text:
About Us
Join the Institute
LEAD Conference
Contact Us
Industry Links
Job Bank
White Papers
Why Use an Enterprise Demand Signal Repository
For POS Data?
Many people think of a Demand Signal Repository as data that is used strictly
for category management. Although it remains valuable for category manage-
ment teams, departments across the enterprise will find it useful.
"About 25% of our requests for information are now coming from the supply chain side of the business. Another 25% are coming from marketing teams who want to use POS and syndicated data for post promotion analysis. Some also come from forecasting teams that are looking at leveraging POS data to determine forecast accuracy. Category management teams, marketing and supply chain are all spearheading efforts for an enterprise DSR," said Janet Dorenkott, co-founder and chief operating officer, Relational Solutions, North Olmsted, Ohio.
A Demand Signal Repository is a process that integrates point-of-sale (POS) data into a centralized database on a scheduled basis for sales reporting. Additionally, an enterprise DSR is a central, integrated, truth database with clean, valid POS data that also integrates internal data, third-party sources, loyalty data, and any other data source for enterprise reporting. The architecture is designed with modifiable business rules and the data model supports easy management, growth and change. Ultimately, for large companies, an enterprise DSR should integrate with their existing enterprise data warehouse. The DSR should support reporting to retailers, as well as reporting requirements across many departments.
With a true enterprise DSR, consumer goods companies are not just improving retailer relationships and providing them with the reports that they need, but providing retailers with new information that will help them manage their stores better and accommodate their customers needs. The DSR should also support the needs across all the departments within the consumer goods company. An enterprise DSR is not an entity, but a process of integrating, cleansing and managing the data flow. Enterprise DSRs can improve retailer relationships, provide faster access to information, increase productivity, optimize efficiencies, provide you with more information that you had in the past, maximize sales, reduce costs, and increase profits.
Dorenkott outlined nine of the key benefits of implementing an enterprise DSR:
Identify out-of-stocks
Improve demand forecasting
Optimize the supply chain.
Collaborate better with retailers
Launch successful new items
Maximize ROI on trade promotion activity
Enhance consumer insight
Gain clear visibility of product movement
Provide executive teams with cross retailer information and the ability to see how each department is impacting sales.
According to a Gartner Research study, responses to a question about how downstream data is used showed a wide array of departmental uses. Demand planning was cited by 55%, category management by 48%, channel inventory by 45%, replenishment by 45%, manage third-party inventory levels by 42%, and new product launch opportunities by 40%.
Different departments will find the answers to specific questions by using an enterprise DSR. For example:
Account management sales teams
might ask where they are out of stock. What is the potential impact on sales? What products and stores are the most profitable? How to better serve the customer and the retailer?
Category management marketing and sales teams
want to know how to manage shelf space better. What is their market share? How to help retailers sell more product?
Marketing teams
need to know if their promotions are effective. The ability to align between trade promotions and shopper marketing is needed to understand returns on investment for trade spend initiatives. They also need to know things such as how to minimize deductions and what demographic areas and media are promotions most effective in.
Sales and manufacturing forecasting executives
ask if their shipment and order forecasts are accurate. Can sales forecasts be automated? How can sales forecasts be made more accurate to help manufacturing?
Demand insights marketing
will seek information about marketing trends. Who is buying the company's product? What and where are they buying? Are they loyal? What else are they buying?
Logistics, supply chain and inventory departments
need data on what shipped vs. what actually sold. Also, where is shrink occurring? Are out-of-stock products at the distribution center or in transit, or is there product on order?
For promotion analysis, companies should be able to leverage POS data to track the effectiveness of promotions by selecting the promotions, selecting the time frame to measure, and then being able to see the effectiveness of different events.
Forecasting becomes much easier and saves salespeople a great deal of time because the enterprise DSR solution is already collecting the POS data. Forecasts can then be dynamically created for the salespeople who can then adjust and edit them as needed.
Enterprise DSRs can help companies leverage loyalty data, which is becoming more important to CPGs. For loyalty, companies can use it for:
Analyzing the market basket
Understanding promotion effectiveness
Improving an understanding of shopper behavior
Identifying and rewarding the best customers
Targeting shoppers effectively with mailings, coupons and other promotions
Building upon the share of customer
Identifying customer share of wallet
Developing expectations based on observed spending
Identifying loyal versus non-loyal customers.
The enterprise DSR will also help with predictive analytics. Once there is clean POS data, data enrichment metrics can be applied to leverage the more basic data that is coming from some of the less sophisticated retailers.
CPGs are also seeking ways to leverage data derived from social media. By taking tools that collect social media chatter, and formatting that data it in such a way that words are categorized, and then loading that formatted data into the DSR, companies can get a better understanding what sort of social chatter is going on during the promotional period. There are positive, negative or neutral words that can be captured to determine how consumers are reacting to different promotions as they are taking place. With daily-level POS data, daily social media chatter can be integrated to provide that kind of information.
"The whole concept behind the enterprise DSR is faster access to accurate information, improving profits, improving your retailer relationships, maintaining and growing your customer base, and servicing your customers better," Dorenkott concluded. "A true enterprise solution should have the ability to integrate all of the different data sources, whether the data source is retailer POS, syndicated data or internal data from ERP systems."
This article was abstracted from a webinar presentation, "What Can POS Data Do for You?" by
Janet Dorenkott, co-founder and chief operating officer, Relational Solutions, Westlake, Ohio.
More information can be found at
and by contacting Dorenkott at
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Click on the LinkedIn logo to join the new
Shopper Technology Institute Discussion Group
Category Management
Data Warehousing
Digital Solutions
Expert Analysis
Loyalty Marketing
Market Watch
Mobile Marketing
Shopper Marketing
Social Media
Trade Promotion
Webinars & Webcasts
Newsletter Archives


text:
At Court Fields we recognise that keeping our students safe and promoting their well-being is of paramount importance and it scaffolds all we do as a school. It is wide and encompassing and includes issues as diverse as anti-bullying, photos of students, first aid, internet safety and healthy eating. We keep our school site safe and undergo regular maintenance checks and risk assessments for activities both on and off the school site.
Our curriculum includes opportunities for students to become equipped with the skills they need to live healthy lives and to develop appropriate attitudes to the responsibilities of adult life. These skills are delivered through our assembly programme, PSHE and tutorial scheme as well as role modelled through the school staff on a daily basis.
We recognise that high self-esteem, confidence, supportive friends and clear lines of communication with a trusted adult helps all of our students. We therefore aim to maintain an ethos where our students feel safe and are encouraged to talk and are listened to. Students know that there are adults in the school who they can approach if they are worried or are in difficulty, and all our staff, both teaching and support staff, have up to date safeguarding training. Posters around school direct students to different avenues of support for different needs. Our school nurse is available to discuss medical issues, Specialist staff can give careers advice and we have access to trained counsellors and parent family support advisors. Education Attendance Officer and Pastoral Support Assistant monitor the safety of children through checking they are in school. All of this is underpinned by the form tutor and Head of House system.
Part of our duty as adults is to protect young people from abuse. We have a designated Child Protection Team who liaises with outside agencies and families in such situations. Further details can be found by reading our Safeguarding Policy.
The safety of our students is paramount and a robust E-safety Policy helps educate and protect our students in the ICT environment. Senior Leaders, Network Managers and staff are all trained in e-safety and the acceptable usage policy is signed by all every year. The school's ICT infrastructure is as secure as possible and is not open to misuse or malicious attack. The school meets the SWGfL security and acceptable usage policy. All access is password protected and the internet is filtered and monitored.
For more on E-safety visit student and parents advice page.
We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our students so they can learn in a secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at Court Fields. If bullying does occur, all students should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the staff.
Everyone has a responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all students and all staff have a duty of care, to ensure our students are protected from harm.
Bullying hurts. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Students who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving.
Anti-bullying Policy
Keeping Children Safe in Education
View in high quality (PDF, 250KB)
Useful contact numbers:
- Somerset Direct: 0300 123 2224
- The Local Authority Designated Officer: Anthony Goble – 0300 123 2224
- Public Concern at work: 020 7404 6609
- Childline: 0800 1111

subset: commoncrawl


text:
New poll reveals that French women prefer chocolate over sex…
For most of us, being asked to choose between sex and chocolate is an exercise we'd much rather avoid, because most women are just naturally predisposed to wanting both, and if both sex and chocolate are there for the taking, we will in all likely-hood indulge in both. That's just our wiring. But let's just say you were pressed for an answer and you really-really had to choose just one from the two, which one would you choose? Would it be chocolate or sex?
A new poll in France has revealed that French women are more likely to choose chocolate over sex. These results are surprising if you consider that in a bygone time, chocolate had to be advertised in the media as being "better than sex" or "as good as sex" for it to sell. Nowadays though, the majority of women in France consider chocolate a lot more gratifying than sex.
Researchers in France have suggested that French women's preference for chocolate over sex in the poll does not necessarily speak to the fact that chocolate is just simply better than sex. Researchers attribute the results of the chocolate or sex poll on women preferring chocolate because chocolate has never hurt anyone. Unlike sex, chocolate does not come with all the baggage that so often arises from sex.
What is clear is that French women prefer chocolate over sex, because chocolate is simple and it's good. Sometimes it's just as good as sex, but without all the other stuff that comes with sex and relationships.
French men on the other hand have revealed in the same sex or chocolate poll that as far as they are concerned, it is sex over chocolate, which is understandable if you consider that for most men, sex tends to not be as complicated or as tricky as it is for wome


text:
Pawn a 14K Custom Made for Cash!
Recent Offers for 14K Custom Made
- $ 120.00
Pawn Shops Interested in Items Like This
Recently Listed for Sale
- Philadelphia (Find pawn shops near Philadelphia)
Find a Pawn Shop Near Me
You might also like...
We've seen people pawn everything from jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, firearms, musical instruments, boats, and sports cars to even a jet pack! Our blog covers it all.
Other Related ItemsOther
- pair of stud earrings
- Brand new Diesel Big Daddy DZ7312
- Vizio 42 inch 120HZ smart tv
- Neil lane diamond wedding ring set
- Neil lane diamond wedding ring set
- Diamond Engagement ring and Wedding Bamd
- 2 rockford home made box with 1000 california
- Vizio 37" TV
- .25 carats diamond gem
- Pearl Necklace with Diamond inlay


text:
Nina Agdal, Lily Aldridge and Chrissy Teigen have been unveiled as the cover girls for this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover.
The coveted role is highly sought after by models, and has featured Kate Upton on the previous two covers.
Nina, Lily and Chrissy look stunning on the front of the 50th anniversary special, and pose together with their backs towards the camera.
Wearing only a pair of very small bikini bottoms, the girls look over their shoulders and smile to the camera with their long hair flowing down their backs.
Shot in the Cook Islands, the cover was unveiled on Jimmy Kimmel's show last night.
Nina, 21, featured in the swimsuit issue for the first time last year. Her shoot was so popular she earned the Rookie of the Year crown from the magazine.
Yesterday Max George, of pop band The Wanted, spoke out about how much he was rooting for Nina to land the job.
The pair began dating in October, but recent reports have suggested they've gone their separate ways.
"Fingers crossed for @NinaAgdal to get the new @SI_Swimsuit cover. You deserve it sweet! X (sic)" he posted to his 1.3million Twitter followers.
28-year-old Lily, who's married to Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill, took to Instagram to express her gratitude for being picked for the job.
"Feeling so blessed to be on this iconic @si_swimsuit Sports Illustrated cover with these beauties @ninaagdal @chrissyteigen. Thank you @mj_day @jamesmacari @darciebaum @Chercik and everyone at SI (sic)," she posted on Instagram next to a photo of the cover.
Stunning Chrissy also tweeted her joy, and said she was looking forward to more good times with her fellow Sports Illustrated cover girls.
"I am so happy there is documentation of this moment," she posted.
"I cannot wait to spend the new few weeks with the all the fantastic women in this issue. Holy. Moly. Congrats @NinaAgdal and @LilyAldridge! (sic)"
© Cover Media / sydney4women


text:
A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.
Original Title: Prince – Purple Rain
Release Date: 27 Juli 1984
IMDB Ratings: 6,4/10 from 13 100 users
Genres: Drama, Musical.
Director: Albert Magnoli
Cast: Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day
Runtime: 111 min.
Language: English
Prince – Purple Rain movie download:
Quality: BluRay 1080p, .mkv, 1920 X 1080, 5.15 GB
Link from NitroFlare


text: Hi fellow BHW mates.. I have some outstanding ideas, I know that will convert. Iv'e earned $57 the past 2 months - only on youtube... (its not a lot, but it has given me inspiration to continue in the IM path) I am new to SEO and I dont write very good english, I know in order to get a high PR I need quality content. I have few problems 1) I am a student, so I cant afford to outsource content 2) I don't write good enough English to develop quality content I then thought about "stealing" content from article directories (related to my content) spin it and re-write it. Upon that I have following questions: 1) Is it a good idea to do that? 2) Any suggestions for FREE good article spinners? 3) Would spiders detect my articles as duplicates? Any help would be appreciated Thanks I will create a thread with my method - when its up running..


text:
Tonight's WWE RAW will take place from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland with the fallout from Extreme Rules.
WWE is focusing on the following points for tonight:
* Will Rusev reassert himself as the most fearsome Superstar in WWE?
* Who are the next challengers for The New Day?
* What route will Gallows and Anderson go next?
* Who can overcome Charlotte with Dana Brooke watching her back?
* Seth Rollins returns to RAW
Follow Marc Middleton on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Got a news tip or correction? Send it to us by clicking here.


text:
By Paul Sperry for Investors.com:
In berating GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson for suggesting a loyalty test for Muslims seeking high office, CNN host Jake Tapper maintained that he doesn't know a single observant Muslim-American who wants to Islamize America.
"I just don't know any Muslim-Americans — and I know plenty — who feel that way, even if they are observant Muslims," he scowled.
Tapper doesn't get out much. If he did, chances are he'd run into some of the 51% of Muslims living in the U.S. who just this June told Polling Co. they preferred having "the choice of being governed according to Shariah," or Islamic law. Or the 60% of Muslim-Americans under 30 who told Pew Research they're more loyal to Islam than America.
Maybe they're all heretics, so let's see what the enlightened Muslims think.
If Tapper did a little independent research he'd quickly find that America's most respected Islamic leaders and scholars also want theocracy, not democracy, and even advocate trading the Constitution for the Quran.
These aren't fringe players. These are the top officials representing the Muslim establishment in America today.
Hopefully none of them ever runs for president, because here's what he'd have to say about the U.S. system of government:
• Muzammil Siddiqi, chairman of both the Fiqh Council of North America, which dispenses Islamic rulings, and the North American Islamic Trust, which owns most of the mosques in the U.S.: "As Muslims, we should participate in the system to safeguard our interests and try to bring gradual change, (but) we must not forget that Allah's rules have to be established in all lands, and all our efforts should lead to that direction."
• Omar Ahmad, co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the top Muslim lobby group in Washington: "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Quran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth."
• CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper: "I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future."
• Imam Siraj Wahhaj, director of the Muslim Alliance in North America: "In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing. And the only thing that will remain will be Islam."
• Imam Zaid Shakir, co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, Calif.: "If we put a nationwide infrastructure in place and marshaled our resources, we'd take over this country in a very short time. . . . What a great victory it will be for Islam to have this country in the fold and ranks of the Muslims."…


text:
By Daniel R Ruhweza
Imagine being called to a scene where a woman has just been bitten by a snake. Imagine that you have two options – either run into the bush and start hunting the snake down, or rushing the lady to the nearest health clinic before or after you have administered first aid. Of course there is no knowing what option many will choose – will it be option A? Option B? Both? Or will some even go ahead to become innovative or ingenious by Option C probably calling out for help with the snake while attending to the injured lady? The last option seems to be the preferred reading of the Juba Peace Process 2008.
For all its shortcomings, the Juba Peace Process was a breath of fresh air in the minds and livelihoods of many people who had suffered for long at the hands of the Lords Resistance Army insurgency. The parties at Juba however, not only sought to attend to the needs of the victims of the insurgency, but also sought the help of International Partners to do so. The lobbyists that participated and continue to participate in the aftermath of Juba came from all angles – local, international, religious, traditional, economic, political, NGO world, UN, name it. As such it can be fairly asserted that Juba was an example of international justice at its best.
Agenda Item 3 in which I am most interested was a true representation of what happens when ideas come together to forge the way forward. Parties agreed to promote traditional justice mechanisms (TJMs) as practised in the communities affected by the conflicts albeit with their 'necessary modifications'. This was to be 'a central part of the framework for accountability and reconciliation.' Therefore, whereas Juba acknowledged that "formal criminal and civil justice measures (would be) applied to any individual who (was) alleged to have committed serious crimes or human rights violations in the course of the conflict," it did not hamper the use of TJMs. This is because Juba had been lobbied to realise that in finding sustainable solutions to the LRA war, there was need to end the 'immense pain and suffering of the victims, as well as the 'socio- economic and political impacts of the conflict.' The call was therefore for a nuanced understanding of Justice – one which not only answered the demands for retribution, but also sought to heal the wounds of the past, reconcile warring tribes, reconcile the government and 'its' people, compensate those who had suffered, facilitate the medium for truth, healing and memory, while attending to the psychological needs of the victims who often doubled as perpetrators. In essence challenge the notion that peace and justice are unable to walk hand in hand.
It is for this reason therefore that one wonders why the trial of the former rebel commander Thomas Kwoyelo has taken its current path. Kwoyelo is alleged to have been abducted by the LRA rebels and then recruited into their ranks. He was arrested in the DRC in 2009 and his trial started on the 11th of July 2011 at Gulu. He however challenged his trial on the grounds that he applied for Amnesty which was denied although other rebels have been granted amnesty before and after his application was made. The Constitutional Court agreed with his arguments and ordered his release. Kwoyelo however remains in custody since the State insists that he has other 'civil crimes' he committed which were not covered by amnesty.
The aforementioned actions by the State are self defeating. It is possible that international partners will look at non – prosecutorial justice as a form of impunity, but the examples of South Africa, Mozambique Rwanda and Sierra Leone should show that judicial remedies come in all shapes and sizes. This is the opportune time for the nation to test the feasibility of Juba and give credence to the long sleepless nights which the negotiating teams spent in the Garamba forests of the DRC. It is expected that many will argue that since Joseph Kony as leader of the LRA failed to sign the comprehensive peace Agreement, then the rest of the agreements are nugatory. However, there is nothing in law or fact that prohibits these agreements from being performed since they were executed by duly authorised officers whose principals have not reneged on the authority they bestowed. More over, former rebels continue to be granted amnesty by the Uganda Amnesty Commission ( inspite of the fact that the Attorney General argued that its own Act is unconstitutional) and formerly abducted children continue to return home where attempts are made at rehabilitating and reconciling them. Equally, the various programs such as the Northern Uganda Rehabilitation Action Plan which is supervised by the Office of the Prime Minister as assisted by other NGOs continue to be performed – albeit with challenges.
All these show that there is a willingness by the State to perform its obligations under the Agreements through the mainly national institutions. Although the government has controversially continued to pursue its military campaign against the LRA, evidence has always shown since 1986 that the results have been a backlash on the populations as seen in the December massacres in DRC after the failed 'Operation Lightning Thunder.' The death toll, forced migrations, abductions as well as the high numbers of injured people in the DRC, Central African Republic as well as the South Sudan all seem to indicate that there is need to re-think the merits of this military campaign since it has now become a regional problem. However, that is a discussion for another day.
However, it is the TJMs that the government seems very reluctant (or unable?) to use. For example, Kwoyelo has remained in custody in spite of the decision of the Constitutional Court and the International Crimes Division of the High Court of Uganda setting him free. IIn so doing, the State ignores its obligations under Juba which calls it to use 'alternative justice mechanisms' which include 'customary processes of accountability' as mentioned in the fourth Preamble to Juba. It is doubtful that a successful prosecution for other 'civil crimes' for which Kwoyelo is held is likely. One can only wait to be proven wrong since courtroom cases – with all their complexities- tend to have a life of their own. The government should instead facilitate the processes that will enable traditional justice mechanisms to take place as prescribed by Juba. Kwoyelo is arguably the most viable opportunity for the other arm of Juba to be used especially in light of the increased criticisms by African governments of the International Criminal Court. Kwoyelo is a unique case in which a former abductee' (victim) turned rebel (perpetrator) gets to test the feasibility of traditional justice systems in helping to achieve a holistic and heterogeneous form of justice.
These mechanisms are said to be all inclusive – they are diverse, reconciliatory, retributive, compensatory, rehabilitative and help in achieving social reconciliation. Kwoyelo's case would therefore be the first opportunity to learn about these mechanisms as well considering their 'necessary amendments' as alluded to by Juba. In light of the fact that Kwoyelo was allegedly abducted as a child by the LRA and rose through the rebel ranks, it will be interesting to see how the DPP successfully prosecutes him for a crime he committed while he was not in a state of rebellion. The Government rather to give a clear signal that its commitments to Juba were real and not Realpolitik. It should make it clear to those rebels who are still in the forests of Garamba that it is still committed to having a peaceful and holistic resolution to the conflict and that they should not give up their bid to escape the clutches of Kony and the LRA. However, should the government miss this opportunity, it will have taken confirmed that Joseph Kony was right after all – that the Government of Uganda does not honour its word.
The snake of atrocities has bitten Uganda. Help was sought and obtained. We ought now to treat and save the lives of the injured victims -using all possible means instead of only insisting on looking for the snake in the thickets.
The writer is a doctoral researcher on international criminal justice and blogs at


text:
"Mesut Ozil just produced a touch on the ball that should probably be pixelated out on Match of the Day in the name of decency". Quite an apt tweet from Guardian writer Barney Ronay after the German displayed his artistry in the 0-0 draw against Southampton last night.
Fraser Forster blocked everything as Arsenal suffered a miserable draw and dropped down to the 4th spot in the league table, below Spurs, but the Gooners still have this ridiculous first touch from Mesut Ozil to fawn over till Sunday.
Watch the touch and volley from Ozil below!


text:
I have been very lazy and stuff just piled up in different external hard drives I have and also on a laptop. I would like to organize them now, but when I started I faced problems with lots of duplicate files with different names, stuff that I do not need and stuff I don't know where to keep.
Can you please give me suggestion How should I organize/label/use different hard drives for personal use?
IYF (Index Your Files) is a great free program and super fast!
I faced similar situation before. First, set aside some time to actually make the first step before you amass more data. Break the process into chunks. Mine went approximately like this:
Scan the drive for duplicates->delete
Scan the drives for old data I don't use anymore->delete
Scan the drive for unneeded archives->delete
Once you delete everything unnecessary, move the remaining data to one central place (if you can) and sketch how you want to organize them. One example would be assigning each hard drive with one kind of data like Video, Photo, Document, etc. Do it one hard drive per session to avoid frustration or boredom.
Last, quickly classify your data once you create/receive it so it won't be a burden in the future. Routinely scan your drive for duplicates and unneeded data. There are many small, portable tools that could assist you with this process. You can even automate the process with Windows Scheduler and softwares like Belvedere.
If you need recommendation to particular piece of software feel free to say so and I'll try to help you. The reason I don't list them is because there are so many alternatives that might be daunting.
Personally I think you need to cover these categories:
File visualizer (to see what kind of files occupy your disk space)
Deduplicator (scanning and removing duplicates)
The rest is optional.
Thank You all for these valuable tips. I hope I can try this over this weekend. I think you are so right Lisa Santika Onggrid, I just need to start the whole process and take 1st step.
Thanks Syed Hamjath, for my computer I will make new libraries.
I also like the idea by Alan Wade, I will try to partition and label all the hard drive.
Thanks for providing all the links Ramandeep Singh.
Thank you all.
What operating system you have?
If Win 7.
Then Create Libraries to manage you stuff, Its pretty easy when any other idea.
File organization tips: 9 ideas for managing files and folders
stuff you do not know where to keep try in a folder Miscellaneous.
Same for me. I have some gigabyte-sized folders for my stuff. Eventually I bought more than one Terabyte sized hard disk, copied all my files onto it and started categorization, removed duplicates and very old files from it. I also have secondary big hard disk as a backup. Regarding the other smaller hard disks, I've labeled them according to my needs and use them for it's specific job. For example, I have one external HD for Pictures, one for Linux ISO's, one for portable apps and so on... Just don't forget to spare some for your current computer's backups and complete images.
Partition a clean hard drive with meanigful Labels like:
Pictures (Yes, there is a difference).
Office Files
Personal Files
Excel Files
Excetera, excetera
Copy the files into the correct catagories, deleting them from the other hard drive as you go.
From there you can then decide what is worth keeping and what isnt.
There is no quick solution to this, you just have to be patient and go at it when you can.
I had much the same problem although it was only one hard drive to contend with and it took a little time but something you have to dedicate yourself to.
"There is no quick solution to this"
May be there is by using some tools recommended on MUO. Though I myself never used them. I never required.
Use a duplicate file finder and delete the duplicate files from all of your devices. then divide the files into categories such as entertainment, work, documents etc...
"Please wait a while before posting your next comment" Okay I waited 5 minutes but nothing happened. So second time:
These articles should help you:
And some of similar questions:
How can I organize my files and remove duplicates?
How can I easily organize all the files on my PC?
When you see "Please wait a while before posting your next comment" try refreshing your page and your comment should appear.
No. It not appear. As I said I waited for atleast 5 minutes. Refreshing used to work on previous comment system but on this it seems late.
It has appeared now. Seems like the current system need about 5-10 minutes before showing the comment.
These articles should help you:
And some of similar questions:
How can I organize my files and remove duplicates?
How can I easily organize all the files on my PC?
Thank You.. i will go through these article.. i am sure this will help..


text:
Why is it that the people who support Earth Day more than the others waste so much paper promoting the day?
Does it not go against what the day is intended for?
I look around my school and community and see posters, papers, flyers, etc. and to what avail? Do these things really help promote the day? In my mind they are wasting materials to promote an event where most will not do anything to help Earth.
Instead of printing posters and pictures, why don't we take the kids outside and plant a tree, do some cleaning up, make them appreciate what we have.
I don't know. Maybe it has been a long week, but for some reason this just bothered me all week.
Happy Earth Day tomorrow.
Make the world better, but don't waste paper promoting it.


text:
With the Xerox Workcentre Pro 416E you can fax documents in the networked office. With four different configurations, the WorkCentre Pro 416 series makes sure you only pay for functionality you need - and nothing else.
The WorkCentre Pro 416E is the entry-level configuration of the family offering advanced digital copying features, plus the ability to print directly through the parallel port. The Xerox WorkCentre Pro 416 series: it has never been so easy - or so affordable - to go digital!
Back to top


text:
Here's one figure that supports the strength of good segmentation: 31%.
That' s the return, year-over-year, one of our insurance clients reported after adjusting its direct-to-consumer marketing practices. It's just one measure of how important segmentation can be in the insurance industry at times of calm. Throw in events that will likely change how the industry operates in the next year or two, and segmentation may be the most important tool for understanding existing and new customers.
Tax reform alone is expected to cause significant shifts in the insurance and banking industries in 2018, from rising mortgage rates to an increase in mergers and acquisitions. Events like these could expose insurers to new and different markets – particularly if the merger is with a bank. Add in a mix of emerging regulatory guidelines from data management to cybersecurity, and an insurer's current strategies for marketing to specific consumer groups are suddenly at risk of being obsolete.
Now is the time for insurers to review their marketing segmentation strategies—but where to start? We get that most companies have limited budgets for high-level analytics, but segmentation delivers returns that are measurable.
Making the most of the investment is simply a matter of focusing efforts on the anticipated opportunities (and risks) an individual company's change will present. By doing so, even small insurers could compete with mid-sized rivals.
To get the most out of segmentation, one must keep in mind that the buyer's journey for each segment is likely to be different.
The Buyer's Journey
The basics of the buyer's journey are often viewed as the same, whether the customer is a first-time car buyer looking for auto insurance or someone learning about the new health insurance provider that acquired their old one. There are, in fact, commonalities across all journeys. We believe that there are five overarching stages in the journey that are typical for all who seek coverage:
- Problem Recognition—I need to protect my belongings, myself and my family. The buyer's need is not to own an insurance policy, but to be confident his or her health and belongings (a new car, maybe) are protected.
- Information Search—What are my options and who provides them? The buyer researches the best insurance policies and providers through word of mouth, online reviews and marketed offers.
- Evaluation—Which of these options is better? The buyer evaluates policy and provider benefits and premiums and ranks them to assess the best fit.
- Purchase—Eureka! The buyer finds the right policy to meet his or her needs, possibly taking advantage of a new-customer promotion or bundling incentive to make the purchase.
- Post-Purchase Evaluation—What a great choice. The buyer determines if the policy and provider have met or exceeded expectations. Note that often these expectations cannot be measured immediately because insurance services are not used daily.
While most consumers will journey through each of these stages at some point in their path to purchase, the details of these journeys vary by customer. There are also special considerations when industry shifts cause alterations within segments. To be part of a consumer's journey, insurers must know who the buyers are and exactly what they are trying to accomplish. Segmentation helps tease out the fine differences and how an insurance provider can cater to them.
The 3 Steps to Segmentation
- Meet your new and current markets. Define your existing market segments and identify within them the sub-segments that represent the best long-term opportunities (life insurance for a young family, or something as specific as boat insurance). Here's a step-by-step on how to complete this segmentation exercise. These opportunities can be surprising—one insurance company identified affinity households (households that buy through a common-interest group like a frequent flyer program or college alumni group) as 76% more valuable over their lifetimes. To build on their value, they identified several well-performing growth areas, as well as attributes of those groups. For example, those in one group were 37% were more likely to request a multi-line quote.
- Measure the effect of change. Now it's time to test out your data analytics and model how a change in your operations (such as a merger or insurtech innovation) would affect existing and new segments. Let's consider those boat owners. The segmentation exercise could uncover growth opportunities of this sub-segment—perhaps unveiling new lower-rate opportunities for boat policies. The operational change could then be used to optimize marketing content and conversations. In this example, the brand may decide to employ a multichannel, multi-product strategy focused on specific needs for boat insurance customers.
- Tailor your marketing communications. The next step is to see if the underpinnings of your segmentation float. The company's existing segments, say auto policyholders, should be alerted to the need-specific opportunities a merger or other change in operations presents (for example, great new borrowing rates). Meanwhile, new segments, say those with mortgages, can be alerted to other perks, such as bundling discounts or that terrific boat coverage. In the case of one of our insurance clients, analytics helped focus marketing spending on reaching members of a specific affinity or common-interest group at optimal times. The result: by 2020, its affinity households are projected to reach more than $2.5 billion in premiums.
Segmentation is just the first step to understanding customer needs. However, like the first rung in a ladder, it's essential to successfully ascending to the next level—building relationships with the right customers. Be sure you have the right tools and talent that meet your budget, either in-house or through a third-party partner you trust.
To learn more, check out our segmentation overview and how it fits into our Five Pillars of Best-in-Class Marketing.
About the Author


text:
Almost done with introducing Jotuns
Neutrality – Helheim
Hela is the daughter of Loki and Angrboda. She is a corpse shifter, and being the Ruler of Helheim was in Her wyrd before birth. She was taken from Her family by the Aesir as a child and forced into claiming rulership early. For many years, She would not enter Asgard or let Odin enter Helheim in order to discuss political matters and arranged for meetings in Jotunheim.
It took a concerted effort on Odin's end to make amends for how the Aesir had treated the Jotuns before Hela accepted any invitations to Asgard. As a matter of principle and because Odin has disturbed the dead for information over the years, She still arranges to discuss politics in Jotunheim rather than Her hall in Helheim.
While She has made it clear that She is a Jotun and will not side with politics that will negatively affect Her kin and homeland, Hela has become a neutrally affiliated Jotun. Most Jotuns will affiliate with Their parental Tribes, but a few claim no affiliation due to family conflict or by extended ambassador work. Hela made this decision upon taking the High Seat in Helheim and becoming the current Caretaker of the dead.
Anyone may enter Helheim, unless arrangements have been made for the individual to enter the hall of one of the Deities (or for Midgardians, to go to the appropriate afterlife of a different faith). This means that the land of the dead is less of a group of people that need ruled and more of a collection of people that need taken care of. Hela, as Ruler and Caretaker, holds the highest position in the court She has appointed to help the needs of the people to be met.
The People elected to be organized somewhat by Realm of life, so there are eight sections of burial mounds. A member of the court is appointed to each section to take care of meeting organizational and cultural matters (many desire structures and events that They experienced while alive). A lower court of priests tend to religious and spiritual events for the People, as well as assisting the organization of diviners with sending information to the living. Another lower court is composed of guild-heads, Who are in charge of the workers Who help to meet the needs of the Realm (farming, tending to the renowned Orchards, fishing, distributing food, etc.).
A welcoming committee of sorts helps with those Who have just arrived to Helheim and have questions, and there are staff to help. A select group of diviners assist Hela with the reading of wyrd to determine when, where, and in what life circumstances People are to be reborn. Ambassadors to the other Realms also assist diviners with broaching political matters and arranging meetings. While there are People deemed royalty and afforded respect within Their group of dead, Hela prefers to not use a royalty model of ruling (not taking a King and requiring observances paid to a Queen from Her People), though there are those who refer to Her as Queen out of respect and deference to Her rulership.
There are several members of Her court Who are particularly well known (especially with us in Midgard). Nanna, the wife of Baldur, is a guild-head for the clothing producers, weavers, textile makers, etc. and is the representative for the female dead from Asgard. Hoder, the brother of Baldur, is the representative for the dead Who have been blind from birth and frequently assists the Light-Bearers with helping those with mental illnesses. Baldur, the son of Odin and Frigga, is a consort of Hela Who brings light and health to the Realm as a Sacrificial One. Mordgud holds the position of Gatekeeper and oversees the boundary guardians for Helheim.
Several ambassadors are Sacrifices Who spend a temporary time in Helheim or are not allowed to enter before being turned away. Frey held this position for the Vanir for many years before the role was officially passed on, and Idunna spends a short amount of time in Helheim in exchange for cultivating a strain of apples from Helheim among the living (ensuring health and longevity among the Deities). As a consort of Hela Who spends most of Her time in a long distance relationship, Idunna can sometimes also assist mortal partners of Deities with handling the distance of their relationships.
While there are other ambassadors and guides, one Guide is Sleipnir. He is officially known as Odin's stead and acts as a go-between for the horses and horse shifters in Asgard. Not as well known in some Realms is the position Sleipnir holds as a Guide to Helheim and back. He is paramount to the success of the yearly Hunt by being able to lead the dead and the living to Helheim and returning safely with the living. While He is busy, particularly during the season of the Hunt, Sleipnir may be able to assist with certain portions of shadow work that entail traveling to Helheim and returning.


text:
Capacity Building for the African Community
If you are a professional looking for training, consultancy or private coaching, we can help. Cloneshouse Nigeria is an international development hybrid organization specialising in capacity building in Africa.
Cloneshouse Nigeria has nearly 10 years' experience in providing technical assistance to individuals and organizations, including institutional capacity development. Cloneshouse Nigeria training and consultancy has helped hundreds of professionals like you grow their skills and improve performance. We work with individuals and teams from the private sector, NGOs, and government ministries, departments and agencies.
Cloneshouse Nigeria is a member of the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) and the African Evaluation Association (AFREA). As part of our shared values, Cloneshouse Nigeria encourages individuals to participate in online volunteering with the United Nations, encourages open data and open development within organizations
Explore our pages to book a scheduled course or check our consultants' recent development work. You can also contact us to talk to the team at our Cloneshouse Nigeria Abuja office.
Would you like to speak to one of our support staff over the phone? Just submit your details and we'll be in touch shortly. You can also email us if you would prefer.
NICON Plaza, 242 Muhammadu Buhari Way, 6th Floor, Left Wing,
Central Business District,
Abuja, FCT


text:
Taiwanese Powerhouse to Represent Taiwan in Kona
The reigning IRONMAN Japan champion will make history this year on the Big Island.Read More ▻
The reigning IRONMAN Japan champion will make history this year on the Big Island.Read More ▻
Experience proved the winning factor for both male and female winners at IRONMAN Japan.Read More ▻
The rain stayed away, but the breathtaking course in, and around, Lake Toya proved demanding at IRONMAN Japan in Hokkaido.Read More ▻
Featuring a breathtaking course that captures the natural beauty of Lake Toya on the northern island of Hokkaido, IRONMAN Japan has become a must-do...Read More ▻
There were maiden wins in both pro fields through tough conditions at IRONMAN Japan today.Read More ▻
IRONMAN returns to Japan this weekend at picturesque Lake Toya in Hokkaido.Read More ▻
The revamped points system for professionals for IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 could provide a real boost to the development of the sport in Asia Pacific.Read More ▻
Headed to the stunning new venue for the upcoming IRONMAN Japan? We offer a few helpful tips for internationals making the trip.Read More ▻
Japan returns to the IRONMAN family on 31 August in a breathtaking new location in Hokkaido on the shore of Lake Toya and the Shikotsu-Toya National...Read More ▻
Since the new IRONMAN venue in Hokkaido, Northern Japan was announced and registration opened, the triathlon community has acted fast. The event is...Read More ▻


text:
Go to the main menu
Skip to content
Go to bottom
search word
Journal Browse
About Journal
> Journal Vol & Issue
Journal of Plant Biotechnology
Journal Basic Information
pISSN :
eISSN :
Journal DOI :
Frequency :
The Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology
Editor in Chief :
Jang-Ryol Liu
Volume & Issues
Volume 39, Issue 4 - Dec 2012
Volume 39, Issue 3 - Sep 2012
Volume 39, Issue 2 - Jun 2012
Volume 39, Issue 1 - Mar 2012
Selecting the target year
Progress in Genetic Manipulation of the Brassicaceae
Ahmed, Nasar Uddin ; Park, Jong-In ; Kim, Hye-Ran ; Nou, Ill-Sup ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 1~12
With the increasing advances in Brassicaceae genetics and genomics, considerable progress has been made in the transformation of Brassicaceae. Transformation technologies are now being exploited routinely to determine the gene function and contribute to the development of novel enhanced crops.
-mediated transformation remains the most widely used approach for the introduction of transgenes into Brassicaceae. In
, the transformation relies mainly on
transformation methods. Nevertheless, despite the significant progress made towards enhancing the transformation efficiencies, some genotypes remain recalcitrant to transformation. Advances in our understanding of the genetics behind various transformations have enabled researchers to identify more readily transformable genotypes for use in routine high-throughput systems. These developments have opened up exciting new avenues to exploit model
genotypes as resources for understanding the gene function in complex genomes. Although many other Brassicaceae have served as model species for improving plant transformation systems, this paper summarizes on the recent technologies employed in the transformation of both
. The use of transformation technologies for the introduction of desirable traits and a comparative analysis of these as well as their future prospects are also important parts of the current research that is reviewed.
Advances in in vitro culture of the Brassicaceae crop plants
Park, Jong-In ; Ahmed, Nasar Uddin ; Kim, Hye-Ran ; Nou, Ill-Sup ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 13~22
Plant regeneration has been optimized increasingly by organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis using a range of explants with tissue culture improvements focusing on factors, such as the age of the explant, genotype, media supplements and
co-cultivation. The production of haploids and doubled haploids using microspores has accelerated the production of homozygous lines in Brassicaceae crop plants. Somatic cell fusion has facilitated the development of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids in sexually incompatible species of
. Crop improvement using somaclonal variation has also been achieved. Transformation technologies are being exploited routinely to elucidate the gene function and contribute to the development of novel enhanced crops. The
-mediated transformation is the most widely used approach for the introduction of transgenes into Brassicaceae, and
regeneration is a key factor in developing an efficient transformation method in plants. Although many other Brassicaceae are used as model species for improving plant regeneration and transformation systems, this paper focuses on the recent technologies used to regenerate the most important Brassicaceae crop plants.
Current status in calcium biofortification of crops
Lee, Jeong-Yeo ; Nou, Ill-Sup ; Kim, Hye-Ran ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 23~32
Calcium is an essential nutrient for living organisms, with key structural and signaling roles. Its deficiency in plants can result in poor biotic and abiotic stress tolerance as well as reduced crop quality and yield. Calcium deficiency in humans causes various diseases such as osteoporosis and rickets. Biofortification of calcium in various food crops has been suggested as an economic and environmentally advantageous method to enhance human intake of calcium. Recent efforts to increase the levels of calcium in food crops have used calcium/proton antiporters (
) and modified one to increase calcium transport into vacuoles through genetic engineering. It has been reported that overall calcium content of transgenic plants has been increased in their edible portions with some adverse effects. In conclusion, biofortification of calcium will add more value in crops as well as will be beneficial for animal and human. Therefore, more fundamental studies on the mechanisms of calcium ion storage and transporting are essential for more effective calcium biofortification.
Current status of Brassica A genome analysis
Choi, Su-Ryun ; Kwon, Soo-Jin ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 33~48
As a scientific curiosity to understand the structure and the function of crops and experimental efforts to apply it to plant breeding, genetic maps have been constructed in various crops. Especially, in the case of Brassica crop, genetic mapping has been accelerated since genetic information of model plant
was available. As a result, the whole
genome (A genome) sequencing has recently been done. The genome sequences offer opportunities to develop molecular markers for genetic analysis in
crops. RFLP markers are widely used as the basis for genetic map construction, but detection system is inefficiency. The technical efficiency and analysis speed of the PCR-based markers become more preferable for many form of
genome study. The massive sequence informative markers such as SSR, SNP and InDels are also available to increase the density of markers for high-resolution genetic analysis. The high density maps are invaluable resources for QTLs analysis, marker assisted selection (MAS), map-based cloning and comparative analysis within
as well as related crop species. Additionally, the advents of new technology, next-generation technique, have served as a momentum for molecular breeding. Here we summarize genetic and genomic resources and suggest their applications for the molecular breeding in
SNP discovery and applications in Brassica napus
Hayward, Alice ; Mason, Annaliese S. ; Dalton-Morgan, Jessica ; Zander, Manuel ; Edwards, David ; Batley, Jacqueline ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 49~61
This review summarises the biology, discovery and applications of single nucleotide polymorphisms in complex polyploid crop genomes, with a focus on the important oilseed crop
is an allotetraploid species, and along with soybean and oil palm is one of the top three most important oilseed crops globally. Current efforts are well underway to
assemble the
genome, following the release of the related
`A` genome last year. The next generation of genome sequencing, SNP discovery and analysis pipelines, and the associated challenges for this work in
, will be addressed. The biological applications of SNP technology for both evolutionary and molecular geneticists as well as plant breeders and industry are far-reaching, and will be invaluable to our understanding and advancement of the
crop species.
Developing genetic resources for pre-breeding in Brassica oleracea L.: an overview of the UK perspective
Walley, Peter G. ; Teakle, Graham R. ; Moore, Jonathan D. ; Allender, Charlotte J. ; Pink, David A.C. ; Buchanan-Wollaston, Vicky ; Barker, Guy C. ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 62~68
The vegetable brassicas are an important crop worldwide and are of significant commercial value. In order to ensure our targets for food security are met it is important that these crops are continually improved to increase sustainability of production, increase nutritional quality and reduce waste. Development of resistances against both biotic and abiotic stress are recognised as being key. Plant breeding plays a vital role in addressing these issues through the development of new and improved varieties. This continued improvement is becoming evermore dependent on our ability to identify and introgress beneficial alleles from `exotic` germplasm into elite breeding material. Increasingly, more diverse germplasm such as those found in genebanks is being screened for benificial allelic variation, however, plant breeders often find it difficult to make use of such material due to the time required to remove undesirable characteristics from progeny due to linkage drag. This article describes how we have attempted to overcome this and develop resources that make the diversity available within the
genepool more accessible.
High frequency somatic embryogenesis through leaf explant-derived callus culture in Muscari armeniacum cv. `Early Giant`
Lee, Hyang-Bun ; Jeon, Su-Min ; Chung, Mi-Young ; Han, Jeung-Sul ; Kim, Chang-Kil ; Lim, Ki-Byung ; Chung, Jae-Dong ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 69~74
Using calli of
cv. `Early Giant` that is monocotyledonous ornamental bulb crop with increasing demand in Korea, we carried out current studies to establish an in vitro multiple propagation protocol via somatic embryogenesis. We found that soft pale yellow green calli were induced from leaf explants cultured on all media containing 0.1~3.0
auxins such as 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). However, induced calli showed vigorous growth only when they further transferred on same media containing 2,4-D, 4-amino-3,5,6-tri-chloropicolinic acid (picloram), or 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba). Although frequency of somatic embryo induction depended on callus source and PGR composition in somatic embryo induction media, somatic embryogenesis was initiated on surface of proliferated calli after transferring on media with no PGR or 0.01
NAA co-supplemented with various cytokinins such as
-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Highest number of embryo at 9.3 per callus clump was obtained when calli which were grown under 0.1
picloram supplementation were sub-cultured on medium with 0.01
NAA and 0.5
BAP. In addition, morphological characteristics of somatic embryo were categorized into following nine phases: globular, biased heart, biased torpedo, early cotyledonary, middle cotyledonary, late cotyledonary, early sprouting, middle sprouting, and late sprouting embryos.
Genetic diversity of Kalopanax pictus populations in Korea based on the nrDNA ITS sequence
Sun, Yan-Lin ; Lee, Hak-Bong ; Kim, Nam-Young ; Park, Wan-Geun ; Hong, Soon-Kwan ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 75~80
is a long-lived deciduous perennial tree in the family Araliaceae mainly distributed in the East Asia. In Korea, this species is of ecological and medical importance. Because typical populations of this species are small and distributed in patches,
has been considered as a narrow habitat species. To understand the genetic diversity and population structure of this species, the sequence variation of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was analyzed among 18 different
populations in the present investigation. The nrDNA ITS sequences of Korean populations investigated in this study showed identical of 616 bp in length, and no any nucleotide variation was found in the entire nrDNA ITS region sequence. This result suggested that the
populations in Korea might belong to the same isolate, and no mutation was found in the nrDNA ITS region. Compared with other known ITS sequence sources from
populations, only four variable nucleotide sites were found within the entire ITS region. Very narrow genetic diversity appearing in the population level of
makes us hypothesize that their relatively isolated habitats. The long-lived traits might be one main reason. However, another probability was that the nr-DNA ITS region might be noneffective in classifying populations of
. Thus, to further understand the phylogenetic relationship of
populations, more samplings should be performed based on more DNA sequences.
Crop proteomics: Practical method for high resolution of two-dimensional electrophoresis
Kim, U.G. ; Jung, Hwa-Jin ; Lee, Su-Ji ; Kim, Sun-Tae ;
Journal of Plant Biotechnology, volume 39, issue 1, 2012, Pages 81~92
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) is one of the most important technologies for high-resolution separation of proteins for proteomics. In this study, we present a detail 2-DGE protocol which allows detection and quantification of total plant proteins separated on gels to improve matching in image analysis. This protocol highlighted here may be useful for researchers, who like to first study for the development of protein biomarkers involved in development, biotic and abiotic stresses in plant.
Related Links
OAK Central
Contact Us


text:
NASCAR president Mike Helton said Friday that NASCAR's governance isn't threatened by the recent formation of the Race Team Alliance, according to the Boston Globe.
It was the organization's first public comment since the formation of the RTA, an economic consortium among NASCAR's nine most powerful teams designed to form a more efficient business model.
Helton said there's no animosity on the part of NASCAR towards the owners and termed NASCAR's leadership a "benevolent dictatorship."
Rob Kaufmann, a Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner who was appointed as the RTA's first chairman, said the alliance was purely driven by the group's attempt to rein in the spiraling operating costs for Sprint Cup owners.
"We also take very seriously our ability to make decisions in this sport, in the garage area, for the race tracks, and the other partners that we've got because we've all worked together for a long time to make a great product," Helton said.
The nine teams that came together to form the RTA are Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports.
The formation of the RTA came as NASCAR is preparing to enter into a new 10-year, $8.2 billion television contract that begins next year.
RELATED: Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide revival and other notes
- Ben Estes


text: Women's Nike #26 Matt Elam Limited White Baltimore Ravens larger image Women's Nike #26 Matt Elam Limited White Baltimore Ravens Item SKU: Baltimore Ravens 65336 Availability: Units in Stock $43.99 Size: Size Charts -- Please Select -- S M L XL 2XL XS Quantity: Descriptions Represent your favorite team and player anytime in the NFL® Women's Nike #26 Matt Elam Limited White Baltimore Ravens from Nike®. Inspired by what he's wearing on the field, the limited jersey features the stitched name and the number. Buy your Women's Nike #26 Matt Elam Limited White Baltimore Ravens from the official shop of the NFL®. What makes this product "Green"? It's made of recycled material. Features 100% recycled polyester NFL® jersey Screen printed sleeve stripes Limited jersey with stitched tackle twill name and numbers Heat transfer applique jock tag with alpha sizing at lower left hem Flywire strength resists stretch around the neck, so it holds its shape Strategic ventilation over major heat zones helps keep you cool Solid-body construction with opaque mesh side panels Embroidered Nike logos on sleeves Tailored fit designed for movement No-tag neck label offers clean comfort Strategic ventilation for breathability Woven jock tag at front lower left NFL Shield at center front of neckline Machine wash cold Made in El Salvador Other Items To Consider Women's Nike #50 Albert McClellan Limited White Baltimore Ravens$43.99 Women's Nike #37 Javorius Allen Game Purple Team Color Baltimore Ravens$34.99 Men's Nike #75 Jonathan Ogden Limited Purple Player Name & Number Tank Top Baltimore Ravens$43.99 Women's Nike #9 Justin Tucker Game Black Fashion Baltimore Ravens$34.99


text: The Ontario Court of Appeal recently overturned an Application Judge's decision to set aside a will on public policy grounds, emphasizing the principle that the scope for judicial interference with a testator's wishes is limited. In this case, a father removed one of his daughters from his will, citing the souring of their relationship as the reason. The daughter applied to have the will set aside on the basis that the relationship breakdown was on the basis of racism and ought not to be upheld. The bank administering the estate appealed the daughter's application, and the original will was upheld.


text:
Phantasm 2 (Blu-ray)
What, oh what, is there left to say about the Phantasm franchise? Ever since writer/director Don Coscarelli made the first entry with little more than spit, grit, and a whole lotta punk rock ethos, fans around the world have thrilled at the utter insanity and dreamlike power of these films, personified by Angus Scrimm's All-Time Horror Icon, the Tall Man. There are some who cannot get on the Phantasm train, and while I see where these individuals are coming from...I still kinda want to point at them and laugh, because the Phantasm flicks are really, truly in a class of their own. These are movies made for a budget that Hollywood studios would laugh at as it wouldn't cover COFFEE for the entirety of one of their productions. These are movies that do not operate under any form of traditional narrative logic or "rules"...they (and Mr. Coscarelli, always) make their own rules. Despite the budget, despite the seeming lack of coherence, despite the unavoidable elements of cheese, the Phantasm flicks have ever been hugely ambitious endeavors. Those of us who count ourselves as fans understand this, and are grateful.
In 1988 (somehow) the folks in charge at the good ship Universal decided to give Don Coscarelli a chance to make a sequel to his 1979 cult classic, and said "Here's 3 million bucks. Go make something that'll get those kids' asses in seats, don't make it as weird, gory or fucked up as you seem to feel the need to, and we'll all make a ton of cash." Universal did not know who, exactly, they were dealing with, I must suspect...because for Coscarelli, 3 million dollars is like 20 million to almost every other director out there. Don's movies are the way they are BECAUSE of his budgetary restrictions; he has always been forced to think his way around corners, to figure out what exactly the money needs to go to in order to make the flick effective for HIM, and that is because Don approaches these movies as One of Us. He makes the movies he would love to see. So what he came up with was a flick that may have been a little less gorier than he wanted (and not for a lack of trying or shooting those scenes), but was still plenty weird and operated on dream logic a great deal and remained wonderfully, excitingly fucked up in the way that only a Phantasm flick is. Phantasm II is, to this day, the highest budgeted flick in the series (certainly the most streamlined) and the extra polish/gloss means it is some people's favorite. It's not mine -- I will always have a soft spot in my cold, twisted heart for the original -- but I'd be lying if I said it's not the one I watch the most and have the most fun with.
If you're reading these words and don't know the plot of Phantasm, kindly throw yourself off the closest tall structure. Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh. On the off chance you are a horror newbie and are working your way through the classics, I will sum up: there's an evil mortician known as The Tall Man who is slowly taking over cemeteries in the Pacific Northwest, grave-robbing the corpses and doing awful things to them. He can use these corpses to do his bidding in various ways; his favorite method seems to be turning them into cousins of the Star Wars universe's Jawas (these little bastards are considerably less pleasant, it must be said). Also dude has access to flying silver spheres that enjoy drilling themselves into your forehead and spraying your blood EVERYWHERE, for what that's worth. When regular people discover the sort of nefarious activity he is up to, bad things happen to them. In the first flick, it was teenaged kid Mike, his older brother Jody, and their buddy Reggie (ice-cream man, part-time musician, and full-time ladies' man/badass). Phantasm II begins exactly where part one left off: Jody is dead, and the Tall Man snatches Mike into his evil clutches. Reg has to save him, does, but the Tall Man escapes and it's off to an institution for Mike (note to all concerned: when the proper authorities ask, do not start babbling about tall body-warping ghouls, his dwarf army, and other dimensions; it doesn't go well) for the next decade or so. There's something about a girl Mike (played as an adult by James LeGros) sees in his dreams, Liz (Paula Irvine), her grandparents, and her own connection to the Tall Man and his plans for them, but whatever. Mike gets out of the nuthouse, meets up with Reg (Reggie Bannister, cool as ever), the two of them secure a small arsenal which they then load up into their beastly 1971 black Hemicuda, and off they go to do battle with the Tall Man and his minions, hoping to save Liz and defeat an ancient evil beyond our universe. You know...the usual.
I'm fairly sure I spent more time than necessary on the plot, as "plot" is a pretty hilarious word to use when discussing the Phantasm films. It's secondary at best, because what Coscarelli is interested in are moments of maximum nuttery, trippy effects and cool ideas, throwing them into a blender, and seeing what comes out. It's a fine recipe, and wholly unique through his execution of these elements to these films and these films only. There are no other horror movies quite like these. No one could even come close to pulling it off and they'd be stupid to try; this is pure, 100% Coscarelli and we are all better for it. For this sequel and the bigger playground he'd been afforded to enjoy, Don pulls out all the stops. The Hemicuda gets a couple stunts, defines badassery, and looking back it's a clear influence on Sam and Dean's Metallicar in Supernatural (which is awesome). We actually get to SEE the dwarves in this one, all up close and nasty, and FX genius Mark Shostrom (bringing along some of his assistants that worked on Evil Dead II with him, hungry young dudes like Greg Nicotero & Robert Kurtzman, who may have gone on to do fine work themselves, who knows) does an excellent job with these ugly little mothers as well as a plethora of other psychosis on display. One gag in particular, a nasty little present the Tall Man has left for our heroes to find, squelches its way out of somebody's back in an excellently sickening way and is a testament to the beauty and artistry of 80's practical effects work; to this I say "kudos, gentlemen" and clap until I am removed from the premises...which sadly, happens far too often.
Coscarelli shoots the hell out of the mausoleums, crypts, and abandoned cemeteries like a champ, and that palpable Phantasm atmosphere of dread and revulsion permeates seemingly every other frame. The silver spheres are back, joined by their bigger, badder cousin, a GOLDEN sphere, and this sucker's one hell of a deadly upgrade --watching it tear into flesh and destroy bodies with ease is an excellent Friday night (or Tuesday afternoon, whatever) pastime for all. It's been said that the original version Coscarelli shot and delivered to the studio was about twice as gore-soaked as what was released, but aside from the death of priest Kenneth Tigar (which is still damn bloody and VERY cool) nothing jumps out as being horribly edited, even if we in the audience know the flick could have been a little wetter overall. LeGros is just fine as Mike (replacing the original's A. Michael Baldwin, who returned for the subsequent sequels; fanboy outrage aside, LeGros does well), Irvine does what she needs to do without being horrible about it, and as a hitchhiker the boys meet along the way, Samantha Phillips in the role of Alchemy cements every single thing you've ever heard about staying away from chicks with the crazy eyes, no matter how attractive you may find them. Reggie Bannister (God, how I want the hat he wears in a couple scenes that reads simply "Boogie Down") is Reggie Bannister, which basically means that no, we are not worthy and should bow down to his easy humor, fiery resolve, and utter willingness to kick evil's ass all over the place. Reg is THE fan favorite in the cast; he always has been and always will be. In terms of heroes, anyway...because Angus Scrimm will always be the face of Phantasm. As well he should be. The Tall Man is instantly one of the most recognizable villains in horror history, and Scrimm plays him to utter perfection. His voice (that booming "BOOOOOOY!!!" has haunted many a mind, I am positive), piercing stare, and imposing stature all add up to the definition of "nightmare fuel." Scrimm is just the best (okay, worst, but piss off, semantics) and will be beloved by fright fans for time eternal. If none of that has sold you, maybe you'd be interested in the closest thing cinema has seen to the Holy Hand Grenade since Monty Python (okay, maybe that's hyperbole, but the way they introduce it feels that way)? Or a quadruple (YES) barrelled shotgun? What I am telling you that if this has somehow slipped past you then you need to RUN, not walk, to procure a copy for your very own. The gang flat out brings it, and you should not be disappointed.
As they seem to be determined to do, Scream Factory is making all of my dreams come true with this disc; seriously, one could write an entire 10,000 word article about all of their releases and how they seem to be reading our minds in terms of the 70's and (especially) 80's cult classics they are so lovingly giving such fantastic debuts on Blu-ray and DVD. In the case of Phantasm II, their Blu-ray is more than up to their usual high standards: the video is outstanding, and while it may not be reference quality, the 1080p HD transfer (1:78:1) looks fantastic, as I couldn't detect any issues with colors/blacks/grain other than what would come from the original print. Thankfully there is little evidence of any kind of DNR problems whatsoever, and on the audio front, Scream Factory provides two DTS tracks (5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo) that get it done admirably and agressively. The surround track proved itself a bit more immersive, with excellent directional effects, but neither has any distortion or issues with muted dialogue or anything like that.
Scream Factory, as usual, outdoes itself in the extras department. In addition to a feature-length commentary track by Coscarelli, Scrimm, and Bannister, we get a ton of great new stuff. First up is a 46 minute retrospective entitled "The Ball Is Back" and for fans it is a literal treasure trove of information, anecdotes, and laughs. We've got Coscarelli first and foremost (who describes the Phantasm series as a "rumination of death" among other great tidbits and recollections), Reg, Scrimm, Irvine, Phillips (who is EXACTLY who you assume she is after watching her play Alchemy), Shostrom and even Tigar, who tells a great story about how they pulled off a specific gag in his death scene. The doc more than meets the high standards that the company has set for its extras, and is matched by a slightly shorter (22 minutes) look at solely the FX side of the production, entitled "The Gory Days" and is almost exclusively Greg Nicotero's look back on working the show -- this too, is superb. We're also given 6 minutes of deleted scenes from the 35mm source provided by Coscarelli himself, and 18 minutes of unfinished workprint scenes (with such joys as roughly 5 extra seconds of Tigar's death scene and all the bloodspray we've been craving in the theatrical release all these years!). Then there's two 9-minute video-shot behind the scenes segments ( concerning makeup FX and on-set footage, respectively), 3 still galleries, trailers for the first three flicks in the series and TV spots for part II. Last, but not least -- and indicative of the lengths Scream Factory goes for us -- is an eighteen minute, black and white short film about Abraham Lincoln. What the hell does that have to do with anything, you ask? Well, it comes from the personal archives of one Rory Guy, who plays the part of Lincoln in the short. The reason it's included here is simple: Rory Guy is none other than Angus Scrimm himself, and it's a nice little treat for fans of the man who has scared the almighty shit out of us all these years.
Phantasm II is more fun than should probably be legal for those of us who dig body-snatching ghouls, gun-and-flamethrower toting heroes, and insane gore wrapped up in an acid flashback. Scream Factory continues to deliver the goods and are proving themselves, with every release, to be a horror geek's best friend. I thank them from the bottom of my heart, along with Angus, Reg, and the undersung genius that is Don Coscarelli; I simply cannot recommend this disc highly enough.


text:
Wallet of Perseus
|( Wallet of Perseus
|Base item
|bag of holding
|When carried
|Changes weight of items inside:
|When applied
|Put in or remove items
|When invoked
|Base price
|10000 zm
In SLASH'EM, the Wallet of Perseus is an unaligned artifact whose base type is a bag of holding. It works like any other bag of holding, only better. With the given BUC status below, where x is the combined normal weight of all items in the Wallet, the Wallet's actual weight will be:
- Blessed (x + 5) / 6
- Uncursed (x + 2) / 3
- Cursed 4x
A blessed bag of holding uses the above formula, but divides its weight by 4 not 6, so The Wallet of Perseus can hold roughly 50% more than a regular bag of holding. For pack-rats (of the '@' kind, not the 'r' kind), this is an extremely useful artifact, though obviously not one which directly aids in survivability. For some characters (depending on play style and early game needs), it may even be worth spending a second or third wish to acquire.
The Wallet is destroyed by inserting a wand of cancellation or a bag of tricks, so being careless with either of those around it is a very bad idea. Unfortunately, when cursed, it quadruples the weight of items inside: it will very likely be too heavy to lift. Therefore, you should always have a wand of cancellation around to uncurse it.
It is certainly a must-have for every self-respecting thief. Consider: After a successful assault, you can strip Fort Ludios down to its brick-n-mortar of all its items and loot, including the landmines, in about 3 trips. Or you can abscond with ol' One-Eyed Sam's marginally useful loot all in one shot without even being encumbered. And in the early to mid game, you can usually move your home base including all your valuables in just one trip. No Rogue, at least, ever leaves home without his Wallet.
Note that despite its name, the Wallet of Perseus has no affiliation with the statue of Perseus on Medusa's Island. It also can never be randomly generated[1]. The only ways to obtain it are through wishing, bones, or sacrifice. Since it is an unaligned artifact, any player can receive it at an altar, but it will never be the first gift given.
- ↑ See SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2/mkobj.c, only weapons and armor have a chance of being made into artifacts


text:
Selected offerings from the Margaret Mead Film Festival (held in New York earlier this month) begin a national tour:
* November - Pacific Film Archives, Berkeley, Calif.
* January, 1993 - University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
* February - Webster Museum, St. Louis.
* March - University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
* April - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
* May - Southern Film Circuit, Whitesberg, Ky.
* November - Memorial Museum, University of Austin, Texas.
Additional locations are still being finalized. The festival was programmed by Elaine Chamov and Nathaniel Johnson Jr. with assistance from filmmakers Michael Apted and Fred Wiseman, ethnographers Timothy Asch and David MacDougall, media commentator Bill Moyers, ethnographic film authority Faye Ginsburg, and Native American film expert Elizabeth Weatherford.


text:
On February 19, 1954, the Crimean region of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialistic Republic (RSFSR) became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic under the decree of the Supreme Soviet Presidium of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The Council of Ministers of the RSFSR adopted the decision to transfer the peninsula due to severe economic situation in Crimea caused by the post war destruction and shortage of labor after the deportation of Crimean Tatars.
"Taking into consideration the generality of the economy, geographical proximity and close economic and cultural ties between the Crimean region and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic," reads the official wording explaining the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine.
It should be noted that the Ukrainian Parliament has recognized the date of February 20 as an official day of the beginning of the Russia's occupation of Crimea.
Photo: Internet


text:
Amaterasu is the Shinto sun guddess and protagonist in Okami, the highly acclaimed and award winning action adventure video game released for the PlayStation 2. Amaterasu was in the form of a white wolf. This papercraft is in PDO format so you'll need the free Pepakura viewer to view the pattern. From designer CBird.
Okami Papercraft - Amaterasu [via mediafire] [Bird Cage/CBird]
Gitaroo Man Papercraft - Puma [Related Papercraft Articles]
Powerful Pro Baseball Papercraft
Warhawk Papercraft
PlayStation 3 Papercraft
Phoenix Wright Papercraft


text:
Join Us for $20 Annual Family Membership
2018 Car Show October 13th at the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home in Franklin, TN
September 2018 Dinner At Quinn's Neighborhood PuB
August 2018 Drive to the Great Americiana BBQ in Franklin
August 2018 Dinner at the Elliston Place Soda Shop in Franklin
July 2018 dinner at the South Side Grill
July 2018 drive through Williamson County to the Bunganut Pig.
June 2108 drive to two car collections and lunch at Drakes's
2018 May Drive to Gordonsburg
2018 April Dinner at Mafiaoza's in Franklin
2018 March Dinner at Bavarian Bierhaus - Opry Mills
March 2018 drive to "Loafer's Glory" in Murfreesboro
2018 Annual Meeting at the Factory in Franklin
2017 Christmas Party at the Vintage Car Garage
November 2017 Fall Colors Drive in Williamson and Davidson Counties
November 2017 Dinner at Del Frisco's Grille in Brentwood
2017 Franklin Veteran's Day Parade
2017 Car Show at Tennessee Baptist Children's Home
British Car Day (3rd Saturday) at Cars 'N Coffee - Cool Springs
2018 Kars for Kids Tennessee Baptist Children's Home
Read the 2016 Annual Meeting Minutes and see pictures from all of our past events here.
Here are some of our more recent rides and meetings...


text:
Career Services Old
Graduate School
Making decisions about when to go or whether to go to graduate or professional school can be complicated. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. For individuals deciding graduate school is the right decision for them, there are still complicated decisions involved in selecting a graduate school, as well as time-consuming tasks involved in completing applications. The resources below provide information to guide you through the process.


text:
Somehow undeterred by the current government shutdown, the Securities and Exchange Commission has published the Form S-1 documents for Twitter. Although these were confidentially submitted almost a month ago (Twitter has quietly been working on its IPO for a while), the public filing marks the first formal step in transforming Twitter from a privately-held business to a publicly-traded corporation with its own stock symbol – TWTR. By offering stock to the public, Twitter hopes to raise about a billion dollars.
At over 160 pages (plus a bevy of forms and exhibits), the bulk of the S-1 material is as exciting as two-day-old pizza, but marks the first look under the hood at Twitter's business, strategies, and ownership – and represents a level of transparency Twitter will have to get used to as a public company.
So: is there anything juicy in there?
How big is the Twitterverse?
One of the ongoing mysteries of Twitter has always been "just how big is Twitter, anyway?" Individual account numbers long ago passed the one billion mark, but we've only had occasional statements from Twitter HQ (ironically, often in the form of blog posts) about how many people use Twitter and how active they are. No more. Twitter claims to have had an average of 218.3 million monthly active users for the three months ending June 30, 2013 – and that's up from 151.4 million active users for the same three month period a year ago. Taken at face value, that means Twitter's user base grew about 44 percent between mid-2012 and mid-2013 – and that's the kind of growth any major online service likes to see. Moreover, Twitter claims that more than 100 million of those users are active every day. However, that 218 million figure is only up about 10 percent from the number of active users Twitter claimed to have in December of 2012 – what a difference a date range makes.
Either way, those numbers are huge, right? Huge is relative. For instance, Twitter's user base is about one-fifth of the one billion monthly active users Facebook currently enjoys, and a quarter of the 800 million active monthly users over at Yahoo (and that's excluding the recently-acquired Tumblr). Similarly, Twitter represents less than half the number of users who have active iTunes accounts, and Twitter's smaller than Microsoft's Outlook.com or Skype (estimated at 400 million and 300 million, respectively). Twitter may also be smaller than WhatsApp (estimated 300 million), and about the same size as the 200+ million users claimed by Amazon, Dropbox, Pandora, and Viber. Heck, on paper Twitter has fewer active monthly users than either LinkedIn or Google Plus … although figures for "active users" in Google's social network should probably be taken with a grain of salt.
So Twitter isn't the biggest fish in the sea. However, Twitter's active user base is bigger (and growing faster) than eBay or Paypal, twice the size of Yelp, and around three times bigger than the likes of Pinterest, Flipboard, LivingSocial, Evernote, and Reddit. To be fair, some figures for these comparisons are older or fuzzier than others, but Twitter says its users generate more than 500 million tweets every day (that's an average of five per user per day), totaling up to more than 300 billion tweets since the service went live in 2006.
The key to that engagement is probably Twitter's famous 140-character limit, which forces content to be instantly digestible, easily shareable, and immediate. That also makes Twitter ideally suited to mobile devices: Twitter estimates three quarters of its active users access the service from a phone or tablet. In other words, Twitter doesn't face the born-as-a-Web-site omg-how-do-we-go-mobile challenge that's flummoxed everyone from eBay to Facebook. Twitter's always been mobile, and mobile's where the action is.
Surprise! Still losing money
For all that user engagement, Twitter still hasn't figured out how to, um, not lose money. Twitter is pulling in cash: according to the S-1 filings, Twitter had revenue of $316.9 million for 2012, and pulled in $253.6 million in revenue just for the first half of 2013. However, none of that money is profit. Twitter lost $79.4 million in 2012 and had already lost $69.3 million more in the first half of 2013 when the S-1 was filed. In other words, Twitter is still burning through cash from investors – and that's part of why it wants to raise a billion by selling stock.
From a business perspective, Twitter's situation isn't a disaster. Twitter's revenues were up nearly 200 percent between 2011 and 2012, and up by more than 100 percent from June of 2012 to June of 2013. In terms of cash flow, Twitter is earning money faster than it's losing cash – albeit slowly. If all things stayed on current pace, Twitter could claw its way to profitability.
Of course, things never stay on pace in the social media world: just ask MySpace.
Jack and Ev: It's complicated
Need a little drama with your federal filings? It's tucked in the footnotes. It's no secret that the relationship between Twitter co-founders Evan ("Ev") Williams and Jack Dorsey has been strained. They're both former CEOs of the company, but Williams left Twitter's day-to-day operations in 2011 after stepping down as CEO in favor of Dick Costolo in 2010. And when Williams left Twitter, Jack Dorsey came back – not as CEO, but as chairman of the company's board. Dorsey's still there.
So Ev is out? Nope. He's still on the board and Twitter's largest shareholder, owning about 12 percent of the company. Moreover, in a highly unusual deal Williams also controls the voting rights for Dorsey's shares, which account for another 4.9 percent. Dorsey has a big voice at Twitter as its chairman (and let's not forget he's also CEO of Square) but he can't vote his shares. The next largest individual shareholder in Twitter is Benchmark Capital's Peter Fenton (with 6.7 percent) and a series of five venture capital firms (Benchmark, DST Global, Rizvi Traverse, Spark Capital, and Union Square Partners) that control five percent each. But Williams' reach goes still further: in addition to his own shares and Dorsey's, Ev controls more than 13 million shares owned by Rizvi Traverse. That brings the voting shares under Williams' control to about 20 percent of the company. It would be difficult for Twitter's board to do anything – like make strategic decisions or an acquisition – without William's approval.
Williams' unusual proxy voting arrangements will end when Twitter goes public. Nonetheless, Williams will remain Twitter's largest shareholder. If things go well, he'll probably be the only newly-minted billionaire of the bunch.
Interestingly, Twitter will have just one class of shares when it goes public: the shares everyday investors buy will carry the same power as shares owned by anyone else. However, the board does reserve the right to issue more-powerful "preferred" shares later if it likes.
What will Twitter going public mean for you?
How will Twitter change once it becomes a public company? The S-1 filings don't have any answers – but they do have hints.
More Ads – After years pondering how to make money without driving users away, Twitter seems to have settled on the tried-and-true: advertising. Especially mobile advertising.
During 2012, 85 percent of Twitter's revenue came from ads; for the first half of 2013, that crept up to 87 percent. Moreover, almost two thirds of that ad revenue came from mobile devices. So, the most financially rewarding thing Twitter can do is put ads on smartphones and tablets.
To be fair, Twitter has never gone in for tacky in-app ad banners: instead, advertisers mainly pay for Promoted Tweets, Promoted Accounts, and Promoted Trends. Right now, Promoted Accounts and Promoted Trends aren't very visible on Twitter's mobile apps: expect that to change. Twitter has also been rolling out new products for advertisers, like Twitter Amplify (which pushes targeted video clips to TV viewers) and Twitter Cards (which puts product images and info into Twitter streams). Twitter will also look to tighten partnership with traditional media – particularly TV. Twitter thinks 95 percent of conversation about live television happens on Twitter.
Act local, earn global – Twitter realizes it must continue to expand its base of active users. After all: if Twitter can't continue to deliver large audiences, celebrities and brands will take their follower-count battles, selfies, and advertising dollars elsewhere. Twitter also realizes its growth rate will slow down, particularly in the United States. Twitter is already seeing this: according to the filings, 77 percent of Twitter's active users are already outside the U.S.; however, just a quarter of Twitter's revenue comes from outside the United States. That's a big disparity, and Twitter needs to start generating more money from its international users.
Get creepy – Twitter is also going to amp up profile information it compiles of every Twitter user, euphemistically called their "Interest Graph," based on who users follow, the contents of their tweets, and which tweets users interact with (by marking a favorite, replying, or retweeting).
"We believe a user's Interest Graph produces a clear and real-time signal of a user's interests, greatly enhancing the relevance of the ads we can display for users and enhancing our targeting capabilities for advertisers."
That sentence is important enough that Twitter repeats it four times in the S-1 filings.
Keep it Simple
Twitter seems keenly aware its success to date is based on its simplicity: Twitter really is just 140 characters at a time, only from people you've chosen to follow. The danger of Twitter's business strategy is that users will stop feeling like they're getting immediate, easily handled messages from people (and maybe even companies) they care about, but feel they are simply targets for ads. The more promotions, tie-ins, product profiles, and offers that litter Twitter streams, the more likely users will tune out – even if the ads are relevant.


text:
Lake Fenwick Living
Hidden in the park-like setting of the Lake Fenwick neighborhood on West Hill, Swiss Gables Apartments is one of Kent, Washington's best kept secrets! Our professional management team can't wait to meet you and welcome you home as the newest member of the Swiss Gables' family!
Variable, 3-Month, 4-Month, 6-Month, 7-Month, 8-Month, 9-Month, 10-Month, 11-Month, 12-Month
Open Today


text:
By On Oct 02, 2018 Hairstyles
Depending on the thickness and volume of your hair, you could either add details to the side of your knot or directly to the knot itself. We love the idea of some delicate hair pin positioned into the bun to really create a beautiful focal point like our TEAROSE or scattered hair pins.
2018 will see many brides wearing chic ponytails down the aisle. We'll be seeing glamorous high set wavy ones positioned at the crown to low set ponies tied at the nape of the neck. For a more polished look, plump up your pony and wrap a strand of hair to cover the elastic. Finish with a pony tail wrap, cuff or velvet ribbon.
If you're looking for a veil, we certainly suggest positioning a sheer, simple fingertip or chapel-length veil from the crown or just above the updo. These hairstyles will work perfectly with or without a blusher, and a veil with or without embellishments.
90 out of 100 based on 339 user ratings
148 Facebook Shares
76 Twitter tweet
199 Pinterest Pins
91 Google+ Shares
86 Thumblr Shares
38 Linkdkn Shares
Static Pages
Recent Posts
Intellectual Property Policy and Infringement Claims - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use - Sitemap
© 2011 - 2018 Seolink-m.info. All rights reserved.


text:
If you have an apartment that you are trying to rent out, you probably want to find a tenant as soon as you can. The sooner you find a tenant, the sooner you can start bringing in rental income.
There are a lot of things that landlords and property management companies can do if they want to draw attention to their properties. These marketing tips for apartments will help you to find a tenant in no time at all.
List Your Apartment On Several Services
When you list your apartment, you shouldn't share it in just one place. You should list your apartment with a number of different services.
Different people use different services to check for apartments. If you list your property across numerous services, you will be able to reach a lot more people than you would be able to reach otherwise.
Use Keywords In Your Listings
People use different search terms when they are trying to find apartment listings. Make a point of using many appealing keywords in your listings. That way, your properties will show up in all kinds of searches.
If your apartment has appealing amenities, you should definitely mention this in your listing. If you allow dogs or cats, you should mention that as well.
While you should try to use attractive keywords in your listings, you should also make sure that your listing is accurate. You want to make sure that the right people are looking at your listings.
Take Lots Of Pictures
People usually won't want to look at an apartment if they can't see anything about it. You should try to take plenty of pictures of your unit. That way, people will be able to decide whether or not it is right for them.
Studies have shown that photos can make someone feel a connection with a property. If you can showcase a beautiful photo of your apartment, then you should be getting calls and emails from a lot of prospective tenants.
Finding a tenant isn't always easy, especially during the colder months of the year. With that said, if you market your apartment properly, you should get messages from plenty of interested people.
Focus on creating the best apartment listings that you possibly can. Do everything you can to market your apartment. If you do that, you should see some very positive results.