text:
Clintons seek to show new vigor amid age worries
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Buzz Cut:
• Clintons seek to show new vigor amid age worries
• ObamaCare jobs about nothing
• Key tea party leader embraces immigration overhaul
• Sasse looks to fill Coburn's shoes
• Own the bar where it's never ladies' night…
It's a big day in the campaign of 2016 Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. Her loyal defenders spent most of Tuesday pouring out their fury on Karl Rove for remarks Rove made about her health and fitness for office. If she wins, Clinton would be 69 when she took the oath of office, older than every president other than Ronald Reagan. A Republican strategist and Fox News Contributor pointing out that Clinton's 2013 bout of ill health, subsequent cranial blood clot and odd therapeutic eye ware at the height of the Benghazi scandal shouldn't cause such consternation. But Democrats have long had a Rove bugaboo, ascribing many dark arts to the architect of George W. Bush's two presidential victories. But its more than just hating Rove. It's that he spoke to the fear pulsating in every Democratic nerve ending: What if she can't run? Without a seemingly viable alternative, it would be lights out for the blue team.
[Howard Kurtz: Behind the furor: Why Karl Rove's comments about Hillary's health exploded]
On the hustle - Hillary is set to talk about Iran's nuclear program when she gives the closing address at the American Jewish Committee's Global Forum today in Washington. This is a key constituency for Clinton's candidacy, who can be expected to further distance herself from President Obama on the subject, as she did in March speech before another Jewish organization. Clinton will also continue to crusade for women rights at a World Bank discussion this evening of a report focusing on barriers to shared prosperity for women and girls the organization will release later today. The message here isn't just taking care of her base with Jewish Voters and Wall Street. Because of what Rove said, it's also about showing that she can endure the brutal schedule of a modern presidential candidate.
Bubba triangulates - Former President Bill Clinton starts his day in DC with an address at the 2014 Fiscal Summit hosted by the much maligned by liberals Peter G. Peterson foundation. Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., follows Clinton on a list of speakers addressing the nation's deficit and fiscal health. After flying with the fiscal deficit hawks in the morning Bubba will hoot with the left-wingers over at Center for American Progress, the liberal group founded by his former chief of staff John Podesta. That bastion of corporate-funded liberalism constitutes Hillary's rear-guard against another challenge from the left like the one that toppled her in 2008.
[The Hill: "Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Tuesday proposed significant reforms to Social Security and Medicare that he said would protect the lifespan of the two popular entitlement programs."]
But Bubba's press secretary doesn't see a Hillary run - Taking a contrarian view, Bill Clinton's former press secretary Mike McCurry does not see 2016 Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton making another White House bid. In a recent interview with Real Clear Politics the Clinton confidant said, "The work she is doing through the Clinton Foundation with her husband and her daughter she finds terrifically rewarding . . . we all know what running for president is like. It's kind of hanging around in Manchester, N.H., and Otumwa, Iowa, at the local Denny's shaking hands with a lot of sometimes less-than-interesting local political people." McCurry furthered, "So she is going to do that for the next 2½ years at the age of 65 when she could be doing all this great stuff on a global stage? I don't know. I think that's why she hasn't said 'I'm doing it."
["You get close to the presidency, you have to release health records to show that you are, you know, in good enough condition to hold the office. She [Hillary Clinton] is approaching the age…that Ronald Reagan had reached when he ran for president in 1980. Something we'll be dealing with at some point. John McCain had to deal with it. Others as well."—Fox News Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume discussing Karl Rove's suggestion that Clinton may have brain damage. Watch here. ]
Washington Examiner: "Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has accepted a position with Ukraine's largest private gas producer, but that in no way means the White House signed off on or endorses his hiring, presidential spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday." The company was a key part of the oligarchy that supported the country's previous pro-Russian regime.
[WSJ: "a close friend of Secretary of State John Kerry's stepson" joined the board too.]
Cruz heading to Kiev - AP: "U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas will visit Ukraine this month and meet with leaders of the protest movement that forced out the country's pro-Russian president…"
Washington Times: "N.J. [Republican] Gov. Chris Christie will face a difficult decision in the coming days over an ammunition restriction bill that's nearly found its way to his desk — and the pressure from the Second Amendment activists and the gun-control crackdown crowd could very well hang the fate of his White House aspirations. The legislation seeks to reduce the allowable capacity for ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, down from 15. It's passed through the Senate and heads to the lower house for a second vote, where support is strong. Mr. Christie could see it within days, NJ.com reported. And pressure is mounting for him to take a side."
Fox News: "Employees at an ObamaCare processing center in Missouri with a contract worth $1.2 billion are reportedly getting paid to do nothing but sit at their computers. 'Their goals are set to process two applications per month and some people are not even able to do that,' a whistleblower told KMOV-TV, referring to employees hired to process paper applications for ObamaCare enrollees. The facility in Wentzville is operated by Serco, a company owned by a British firm that was awarded $1.2 billion in part to hire 1,500 workers to handle paper applications for coverage under the law, according to The Washington Post. The whistleblower employee told the station that weeks can pass without data entry workers receiving even a single application to process. Employees reportedly spend their days staring at their computers, according to a KMOX-TV report. 'They're told to sit at their computers and hit the refresh button every 10 minutes, no more than every 10 minutes' the employee said. 'They're monitored, to hopefully look for an application.'''
New face, old problems - While President Obama's nominee to become the new public face of ObamaCare moves through her confirmation process, Democrats say that it's the start of a new era for the troubled health law. As the four year old law moves into its next phase, how are voters and consumers responding? New polling data as well as findings from market research firms suggests that the toughest times may still be ahead. This afternoon the Senate Finance will hold a confirmation hearing of Sylvia Burwell to replace retiring Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Senate Republicans have already announced their intent to vote for Burwell, and in this post-nuclear option world, cloture on nominees needs only 51 votes to pass. Nonetheless, concerns over the implementation and transparency of ObamaCare are expected to come up during the hearing.
[Watch Fox: Chief Congressional Correspondent Mike Emanuel has the latest on Burwell's confirmation and how the future of ObamaCare is playing out for Democrats seeking to hold on to control of the Senate.]
[A bridge to donors – After making remarks on the need to shore up the country's roads and bridges at the Hudson River's Tappan Zee Bridge today, the President Obama will spend the evening filling Democratic coffers at two fundraising events in New York.]
Will "The Circle" be unbroken? Jason Abbruzzese and Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai look at the implications of a recent European Court ruling that gives individuals the "right to be forgotten" online: "Do people have the right to have outdated, inaccurate, perhaps embarrassing information about them removed from the web?... Addressing that question, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Thursday that citizens do have a certain 'right to be forgotten' online…That might all sound reasonable, as we all have parts of our past we'd like the Internet to forget, but there's a problem here: Who decides what information can be deleted and what information should be preserved? Where's the limit?"
Got a TIP from the RIGHT or LEFT? Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Real Clear Politics Averages
Obama Job Approval: Approve – 44.6 percent//Disapprove – 51.6 percent
Direction of Country: Right Direction – 27.9 percent//Wrong Track – 63 percent
Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats – 43.3 percent// Republicans 43.8 percent
[Poll Watch: The latest Fox News polls on President Obama's approval and handling of healthcare, foreign policy, the economy as well as public opinion on Benghazi will be released during "Special Report with Bret Baier" in the 6 p.m. ET hour. ]
Roll Call: "The co-founder of and chief strategist for one of the biggest tea party organizations is coming out in support of overhauling the nation's immigration laws, a bold statement that could energize advocates and alienate conservatives. Sal Russo of the Tea Party Express broke the news in an op-ed titled 'Conservatives Need to Fix the Broken Immigration System,' published by CQ Roll Call early Wednesday morning. In that piece, the longtime GOP operative and consultant argued that 'conservatives should be at the forefront of reform so the law reflects the just interests of the United States, not misty-eyed ideals of some of the liberal do-gooder reformers'… 'We have to get them right by the law in exchange for legal status, but not unbridled amnesty," Russo wrote. "This should include penalties, background checks to root out criminals, and the requirement that they learn English, understand the Constitution and be committed to our basic freedoms'…Russo's support for a comprehensive immigration fix that includes a legal status pathway — plus his suggestion that 'conservatives need to seize on immigration reform' in order to 'reaffirm who we are and what makes our country great' — is likely to raise eyebrows on all sides of the immigration debate."
Republican Ben Sasse is all but certain to go on to win the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. But what kind of senator would the very conservative Sasse be? Sasse shares a lot in common with Tea Party Caucus members Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who both endorsed Sasse when he was still the underdog in the Nebraska race: an impressive educational resume, an iconoclastic streak and significant service in key policy posts. But Sasse also made clear on Tuesday that he doesn't see his principle purpose in the Senate as upsetting the Republican leadership, even if those same leaders tried to keep him out of office. The hint as to what to expect from a prospective Senator Sasse came in his Tuesday victory speech and a background briefing from his strategy team. The names dropped included Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and former Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y. Both are conservative icons, but of a wonkish, not fiery populist, sort. So is this going to be another guy who gets raves at American Enterprise Institute panels but always gets a suspicious eye from the base? Probably not. The role model for Sasse is Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. Coburn's low-key endorsement early in the race was a pivotal moment for Sasse, and he was eager to highlight their similarities.
[Skin in the game - Pete Ricketts, the son of conservative mega donor and founder of TD AmeriTrade, Joe Ricketts, secured the GOP nomination for governor. Cruz had also endorsed the younger Ricketts. More.]
They still say yes to Dr. No - Coburn, who has often frustrated conservative orthodoxy with votes like the one to bail out Wall Street during the Panic of 2008, will still leave the Senate at the end of this year as a conservative hero. How? Like Sasse, Coburn had to bust the establishment to win his primary but then did not come to town looking for revenge. He had his credibility as an outsider, but didn't nurture the grievance. Coburn was also willing to pay a heavy personal price for the issues that mattered to him, and will walk away from the Senate having effectively killed the practice of earmarking. Dr. No euthanized that patient for sure. And neither is Coburn willing to subordinate his policy goals to his partisan loyalties. And one place where Coburn has adamantly refused to compromise has been on his stalwart pro-life stance, a view shared by Sasse. In short, Coburn is an ornery fellow. And that's why conservatives love and trust him. Sasse is looking to inhabit that space and do so on the issue of ObamaCare. Those are some mighty big shoes he's looking to fill. If Sasse wants to try them on, he'd better be ready for some blisters.
[Watch Fox: National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kans., appears in the 2 p.m. ET hour]
The most remarkable story out of the West Virginia Senate primary on Tuesday was that nothing remarkable happened. Despite lots of threats that moderate Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., would get waylaid by a tea-party primary challenge, no such thing materialized. Credit this to a good campaign by Capito, who has obviously inherited her father's gift for campaigns and elections. But it also represents a continuing trend of Republican primary voters staying focused on a Senate majority before considering ideological purity. Had a little-known candidate emerged on the GOP side in West Virginia, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, who also easily took the Democratic nomination, would have been in a good position to replace retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. But as it stands, Capito is chugging toward what looks to be a clear victory in November.
But sometimes the best candidates are the outsiders - The former chairman of the Maryland GOP Alex Mooney claimed victory Tuesday night in a crowded Republican primary for West Virginia's 2nd District to replace Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. Mooney beat longtime Republican official Charlotte Lane in the primary. While Mooney may cause some headaches for Capito by highlighting policy differences, he looks to be a much more viable candidate in the fall against the Democratic nominee, former state party Chairman Nick Casey.
Big Ugly race – Veteran Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va., won his 20th consecutive primary on Tuesday. But the news was not good overall for the embattled incumbent. Rahall lost more than a third of the primary vote to a first-time, unfunded candidate, retired Army Maj. Richard Ojeda. Now Rahall must face Republican state lawmaker Evan Jenkins, a former Democrat who switched parties last year, in the general election in the fall. Looks bad for Rahall, an early endorser of then-Sen. Barack Obama, who is now less popular in the Mountain State than the Pitt Panthers.
New Orleans Times-Picayune: "The Mary Landrieu campaign is back up Tuesday with another TV ad, this one featuring her well-known father, Moon, describing his daughter as a fighter… Moon Landrieu says in the 30-second ad that 'I know how BP felt when Mary fought to get billions for Louisiana,' and how she 'took on the president' to try and get the Keystone XL Pipeline approved. 'And now you know why Putin won't let her into Russia,' Moon Landrieu says about her daughter's name appearing on a list of eight U.S. officials sanctioned by President Vladimir Putin in response to U.S. sanctions after Russian intervention in Ukraine. Mary Landrieu shakes her head in response."
[WSJ: "If Ms. Landrieu really had Keystone as a top priority, as she claims, she'd have joined Republicans in demanding an immediate amendment to a bill that she knows the White House is reluctant to veto. And she'd have insisted that …[Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid] allow a 50-vote threshold for passage, rather than Mr. Reid's 60-vote supermajority. Ms. Landrieu instead is playing Mr. Reid's double game, demanding a Keystone vote even as she undermines its passage. She is running for election by boasting about her clout as the new Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, but she is so ineffectual that she can't get her own party to allow a vote on what she claims is one of her top priorities."]
The Hill: "Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel (R) has almost pulled even with businessman David Perdue (R), according to an internal poll for Handel's campaign obtained by The Hill. Perdue leads Handel by 22 percent to 20 percent with 18 percent for Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), 11 percent for Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and 7 percent for Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), according to an automated poll conducted by Rosetta Stone. The top two vote winners in the May 20 primary will face off in a July 22 runoff, but the new poll shows it's really become a fierce battle between Perdue, Handel and Kingston for those top slots to advance."
The Hill: "The Chamber of Commerce and National Rifle Association have both endorsed Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) in a GOP primary for an open Iowa Senate seat. The endorsement from the leading business group and the powerful gun lobby give Ernst a boost as she battles businessman Mark Jacobs and two other candidates in the primary…she's still short on money, and the Chamber has spent heavily to back its preferred candidates in other primaries. If they put ads in Iowa behind Ernst, it could help boost her ahead of the June 3 primary. The winner of the primary will face Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) in the swing state."
National Journal: "Alaska is about to get hit by a wave. Just this week, Democratic outside groups plunked down $7.5 million worth of reservations for fall TV advertising supporting Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, a huge amount of money for a state where media comes relatively cheap. Just by itself, the new reservation more than doubles the total outside spending in Alaska in 2008, when Begich won his Senate seat. Put Alaska First, a super PAC backing Begich and largely financed by another Washington-based group, announced on Monday plans to reserve $4 million in airtime, according to Alaska Dispatch, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is also preparing to spend $3.5 million in the same post-Labor Day time period, Politico reported."
Republicans need a net gain of six seats to capture control of the Senate this year. The current consensus among Fox News First readers for the six most vulnerable Democrat-held seats: The current consensus among readers: Arkansas, Montana, Louisiana, South Dakota, North Carolina and West Virginia. Reader Dave Dumeyer of Landisville, Pa., adds he is putting W.Va., near the top of his list because he feels Rep. Shelley Moore Capito R-W.Va., has a strong chance of delivering the seat for the red team.
Share your top six picks. Email them – just your top six, please – to email@example.com or tweet @cstirewalt.
In the latest edition of "Power Play with Chris Stirewalt" get up to speed on Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary in just 90 seconds. Can Democrats unite to unseat the most vulnerable Republican governor? Watch and know.
Tampa Bay Times: "Ed Jany, the Marine and former cop, national and state Democratic leaders hailed as an ideal candidate to take on newly elected U.S. Rep. David Jolly, [R-Fla.], in Pinellas County's Congressional District 13, is dropping out of the race. The sudden and surprise announcement comes days after a Tampa Bay Times report about him seemingly padding his educational background and resume… 'Words cannot describe what an epic failure this congressional race has become for the DCCC and Florida Democrats,' crowed National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Katie Prill. 'After a devastating loss and wasting millions in the special election, one thing remains very clear: President Obama's toxic agenda has cost the DCCC another seat that they couldn't afford to lose.'''
Conyers fails to qualify for primary ballot - AP: "Longtime Congressman John Conyers of Michigan doesn't have enough signatures to appear on the Aug. 5 primary ballot, an elections official announced Tuesday… The 84-year-old Detroit Democrat was at risk because officials believe several people who signed his petitions do not appear to have been registered voters or had registered too late. Conyers has three days to appeal …[the] ruling to the Michigan Secretary of State."
[Ed. note: Yes, but… the odds are very high that Conyers would win as a write-in candidate. He has been in Congress since 1965, has a largely unknown primary rival and represents a district that President Obama won by 70 points in 2012. Filling petitions that appear to have only 600 out of 2,000 valid signatures is certainly an embarrassment and will necessitate the 85-year-old incumbent to actually campaign this time, but the largest consequence here is likely that this bungle will siphon time and resources from Michigan Democrats' struggling senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns. But it's not like Conyers hasn't been embarrassed and still won before. Remember, this is a man who twice won re-election with his wife in prison for taking bribes as a city councilwoman.]
For Trekkers willing to part with $35 million, they can own a life-size replica of the set on which the character Capt. James T. Kirk commanded. A Boca Raton, Fla., home is up for sale that pays homage to the "Star Trek" series, using the bridge of the Enterprise as the motif for its in-home theater and bar. The room has stars on the ceiling and sound effects from the series to provide the full experience. See the home for yourself courtesy of the New York Daily News. Yes, we're looking at you, Jonah Goldberg.
Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News. Want FOX News First in your inbox every day? Sign up here.


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Apple CarPlay is not the savior you think it is
In social media posts, I have recently called Apple CarPlay "evil" and "the devil." While that is obvious hyperbole, it demonstrates my continued frustration with this new technology that has been touted as the cure for distracted driving.
It isn't. At all.
Unless you use it exactly the way Apple thinks you should use it.
As Ed Kim, vice president of industry analysis at AutoPacific, points out, CarPlay is simply a phone mirroring program – and a limited one at that.
According to Kim, Apple wanted to create an easy interface that iPhone users would be familiar with – right down to the identical app icons and "home" button.
However, if you think that this system mirrors every app on your phone, you're wrong. Apple was very selective with which apps transfer to your vehicle's infotainment screen, and at the time of writing this article, in addition to the basic Apple Messages, Phone and Music apps, the only external apps you can use via the car include:
- Podcasts
- Audiobooks
- iHeartRadio
- At Bat
- Spotify
- Stitcher
- CBS Radio
- Overcast
- Audiobooks.com
- Audible
- Pandora
- Slacker Radio
- NPR One
- Clammr
- Downcast
Notice the connecting theme? They're all audio apps.
The downside here is if you want to use another navigation or messaging app, like Waze or WhatsApp, you're out of luck.
During a recent road trip, I tried to use Waze, plug into the CarPlay system so that I could send voice-to-text messages and listen to SiriusXM Satellite radio through the car's audio system. It worked great -- for the first 5 minutes. As soon as Waze needed to issue me a direction, satellite radio switched over to CarPlay's music app, which then played the first song in my library.
I had to fumble with my phone and the car to reset the system the way I wanted it, only to be thwarted at the next directive.
I finally unplugged from CarPlay and tapped into another non-connected USB port to charge, kept Waze on my phone, listened to satellite radio on the car and handed my phone to my husband when I wanted to send a text message.
This is not the Utopia I had envisioned when I was waiting anxiously for CarPlay to appear.
We reached out to Apple to ask about the disconnect between phone apps, CarPlay and the car systems, but at the time of publishing this article had received no reply.
Cason Grover, the senior group manager of vehicle technology planning and connected car program at Hyundai Motor America, said the point of this technology is to limit distracted driving.
What he didn't say: Using a lot of apps on your phone or in the car is distracting.
In other words: "If you come into it with expectation that it does everything your phone does, you're in for disappointment," Grover said.
With the goal of eliminating distracted driving, CarPlay is specifically set up to be familiar as well as limit the use of apps that might cause a driver to take his hands off the wheel or eyes off the road. But, it's also going to be completely Apple-centric.
"Many implementations of CarPlay are aimed at people who, for the most part, are happy to stay within the Apple ecosystem," Kim said.
This means you can't use other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Skype or Facebook messenger – even if you want to use it hands-free. Nor can you use any other mapping or navigation app, including Google Maps or Waze.
If you choose to use CarPlay, it's all Apple all the time.
In addition to the inherent CarPlay limitations, there are a couple other things you should know about the system before you use it.
First, all CarPlay implementations are not the same. They basically look the same on your screen because, well, mirroring. But, how you interact with Siri and how you navigate back to your car's native settings will differ.
Some manufacturers allow you to use voice commands for both car and CarPlay functions with a simple press of the "talk" button on the steering wheel. Others will allow you to do a short press for car functions and a long press for Siri.
Additionally, some systems are more limiting than others.
For example, if you're driving a General Motors or Fiat Chrysler product with CarPlay, you'll be limited in how far you can scroll through items on various apps.
"In many versions of CarPlay they restrict you to three screen scrolls," Kim said. "So if you have a playlist called Ziggy's Stardust, you can't get there because it's four or five screens down. I end up having to pull out my phone, take my eyes off the road and scroll through on my phone to get what I want, which defeats the whole purpose of CarPlay."
This applies not only to external apps like Spotify but also to the Apple Music app. If you have a song or artist that you want at the end of the alphabet, you cannot scroll through the menus to get there via the car.
Kim points out that both Apple and the automakers would like you to use the voice recognition system to get to those playlists or songs, but this only works on the Apple Music app – not Spotify or any other external audio app. And it only works if the voice recognition software in the car recognizes the commands and your voice. Which it doesn't always do.
According to Kim the most flexible and easy-to-use iterations of CarPlay are currently in Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen products.
Another frustration with CarPlay: In most instances you have to be wired in to use it. Currently, the only manufacturer that allows you to connect to CarPlay via Bluetooth is BMW.
If you are a happy Apple user, there are a few things to love about CarPlay:
- It negates the need to purchase a pricey navigation system. But that also means you're stuck with the incredibly mediocre Apple Maps app to get you from point A to point B.
- When voice recognition in the car works well, voice-to-text is a nifty feature. Siri will help you send text messages and read any incoming messages.
- Calendar reminders pop up on your info screen, which can be a lifesaver if you've forgotten a conference call, birthday or appointment.
- The Podcasts app makes it really easy to listen to podcasts through the car.
Again, as long as you don't want to do anything crazy, like use Waze or scroll to the end of the alphabet in Spotify, CarPlay does help reduce distraction while driving.
When you buy a new car equipped with CarPlay, this usually means it also has Android Auto.
Plus, according to Kim, Android Auto is inherently more flexible and easier to use than CarPlay while driving.
"It lets you use four different messaging systems, and they're about to launch Waze support," Kim said.
Auto is also not just a phone mirroring system. It's set up differently from the phone system, organized specifically for ease of use while driving. In fact, Auto is an actual app on Android phones, which can be used on a phone while driving – even if the car you're driving doesn't have Auto capability.
Kim also pointed out that Auto doesn't have the scrolling limitations of CarPlay.
At the end of the day, both CarPlay and Auto are still nascent technologies. It's only been a year or so since the first automaker started installing the systems in cars, and at this point, pretty much every major automaker – except Toyota – has committed to installing the system in their vehicles moving forward.
While the technology may be frustrating today, there's always hope for tomorrow.
"Both of these software solutions are evolving over time," Grover said. "What you see today is not what you'll see tomorrow. Neither one of these companies is known for sitting still."

subset: commoncrawl


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China Guangzhou International Pool&Spa&Bath Technology and Facilities Trade Fair2010, organized by Guangdong Association for Cultural Industry Promotion,The Guangdong Enterprises Association for Foreign Economic Cooperation and Hongkong Grandeur International Exhibition Group Limited and hosted by Guangzhou Grandeur Exhibition Service Co.Ltd and Shanghai Grandeur Exhibition Planning Co,Ltd, is the largest and most professional one in China.
The fair will be held at China Import & Export Commdities Fair Pazhou Complex (the largest exhibition hall in China) which is in Guangzhou,China on March 30 to April 1,2010.There are several reasons that you don't want to miss this pageant:
1).Great Demand of Pool&Spa&Bath Equipment.The Asian Games 2010 will be held at Guangzhou,so there will be a great demand of Pool&Spa&Bath equipment for the construction and modernzation of stadiums in Guangzhou and its surrounding cities.
2).Valuable Tips from Professionals.Here,10 professionals from China and other countries will give you useful suggestions about how to make decisions and run your company.
3).Knowing about industrial trends and market prospects of Pool&Spa&Bath industries.It will help you survive and thrive in the competitive world.
4).Gateway to the Chinese Market.
Seize the chances,and become a superstar in Pool&Spa&Bath market.
Pool&Spa&Bath China 2010——You Never Wanna Miss
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text: While two people doing the same thing and it working isn't definitive proof, it did work for me as well. Thanks a million.Looks like the key could be as simple as dragging any icon from the programs menu directly over the plus sign on the dock. But, I can't confirm that as a definitive.


text:
Items where Subject is "G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences"
Group by: Creators | Type of Work | Date
Number of items at this level: 11.
Enright, Bryony (2013) (Re)considering new agents: a review of labour market intermediaries within labour geography. Geography Compass, 7 (4). pp. 287-299. ISSN 1749-8198
Fabrega, Julia and Fawcett, Shona R and Renshaw, Joanna C and Lead, Jamie R (2009) Silver Nanoparticle Impact on Bacterial Growth: Effect of pH,Concentration, and Organic Matter. Environmental Science and Technology, 43 (19). pp. 7285-7290. ISSN 0013-936X
Fabrega, Julia and Renshaw, Joanna C and Lead, Jamie R (2009) Interactions of Silver Nanoparticles with Pseudomonas putida Biofilms. Environmental Science and Technology. ISSN 0013-936X
Godri, Krystal J. and Harrison, Roy M. and Evans, Tim and Baker, Timothy and Dunster, Christina and Mudway, Ian S. and Kelly, Frank J. (2011) Increased Oxidative Burden Associated with Traffic Component of Ambient Particulate Matter at Roadside and Urban Background Schools Sites in London. PLoS ONE, 6 (7). e21961. ISSN 1932-6203
Hale, James and Sadler, Jon (2012) Resilient ecological solutions for urban regeneration. Engineering Sustainability, 165 (1). pp. 59-67. ISSN 1478-4629
Law, R. and Mackay, R. (2010) Determining fracture properties by tracer and thermal testing to assess thermal breakthrough risks for ground source heating and cooling in the Chalk. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 43 (3). p. 269. ISSN 1470-9236
Leach, Joanne M and Boyko, Christopher T and Cooper, Rachel and Woodeson, Anna and Eyre, Jim and Rogers, C.D.F. (2015) Do sustainability measures constrain urban design creativity? Proceedings of the ICE: Urban Design and Planning, 168 (1). pp. 30-41. ISSN 1755-0793
Pugh, Thomas A. M. and Ryder, James and MacKenzie, A. Robert and Moller, Sarah J. and Lee, James D. and Helfter, Carol and Nemitz, Eiko and Lowe, Douglas and Hewitt, C. Nicholas (2010) Modelling chemistry in the nocturnal boundary layer above tropical rainforest and a generalised effective nocturnal ozone deposition velocity for sub-ppbv NOx conditions. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, 65. pp. 89-110.
Saris, F. and Hannah, D. M. and Eastwood, W. J. (2010) Changes in precipitation and river flow in northeast Turkey: associations with the North Atlantic Oscillation. In: Sixth World FRIEND Conference, October 2010, Fez, Morocco.
Saris, F. and Hannah, D. M. and Eastwood, W. J. (2010) Spatial variability of precipitation regimes over Turkey. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 55 (2). pp. 234-249. ISSN 0262-6667
Underhill, Jackie E and Angold, Penny G (2000) Effects of roads on wildlife in an intensively modified landscape. Environmental Reviews, 8 (1). pp. 21-39. ISSN 1181-8700


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The U.S. Census Bureau reported on Sept. 13 the highest number of Americans living in poverty in the 52 years it has collected such estimates. More than 2.6 million additional Americans dropped below the poverty line in 2010. Children were particularly hard hit. The Census Bureau found that 22 percent of children were living in poverty last year, up from 20.7 percent the year before. The poverty threshold for a family of four was $22,113 in 2010.
According to the Census report, median household income declined in 2010 while the poverty rate increased, indicating continuing stress on the nation's working poor and middle class. There were 46.2 million people in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009, the fourth consecutive annual increase. Real median household income in the United States in 2010 was $49,445, a 2.3 percent decline from the 2009 median. The number of people without health insurance in the United States rose by almost one million to 49.9 million. Just under 31 percent of U.S. Hispanics were uninsured in 2010, compared with 20.8 percent of African-Americans, 18.1 percent of Asians and 11.7 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
In a year when unemployment remained persistently above 9 percent and "real" unemployment—the comprehensive count of the unemployed, "discouraged workers" and part-time workers who would prefer to be full-time—remained almost double that level, the nation's official poverty rate rose to 15.1 percent. That is up nearly a full percent from 2009's 14.3 percent and the third consecutive annual increase in the poverty rate. The number of people living in "deep poverty"—that is, with incomes below half of the poverty line—hit a record high of 20.5 million.
Calling the number of uninsured people "intolerably high," Carol Keehan, D.C., president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association, said the newly released statistics "demonstrate as clearly as ever the need for a strong, sustainable safety net."
"Policymakers concerned for human dignity and the common good should keep our nation's vulnerable persons in mind as they deliberate about how best to reduce debt and develop a sensible budget framework," she said in a statement on Sept. 13. "Such steps should be taken without harming vulnerable people or imperiling the ability of health care providers to deliver the best possible care to all who need it."
The U.S. South appears to have been hit the hardest in the last year. The South showed "significant increases in both the poverty rate and the number in poverty—16.9 percent and 19.1 million in 2010—up from 15.7 percent and 17.6 million in 2009." The Census Bureau reports that since 2007 real median household income has declined 6.4 percent. It is now 7.1 percent below the median income peak in 1999.
According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, the "grim" poverty figures probably would have been worse were it not for government interventions like the extension of unemployment insurance in 2010. That measure alone kept 3.2 million more Americans from falling below the poverty line, said Robert Greenstein, president of the center.
"All of that raises the stakes," Greenstein said in a statement released on Sept. 13, "for the decisions that President Obama and Congress will make in coming months about whether to extend initiatives that were designed to address hardship during the recession, as well as whether to abide by a principle that the Bowles-Simpson commission report established that deficit-reduction plans should not increase poverty and thus should shield basic low-income assistance programs."


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ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is looking to sell its 8.4% interest in a Kazakhstan oil venture to India's biggest energy explorer for $5 billion as it continues to divest assets in an ongoing effort to invest in new high-growth regions and boost profitability.
The Houston-based oil giant said it plans to sell its interest in the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement to ONGC Videsh Limited, the international arm of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp.
Continue Reading Below
ConocoPhillips estimated the carrying value of the assets related to its Kashagan interest, the word's biggest oilfield discovery since 1968 located in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea, was about $5.5 billion as of Sept. 30.
The transaction, expected to close in the first half of 2013, remains subject to various government approvals. ConocoPhillips said it notified the Kazakhstan government on Monday of its intention to sell the stake and plans to take an after-tax impairment charge of about $400 million in the fourth quarter.
The sale will enable the Texas oil explorer to acquire additional stakes in high-producing emerging markets, including other areas in Kazakhstan. The sale will bring total proceeds under its 2012-2013 disposition program to $7 billion, positioning the company to meet its goal of $8 billion to $10 billion by the end of 2013.
"The sale of this quality asset is an important component of our ongoing strategic asset disposition program," ConocoPhillips' executive vice president of commercial, business development and corporate planning, Don Wallette, said in a statement.
Production of Kashagan, which holds more than 30 billion barrels of oil-in-place, of which an estimated 8 billion to 12 billion are potentially recoverable, is expected to begin in 2013.


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[2012 KDrama] Ghost / Phantom
Title: 유령 / Ghost
Also known as: Phantom
Chinese Title: 幽灵
Genre: Crime, action, investigation
Episodes: 20
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2012-May-30 to 2012-Aug-09
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55
'Ghost' tells the story of the cyber investigation squad fights against the cyber crimes.
Kim Woo Hyun (So Ji Sub) is the only son of a high ranking police officer. He entered the police academy ranked first and graduated from the academy ranked first. As a detective, he then joins the cyber investigation department together with Yoo Gang Mi (Lee Yeon Hee). Woo Hyun then works to reveal the secrets of those that hide within the cyber world.
So Ji Sub as Kim Woo Hyun
Lee Yeon Hee as Yoo Gang Mi
Uhm Ki Joon as Jo Hyun Min
Kwak Do Won as Kwon Hyuk Joo
Song Ha Yoon as Choi Seung Yeon
Cyber Investigation Team
Kwon Hae Hyo as Han Young Suk
Im Ji Kyu as Byun Sang Woo
G.O as Lee Tae Gyun
Baek Seung Hyun as Kang Eung Jin
Bae Min Hee as Lee Hye Ram
Other people
Jang Hyun Sung as Jun Jae Wook
Choi Jung Woo as Shin Kyung Soo
Yoon Ji Hye as Goo Yeon Joo
Myung Kye Nam as Jo Kyung Shin (Jae Min's father)
Lee Jae Yoon as Jo Jae Min
Jung Dong Hwan as Kim Suk Joon (Woo Hyun's father)
Lee Tae Woo (이태우) as Kim Sun Woo (Woo Hyun's son)
Special Appearances
Choi Daniel as Park Ki Young
Esom as Shin Hyo Jung (ep 1)
Kim Sung Oh as Shin Hyo Jung's fan (ep 1)
Lee Joon as pedestrian (ep 1)
Jung Da Hye as Jung So Eun (ep 3)
Kang Sung Min as Yang Seung Jae (ep 3-4)
Kwak Ji Min as Kwon Eun Seul (ep 7)
Han Bo Bae as Kwak Ji Soo (ep 7-8)
Ha Seung Ri as Jung Mi Young (ep 7-8)
Lee Ki Young as Im Chi Yeon
Lee Won Gun (이원근) as Kwon Do Hyun
Production Credits
Producer: Choi Moon Suk
Screenwriter: Kim Eun Hee
Director: Kim Hyung Suk
2012 5th Korea Drama Awards: Excellence Actor Award (Kwak Do Won)
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
quote]So Ji Sub Close to Being Cast in a New Melodrama.
Hallyu star So Ji Sub is in deep contemplation over his next small screen appearance. He proclaimed that he will be choosing a drama to work in earlier this year and he is carefully going through each of the offers that he received.
His last drama was "Road Number One" in 2010, so this next drama will be his first in two years. He recently finished filming for the action movie, "Employee" and it is reported that he is looking to work with a melodrama project.
Sources say, "So Ji Sub is showing strong interest in a drama that is about a love story between a man and woman in their thirties. Ever since the BIFF opening film, 'Only You' and due to the failure of 'Road Number One,' So Ji Sub is putting great thought and consideration into his next project."
They continue, "Three projects have been offered up till now. We can't say with certainty, which drama he will choose. However, he is preparing to choose one soon."
So Ji Sub will confirm his next drama next week. Stay tuned on Soompi for more news on this new drama!
YAHOOOO!!! Finally!! Can't wait to see this, Jisub fighting!!!!
So Ji-sub offered lead role in upcoming SBS TV series
Hallyu star So Ji-sub may return to the small screen as the male lead in an upcoming SBS TV series, according to his promoter's 3HW on Thursday.
A rep with 3HW told 10Asia over the phone that So was offered the lead role for SBS' drama "Ghost" (translated title) slated to make its premiere in May after the the 20-part series "Rooftop Prince" ends its run in May. "The producers have explained that So is a strong candidate for the series although nothing has been finalized," the official said.
If So decides to take the role in "Ghost," which will be helmed by producer Kim Hyung-sik of TV series "Sign," "I am a Legend" and "Cain and Abel," it will his first small screen role in two years after starring in MBC's "Road No. 1."
So has become one of the most popular actors in Korea and appeared in numerous TV dramas and movies since his debut in 1996. He became a household name in the country and abroad in Asia region with his roles in 2004 hit series "Something Happened in Bali" and "I'm Sorry, I Love You."
He last starred in director Song Il-gon's film "Always" opposite actress Han Hyo-joo and recently wrapped up filming movie "Office Worker" with actress Lee Mi-youn.
pray4Gaza, pray4MH17, pray4MH370
Lee Yeon-Hee cast opposite So Ji-Sub in SBS drama "Ghost" as Detective Yoo Gang-Mi
pray4Gaza, pray4MH17, pray4MH370
Eom Ki-joon joins cyber thriller Ghost
Daniel Choi joins the cast of Ghost
great !
MBLAQ's G.O. receives an offer to play role in new SBS drama series
A representative from MBLAQ's agency spoke out on the reports regarding G.O. being cast in new SBS drama, 'Phantom'.
A broadcast insider informed OSEN on April 4th, "G.O. received the casting offer for 'Phantom' about a month ago. He passed the auditions and took part in the screenplay reading as well. He is preparing to begin filming towards the end of April."
But an insider from MBLAQ's agency denied these reports. "It is true that he has received an offer for a role in 'Phantom', but nothing is set in stone as of yet. The contract has not yet been completed, so it is difficult to give a definite answer as to whether or not he will be featuring in the series."
'Phantom' is a new project by PD Kim Hyung Sik, and actors So Ji Seob, Lee Yeon Hee, Uhm Ki Joon, and Daniel Choi have been confirmed for the series.
The drama will begin airing after 'Rooftop Prince' comes to an end this May.
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
I like LYH from "A Millionaires First Love" + So Ji Sub (Only You, What Happened In Bali) :)
Lee Yeon Hee Reunites with So Ji Sub in Upcoming SBS Drama
Lee Yeon Hee has been cast as the female lead in upcoming drama "Ghost," starring So Ji Sub. This will be their second drama together. Back in 2008, the two had starred in OCN drama "U-Turn."
On March 21, representatives of "Ghost" confirmed, "Lee Yeon Hee has been cast for the lead role in 'Ghost.' Now that we have Lee Yeon Hee and So Ji Sub already lined up, we are busy casting actors for other roles."
Lee Yeon Hee will take on the role of Yoo Kang Mi, a beautiful, elite agent in the cyber crimes investigation unit. So Ji Sub will play Kim Woo Hyun, a cold-hearted, perfectionist detective also in the same cyber crimes investigation unit.
"Ghost" will premiere on SBS once Park Yoo Chun and Han Ji Min's "Rooftop Prince," ends mid-May.
I Miss You <3
MBLAQ G.O to fight cyber crime with So Ji-sub in new SBS series
Korean idol G.O of boy band MBLAQ has confirmed his place in the cast of So Ji-sub's TV series, taking on the challenge of his first full-time acting role.
On Friday, J.Tune Camp announced that G.O will solve cyber crimes with So as a special investigative detective named Lee Tae-kyun in "Ghost" (tentative title), which is set to air every Wednesday and Thursday night starting May.
"This will be a chance for G.O to show the audience a whole different side to him aside from singing," an official with J.Tune said in the statement, adding that he is currently preparing for his role.
"Ghost," helmed by producer Kim Hyung-sik from TV series "Sign," "I am a Legend" and "Cain and Abel," tells the story of detectives in a cyber crime investigative service.
The show will also star actress Lee Yeon-hee, who will play a female detective alongside So.
Born Jung Byung-hee, G.O first made his debut in 2007 through group TYKEYS. Two years later, he joined MBLAQ (Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality), with the group's other members, Seung-ho, Lee Joon, Chun-dung and Mir.
Having wrapped up promoting the upgraded version of their fourth mini-album, "BLAQ% Ver," the boys will kick off their Asia tour with their first stop in Indonesia on June 30.
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
Kim Byeol renames herself Song Yoon-ha and is cast for "Ghost - Drama"
Actress Kim Byeol has been cast for the drama "Ghost - Drama" after changing her name to Song Yoon-ha.
According to her management BH Entertainment on the 30th, Kim Byeol changed her name to Song Yoon-ha which means summer sunlight. Kim Byeol has been in drama "Mighty Chil-woo" and movie "Helpless".
"Ghost - Drama" is about a man who changes into someone else to catch a cyber terrorist. The cast includes So Ji-sub, Lee Yeon-hee and Kwak Byeong-gyoo. Song Yoon-ha will be taking on the role of a newbie reporter.
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
"Ghost" Stills: So Ji Sub & Lee Yeon Hee Are On Top Of The World
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
pray4Gaza, pray4MH17, pray4MH370
16-Second TV Spot Of "Ghost"
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
So Ji Sub shows off charisma as detective
Pictures of So Ji Sub monitoring scenes he shot are getting a lot of attention.
So will play the role of a detective named Kim Woo Hyun in SBS's Wednesday-Thursday series Ghost, which will start airing on May 30. Pictures of him monitoring the scenes were recently released and captured the public's attention.
Even though it's not easy for actors to monitor the scenes in order to see how they performed, So tried hard to monitor his performance during breaks. The staff members praised him for working hard and not making any troubles during the shooting.
Producer Kim Hyung Shik met So for the first time 3 years after they shot the series Cain and Abel together in 2009. Since they haven't seen each other for a long time, they are talking and discussing a lot about the characters and plot for the series.
The series, in which So will appear 2 years after he appeared in his last series, is about a cyber criminal investigation warning a far-reaching influence of social networks. It will start airing on May 30 after the current series Rooftop Prince goes off air.
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!
"Ghost - Drama" Lee Yeon-hee "So Ji-sub is unexpected when he's on break"
Lee Yeon-hee revealed that she has had the best experience so far working with So Ji-sub is the new SBS TV drama "Ghost - Drama".
She said, "So Ji-sub has the best concentration I have ever seen but is usually nice and talkative during breaks too".
Acting in a criminal investigation thriller for the first time, Lee Yeon-hee said, "I am trying to concentrate on every moment. I'm also very tense on site so I don't miss anything".
Lee Yeon-hee takes on the role of the prettiest girl on the squad, Yoo Kang-mi. Unlike her chic appearance, she is also full of holes and has a crush on her colleague Woo-hyeon (So Ji-sub).
"Ghost - Drama" is made by Kim Eun-hee and producer Kim Hyeong-sik from "Sign". It is a cyber investigations drama about the effects of SNS and the Internet. To be aired in May.
To The World You Are Someone, But To Someone You Are The World!!!


text:
Saving the Church
I had the strange experience of sitting next to a retiring left-wing
IP: Oh, so at which university did you do your architecture degree?
LWALBP: I didn't do an architecture degree.
IP: Oh, right. So what does a landscape architect do? Are you like a gardener?
LWALBP: No.
IP: So you don't dig holes and move soil around and plant trees?
LWALBP: (Mindless, incomprehensible babble proceeds)
Then this ripper:
Then this ripper:
IP: So, given that you're retiring, what has been the highlight of your years of local government experience? What's been your greatest achievement?
LWALBP: I was instrumental in saving the
IP: Oh, great. Why did it need saving?
LWALBP: Because the
IP: Why were they going to sell it?
LWALBP: Because people weren't going to church services anymore.
IP: Oh, right. So you got more people to go along to Church?
LWALBP: No, I secured council money to get a fundraising campaign, and got some money from Council to help keep the Church going.
IP: Why did you want the
LWALBP: Because it's a pretty building, and people should be able to sit in their cafes and look at it while having their coffee.


text:
That leaves it just 77MW short of reaching its 2020 National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) wind target, seven years ahead of schedule. Few other countries in Europe can say the same.
Pushing on
"This does not reduce motivation (for future growth in wind)," says Svensk Vindenergi. "NREAP was basically an estimate, there is no national wind target." Indeed, wind is still a small player in terms of Sweden's total electricity generation. The 9.3TWh produced by wind in 2013 accounted for only 7% of the country's electricity generation.
The big providers remain nuclear (47%) and hydro (45%). However, Sweden anticipates wind to be providing 20TWh by the end of the decade.
"Sweden (and Norway) are attractive because of good wind conditions of around 3,000 full load hours per year," says Torsten Amelung, managing director of Norwegian-owned Statkraft Markets.
"Land prices are not high, which means land leases are inexpensive. And turbine prices have fallen, so projects are economically viable with low subsidies. The average size of wind farms in Sweden is bigger than in Germany or the UK."
Current political backdrop The Swedish-Norwegian electricity certificate market for supporting renewables expansion is opaque, with rules differing between the two countries
High point of 2013 Grid company Svenska Kraftnat announced new transmission projects to help wind expansion
Low point The energy committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences claimed in late 2013 that there is "too much wind energy in Sweden"
Key influencer Anna-Karin Hatt, IT and energy minister


text:
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The average listing price on SpeedList for this year, make, and model is $19,421.
This vehicle has been on SpeedList for 44 days.
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text:
When we last examined some research on pricing and behavioral economics the topic was very well received, but apparently I raised as many questions as I answered, because I got a ton of emails that day!
Perhaps that is somewhat my fault — in addressing topics like 'bundling,' I definitely left out a large majority of online store owners who will never deal with that issue.
This time around, I compiled a list of five pricing experiments that I believe will have every ecommerce entrepreneur taking notes for a future A/B test.
Should you compare your prices to competitors? Are similarly priced products on your store cannibalizing sales? Does the number '9' really work that well?
Keep reading!
Is Similarity Costing You Sales?
By now, you've likely heard about how excessive choices can be demotivating. The classic example is the jam study from Columbia professor Sheena Iyengar.
You would expect that since too many options can reduce consumer commitment, it might make sense to have identical price points for similar items... right?
Perhaps not: according to new research from Yale, if two similar items are priced the same, consumers are much less likely to buy one than if their prices are even slightly different.
In one experiment, researchers asked participants to choose or 'pass' (keep their money) on two different packs of gum. When the packs of gum were priced exactly the same at 63 cents, only 46% made a purchase.
Conversely, when the packs of gum were priced differently—at 62 cents and 64 cents—more than 77% of consumers chose to buy a pack. That's a huge increase over the first group!
Neuromarketing expert Roger Dooley notes that customers may be less likely to delay their decision thanks to the differing prices:
...a tiny price difference seems to make the similar products more alike, and increases the probability that a decision will be made and not deferred.
Strange indeed. Before you head to your store and wildly change prices on random items, remember to take a scientific approach.
If, for example, you have certain items that are similarly priced but have different features (crew-neck shirts & V-neck shirts), you should consider testing how sales are affected when you subtly adjust their prices to be different.
The #1 Rule When Comparing Prices
Although we'd like to think that a superior product backed with great service will continually win the day, the truth is that people will always care about low prices:
A study from eMarketer.com suggests that 38% of people shop online because of lower prices. Forrester also found that 27% of consumers will sacrifice their shopping cart in the name of a better deal.
Promoting your fair prices makes sense, but if you go about it the wrong way, your chest thumping about low prices may scare people off.
According to research from Stanford, the act of comparative pricing can cause unintended effects in consumer evaluations if there is no context for why prices should be compared.
In other words, inviting 'explicit' price comparisons--when a company outright asks you to compare--may cause customers to lose trust in your business. According to the lead researcher from the study:
The mere fact that we had asked them to make a comparison caused them to fear that they were being tricked in some way.
So what should you do?
Esurance offers a great example. First, they explain why bottom dollar insurance isn't always the answer, and also create a marketing message that gives customers information on why they can charge less: they were "born online" and raised by efficiency, and the money they save by operating with a lean online setup allows them pass the savings on to you.
Focus on why prices are cheaper, not just that they are.
An ecommerce company like NFNT might focus on why their watches are significantly cheaper than many of the entry level 'big brands' (Seiko, Citizen, etc.) because they are made from all natural bamboo.
With the right context, you can make price comparisons work to your benefit.
Test Different Levels of Pricing
According to William Poundstone, psychologist and author of the book Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value, human beings have practically no understanding of intrinsic value--we determine the 'correctness' of price by utilizing exterior information.
In one example that highlights this truth of human behavior, Poundstone discusses a study where a few varieties of beer--cheap, regular, premium, and ultra premium--were offered to participants.
Below, I'll relay the findings from his tests, and show you how different offerings (and levels of pricing) can effect consumer purchasing patterns.
(The following images courtesy of Nathan Barry)
Test #1
In this initial test with the regular beer and a premium beer, 4/5ths of participants opted for the premium offering. This would be excellent news for any store owner, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be put to the test. What would happen if a third offering was introduced?
Test #2
Uh oh! When a cheap beer was introduced at $1.60, it not only didn't sell, but it made the premium beer seem much more expensive. Now participants were just fine purchasing the regular beer, overwhelmingly so. This is price anchoring gone wrong. If customers don't want a cheaper beer, perhaps a more expensive beer might work?
Test #3
Now we're on to something.
As this last test revealed, these particular customers were receptive to an ultra-premium beer: 10% had no problem paying it's significantly higher price. But there was a bonus: with the ultra-premium beer now serving as an anchor for the other offerings, the premium beer was now looking even better.
The change in context had made $2.50 seem like a fine price, and this theoretical bartender would reap the benefits of not only selling a more expensive product to a select group of customers, but could also push the $2.50 beer to more customers than in Test #1.
To be fair, you can't just keep raising prices to infinity and beyond--at a certain point, context won't matter, you'll just be charging too much.
Yet this pricing experiment shows that you may be charging too little and not even know it. Are your premium products priced appropriately in relation to your flagship products? Do you need or even have an ultra-premium version?
This may require more substantial testing and a close look at the feedback you're getting before you make a decision, but you should recognize the potential that a premium product can bring to your existing lineup.
The KISS Method of Pricing
We've always been told to "keep it simple, stupid," but this next pricing experiment takes this mantra to the extreme.
In the Journal of Consumer Psychology, researchers found that prices that contained more syllables seemed drastically higher to consumers.
When these pricing structures were shown to subjects:
... the top two prices seemed far higher to consumers than the third price.
This effect occurs because of the way one would express the number verbally: "One thousand four hundred and ninety-nine," vs. "fourteen ninety-nine." This effect even occurs when the number is evaluated internally, or not spoken aloud.
Even more interesting, when CBS News covered research (featuring Poundstone) on 'sneaky retail tricks', they came to this conclusion:
Prices marked with dollar signs have been proven to reduce consumer spending. For example, a 2009 Cornell University study found that diners in upscale restaurants spent significantly less when menus contained the word "dollars" or the symbol "$." In a society where we're overloaded with information, consumers tend to follow the path of least resistance.
Last but not least, they mentioned that 'minimalist' pricing can often go hand-in-hand with selling premium products, because it nudges customers to focus on the value and not on the price:
Expensive restaurants usually have minimalistic prices like "24" -- meaning $24.00 -- because they want you to focus on the food and not the price.
This is a pretty easy test to run, and won't require any "real" change in prices. Perhaps minimalist pricing is just what your product pages need!
The Merits of the Number 9
It would be nice to sell your reasonably priced $40 product for exactly $40, but sometimes it pays to play the pricing game.
There is no better example of this then the classic '9' pricing scheme: we've all seen this one at one point or another and have wondered, "Does charging $39 really move more products than $40?'
According to one research study published in Quantitative Marketing and Economics, the answer is a yes. Prices ending in 9 were so effective they were able to outsell even lower prices for the exact same product.
Women's clothing was used in one test, with a $35 price and a $39 price. They found that the price ending in 9 outperformed the lower price point by 24%.
For a split second while reading the study, I thought the number 9 might have met its match. Sale prices—"Was $60, now only $45!"—were able to beat out the number 9.
However, when the number 9 was later included in the sales price comparisons, it again outperformed lower price points. So if the following options were compared:
Was $60, now only $45!
Was $60, now only $49!
...the bottom sale price would outsell the top one, even though the top price was actually less expensive. You can read more about this phenomenon in this great post by Peep Laja.
Apparently ecommerce store owners should ignore the power of '9' at their own risk.
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text:
Last Saturday, we popped in to Guy Savoy for lunch.
We opted for the TGV menu, four courses for S$150++, two choices for each course. The menu is named after France's express train as they can serve it to you within 90 minutes (presumably a lure to business lunchers), but we decided to take it easy and linger for 3.5 hours. For those on a limited budget, the lunchtime TGV is a great way to sample some of Savoy's signature dishes, such as the much-vaunted black truffle and artichoke soup, and crispy-scale seabass with sweet spices. A tasting menu at dinner costs almost twice as much - be warned that the dinner TGV consists of very different dishes.
Here is the blow-by-blow:
Amuses: Foie Gras on Mini Toasts, Fennel Brunoise in Fennel Soup with Fennel Royale, Waffle with Parmesan and Black Pepper
The tone for the meal is set from the start. Our server stabs the toasts and livers at the table, handing them to you as one would a lollipop. The fennel soup comes in a "Siamese twin" cup, with the second cup inverted to hide a fennel royale, surprisingly firm to the bite. The waffle is finger food given a high-end makeover. All are delicious, and equally fun to eat.
Bread and Butter
Butter is Echiré, both salted and unsalted. You are first served with a tomato fougasse cut up and placed on a single plate at the table, again reinforcing the idea of the guests enjoying and sharing the food together. A further four breads are presented later, of which I recall a cereal roll, a ficelle and baguette.
Hors d' oeuvres: Jamon Iberico from Joselito ($50++ per plate)
It's jamon iberico. If you have had it before, I have nothing new to tell you. But isn't it such sheer joy each and every time to have that pure white fat just melting in your mouth, releasing such a barrage of flavour? The house champagne was poured, a NV blancs de blancs from R&L Legras of Chouilly – a character-laden grand cru champagne and a great coupling with the ham.
First Entrée: Heirloom Tomato Salad, Oysters "two" ways
I haven't gone down the Thomas Keller route of putting things in speech marks at every opportunity, but the truth is that each of these ingredients were actually presented three ways. First service of the oyster consisted of a Breton oyster covered in nage gelée, and vegetables anointed with oyster purée.
After we were done with that, another oyster was presented on a sweet onion royale, over which our server poured a very aromatic dashi broth. Oyster was just set by the heat of the broth, allowing you to attack it with utensils. The dashi added a very nice dimension of umami.
My recollection of the tomato course is vague (I didn't have it) – I recall a salad on a "false bottom", beneath which lurked heirloom tomato slices with basil which were later topped with tomato water ice, and a warm heirloom tomato tartare. Emily enjoyed them a lot, and my taste of the tomato tartare was very good, showing the quality of ripe, in-season produce. The wine of choice was a 2007 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot from Vincent Girardin – citrusy and restrained at the start, but little notes of mocha and roasted nuts started creeping in after a couple of hours.
Surprise Course: Potato Stones, Caviar, Smoked Egg Sabayon, Vanilla Sponge, Potato "Tagliatelle", Nasturtium Leaf (comped; otherwise available only as part of the Menu Prestige at dinner)
Spanking. Bost came over with a dish of eggs and broke them over our potatoes, releasing the sabayon. The flavours of the potato and caviar are clean, savoury and pure, with the sponge adding a deep but subtle sweetness. The tagliatelle were simply fried super-thin shavings / ribbons of potato, gorgeously crisp and not at all greasy. As Bost (who looks like a less flamboyant, more thoughtful version of Keith Urban) explained, he is trying to emphasise "earth" as a theme by presenting the tubers as stones, and also "birth", with both the eggs and caviar playing a strong supporting role. I can see how some might regard this dish as underseasoned, but for me, it was just perfect.
Second Entrée: Lobster Etuvée with Coral Jelly, Girolles, Peach Foam and Peach Brunoise; Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup with Mushroom Brioche.
I can't comment on the lobster dish, except from my taste of the claw, it was an excellent specimen and very well-cooked. Emily refused to indulge my girolle addiction, but they looked mighty good.
The signature soup is nice enough without being earth-shattering – at this time of year, black truffles are not in season so I suspect tinned specimens were used, but the layered brioche is buttery, flaky and 100% decadent. To match, a 2006 Chateau le Puy, from Bordeaux's Cotes de Francs. Quite earthy and woody, which worked very well with the truffle and mushroom. I later learned that the 2003 vintage was revealed as the "Ninth Apostle" in the ridiculously popular wine manga, The Drops of God a.k.a. Kami no Shizuku a.k.a. Les Gouttes de Dieu. Apparently many Japanese were prepared to give their left testicle for a bottle, especially after the Chateau's owner refused to release any more bottles into the international market to feed the post-Drops craze. I mean, it was fine, but I won't be sacrificing any parts of my anatomy for another glass. Or even a case, for that matter.
Main Course: Crispy Scales-On Seabass with Swiss Chard and a Sauce of Ginger and Vanilla; Duck Breast in a cognac-infused sauce with eggplant gianduja and eggplant chip
For me, the dish of the day along with the potato stones. The seabass is cooked so that the scales are little crispy bubbles of pleasure, and the flesh is moist and yielding. The chard adds a nice crunch and reins the dish in from being too "wet". On the side are three vertical bars of mixed spice, shaped to resemble the Guy Savoy logo, which you are meant to "push" into the sauce. Another homerun; if a criticism had to be made, I found the sauce a little over-salted. Again, I cannot comment on the duck, but Emily said it was her dish of the day, so I'm guessing it wasn't too bad.
Afters: Cheese Trolley; Strawberry Textures
Another trolley of Bernard Antony cheeses (Kraft should watch its back – Antony seems to be borderline overexposed in Singapore these days). I chose a beautifully pungent Pont l' Eveque, oozy brie de Meaux, orange-hued mimolette, two-year old comté and one of my personal favourites, fourme d' Ambert. The cheeses are in good condition (as good as the local climate would allow but obviously not as ripe as you would get them in France). They are accompanied by slices of walnut raisin bread and two conserves: apricot/rosemary and raspberry/cassis. I sat back and patiently worked through the lot - what a way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon! With this course, a 1999 vin jaune whose oxidative character worked very well with the assertive cheese.
Surprise Dessert: Chocolate Orb (comped; not normally part of the TGV menu)
A sphere of dark chocolate melts under a tableside cascade of warm mango purée to reveal its treasures within: a passionfruit sorbet, mango brunoise and aloe vera. Awesome stuff; if you can't appreciate the fun and arty aspects of this (check out the yellow paint melting downward in the same direction as the mango purée), please see your doctor.
Coffee / Tea and Mignardises
My cafe latte was merely OK, but then again, M had recently brought me some amazing Ethiopian coffee from his trip to Addis Ababa, so I was right spoilt coffee-wise and probably will be for some time. Guy Savoy does NOT present the dessert trolley at lunchtime. Instead, a perfect little selection of five mignardises is presented: poached egg white with a dab of strawberry coulis, lemon and yuzu macaron, praline of raspberry and coconut, apricot caramel bonbon and mascarpone coated with dark chocolate and almonds. Playing on childhood memories of marshmallows, wrapped sweets and lollipops, the sense of fun and whimsy is kept to the end – a nice note on which to finish proceedings.
Surprise Sorbet: Earl Grey Tea Sorbet with Black Pepper Sauce Anglaise (comped)
Or so we thought. One final gesture – a nice sorbet, with gently palate-cleansing tannin and the elusive perfume of bergamot.
Invariably, comparisons will be drawn between Savoy and Robuchon, as the two luxe French options at Singapore's Integrated Resorts. However, about the only thing they have in common is the madly-priced wine list, necessarily a function of being housed in casinos.
For me, Robuchon's cooking has a more disciplined, focused approach - there is more emphasis on seasonality (admittedly it is Savoy's signature dish, but I don't think Robuchon or Danzaki would be serving a black truffle soup in July), and arguably more attention is paid to accoutrements and design. I know what I say isn't going to change anything, but the primary-coloured rims about Savoy's speciality plates (made exclusively for Savoy by Bernardaud, no less) are sooooooo 1980s. Conversely, there is more fun and fancy here at Savoy, and more robust flavours in the cooking.
Just a word on the service here: while it is supremely professional, knowledgeable and competent, it is very correct and almost belies the trickery and surprises that constantly assail your table (even disregarding the comped courses). A little more personality and sense of fun and occasion would not go astray, and I think would accord far better with what the diner is experiencing food-wise.
Horses for courses, is my reluctant final verdict. If you want more of a "party on your plate", I would lean towards Savoy. If you are dining with a bunch of food nerds (I don't mean this as an insult – I regard myself as one!), you may find more of interest at Robuchon. What I can say with much certainty is that Singapore is very lucky to have both Bost and Danzaki plying their trade for our pleasure.
For more photos, please visit http://julianteoh.blogspot.sg/2012/07...
10 Bayfront Avenue
#02-01, Casino Level 2
Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 8513
Email: email@example.com
URL: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapo...


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Cisco Unified MeetingPlace, Release 7.0 -- Integrating with Jabber
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Main page: Cisco Unified MeetingPlace, Release 7.0
Up one level: Integration
With Jabber for Cisco Unified MeetingPlace, users can initiate Cisco Unified MeetingPlace meetings from a Jabber Messenger client. The user who initiates the meeting selects meeting invitees from a list of contacts and invites them to the meeting. Each invitee receives a message (and a pop-up window) inviting them to join the meeting. By clicking on a hyperlink in the invitation message, the invitees can enter the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Web Conferencing console and have Cisco Unified MeetingPlace dial out to their phones.


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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
What You Can Do With 20 Minutes
6 comments:
I would say "what a great post" but that would make me a Stepford Genealogists wouldn't it?!?!ReplyDelete
It is a great lesson in not wasting time - because those few minutes can yield great returns when put to good use.
Thanks (and we can sing kumbayah late ;-)
What an exciting find. I love it when everything comes together like this. Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Wow, you hit the jackpot. What I especially like about this post is your process. Gee, all I have to do is what you did (don't even have to think about the process). But, if I could be as lucky for results. Nice post Susan.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the comments, ladies. I guess I should have also mentioned there are many mornings when I find absolutely NOTHING! The process on this one was so magical, I had to share. Diana - a Stepford Genealogist? That's funny!ReplyDelete
Great story on what you can do with a few minutes of time and a little perserverance.ReplyDelete
Great story! My problem is that I can't stop at 20 minutes! I look up and HOURS have passed! LOLReplyDelete