who enjoy natural products without having to forego a sense of luxury. They are educated, sophisticated and cultured.
Angella Green: JASON's typical demographic are women 35-plus—typically a mother who makes the personal care purchase for the whole family. She most often shops in the natural food stores for both her personal care and food.
Debbie Ludington: Our typical customers [are] women, ages 30-55, with a comfortable income level. They enjoy discovering niche brands that offer good performance, and they are great referrers of these brands to their friends and family. They enjoy the performance and the status of finding a quality brand that isn't found all over the place. They aren't afraid to purchase goods online. We also have a custom profile that is male. These gentlemen are aged 40-60, have tried our soaps and salves and have found great results. They take the trouble to place orders themselves, phoning in or ordering online. Performance motivates them, and we receive letters saying that they can't use any other soap but ours since it has solved their skin problems—usually dryness and irritation from shaving.
Curt Valva: We are targeted to an audience that has chosen to make a difference in lifestyle that transcends across many age groups. He/she is educated in the natural lifestyle, reads labels and makes an intelligent choice when purchasing products. Lifestyle and commitment is more important than say rural versus urban. Education and understanding is the key. If I had to put our customer in a box, I would say she is primarily female, between 35-60, somewhat educated, and above all, she reads labels.
Mike Indursky: Our audience started as a large, but still niche, group of extremely loyal natural product enthusiasts.
Christina Marcaccini: From a product standpoint, our line appeals to women of all ages. The textures and colors are so wearable [that] they work across a wide range of skin tones and skin types. Our green positioning will attract more of a psychographic cluster than a demographic one. These are consumers that value quality and believe natural is better and are willing to pay more for it. They care about the company that makes the products they purchase and want to see their personal values aligned with the company ideology.
Nick Koutsianas: When APIVITA first started out, almost 35 years ago, the consumer in Greece, as well as worldwide, was not conscious of the danger resulting from chemicals, nor was he trained to use natural products. Today, more and more people are aware of the environmental challenges and organic products have thus become a trend in the market. APIVITA's consumers are environmentally sensitive, educated men and women that live mainly in urban areas; to them, APIVITA's products as one of the ways to revive their bond with nature.
GCI: Which types of natural or organic personal care products are most popular, as proven by sales from your company?
Curt Valva: Hair care (shampoos and conditioners) and our three-step skin care methods are the most popular…. People are truly concerned with what is put on their bodies, and these seem to be the most popular products in the marketplace. I personally use our Blue Chamomile shampoo, GPB Conditioner and Natural Mist hairspray everyday. On my face, I use the Men's Stock Moisturizer (a top pick by Esquire editors) and Lumessence Eye Cream.
Mike Indursky: Having a lip heritage, our flagship Lip Balms and Lip Shimmers are always best-sellers. To add to the range, we just launched new Super Shiny 100% Natural Lip Glosses (four shades), which will be absolutely huge! Next in line are our face care products—Peach & Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub, Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream and our Radiance line of facial moisturizers, [which] are extremely popular. Then our shampoos, such as Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo, and our brand new Naturally Nourishing Body Wash, which is the first natural moisturizing body wash using a special oleosome technology. Finally, there are the old favorites like Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème and Res-Q Ointment. My favorite? It's a toss-up between the Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème and the Green Tea & Lemongrass Hand Wash.
Carina Menzies: We're primarily a mineral makeup company right now. That is driving our growth. But we're integrating new product lines that fit with our holistic vision of Everyday Minerals—soaps, wet wipes, exotic body balms, lip colors and glosses and 100% synthetic brushes, just to name a few. And we don't sell anything we don't use ourselves. We love working with organics, because we're the test subjects.
Noah Bremen: Our skin care products are selling extremely well. Consumers want a truly natural alternative to harsh chemicals and magic bullet products. I use the full regimen of 1-2-3 Skincare to keep my skin young, and, really, it feels good.
Vorravit Siripark: Pañpuri is known for its body care range, as it is our widest range. I personally use our Organic Cream Wash Bar everyday, because I love the creamy texture and the refined aroma.
Christina Marcaccini: We have had a great response to our RAW Color Primal Pigments Pure Botanical Lipstick and our Lush Lash Pure Botanical Mascara. The avoidance of synthetic fragrances, colorants and chemical preservatives are especially important for these products, since the lips and eyes are such vulnerable areas (women are estimated to ingest between 4-9 lbs of lipstick over a lifetime, so avoiding potentially harmful ingredients in the formulation is paramount). As a new mom (especially since I'm breastfeeding), I not only want to limit my chemical exposure, but I also need products that are effective and easy to use. I'm hooked on our Soft Focus Illuminating Skin Perfector. It gives enough coverage to even out my skin tone (I've got some melasma from my pregnancy), and it leaves my skin with a subtle bronze glow. Plus, because the formula is so lightweight and creamy, it doesn't look or feel like I'm wearing makeup.
Debbie Ludington: Our most popular products [are] our hand-stirred olive oil soaps. These are a staple of our product line and exhibit consistent growth year [after] year. Our customers write notes about how they solve their skin problems—dry skin, oily skin, eczema. They are made of food grade olive and coconut oil, and essential oils for fragrance and therapeutic benefits. They also feature natural herbs and spices for color and efficacy. Our second most consistent product line is our Farmhouse Home care items. Thought they aren't a beauty item, you can't over look the crossover into home fragrance that many beauty customers are looking for. These people want to be surrounded with healthy, fragrant and effective products not only for their skin, but also for their home care chores such as dish washing, laundry, etc.
Kayla Fioravanti: The Absolute Line of facial products is the most popular line of cosmetics we carry. It was created for women with maturing skin. It takes into account the hormonal changes women go through…. As a 40-year-old woman, this is the line I personally use, as well. I am constantly asked why my skin looks so good, and the answer is, "A whole lot of water consumption along with the Absolute Line."
Ido Leffler: If we look at the U.S. market, we've found that people start off in the line by trying our hair and body care products. Then, once they fall in love, they move into the face products. I'd say our C through the Dry Spell Body Butter and the C Loves Your Hair Shampoo are global favorites.
Nick Koutsianas: I would say our sales are balanced across product categories—hair, skin and body. We are, however, leaders in shampoos—selling over 600,000 bottles a year, with a market share close to 40% in Greek pharmacies. Our express range of masks in practical one-dose sachets has been another great seller. Personally, I am using our mastic toothpaste, chamomile and honey shampoo and various shower gels; these are products I first made in my small lab in the pharmacy, and I still feel attached to them somehow.
GCI: How does your brand differentiate itself from other similar natural or organic brands?
Sharon Christie: Aromafloria is a luxury natural wellness brand. We've been in the movement since back when it started as the herbal movement, which became natural, which became organic…. We've always been about wellness. I was always about good health and preventative health care. (I have a master's in olfactory science)…. We have always been benefit-driven—not really the "flavor of the month." As an herbalist, I have always been mindful of mother earth and her precious resources…. Twenty-three years of brand sustainability is "it" for Aromafloria.
Curt Valva: We have been producing natural products for over 40 years. We grew up in the natural products arena and helped to found the industry in America.
Mike Indursky: Burt's Bees is leading category growth and differentiating itself by focusing on the responsibilities that come with its leadership. The key responsibility we have is to educate consumers on what natural is and is not, so they can make the most informed decisions to maximize their well-being.
Achille Riviello: We have been developing the pureganic line since 1995. We foresaw the American and European organic and bio-movement rising from the '90s back-to-nature movement (following the '80s excess), and Europe's deep-rooted traditions meshed perfectly with this trend. The time was right for such an idea, and we brought it to fruition with the cooperation of the Bavarian Research Center of Agriculture and the University of Munich.
Carina Menzies: We keep our overhead low, we pass on our margins to the consumer and we strive for better quality products. If you want to pay for the overhead and executive vacations with the additional $10 you pay per foundation, for example, then we're simply not your company. It's about living our promise and not getting fat from it.
Laura Setzfand: Nature's Gate was founded in the early seventies by two brothers who collected rainwater by hand, mixed it with the herbs from their herb shop and created the first Nature's Gate Rainwater Shampoo. This humble beginning continues to inspire us to develop effective, safe personal care products based on the purest natural and sustainable harvested ingredients. Nature's Gate has a broad portfolio of natural products, and is the No. 1 ranked hair care brand in the natural category, with leadership positions in oral, sun, body lotion and liquid soap. Nature's Gate is one of the only brands to have created and introduced a range of USDA Certified Organic Body Lotions, delivering the optimal in product purity. This range uses only food grade certified organic ingredients, many of which are locally grown on land dedicated exclusively to growing the Nature's Gate Certified Organic Plant Extracts.
Bernard Guerra: Our strategy has been to offer natural products at a price the increasingly stretched consumer can afford. We also offer a travel experience with our Discover the World line—to Greece with olive oil-based products, to France with French lavender-based products, to India with ginger and spice-based products and to Brazil with cocoa and Amazonian plant-based products. Our Brazil line [was] launched at the NY International Gift Fair. The plants used in our Plants of the Earth line are chosen for the benefits they provide to the user.
Nick Koutsianas: Our philosophy is based on the holistic approach inspired by ancient Greece and Hippocrates, in particular, who taught that "nature is the most dominant ruler of all" and that "prevention is better than the cure." When we started out in the '70s—and back then, natural products were not trendy at all—we wanted to offer effective solutions with no side effects. Being a pharmacist and a bee-keeper, I was inspired by Hippocrates, the herbs of my country and the bee community to create the first products. Our plant extracts have proven effectiveness, and we use mainly plants grown in Greece with high biological value due to the country's low pollution and abundant sunshine. Greece is blessed with one of the richest floras in the world—over 5,000 plants—as it was not affected by the Ice Age. In addition, we take advantage of nature's most amazing laboratory—the bee-hive—and bee products such as propolis, royal jelly, honey, beeswax and bee pollen to create problem-solving products that deliver results. We were the first company in Greece, and certainly one of the first brands worldwide to offer personal, bespoke cosmetics back in 1990. This is an area of growth that we are looking to explore further in the years to come. Our R&D team is yet another point of differentiation, as most of our research is done in-house; we have developed over 50,000 formulas in the past 30 years and produce over 12 tons of extracts per year—still the only company in Greece to do so in-house.
GCI: Other than online, where are your products sold?
Sharon Christie: Canyon Ranch, Coldwater Creek, Bed, Bath & Beyond, CVS, destination spas….
Curt Valva: Our products are found at most health food stores, health markets and better health chains throughout the country and around the world.
Carina Menzies: Everyday Minerals and our upcoming ancillary brands will always be primarily Internet based. This allows us the broadest reach worldwide.
Angella Green: JASON Natural Products are available in natural/health food stores and nutrition centers almost world wide in the United States, Canada, U.K., Philippines, New Zealand, Russia and Norway, to name a few.
Steve Byckiewicz: Whole Foods, Wild Oats and small health food stores across the country.
Noah Bremen: Noah's Naturals and Organics by Noah's Naturals are available at select Wal-Mart stores nationwide, Longs Drug [and] leading college bookstores.
Debbie Ludington: We have several very active distribution channels. Our oldest, and most highly protected, is our network of boutique and specialty gift shops throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Bernard Guerra: Bath stores, gift stores, independent pharmacies, health food stores, catalogues, etc.
Kayla Fioravanti: Our products are sold in spas.
Ido Leffler: For us, it really varies country to country. In Australia and Asia, we are in drugstores/department stores (and soon to be concept stores), including AS Watsons, Mannings, Target, Big W, Sebu, Central Department Stores, Sea of Life Stores and hundreds of leading pharmacies. In the U.K., we're in Debenhams and are in discussions with the major drug and health retail outlets. We'll launch at L'Etoile/Sephora in Russia in February with major perfumery, drug and health food launches throughout Europe rolling out right now! So it varies. In the U.S., we launched last year exclusively at retail in Walgreens stores nationwide and focused on the mass market retailers in the U.S. Walgreens has been a fantastic partner and have focused on creating a dedicated all-natural beauty section in their skin care departments. The early adopters of natural and organic personal care products have definitely been serviced by specialty stores and grocery stores, but other distribution channels have definitely paid attention, and adding more resources to develop this booming segment of the cosmetics industry.
Nick Koutsianas: In Greece, our products are sold in over 3,000 pharmacies, [in] one APIVITA shop in downtown Athens and [in] two corners in department stores. APIVITA is present in 20 countries overseas—Asia being our biggest area of growth. Two flagship stores were launched in Hong Kong last summer, and we look forward to further opportunities of expansion in Korea, Australia and Spain, our biggest market in Europe—outside of Greece, of course.
Editor's note: Burt's Bees and Nature's Gate products are available in mass supermarkets, drugstores and specialty holistic food shops; RAW Natural Beauty and Pañpuri products are available online; and drom Fragrances, an ingredient supplier, can be contacted through their Web site, as well.


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Baby shower etiquette: Hint, it's not about the gifts
| Burlington, Vt.
Baby showers bring to mind much oohing and awing (obligatory or genuine) as piles of pink- or blue-themed gifts are opened.
While it's true that the point of a baby shower is to give new parents gifts that will help them be prepared for their new bundle of joy, they are also about sharing the excitement a new baby brings with family and friends.
Whenever guests are expected to bring a gift, those expectations can start to become the center of attention, instead of the event the gifts are celebrating.
Here are a few ways to help keep the focus where it belongs: on the thrill and anticipation of a wonderful new baby.
While new parents don't throw their own shower (it's too much of a direct ask for presents), anyone else can host.
And though many people might associate baby showers with a group of women seated in a circle around a mom-to-be, it's fine to throw a shower for any expecting or new parent-single mom or dad, or gay or straight couples together-and the guest list can be co-ed.
This is also the case for parents who adopt, though if the adoption is for an older child, don't use baby-themed invitations. It's also a good idea to include the child's name and age on the invitation.
Keep shower guests to close friends and family.
Though a gift is expected if a guest attends, guests should only be invited to help celebrate the upcoming arrival, not for the gift they bring. If a guest is invited to a shower but can't attend, there is no obligation to send a gift, though they certainly may if they want to.
Include registry information on a separate slip of paper with the invitation, or better yet, provide it to guests who reply they will be coming. It is splitting hairs, but it keeps the focus on the guest being invited to celebrate and not just on their gift.
It's okay to have a shower for a second or third child. Originally this was frowned on, the idea being that parents would have what they need from their first child.
But in some cases it's been many years since the last child was born, or the first child was a girl and now the parents are expecting a boy.
For parents who are relatively well equipped, shower hosts might consider themes that focus on restocking basic items, or treats for mom and dad, such as a night of babysitting, coupons for take-out, massages, or movie tickets.
Office showers are a nice way for colleagues to help celebrate and acknowledge parents-to-be. Usually there is cake and a card signed by the group, often accompanied by a group present.
Employee guests to an office shower aren't expected to bring gifts; instead, the group gets together for a group gift, usually funded by an office collection.
It's important that no one be excluded from or pressured into participating. Instead, the person in charge should inform everyone that there's an envelope at his or her desk, and to make contributions there anonymously. Never go desk-to-desk asking colleagues to pony up on the spot.
The person in charge might check in with the parent-to-be to discover what they need, and to see if their partner might be available to join the party.
Traditional etiquette says that if you thanked someone for a gift in person, there is no need to send a handwritten note. This is still true, but shower gifts have always been and continue to be an exception.
Be sure to send a prompt handwritten thank-you note to each guest who gave you a gift. It's never okay for the shower host to ask guests to write their address on blank envelopes to save the parent-to-be the effort.
Notes, including the envelopes, should be personal start to finish. Some hosts will excuse the practice by using them to draw door prizes or as a way to gather mailing addresses for the expectant parent in an age of email.
Door prizes don't make up for laziness, and an address book would work just as well to collect mailing addresses, so these excuses don't make up for the tackiness of outsourcing the task of thanking guests to the guests themselves.
And a final grace note for parents: After your newborn arrives, be sure to share the news personally with anyone who attended a baby shower for you.
Anna Post is a spokeswoman for The Emily Post Institute, a U.S.-based organization founded in 1946 that addresses societal concerns including business and wedding etiquette and raising polite children. Her latest book "Emily Posts's Etiquette, 18th edition" is out now. The opinions expressed are her own. The Emily Post Institute's website is www.emilypost.com


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What are Chris Riddell's qualifications to talk about technology? What are the awards that Chris Riddell has won? I cannot seem to find ...
Upcoming Salesforce.com release focuses on Chatter, service
Analyst: Salesforce.com needs more work on mobility, analytics
Salesforce.com's next CRM (customer relationship management) software release will contain a slew of new features, with many focused on the Chatter collaboration and messaging tool as well as customer service, according to a set of official release notes.
Many new features associated with Chatter concern usability and access to the system. For example, now iOS device users will be able to launch Chatter Mobile from their Salesforce.com email.
This is an important update "as most folks are still email-dependent," said analyst Ray Wang , CEO of Constellation Research.
Another major new feature, albeit available only as a pilot, is called Salesforce Files. It allows users to "securely sync files between Chatter and your desktop and some mobile devices," according to the notes. "This is the competitor to Box," and something customers should look at, Wang said.
For core sales automation, the upcoming release introduces Console for Sales.
This gives users "easy access to sales intelligence and helps you quickly contact leads, assess companies, and identify key contacts -- all in a dashboard-like interface that means more access to contextual data with fewer clicks and less scrolling," according to the notes.
Salesforce.com has also deepened the integration between its application and Microsoft Outlook.
Known as Winter '14, the new release also features improvements to Salesforce.com Communities, including the ability to assign a moderator to groups; and a series of usability updates within the Service Cloud product family, which includes Chatter Answers, Salesforce.com's knowledge base platform and Live Agent, among others.
Meanwhile, Winter '14's new feature lineup for analytics and mobile is less impressive, in Wang's view.
"Next to the mobile apps, analytics still is the weakest part of Salesforce.com," Wang said. "To be clear, it's better reporting and dashboards, not really analytics, as there are no predictive models, or algorithms applied here. This area will require the most attention in the long run but for now, reporting and KPIs are fairly decent."
Many of the new features in Winter '14 came from users' suggestions submitted through Salesforce.com's IdeaExchange, which is admirable on the company's part, Wang said.
As of November, Salesforce.com will no longer offer new customers the ability to purchase Unlimited Edition subscriptions, although it will support existing ones, according to the notes. Instead, the top-tier offering will be the recently announced Performance Edition, which costs more money but includes additional features.
It wasn't immediately clear Monday when the Winter '14 update will go live, although customers with Salesforce.com sandbox accounts can take part in a preview period that begins Sept. 6.
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris' email address is firstname.lastname@example.com


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Apple next week will reportedly unveil a connected-home software platform at its annual developer conference, according to Financial Times.
Apple's "big play" in the smart home space would involve turning the iPhone and iPad into a controller for connected devices in the house. The Apple TV would be integrated with the platform as well, according to the report.
Similar to its "Made for iPhone" label, Apple has been chatting with manufacturers about certification and Apple retail store space for connected home products. Products for the platform would be vetted by Apple for compatibility and security.
Apple last year patented an iOS control platform for smart home and media applications. Talk surfaced about Apple's rumored iWatch possibly taking advantage of the connected-home controls as well.
Products like Apple TV have already made significant moves toward planting themselves in the home but Apple competitors like Google have been making splashing automation acquisitions to level the playing field. Google in January announced it was buying Nest Labs, maker of connected thermostats and smoke alarms, for $3.2 billion.
The news comes as Apple gets set for its annual WWDC developer conference in San Francisco, which kicks off June 2. The company is expected to reveal iOS 8.0 as well as a new version of OS X.


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"While the presence of DARVO is not conclusive evidence of guilt, it certainly cannot be accepted as an indication of innocence."
BALTIMORE, MD, October 09, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Brett Kavanaugh, recently confirmed to the Supreme Court, stands accused by at least three women of sexual assault or inappropriate behaviors. Senator Susan Collins, a key deciding vote in Kavanaugh's confirmation, explained her support to CNN, "After hearing Christine Ford's very compelling and painful testimony, I thought...'perhaps he needs to withdraw' but then he came back with such a forceful denial …" This raises the question of whether a forceful denial suggests innocence.
When questioned about the allegations by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh responded by denying the allegations, crying, yelling and accusing Democrats and the Clintons of fabricating the allegations in an effort to destroy him. While his supporters in the Senate found Kavanaugh's display convincing, experts in sexual assault found his behavior consistent with a pattern of offender behavior previously identified in the scientific literature.
Dr. Jennifer Freyd, Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, studied abusers and coined the term DARVO to describe the reaction offenders often display when confronted with their wrong doing. DARVO stands for "Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender". According to Joyanna Silberg, PhD, President of the Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence, "The purpose of the DARVO defense strategy is to gain sympathy by claiming to be the true victim and to derail any investigation of the original allegations."
Denial generally involves loud protestations of innocence and deflection from the key issues. Accusations may involve questioning the credibility of the victim and attacking anyone supporting the victim. Finally, the accused typically claims to be the "true" victim, showing themselves as more hurt than the abuse survivor as they blame everyone else for the situation. This approach tends to reverse the conversation, bring sympathy to the accused, and cause concern about the pain of the actual survivor to be eclipsed by the presumed pain of the accused.
This dynamic was present in the Senate hearing which both Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh testified. According to Bob Geffner, PhD, Council advisory member and President of the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, "Dr. Ford's testimony was credible and moving. She had disclosed years before to her therapist and others, she described sufficient details, and there was no discernible reason for her to have lied or misrepresent her experience. When Kavanaugh's turn came, several credibility issues about his youth surfaced. However, he cried and raged about the agony the accusations had caused him and his family and by the time the hearing was over, Kavanaugh was viewed by many as the true victim and Dr. Ford was dismissed by many as mixed up or mistaken in her identification." "I do believe that she was assaulted," Collins told CNN, "…. but I do not believe that he was the assailant."
According to Dr. Silberg, "There is no scientific basis for believing Dr. Ford would remember the assault but misremember who assaulted her--particularly since she was familiar with Kavanaugh and his friends. Studies show that victims tend to remember central aspects of the trauma very well. When victims misidentify their attacker, it is because he was a stranger—someone they had never met before or seen since," asserts Silberg.
"Unfortunately many people who watched the Kavanaugh hearing formed opinions on the credibility of the two parties based largely on their preexisting political beliefs," notes Dr. Silberg. "We offer a more scientific basis for assessing the dynamics involved. While the presence of DARVO is not conclusive evidence of guilt, it certainly cannot be accepted as an indication of innocence. Moreover, there is no valid reason to doubt Dr. Ford's memory of who she claims attacked her."
The Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence is composed of national leaders in psychology, psychiatry, medicine, law, and public policy who are committed to the ethical application of psychological science and countering its misuse by special interest groups. Members of the Council are dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of children and other vulnerable populations. More information can be found at: www.leadershipcouncil.org
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Muslim extremists threatened to kill my friend "Amir." But he says kindness is the best way to introduce a Muslim to the love of Jesus.
My friend Amir is a marked man. I can't even use his real name because Muslim extremists in his native Pakistan want to kill him.
Last month while Muslims were burning churches and murdering Americans in the Middle East to protest a low-budget film about Islam, I spent a few days with Amir, who attends Bible college in the United States. Raised a Presbyterian, Amir's belief in Jesus puts him in the minority in Pakistan.
Amir has seen anti-Christian violence erupt in his country many times. When he was a boy, a classmate boasted of starting a fire that burned an entire Christian town. In 2010 terror hit the city of Faisalabad when two pastors were accused of blaspheming Muhammad. Assassins shot and killed both pastors while police watched.
In August of this year a Christian girl in Pakistan was arrested and accused of desecrating a copy of the Quran—a capital offense under Islamic law. Later, after a Muslim cleric was arrested on charges of framing the girl, local Muslims continued to call for her death—along with anyone who defended her. One Muslim from the girl's village was quoted by reporters as saying: "Pour petrol and burn these Christians!"
I interviewed my friend Amir to gain insight into how Americans should view this growing conflict. He put things into perspective with these three points:
1. Realize that God is moving in powerful ways in Islamic countries. Despite the violence we hear about daily, all the news is not negative. Muslims are coming to know Jesus—often because of supernatural demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. Amir's family witnessed a miracle in 2005 when his younger sister was healed of total blindness. They began attending a Pentecostal church and now have helped plant three congregations.
Reports of church growth, conversions and evangelism campaigns are not aired on network television, but they are widespread—in Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and other Islamic nations. "It is true that a lot of Muslims want to learn about Christianity," Amir says.
2. The best way to win a Muslim to Christ is through love and kindness. Amir cringes when he hears how Florida pastor Terry Jones publicly burns copies of the Quran and blasts Islamic doctrines. "This is not the way to reach Muslims," Amir says. "We must talk to them nicely. The majority of Muslims coming to Jesus today are coming because of miracles, supernatural visitations of Jesus and conversations with Christians who offer literature that is loving and non-threatening."
Amir points out that intentional efforts to discredit the Quran or speak against Muhammad create a backlash that hurts Middle Eastern Christians. He notes that the recently released film Innocence of Muslims triggered violent outbreaks in Pakistan last week that resulted in the burning of two churches in Mardan and one in Karachi. "That movie is not a way to reach Muslims because it will close doors for missionary work in Islamic countries," Amir adds.
3. Americans should take a stand to protect the rights of Christians in the Middle East. Last week Middle Eastern delegates to the United Nations demanded that world leaders enact "blasphemy laws" to stop any form of speech that is critical of Islam. Pakistan has had such a law since the mid-1990s, and it is often used to persecute both Christians and Hindus.
In 2008 in the Pakistani city of Gojra, at least 14 Christians were killed and 180 houses were burned when Muslims accused Christians of desecrating the Quran. Investigators later proved that no desecration occurred. Says Amir: "The blasphemy law is a sword to the Christians in my country. It is more than a curse. It is bondage. And if this becomes international policy it will be very destructive to the Christian community in Egypt, Iran and other nations."
And let's not assume this problem exists only on the other side of the world. Last week in Dearborn, Mich., Islamic leaders rallied in the streets to demand passage of anti-blasphemy laws in the United States. They want to criminalize all speech that is deemed offensive to Muslims. Amir believes Americans must protect the right to freedom of expression—even as we use caution in the way we share our faith with followers of Islam.
Amir begs the Christian community in the West to remember that we have many brothers and sisters living in the middle of the powder keg that is the Middle East. Let's live in solidarity with them. They need our prayers. But they are also looking to us for courage—to preserve religious freedom at home and to promote it abroad.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His most recent book is Fearless Daughters of the Bible.
J. Lee Grady is an author, award-winning journalist and ordained minister. He served as a news writer and magazine editor for many years before launching into full-time ministry.
Lee is the author of six books, including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible. His years at Charisma magazine also gave him a unique perspective of the Spirit-filled church and led him to write The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and Set My Heart on Fire, which is a Bible study on the work of the Holy Spirit.


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Home » Products » Cooking Aids » Spices & Herbs » BBQ Spice
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But its use is not limited to savory dishes only! You can add it to cake batters, sprinkle it on apple pies, rice and milk puddings as well as on famous salep drink.
Available size: 3.25oz.
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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Time is short during the holiday season and these ornaments took no time at all to fill. The fun part for your kids is to find things that fit through the hole at the top to fill the ornaments with. As you can imagine, we have a lot of craft supplies that we have gathered over the years and me being me I save everything to use again. Having a bunch of ornaments and different fill in a craft buffet would be super fun activity for a holiday party. I like the idea of using these as an alternative to wrapping too.
All you really need are some clear plastic ornaments waiting to be filled.
One-Minute Ornament Ideas
Fuse beads were so colorful and would make a cute stocking stuffer as is.
The glass beads reflected the light so well.
These wood beads would fit right in with our rustic holiday decor.
These pony beads could be packaged with a jewelry box and some beading thread as a whole jewelry themed gift.
The pom poms were fun for my toddler to help me put in. Additionally, they make a great unbreakable ornament for a tree for a young family or someone with cats!
The jingle bells not only looked great, but also had a beautiful and a little muted jingle to them.
It goes without saying that the LEGO one was my son's favorite. I think it might be mine too.
What would you fill your empty ornaments with?


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3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
*1/4 teaspoon strawberry extract + 1 small drop red food coloring
(Could you substitute strawberry juice for the extract?-I think that would be better)
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, in a medium mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in sugar until well combined. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel, until well combined.
Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture, until well combined.
Cover bowl, and place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with nonstick spray, butter, or shortening.
Flour a counter, rolling pin, and cookie cutters. Turnout half of dough onto counter. Add a little flour to the dough, and shape into a ball. Roll out dough into 1/4-inch thickness, cut out shapes using cutters, and place cookies on prepared pans.
Working in batches, bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. (Dough won't be golden)
Cool cookies on pan for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
To make the frosting, heat milk, sugar, and flour, in a large saucepan over medium heat, and bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. When mixture is the consistency of pudding, remove pan from heat. Scrape mixture into a large bowl, and cool a few minutes. Chill mixture in the refrigerator until cold.
Beat butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, until creamy. Beat in cooled milk mixture, until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in confectioners sugar and vanilla, until well combined.
Divide mixture into two other bowls, keeping an equal amount in the original bowl. In one bowl, beat in cocoa powder until combined. (Clean beaters) In another bowl, beat in strawberry extract and red food coloring until combined.
Frost the cookies as desired.
Yield: About 40 cookies, depending on what size you make them


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2017-07-31 16:07:22 | 编辑:编辑部-3
Fédération Cynologique Internationale(FCI )
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale is the World Canine Organisation. It includes 92 members and contract partners (one member per country) that each issue their own pedigrees and train their own judges.
The FCI has five sections: Europe, The Americas and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Middle-East and Africa.
The FCI makes sure that the pedigrees and judges are mutually recognised by all the FCI members.
The FCI recognises 344 breeds. Each of them is the 'property' of a specific country. The 'owner' countries of the breeds write the standard of these breeds (detailed description of the ideal type of the breed), in co-operation with the Standards and Scientific Commissions of the FCI. The translation, updating and publication of the standards are carried out by the FCI. These standards are THE reference for the judges at shows held in the FCI member countries, but also for the breeders in their attempt to produce top-quality dogs.
Every member country conducts international conformation shows as well as working/hunting trials and tests, Agility and Obedience competitions, races, coursing and herding trials. Results are sent to the FCI office where they are processed and homologated. When a dog has been awarded a certain number of awards, it is eligible for the title of International Beauty, Show, Working, Beauty and Working, Agility, Obedience, Race, Beauty and Performance or Herding Champion. These titles are homologated by the FCI.
In addition every breeder can ask for international registration of his/her kennel name via his/her national canine organisation.


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Today your challenge in the 31 Day project that we're running here at Problogger is focused around writing a post and is to write a 'list post'.
Today's Teaching:
Using 'lists' has always been a popular and effective technique among bloggers wanting to write content that gets spread from one person to the next. Just look at pages like the front page of Digg, TweetMeme and Delicious and you'll see that many of the 'hottest' content on the web at any given time are written in this style.
Check out this screen shot of Delicious from yesterday:
You can see there that every post in the most popular page of Delcious at this point was a list of some type.
8 Reasons Why List Posts are Powerful for Bloggers
'List posts' are popular because:
1. Lists are Scannable – online readers are notoriously lazy and tend to scan content rather than read it word for word. A list helps communicate a number of points quickly and easily and helps readers to know if a post contains information that interests them and which they should actually read more of.
2. Lists keep posts succinct – there is something about a list that keeps you as a blogger from rambling. Each point has a start and end whereas with an essay style of writing points often bleed into one another.
3. Lists look 'neat' – I don't know about you but when I surf onto a site that is full of messily formatted text – I don't tend to stick around for too long. Lists on the other hand can be quite visually pleasing and more likely to stimulate someone to start reading.
4. Lists can be comprehensive – while some might argue that lists 'dumb down' ideas and concepts – when written well they can actually be just as comprehensive as any other style of writing.
5. Lists are persuasive – if you want to mount a case for something quickly presenting numerous arguments in a list can be quite convincing. Again – it's about identifiable points that together go to forming a convincing argument.
6. Lists can add to the ease of writing – I like writing in lists because they break down my thoughts into bite sized pieces which is good not only for readers but me as a writer as I consider how to express myself.
7. Lists go Viral – lists can start epidemics of ideas. For the above reasons (and others – bloggers and those on social media seem to love sharing lists and as a result they have the ability to spread quickly through out the web (and beyond)
8. Lists break down the complicated – one reason I find list posts to be powerful is that they can be great for breaking down complex ideas or tasks. I know on my photography blog that many of our photoshop tutorials work best when our authors present their instructions as 'steps' – meaning a procedure that can at first seem overwhelming becomes a list of bite sized tasks.
Warning: don't go over the top with 'list posts'. They can be incredibly powerful but on many blogs readers can become frustrated with them if that is all you do.
Your Task for Today – Write a List Post:
Today your task is to write a 'list post' on your blog. You may not choose to publish it today if you already have something lined up – but aim to publish it in the next day or two if you can.
3 Types of 'List Posts'
There are a variety of ways of incorporating lists into your blog. Depending upon the topic and style of blog you're building some of these options might be appropriate for you:
- The post as a list – in this case there's nothing in the post except for the list. The title of your post introduces the topic and then the list speaks for itself. The list can be quite barebones – short and to the point. However readers often like them because of their bluntness and the way that they tell it like it is. Example: 21 Ways to Write Posts that are Guarantees to Grow Your Blog.
- Extended lists – this is how I generally approach 'list posts'. I'll show you a couple of examples below but in a sense this type of post is not dissimilar to an essay or article but the main points are broken down into a numbered list format. Generally there is a heading for each section (highlighted in bold or heading tags) with a paragraph or two under each one. Example: 10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits.
- Lists Within Posts – the post you're reading right now probably illustrates this type well. In this post there are two lists that present ideas in the midst of other content. In a sense the list becomes a way of breaking up your text. I find that often these posts do quite well as other bloggers looking for a quote to share with their readers will many times grab your list.
Some bloggers do at times get a little 'anti list' and suggest it is an overused technique and a lazy way to write – but this need not always be the case. There's nothing to stop a blogger developing a list post that is in depth and on topic for almost any blog.
List posts will not suit everyone's style and probably are harder to use with some blog topics than others but they are a useful style of post to have in your tool belt for when the opportunity arises.
Highly Recommended Reading: If you're after a little extra reading on the topic of writing list posts check out this excellent and practical guest post from late last year on ProBlogger with 10 steps to writing the perfect list post.
Examples of List Posts
I know some of our participants will find today's task easier than others. Some of you have successfully written a lot of list posts while others have not. Some have topics where these types of posts 'fit' better than others. I hope that in the following examples (both from my blogs and others) that you'll find a little inspiration that might help you to discover a type of post that might work with your blog.
- 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers – a general post listing a lot of 'tips'. None of the tips go too deep but each could actually be expanded into a post of there own at some point.
- Popular Digital Cameras and Gear – this is actually a series of 4 lists of products that are popular among my readers. The lists rank popular products from highest to lowest – something readers have really appreciated.
- 20 Types of Pages that Every Blogger should Consider – note the technique of using a small picture for each point on the list in this example. I've used this a number of times and it seems to work well at drawing readers eyes to points. I first learned the power of this technique in a post I wrote back in 2005 called 18 Lessons I've Learned as about Blogging.
- 10 Twitter Tools that Help you Work Smarter – a list of resources/tools (these can be very popular with readers) note the amount of retweets that this post has had on Twitter – lists can go viral!
- 10 High Fliers on Twitter – lists of people are another classic type of post that often does well. They tend to cause debate, discussion and a few vanity link ins from those on the list.
- The Logo Design Process from Start to Finish – an example of a list that really is a step by step process.
- Top 25 fictional ads in sci-fi movies – a little 'different' but a good example.
Also: also check out this long list of 'list posts' written in a group writing project by readers of ProBlogger. This list of posts has hundreds of examples (some good and some not so good) on hundreds of topics. Hopefully some of them will give a little inspiration).
Share Your New List Posts
It's time to go away and write your list post. Once you've done it – do come back here and leave the link and title in comments below. My hope in this is that participants will get a little traffic but also that you'll inspire one another with your posts and give a much more comprehensive list than I've come up with above of great list posts. I'm looking forward with what you come up with!
Want More?This task is a sample of one of the tasks in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Workbook – a downloadable resource designed to reinvigorate and revitalize blogs. Join over 14,000 other bloggers and Get your Copy Today. |
Update: You can also join the discussion over at the forum, and see what others have done for this task! Day 2 – Write a List Post


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Can I Get a Home Loan After a Short Sale?
The dream of homeownership doesn't have to end when you sell your home through a short sale. Underwater homeowners, who sell their homes for less than what they owe, can qualify for a home loan again.
They'll need persistence and strong credit discipline, says Jennifer Lusk, a California resident who sold her home through a short sale in 2010 and last year was able to get a mortgage to buy another home.
Lusk had to sell her home through short sale after her husband had a back injury and they could no longer afford their $2,500 monthly mortgage payments.
Her second try at homeownership didn't happen overnight.
"We checked on what the laws were for purchasing after a short sale and learned that our credit had to be high enough if we wanted to do a conventional loan and that we had to wait two years from the closing date," she says.
Today, the couple lives in a "beautiful home" in Terra Bella, Calif. Their monthly mortgage payment is less than $900.
In today's tight lending environment, many homeowners tend to think it's nearly impossible to qualify for a mortgage after a short sale, says Scott Schang, manager at Broadview Mortgage Katella in Orange, Calif.
"After a short sale, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not far away," Schang says.
Minimum Requirements to Get a Mortgage After a Short Sale
Short sellers normally have to wait at least two years after closing the short sale to qualify for a mortgage. But the time frame and requirements vary depending on the type of the loan and the down payment, Schang says.
The minimum wait period and down payment requirements to get a conventional loan after a short sale are:
- Two-year wait with a 20% down payment.
- Four-year wait with a 10% down payment.
- Seven-year wait with less than 10% down payment.
For Federal Housing Administration loans, there's a three-year waiting period from the short sale closing date, and homebuyers can get a mortgage with as low as 3.5% down. Those who qualify for a Veterans Affairs loan have to wait two years and are not required to make a down payment.
FHA is the shortest route for buyers with less than 10% down, Schang says.
"After the waiting period, borrowers can qualify for the same FHA loan as the person who never had a foreclosure or short sale," Schang says.
But many lenders may want to know the circumstances under which the homeowner opted for a short sale, says Julie Flatland, vice president of credit at Carrington Mortgage Services in Santa Ana, Calif.
Take two borrowers: one who had to short sell because of a job transfer, and another who chose to do a short sale to dump an underwater mortgage. Lenders often view the first buyer, who did a short sale because of a job transfer, as less of a risk, Flatland says.
"As a lender, we want to make sure the borrower is not taking advantage of the declining market," Flatland says. "So we're going to ask for documentation showing that they really had no alternative other than short sale."
Rebuilding Credit After a Short Sale
Lenders generally require a FICO credit score of at least 680 for conventional loans, Flatland says. Borrowers should regard the waiting period as a chance to rebuild credit, she says.
And that's exactly what Lusk did. After the short sale, she and her husband worked to improve their credit scores and financial situation, while they waited to become eligible for a conventional mortgage.
"During that time we lived very simply," Lusk says. "We paid off all of our debt and we started saving up for a down payment. We just never wanted to be house-poor again."
The effort paid off. The Lusks saved enough for a 20% down payment and were able to get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.5%, which is an attractive interest rate.
Potential Obstacles
Before Lusk was able to get her loan approved, she had to overcome an obstacle that many short sellers encounter when they apply for a mortgage. Her servicer had incorrectly reported her short sale as a foreclosure to the credit bureaus, and the error had to be fixed. Buyers with foreclosures on their records must wait seven years before they can qualify for conventional mortgages.
"This is a really common challenge that happens with short sales," Schang says. "The credit bureaus don't report the short sale correctly, and if a lender doesn't know this, the loan ends up declined."
Inaccurate credit reports are why short sellers must get and keep proper documentation from the lender at the time the short sale papers are signed, says Dan Klinger, president of K. Hovnanian American Mortgage & Title Co.
"Find out when your short sale date was and when the title went from your name to the buyer," he says. "Keep good records, and keep your eye on the calendar because your homebuying future is still out there."