Ways to benefit from the web ? Hellofor facebook profiles find friends ...

Internet is a vital medium. You use internet to access any type of information. You need a PC to gain access to the internet. The characteristics of business have changed due to the world wide web. It is possible for you to advertise your goods online. If you are a marketer and desire to publicize your products on line, then you should first think of a web page for that. You can describe with regards to all critical features and facets of the product in the web-site. It is ought to to make your web site more attractive, appealing and vibrant. Your website content must be intriguing to avoid people getting bored by reading through your web site contents. You need to list out the attributes of your goods as well. You can include photos in the web-site to make it more interesting.

The collection of webpages is termed as a web-site. It is possible to access any site on line. You need to own a Computer and legitimate internet connection to get into the sites. For that you may opt for a leased or a dial-up connection. For a dial up connection you need a modem as well as telephone. Leased lines are dedicated cable lines that offer web connection 24 You want to own your website. But you aren't aware of the process to make one. Here is where the web designing company providers may be more useful. A website design company helps someone to create professional looking web sites. You need to pay some fees for this. If you are an novice and looking to build a website then it is better that you participate the solutions of a web designing company to develop your web site. You should think about some factors when creating a new web site. The first aspect is that this should be in accordance with your budgetary specifications. You need to have a obvious understanding of your project needs. For what reason, you are developing a new website?For what reason, you're developing a new website? Are you in need of promoting your items in the website? You should also make certain you include only necessary graphics in your website. Websites that are full of graphics and images take a considerable time to load. Viewers give up after some attempt since it is too time consuming. For such cases, you must compress the image size and volume. It may lead to inclusion of photos in addition to load time for your web sites.

reliablewebhosts.org
HostGator is a webhost that was founded in 2002 in the Us. Though hostgator is dependent in United states, its procedures are spread around the world. The primary intention of hostgator is to provide top notch website hosting. If you aren't mindful of hostgator then you can read concerning it online. The world wide web is flooded concerning hostgator reviews. When you're a novice and have started website hosting your web site on-line you might need to get your website registered with a web host to get your website on the internet. They help you together with the webhosting solutions plus they will give you free entry to their web-site building tools also. Site builder is the tool used to create a new web site from the begining. You don't have to pay any money for making use of site builder. You may use this for free of cost. You will have many web templates in site builder tool.

Source: http://www.hellofour.com/blog/50484/ways-to-benefit-from-the-web/

Hurricane Isaac Path Isaac Hurricane earthquake san diego Hurricane Isaac Sam Claflin Tony Farmer West Nile virus symptoms

J&J sees 4 cent per share Q1 charge for Venezuela devaluation

(Reuters) - Diversified healthcare company Johnson & Johnson, which makes consumer products like the Neutrogena-brand line, said on Monday that Venezuela's February 13 devaluation of its currency would cut first quarter profit by 4 cents per share.

The company said it would take the $100 million charge to make changes to its balance sheet to reflect the 32 percent cut in the bolivar's value. It does not expect that cut to change its earnings-per-share forecast for 2013.

In January, the company forecast 2013 earnings in a range of $5.35 per share to $5.45 per share.

Venezuela lowered the value of its currency to shore up government finances. It is the fifth devaluation in the past decade. Because of the move, other companies that sell consumer products in Venezuela have also announced charges this quarter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/j-j-sees-4-cent-per-share-q1-132417502--finance.html

john tyler chuck elisabeth hasselbeck fran drescher scarlett o hara pat sajak vanna white

Belgian killed in Mexico resort was businessman

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? A Belgian citizen shot to death in the Pacific resort of Acapulco near the site of the Mexican Open tennis tournament was a resident businessman working for a transnational firm, local prosecutors in Mexico said Sunday.

Saturday's killing was the second violent attack involving foreigners in Acapulco in less than three weeks. On Feb. 4, a band of masked gunmen invaded a beachfront home and raped six visiting Spanish women

The Guerrero state district attorney's office identified the dead man as 59-year-old Jan Sarens, an executive with the family-owned Belgian firm Sarens, which supplies heavy transportation equipment for construction, mining and energy. It has offices in 50 countries, including Mexico.

Celia Gomez, an attorney for the firm's Mexico office, said it had not identified the body. Gomez said the company had a board member named Jans Sarens who lived in Mexico.

The man was shot to death Saturday afternoon in a shopping center parking lot, and his body was found outside a Mercedes Benz car with Mexico City plates.

Violence and crime, much of it blamed on drug gangs, have grown worse in Acapulco in recent years.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-24-Mexico-Foreigner%20Killed/id-1691f7d5acd549d6afcf46fe830c80dd

Rob Ryan bethenny frankel sacramento kings alex jones the bachelor Google Docs Huell Howser

Cuba's Diaz-Canel rose gradually to No. 2 post

Newly appointed Cuba's Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel participates in the closure session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Newly appointed Cuba's Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel participates in the closure session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Cuba's new Vice-President Miguel Diaz-Canel, right, listens to Cuba's President Raul Castro during the closing session at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. Diaz-Canel has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the 1959 Cuban revolution. At center Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez.(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Newly appointed Cuba's Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, left, leaves after participating in the closure session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba's President Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president and tapped rising star Diaz-Canel, 52, as vice-president and first in the line of succession. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

HAVANA (AP) ? The man tapped as the likely heir-apparent to Raul Castro is largely unknown off the island, but his rise to the country's No. 2 job was anything but meteoric.

Miguel Diaz-Canel has spent 30 years gradually paying his dues behind the scenes, earning a reputation as a Communist Party loyalist and rising through the ranks to a succession of ever-higher posts.

"He is not an upstart or improvised," President Raul Castro said Sunday in a speech to lawmakers in which he laid out the reasons for his choice. In the past, Castro has praised Diaz-Canel's "solid ideological firmness."

Tall, dapper and carefully groomed with a 52-year-old's salt-and-pepper hair, Diaz-Canel presents a serious public face before TV cameras, even as some people who know him describe him as a sharp-minded jokester who can be surprisingly relaxed in private.

"He's a much more flexible type than he seems, open-minded and above all intelligent," one official who has known Diaz-Canel since the 1980s told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, lacking the authorization to discuss the man with foreign media.

Others, particularly those off the island, described him in less flattering terms.

"I think it's interesting because Diaz-Canel is not a charismatic person," said Alejandro Barreras, who runs a blog in Miami called On Two Shores that advocates for a normalization of relations between the US and Cuba. "He's kind of an opaque figure."

Diaz-Canel's profile has risen in recent months as he repeatedly appeared on state TV newscasts. One day he was speaking about Cuba's national baseball team, the next he was inaugurating Havana's International Book Fair.

In January he traveled to Venezuela and spoke prominently at a mega-rally in support of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez, arguably Havana's most important international ally.

"Today we are all Chavez!" Diaz-Canel said at the rally wearing a red tropical "guayabera" shirt.

Born April 20, 1960 in the central city of Santa Clara, Diaz-Canel wore his hair long as a youth and was a fan of the Beatles ? even though at the time that could get you into trouble with authorities, who rejected Western influences. Diaz-Canel still listens to the group, acquaintances say privately.

He graduated in electrical engineering and was a radio specialist in the armed forces, as well as a professor at the Central University of Las Villas.

He was involved early in communist youth groups and rose to become the party's first secretary for the central province of Villa Clara. Diaz-Canel also did a turn as a Party emissary in Nicaragua.

In 2003, he was named to the ruling council and became first secretary for Holguin, before leaving that post.

He became minister of higher education in 2009, and last March was named vice president of the Council of Ministers.

Back in the 1980s, Diaz-Canel was part of a group of young Communist leaders headed by former foreign minister Roberto Robaina, who offered fresh ideas and stood out by riding bicycles around the city.

Robaina was relieved in 2002 in what has been an all-too-common tale in Cuba: Icarus-like politicians suddenly falling back to earth. A similar fate also befell people like Felipe Perez Roque and Carlos Lage, who were thought to be potential successors to the Castros.

But Diaz-Canel survived the purges and today is the most highly placed politician of his generation, the second most powerful political figure in Cuba.

Diaz-Canel's gradual rise was likely appealing to a military man like Castro, said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a Cuban economist and analyst who lectures at the University of Denver. That's in contrast to Fidel Castro, who was known for plucking people from below and promoting them "by helicopter," only to sour on them later

"His step-by-step ascent is in line with Raul's logic," Lopez-Levy said.

___

Associated Press writers Peter Orsi in Havana and Christine Armario in Miami contributed to this report.

___

Andrea Rodriguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-24-Cuba-New%20Vice%20President/id-2abff20b256c4ca0bb2a4f4f2c24be19

Stephanie Bongiovi stanford football guy fieri Jill Kelley hope solo hope solo tesla model s

Pain from the brain: Diseases formerly known as 'hysterical' illnesses

Feb. 24, 2013 ? Psychogenic diseases, formerly known as 'hysterical' illnesses, can have many severe symptoms such as painful cramps or paralysis but without any physical explanation. However, new research from the University of Cambridge and UCL (University College London) suggests that individuals with psychogenic disease, that is to say physical illness that stems from emotional or mental stresses, do have brains that function differently. The research was published February 25, in the journal Brain.

Psychogenic diseases may look very similar to illnesses caused by damage to nerves, the brain or the muscles, or similar to genetic diseases of the nervous system. However, unlike organic diseases, psychogenic diseases do not have any apparent physical cause, making them difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat.

"The processes leading to these disorders are poorly understood, complex and highly variable. As a result, treatments are also complex, often lengthy and in many cases there is poor recovery. In order to improve treatment of these disorders, it is important to first understand the underlying mechanism," said Dr James Rowe from the University of Cambridge.

The study looked at people with either psychogenic or organic dystonia, as well as healthy people with no dystonia. Both types of dystonia caused painful and disabling muscle contractions affecting the leg. The organic patient group had a gene mutation (the DYT1 gene) that caused their dystonia. The psychogenic patients had the symptoms of dystonia but did not have any physical explanation for the disease, even after extensive investigations.

The scientists performed PET brain scans on the volunteers at UCL, to measure the blood flow and brain activity of both of the groups, and healthy volunteers. The participants were scanned with three different foot positions: resting, moving their foot, and holding their leg in a dystonic position. The electrical activity of the leg muscles was measured at the same time to determine which muscles were engaged during the scans.

The researchers found that the brain function of individuals with the psychogenic illness was not normal. The changes were, however, very different from the brains of individuals with the organic (genetic) disease.

Dr Anette Schrag, from UCL, said: "Finding abnormalities of brain function that are very different from those in the organic form of dystonia opens up a way for researchers to learn how psychological factors can, by changing brain function, lead to physical problems."

Dr Rowe added: "What struck me was just how very different the abnormal brain function was in patients with the genetic and the psychogenic dystonia. Even more striking was that the differences were there all the time, whether the patients were resting or trying to move."

Additionally, the researchers found that one part of the brain previously thought to indicate psychogenic disease is unreliable: abnormal activity of the prefrontal cortex was thought to be the hallmark of psychogenic diseases. In this study, the scientists showed that this abnormality is not unique to psychogenic disease, since activity was also present in the patients with the genetic cause of dystonia when they tried to move their foot.

Dr Arpan Mehta, from the University of Cambridge, said: "It is interesting that, despite the differences, both types of patient had one thing in common -- a problem at the front of the brain. This area controls attention to our movements and although the abnormality is not unique to psychogenic dystonia, it is part of the problem."

This type of illness is very common. Dr Schrag said: "One in six patients that see a neurologist has a psychogenic illness. They are as ill as someone with organic disease, but with a different cause and different treatment needs. Understanding these disorders, diagnosing them early and finding the right treatment are all clearly very important. We are hopeful that these results might help doctors and patients understand the mechanism leading to this disorder, and guide better treatments."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Cambridge. The original story is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.

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

---

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/1FMDTf7Ajyk/130225092250.htm

lee evans lee evans 49ers vs giants giants vs 49ers sf 49ers joe paterno died 49ers game

Samsung?s Galaxy Note 8.0 Will Make Its International Debut In Q2, We Go Hands-On

That Samsung was tinkering with a slightly smaller Galaxy Note tablet shouldn?t come as a surprise, but consider this the final word if you still weren't a believer. Samsung has just officially revealed that the Galaxy Note 8.0 is indeed a real product, and that it?s planning on rolling the tab out across the globe starting in Q2 2013. Though the company didn?t have anything firm to share when it came to release dates or pricing, it did have plenty to talk about in terms of hardware. The Note 8.0 tablet runs a TouchWiz?d version of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, and sports a quad-core 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and (you guessed it!) an 8-inch TFT LCD display running at 1280 x 800. Perhaps it's not the most surprising spec sheet we?ll see here at MWC, but it?s certainly plenty of horsepower for a tablet this size and it shows (more on that later).

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

gabby giffords geithner gabrielle giffords juliette lewis chelsea handler mitch daniels shirataki noodles

Wizards vs. Rockets: Washington rallies from 17 down to knock off Houston, 105-103

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/c/34656/f/645348/s/28e3a930/l/0L0Swashingtonpost0N0Csports0Cwizards0Evs0Erockets0Ewashington0Erallies0Efrom0E170Edown0Eto0Eknock0Eoff0Ehouston0E10A50E10A30C20A130C0A20C230Cc76368b0A0E7e270E11e20Ea0A440E676856536b40A0Is

saul alinsky annapolis wwe royal rumble trisomy leon panetta luck sag awards 2012 nominees

Lyoto Machida pulls out split-decision win over Dan Henderson at UFC 157

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Lyoto Machida took a split decision over Dan Henderson in the co-main event at UFC 157 on Saturday. The judges saw it 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 for Machida.

Machida was elusive as usual in the first round, but Henderson was able to sneak in and land a few kicks and punches. At the end of the round, Machida took Henderson down with a leg trip and landed strikes.

The second round showed Machida still being elusive and keeping his distance from Henderson. Machida tried for a front kick several times, but couldn't land it. Meanwhile, Henderson couldn't land much.

[Also: Ronda Rousey survives UFC debut, wins via first-round arm bar]

Henderson is known for his big, overhand punches. Most of the time, when he throws it, it can mean the end of a fight. However, he had trouble getting close enough to Machida for the overhand to work.

In the third round, Machida moved in for a takedown but ended up with Henderson on top. Henderson used elbows from the top, but Machida was able to get out with less than two minutes left in the fight.

Before the fight, UFC president Dana White said that the winner of this bout will get the next title shot. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will put the title up against Chael Sonnen in April, but the next fight will likely go to Machida.

[Also: Josh Koscheck suffers upset loss]

Machida was once the UFC light heavyweight champion, but lost the title to Rua in 2010. Since then, he has wins over Randy Couture and Ryan Bader, but losses to current champion Jon Jones and Quinton Jackson. It will be his third chance at the light heavyweight title. He won it with a knockout of Rashad Evans in 2009, but lost to Jones in 2011.

Henderson had a long layoff between fights. His last bout was one of the best in MMA history. In November of 2011, Henderson defeated Mauricio Rua in a five-round decision. Since then, Henderson had a fight lined up with Jones in September, but had to pull out at the last minute because of a knee injury. His record falls to 29-9. He's 42 years old, and against Machida, looked slow and old for the first time in his career.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Watch: Floyd Mayweather's college football betting secret
? Michael Jordan gets minor league offer
? Alex Smith on the trading block in Indy
? Wake Forest knocks off No. 2 Miami

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/lyoto-machida-pulls-split-decision-win-over-dan-045605104--mma.html

egypt soccer riot facebook ipo facebook ipo mike kelley puxatony phil josh harvey clemons college football recruiting rankings

Ga. executes man who killed college students

JACKSON, Ga. (AP) -- A 38-year-old inmate who was convicted of killing two college students after confessing to his FBI agent father was executed in Georgia on Thursday, apologizing to the families of both victims before being injected at a state prison.

Andrew Allen Cook was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., about 14 minutes after he was injected with the sedative pentobarbital. He was the first inmate to be executed since the state changed its procedure in July from a three-drug combination to a single dose.

With his last words, he apologized to the families of Mercer University students Grant Patrick Hendrickson, 22, and Michele Lee Cartagena, 19, who were shot several times as they sat in a car at Lake Juliette, which is about 75 miles south of Atlanta. He said what he did was senseless.

"I'm sorry," Cook said as he was strapped to a gurney. "I'm not going to ask you to forgive me. I can't even do it myself."

He also thanked his family for "their support, for being with me and I'm sorry I took so much from you all."

The Georgia Appeals Court on Wednesday temporarily stayed Cook's execution to consider a challenge to the state's lethal injection procedure. But the Georgia Supreme Court lifted the stay Thursday and all other appeals were exhausted.

Cook's lawyers have argued at various stages in their appeals of his death sentence that he suffered from mental illness and was being treated for depression up to the time of his death.

Mary Hendrickson, the mother of one of the victims, recently told television station WMAZ-TV in Macon she's been waiting 18 years for justice.

"I think that's what it was: the devil's work," she said. "When all that is going on, I was just thinking to myself: `Well, the devil is not going to win. He's not going to win over my heart. He is not going to win.'"

The single-drug injection began at about 11:08 p.m. Cook blinked his eyes a few times, and his eyes soon got heavy. His chest was heaving for about two or three minutes as his eyes closed. Not too long after, two doctors examined him and nodded and Carl Humphrey, warden of the state prison in Jackson, who announced the time of death.

Corrections officials said Thursday evening that Cook had received visits from family earlier in the day and ate the last meal he had requested - steak, a baked potato, potato wedges, fried shrimp, lemon meringue pie and soda.

A jury sentenced Cook to death after he was convicted in the January 2, 1995 slayings at Lake Juliette. Cook wasn't charged until more than two years later. He confessed to his father, a Macon FBI agent who ended up testifying at his son's trial.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reached out to John Cook in December 1995 because they were interested in speaking to his son. When he called his then-22-year-old son to tell him the GBI wanted to talk to him, he had no idea the younger man was considered a suspect.

"I said, `Andy, the GBI is looking for you concerning the Lake Juliette homicide. Do you know anything about it?'" John Cook testified at his son's trial in March 1998. "He said, `Daddy, I can't tell you. You're one of them. ... You're a cop.'"

Eventually, Andrew Cook told his father that he knew about the slayings, that he was there and that he knew who shot the couple, John Cook recalled.

"I just felt like the world was crashing in on me. But I felt maybe he was there and just saw what happened," he said. "I then asked, `Did you shoot them?'

"After a pause on the phone, he said, `Yes.'"

As a law enforcement officer, John Cook said he was forced to call his supervisor and contacted the Monroe County sheriff.

At the trial, as he walked away from the stand, the distraught father mouthed "I'm sorry" to the victims' families who were sitting on the front row of the courtroom. Several members of both families acknowledged his apology.

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GEORGIA_EXECUTION?SITE=NELIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

house of representatives paul ryan michele bachmann donald trump Election 2012 map Election Results Map Early voting results

Miami accused of lack of control by NCAA, ESPN reports

The University of Miami has been accused by the Indianapolis-based National Collegiate Athletic Association of failing to control its athletic department, ESPN reported, citing an unidentified person familiar with the situation.

Miami released a prepared statement Tuesday night in which it said many of the allegations included in the notice from college sports? governing body were unsubstantiated.

ESPN said the lack-of-institutional-control charge is because Miami failed to properly monitor Nevin Shapiro, a Hurricanes booster who has said he provided cash and benefits, such as cars and yacht rides, to at least 72 Miami athletes between 2002 and 2010. The charge is among the most serious the NCAA can bring after an investigation into rules violations.

Shapiro was convicted in 2010 of running a Ponzi scheme that involved former Indianapolis developer Sydney ?Jack? Williams, who was sentenced to one year in prison in January 2012 after pleading guilty to failing to report millions of dollars he received in commissions related to the scheme.

NCAA officials have declined to comment on the notice of allegations, which was delivered one day after the NCAA fired its head of enforcement because a review found internal rules were violated during the probe into Miami?s athletic program. While the review found the NCAA didn?t do anything illegal, staff members disregarded legal advice while using Shapiro?s criminal defense attorney and a federal bankruptcy process to obtain information.

NCAA President Mark Emmert said two days ago that any information obtained through those ?embarrassing? actions would be expunged from its investigation of Miami.

Miami President Donna Shalala said Tuesday night that many of the charges in the NCAA?s notice are ?based on the word of a man who made a fortune by lying.? She said the NCAA failed to interview ?essential witnesses,? including former Athletic Director Paul Dee.

?Most of the sensationalized media accounts of Shapiro?s claims are found nowhere in the notice of allegations,? Shalala said. ?Despite their efforts over 2-1/2 years, the NCAA enforcement staff could not find evidence of prostitution, expensive cars for players, expensive dinners paid for by boosters, player bounty payments, rampant alcohol and drug use, or the alleged hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts given to student-athletes, as reported in the media. The fabricated story played well ? the facts did not.?

Miami said it will submit an official response to the NCAA?s committee on infractions within the required 90-day period. Shalala said the school has improved its compliance oversight and that self-imposed sanctions, including a two-year bowl ban for the football team, are sufficient.

?For any rule violation ? substantiated and proven with facts ? that the university, its employees, or student-athletes committed, we have been and should be held accountable,? Shalala said. ?We deeply regret any violations, but we have suffered enough.?

Source: http://www.ibj.com/miami-accused-of-lack-of-control-by-ncaa-espn-reports/PARAMS/article/39727

Cyber Monday 2012 Walmart.com detroit lions Thanksgiving Day cooking a turkey toysrus how to carve a turkey

3 British men convicted in terrorist bomb plot

LONDON (AP) ? They were very ordinary would-be terrorists, with big plans but bad luck.

On Thursday, a London jury convicted the three young British men of being ringleaders of an al-Qaida-inspired plot to explode knapsack bombs in crowded parts of Birmingham, England's second-largest city. The men had pleaded not guilty, but were recorded discussing plans for attacks that one said would be "another 9/11."

The trial exposed how the trio ? Ashik Ali, 27; Irfan Khalid, also 27; and 31-year-old Irfan "Chubbs" Naseer ? were foiled by a mix of police intelligence, personal incompetence, and lousy luck as they tried to spread terror.

They attempted to recruit others to their cause, but four young men they dispatched to Pakistan for training were sent home within days when the family of one man found out. Those four have since pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offenses.

The plotters initially raised cash as street collectors for Muslim charities. But when Rahin Ahmed, an alleged co-conspirator described as the cell's "chief financier," tried to boost the group's budget on the financial markets, he lost the bulk of the funds through his "unwise and incompetent" trading, prosecutor Brian Altman said.

Among the pieces of evidence at the four-month trial was a sports injury cool pack, which prosecutors said Naseer had mistakenly believed would contain ammonium nitrate, a key bomb-making ingredient.

The group considered a variety of outlandish attacks, including tying sharp blades to the front of a truck and driving it into a crowd. Naseer was heard talking about the possibility of mixing poison into creams such as Vaseline or Nivea and smearing them on car handles to cause mass deaths.

Despite the amateurish nature of some of their efforts, officials said the group was serious about sowing chaos.

The men were "the real deal" and, if successful, would have perpetrated "another 9/11 or another 7/7 in the U.K.," said Detective Inspector Adam Gough, the case's senior investigating officer, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people, as well as the July 7, 2005, London transit bombings, which killed 52 commuters.

Prosecutors described the men as a home-grown terror cell inspired by the anti-Western sermons of U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in Yemen in a U.S. drone strike in September 2011.

Among evidence found by investigators was a partially burned note written by Naseer detailing how to make what an expert witness said would have been a viable bomb ? although no evidence of such an explosive was recovered.

Prosecutors said the men ultimately gravitated toward a plan to detonate up to eight knapsack bombs ? either on timers or in suicide attacks ? in a bid to bring mass carnage to Birmingham.

Judge Richard Henriques told the men they face life in prison when sentences are imposed in April or May. "It's clear that you were planning a terrorist outrage," he said at London's Woolwich Crown Court.

Police said the terrorist conspiracy was the most significant uncovered in Britain since a plot to blow up airliners in mid-air was foiled in 2006. However, no specific targets had been chosen and no bombs built when the men were arrested in a police swoop in September 2011. Twelve suspects were arrested in all, several of whom have pleaded guilty to terrorism offenses.

Prosecutors traced the plot's origins to Naseer and Khalid, who had traveled to Pakistan for terror training and learned details of poisons, bomb-making and weaponry. The pair also made "martyrdom videos" justifying their planned attacks.

On their return to England in July 2011, prosecutors said they began their recruitment and fundraising drive, and also began experimenting with chemicals, aided by Naseer's university degree in pharmacy.

Fatally for the plot, by mid-2011 the men were under surveillance by police and the intelligence services. Their car was followed and their safe house bugged.

Naseer was recorded talking about knapsack bombs going "boom, boom, boom everywhere," while Khalid said the attack would be "revenge for everything, what we're doing is another 9/11."

On the recordings, the trio spoke of themselves as martyrs and jihadi warriors ? but also, tellingly, compared themselves to the hapless protagonists of the 2010 British comedy film "Four Lions," which tells the story of four clueless jihadists whose attempts to wage holy war degenerate into tragic farce. In the movie the bombs go off.

Ali was recorded saying to his ex-wife: "Oh, you think this is a flipping 'Four Lions.' We're one man short."

Raffaello Pantucci, a terrorism expert at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said the foiled plot bore the hallmarks of a decentralized al-Qaida, in which local cells operate independently, often after receiving rudimentary training.

He said that "the time spent training foreign fighters by al-Qaida or affiliated networks is now being constrained because there is the threat of drone strikes" on the Pakistan-Afghan border.

"The command and control element is drawing back," he said. "It has a negative impact on their capacity to launch attacks because people aren't being trained as well. There is sometimes a clownish element to it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-british-men-convicted-terrorist-bomb-plot-131529518.html

sopa and pipa piracy sopa marg helgenberger censorship wikipedia sopa and pipa bills

RolePlayGateway?

---

---

PLOT

---

---

In a small town, where everyone knows everyone, there is a caf? known as a maid caf?. It's name: Gabriel's Caf?. They are the first in the states, drawing from the success in Japan. No one imagined it would have been so successful. Now, five years after its first opening, it is thriving. People come from all over the states to visit the first maid caf? where they are treated to gourmet food, pastries, coffee; the very best of things. Of course, running the caf? isn?t an easy task. With orders to fill and people to manage, the shop has converted to a 24 hour caf?.

Despite the success of the caf?, four particular people house a secret. Their blood is unique. How so? They don?t even know. That is until a group of people come into town, drawn by the scent that smells of sunlight. These strangers house a secret of their own as well. They are vampires. Drawn to the scents, a series of events begins to unfold, including a string of murders that are being pinned to the four strangers. Can the business survive with the murders happening just down the street, or will something unexpected happen? And also, what exactly are the four unique people? Who knows.

---

---

CHARACTERS

---

---

Farah Koehn - Owner of Gabriel's Caf? - Played by Shadow of Samael
Waitress - Open
Cook - Open
Waiter - Open

Vampire - Open
Vampire - Open
Vampire - Open
Vampire - Open

Female Outfit
Male Outfit

Note: This role-play takes elements from the anime Kaichou wa Maid-sama and the movie Once Bitten with a bit of True Blood [i.e. Fairies]. All and any credit goes there. Vampires are not to be Twilight Vampires. If they are exposed to the sun for too long, they will simultaneously combust. If you need any information, let me know and I shall answer them as best as I can. Also, as you can tell the spots all are colored by the gender they are to be. Blue - males, red - females. Also, all pictures are to be anime, semi-realistic, or realistic pictures. I do not want to see a picture of a living person i.e. celebrities or otherwise known people.

---

---

RULES

---

---

• First Rule: Follow the Rules | I do not have very many rules. All I ask of you is to at least read and follow my rules. If this cannot be done, then please do not join. This role-play was created for everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves. If you cannot do that, then you are free to hit the back button. Should for any reason you do not follow my rules, I will ban you from my role-play. I put a lot of work into my role-plays and all I ask is that you follow the simple rules I will put out for you.
• Second Rule: Characters | I am not new to role-playing. I have been role-playing for the last thirteen years and although I do not consider myself anywhere near professional, characters are to be as detailed as possible. This is a given to most role-plays and if you cannot give me details via a character sheet, how do I know you will be able to put out in the role-play? This might seem unfair or whatever, but all I ask is that you give me details. And please, for the love that is all, do not create a mary-sue/gary-stu. I know that it can be a bit difficult to not create one, but please do refrain from doing so. Characters are to appear twenty-one years old and older. The youngest I will accept a character is at nine-teen years old.
• Third Rule: Literacy | Although I have been role-playing for a long time, I do not consider myself adv. literate. I do not usually have a problem with words per post, but if you do not know the difference between were, where, and we?re, I will not accept you. Be able to grasp the basic concept of grammar, and should you find yourself in a pickle, just ask for help or look it up. This role-play is here to help you grow as a writer and hopefully expand on your vocabulary. I prefer the quality of a post to the quantity of a post.
• Fourth Rule: Be Committed | I am not asking a lot for this rule. I know that real life comes first, but should something happen and you find yourself unable to post for a few days or a few weeks, I expect notification of your departure so that we may remove your character for a while until you return. Should you decided to depart from this role-play, please notify me ahead of time so that we can work around your character. I do not wish for us to be stopped simply because your character is interacting with another. Excuse your character out of a situation if you have to, but please do not leave us hanging.
• Fifth Rule: Reservations | None. I am not taking reservations. This isn?t a first come, first serve role-play either. I will determine characters based off of their character sheet and from their writing sample which will be explained in the next set of rules, however; I do require that you at least notify me if you plan on making a character.
• Sixth Rule: Posting requirements | Posts are required at a 300 word minimum. The only reason why I am imposing this rule is because most of the RP?s tend to die due to one-line sentences and so forth. I do not want this role-play to die. Because of this requirement, I am also going to request that you send me a sample post written by you, NOT from another role-play, to me via your character sheet. There is a spot provided for you to post your sample post. The sample must contain the required 300 word minimum. This may seem harsh, but I have strict guidelines for this role-play as well as high expectations. Again, I do not want a post from another role-play. Trust me, I will find out if it is.
• Last Rule: Obey | Like the first rule states, obey my rules and we shouldn?t have a problem. If, for any reason a rule cannot be obeyed, or you find yourself in a conflicting situation, remove yourself from it or ask for assistance. I do not bite and I am more than willing to lend a hand should you ask for it.

Warnings included but are not limited to | Mild adult situations | Mild explicitly such as gore, blood and violence | and language. If you are uncomfortable with these warnings, you are free to remove yourself from this thread.

---

---

If you are interested, click this LINK and fill out an application

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

andy williams Lady Gaga New Girl Avalanna Gigi Chao Jimmy Hoffa Ed Hochuli

Video: College towns doubling as retirement communities

>>> we here have learned this week a full third of americans say now they're not saving nearly enough money to prepare for retirement. the problem, of course, is just the cost of daily life and keeping up with it. but for those who are lucky enough, the traditional plan involves taking it easy, ideally, after working hard. not everybody fits that mold, of course. and a growing number of retirees are moving to some unlikely places. some heading back to school and making quite an arrival on campus in the process. our report tonight from nbc's chris jansing .

>> reporter: on most saturday afternoons during football season, bonnie and denny seabert do what they love most, cheering on the ole miss rebels with family and friends in oxford, mississippi.

>> we came down for football and enjoyed it so much, there was so much to do, right, den?

>> every night there is something to do. almost too much to do if you're retired.

>> reporter: they're part of a growing number of older adults who are redefining retirement, but moving to college communities.

>> university towns often become retirement towns, because lots of culture, lots of athletics, lots of fun things to do.

>> reporter: that's exactly why the seaberts moved from illinois. for a chance to stay active, volunteer, and keep learning. colleges are paying attention. by 2020 , nearly 54 million americans will be over 65. so literally, hundreds of colleges are offering discounted and even free to youician to those older students.

>> how are you?

>> i'm fine.

>> reporter: pomona college in southern california is one of them.

>> the seniors and their questions and reactions to the class material can model a different approach to the material, and therefore really deepen what -- deepens what happens in class. the war of the spanish succession --

>> reporter: and for the seniors themselves, research shows lifelong learning can improve their health.

>> an active involvement of the brain. that can also be really important for slowing down and decreasing the chances of something like dementia or cognitive decline.

>> reporter: and back at ole miss , retired navy captain david dike summarizes what may be the biggest draw for seniors.

>> then we'll break out the wine and cheese.

>> reporter: college makes him feel young again.

>> quite frankly, i wouldn't look forward to a situation where i'm sitting around with a bunch of folks my age comparing which pills we're all taking.

>> it was published in 2007 .

>> that's it.

>> reporter: comparing notes instead. and heading off to class, not into the sunset.

>> well, lots of great stuff.

>> reporter: chris jansing , nbc news, new york.

>>> by the way, there's a lot more information on all of this on the entire series. it is on our website effective tonight. we are

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50880368/

madonna half time show fiat 500 abarth madonna halftime m i a mia super bowl tom coughlin wes welker

California Girl Makeover

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.girlsgames1.com/california_girl_makeover.html

ncaa oakland news alec baldwin alec baldwin college basketball oakland pinnacle airlines

Bem Wireless announces the Outlet Speaker

B?m Wireless has just introduced the Outlet Speaker for Bluetooth devices. ?Just as you’d imagine, the Outlet Speaker plugs into an electrical outlet for power. ?It’s great for home or office use, and it’s small enough (B?m says “just larger than a juice box”) to travel with you. ?It connects wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled phones, tablets, [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/20/bem-wireless-announces-the-outlet-speaker/

Gangster Squad school shooting Oscar Nominations 2013 oscar nominations C7 Corvette tom brady bradley cooper

White House dismisses North Korea video showing Obama, troops in flames

The White House on Wednesday shrugged off a new North Korean web video depicting President Obama and U.S. troops in flames, arguing that anti-American propaganda is less worrisome than the totalitarian state?s ?continuing defiance of its international obligations.?

Asked at Wednesday?s press briefing about the video, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that he had read about it but hadn?t seen it.

?I would simply say the provocative propaganda is far less concerning to us and to our allies than provocative actions that violate North Korea?s commitments to the United Nations and the international community, its flagrant violations of its commitments when it comes to its nuclear weapons program,? Carney said.

He added that the U.S. is ?working with our allies to isolate and pressure North Korea appropriately.?

Following last week?s North Korean nuclear test, Obama spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders ?pledged to work closely together to seek significant action at the United Nations Security Council and to cooperate on measures aimed at impeding North Korea?s nuclear and ballistic missile programs,? according to a White House statement.

The North Korean nuclear issue is likely to be at the top of the agenda when Abe and Obama meet Friday at the White House.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/02/20/white-house-dismisses-north-korea-video-showing-obama-troops-in-flames/

maundy thursday fab melo google glasses kim kardashian and kanye west henrik stenson jobs act greg mortenson

johnnymo replied to Monday SANTA ANITA in Other Sports .

{ContentName}

","searchItemHtmlBlock":"

{Title}

\t\t","searchSearchingHtmlBlock":"

Searching...

","searchNoResultsHtmlBlock":"

No results found

","showAllHtmlBlock":"Show All...","searchErrorHtmlBlock":"

Search is currently unavailable.

","searchOptionsPopup":"ctl00_header_ctl00_w_166__fffffffff60c1bf9_ctl00_Search1_SearchOptionsPopup","searchOptionName":"ctl00_header_ctl00_w_166__fffffffff60c1bf9_ctl00_Search1_filter","lastKeyCode":"","timeout":""}}; $(document).ready(function() { Core_Search_Register(header_166); }); // ]]>

Source: http://pregame.com/pregame-forums/default.aspx?ActivityMessageId=75bc2821-748e-4da4-b56a-f6c3879dec02

my morning jacket roger goodell psychosis dianna agron million hoodie march tebow trade mike the situation

McCready's ex: Anyone close could see it coming

FILE - In this undated file photo, country singer Mindy McCready performs in Nashville, Tenn. McCready, who hit the top of the country charts before personal problems sidetracked her career, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. She was 37. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

FILE - In this undated file photo, country singer Mindy McCready performs in Nashville, Tenn. McCready, who hit the top of the country charts before personal problems sidetracked her career, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. She was 37. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Yellow crime-scene tape blocks off the home of Mindy McCready in Heber Springs, Ark., on Monday, Feb. 18, 2013, the day after the country singer was found dead there Sunday in an apparent suicide. She was 37. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss)

Yellow crime-scene tape blocks off the home of Mindy McCready in Heber Springs, Ark., on Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. The country singer was found dead there Sunday in an apparent suicide. She was 37. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss)

Yellow crime-scene tape blocks off the front of a home in Heber Springs, Ark., where country singer Mindy McCready was found dead in an apparent suicide on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. She was 37. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss)

Yellow crime-scene tape blocks off the home of Mindy McCready in Heber Springs, Ark., on Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. The country singer was found dead there Sunday in an apparent suicide. She was 37. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss)

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) ? Mindy McCready's ex-boyfriend says she threatened to kill herself earlier this month after she lost custody of her sons, but was somehow released from rehab days before apparently following through on her threat.

Billy McKnight, a former longtime boyfriend who shares a son with the country singer, says the mother of two stayed in court-ordered substance-abuse rehabilitation for about 18 hours before checking out.

McKnight said Monday by phone from Tampa, Fla., that it was a "big mistake" to allow McCready to leave rehab, in light of her fiance David Wilson's recent suicide and the loss of her children.

McKnight is working with authorities to get his son Zander out of foster care.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-18-Obit-McCready/id-3b4a5e09ee2f4bda81ac4f35ba71ff46

platypus platypus overboard east of eden weather radio indiana autoimmune disease

Obama to press GOP on averting sequester Tuesday

WASHINGTON? -- Facing yet another fiscal deadline, President Barack Obama is urging congressional Republicans to accept more tax revenue in order to avert looming, across-the-board budget cuts due to take effect in less than two weeks.Obama, fresh off a three-day Florida golfing trip, was to press his case during an event at the White House on Tuesday morning. Emergency responders, a group of workers the White House says could be affected if state and local governments lose federal money as a result of the cuts, were joining him.

The $85 billion in cuts, known as the sequester, will start taking effect on March 1 unless Congress acts. The White House says the sequester could derail an economy still suffering from high unemployment and sluggish growth.

Obama wants to offset the sequester through a combination of targeted spending cuts and increased tax revenue. The White House is backing a proposal unveiled last week by Senate Democrats that is in line with the president's principles.

But that plan was met with an icy reception by Republicans, who oppose raising more tax revenue in order to offset the cuts. GOP leaders say the president got the tax increases he wanted at the beginning of the year when Congress agreed to raise taxes on family income above $450,000 a year.

The White House said Obama on Tuesday would call on congressional Republicans to compromise and accept the Senate Democrats' proposal.

The Democrats propose to generate revenue by plugging some tax loopholes. Those include tax breaks for the oil and natural gas industry and businesses that have sent jobs overseas, and by taxing millionaires at a rate of at least 30 percent.

Some Republicans, including House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have advocated plugging loopholes, but as part of a discussion on a tax overhaul, not sequestration.

"Loopholes are necessary for tax reform," Ryan said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." ''If you take them for spending, you're blocking tax reform and you're really not getting the deficit under control."

The sequester was first set to begin taking effect on Jan. 1. But as part of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations, the White House and lawmakers agreed to push it off for two months in order to create space to work on a larger budget deal.

With little progress on that front in recent weeks, Obama is calling for the sequester to be put off again, though it's unclear whether another delay would have any impact on the prospects for a broader budget agreement.

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/obama_to_press_gop_on_averting.html

mega mill power ball april fools pranks livan hernandez soledad o brien mega ball lottery winner

A word from our sponsors: Reliable Heating and Air Conditioning ...

Reliable Heating and Air Conditioning has been named the Bryant Medal of Excellence for its local territory.

?It?s probably the biggest award this company has ever received,? said Rick Sheehan, Reliable owner.

The Bryant? Medal of Excellence program rewards dealers who do whatever it takes to ensure customer satisfaction while improving their overall business and excelling in their marketplace. Each MOE winner has displayed a strong commitment to providing quality products and services while ensuring that their customers are completely satisfied.

Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems?is?a leading supplier of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Reliable is a Bryant Factory?Authorized?Dealer.

Medal of Excellence applicants are judged on overall Bryant-branded product sales growth, high-efficiency and indoor air quality equipment sales growth, customer satisfaction and participation in various dealer programs and promotions. They are also scored on a self-assessment. The applicants with the highest overall scores are chosen as regional winners.

Winning the award was a recognition of the hard work the entire Reliable staff does every day.

?The way I look at it, it?s not something I did by myself, it?s teamwork,? Sheehan said.

The Medal of Excellence is another indication of the quality of work done by Reliable.

?Our customers can be assured?their job will be done right,? Sheehan said.

Reliable Heating and Air Conditioning is located at the corner of Highways 75 and K. Established by the Sheehan Family in 1985, Reliable has been serving the greater Kenosha Area ever since. Reliable specializes in the sales, service and installation of residential, commercial, and industrial HVAC equipment. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with emergency service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even holidays. Call 843-2865 or 537-4487

Rick Sheehan of Reliable Heating and Air Conditioning

Source: http://www.westofthei.com/2013/02/18/a-word-from-our-sponsors-reliable-heating-and-air-conditioning-awarded-bryant-medal-of-excellence/39170

ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012 giada de laurentiis howard hughes nationwide race

Florida State takes 69-66 win over Boston College

Boston College coach Steve Donahue knew plenty about Florida State's Michael Snaer. But where did this Devon Bookert guy come from?
?? ?
While Snaer was putting up highest scoring total in Atlantic Coast Conference play this year with 21 points, freshman Bookert handed out eight assists without a turnover in just his second start of the year. Six assists came in the second half, including three during a span of just over two minutes that ignited a 12-2 Seminole run that wiped out BC's brief 45-42 lead.
?? ?
"That's a tough pill to swallow when you allow a guy to get eight assists and no turnovers and then find those guys wide open as well," Steve Donahue said after his team dropped a 69-66 game to the Seminoles. It was the Eagles' sixth ACC loss by five points or less this season, the last two of those by three points or less.
?? ?
The Eagles had a chance to tie at the buzzer, but Ryan Anderson's 3-point try bounced off the front rim and the Seminoles ran off their home court with yet another close win. BC has cut the lead to 68-66 on Lonnie Jackson's layup with six seconds remaining, but Florida State's Terry Whisnant hit the second of two free throws a second later to force the Eagles into a desperation 3 in hopes of forcing overtime.
?? ?
"We had a shot," Donahue said. "I'm pleased with how hard we played and hung around."
?? ?
While BC has come out on the short end of so many losses, Florida State has maintained its winning record by winning the close games.
?? ?
The defending ACC champs (14-11, 6-6 ACC) have won all of their league games by five points or less, including five wins by three points or less - and three coming on final second shots by Snaer. The Seminoles also evened their home record at 7-7 with just their fourth win in the last 10 games.
?? ?
It was the first ACC game this year in which Snaer has scored 20 or more points. He made 8 of 10 shots and was perfect on four free throws. Snaer's two free throws with 2:05 left gave Florida State a 66-60 lead.
?? ?
Florida State led by as many as 12 points in the opening half on its way to a 31-26 lead at the break. BC rallied to take its 45-42 lead on Patrick Heckmann's 3 before Bookert keyed a 12-2 run that propelled the Seminoles into a 54-47 lead with 8:06 left.
?? ?
"The assists he had today were more out of instincts," Hamilton said in praise of Bookert. "Starting has been good for him."
?? ?
Okaro White chipped in with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Bookert, who scored 12 points in Wednesday's 74-68 loss to third-ranked Miami in his first collegiate start, was turnover-free in 31 minutes on the court.
?? ?
Boston College (11-14, 3-9) was led by freshman Olivier Hanlan's 19 points. Heckmann and Anderson, who had a game-high 11 rebounds, each added 10 points for the Eagles.
?? ?
Both clubs shot well in close and from long distance. Florida State hit 51 percent overall (25 of 49) and made 7 of 13 from 3-point range, while Boston College finished at 44.4 percent (24 of 54) and was 9 of 16 from beyond the arc.
?? ?
Whisnant's 3 with 6:11 left in the opening half gave Florida State a 24-12 lead, but Joe Rahon hit a 3 and followed with a jumper to cap a 9-0 BC run that pulled the Eagles to within 24-21.
?? ?
Boston College returns home to host Maryland on Tuesday while the Seminoles visit North Carolina State the same night.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50841111/ns/local_news-tampa_fl/

underwear bomber unclaimed money godspell media matters hana taylor momsen xbox live update

Using the power of online video to promote your business

Online video is a hot trend that continues to grow and has become a key strategy in many companies? overall marketing plans. It?s an amazing vehicle for promoting your product or service, especially if you?re a business that relies on relationship marketing and really, what company doesn?t? Think about it ? you get to create this moving, talking, alive representation of what you?re all about so that potential clients can start building a relationship with you right away?from the comfort of their own home?any time of day. That?s pretty powerful marketing, if it?s done right.

The good news is, making an online video is incredibly easy nowadays, all you basically need is a smartphone and an internet connection. The problem is, too many small businesses don?t plan out what their message is or tailor it to their audience and can end up harming their brand rather than helping it. So how do you make an effective video, that?s engaging and attracts new business?

With that question in mind, I interviewed partners Adera Angelucci and Ryan Smith, of the new video production firm SPIRO Creative, to find out where small businesses go wrong and how they can easily get it right.

What are the biggest mistakes you see most small businesses making when they create their business videos?

Adera: They make the video about the business ? pushing the product or service ? instead of showing a personal approach and effectively conveying the core reasons why someone would want to buy from them.

Ryan: Definitely, a lack of focus regarding their key message. I?ve watched business videos where, by the end of it, I?m still not sure what they?re trying to get across or to who. Another factor is that they don?t pay close enough attention to things like lighting and sound issues which can create a poor quality video, which can then convey that you?re not professional or don?t pay attention to detail, which may be an important attribute of your product or service.

There?s a wide range of production quality out there ? from casual to professional. What are your thoughts on how a small company should approach making their promotional videos?

Adera: Online video is a key marketing tool, so think of it like you would any other key promotional materials for your business. You wouldn?t put out a cheap, flimsy business card or a brochure with spelling mistakes and blurry photos in it, so create your video with the same professional mind-set. If you want to be known and trusted, then you need to position your videos that way. It can be difficult to have perspective of yourself, which is why it?s imperative to get outside feedback from colleagues, other business owners or friends before uploading the final product online.

Also, because consistency is so important with online marketing and staying top of mind, we advise clients to think about creating a series of videos. Each one could cover a different topic and then be released individually over a period of time, usually over four to six weeks, to keep viewers coming back to your site.

Ryan: Research, research, research! Look at the videos of your competitors and those who are top in their industry to see what they?re doing right and what they?re doing wrong. Watch videos that have become viral and consider the reasons why. And remember: your message has to be clear. You don?t have to pour a lot of money into an expensive production. It?s not about special effects or being a star, it?s about the clarity and impact of your message. Think of it as telling the story of your business or product.

You successfully produced two TV shows that cleverly featured local businesses within the shows. What unique insights and skills did producing those shows give you about highlighting individual businesses?

Adera: I learned how to tell their story. How to really understand why a business owner does what they do ? the passion and purpose they have ? and how to convey that to an audience. I have worked with over 100 business owners and each of them handle the camera and the experience of being on TV differently. So as a producer and director, I?m able to confidently and easily guide them through the interview process to get the best out of them and make an amazing video that captures their true energy.

Ryan: How to differentiate from all the other promotional videos out there ? we know that connecting to an audience in an emotional way is key. That won?t happen by highlighting a blender. But showing the person whose passion is bringing that blender to the masses to improve their health and vitality, and seeing their love of what they do and relating to them will do that. The most powerful videos tell a story about a person who can do something for you, rather than ?here?s a product you need.?

What should people look for when hiring a firm to help them produce their videos?

Adera: Look for a company that?s passionate about telling people?s stories and the medium of video. You should feel they genuinely want to get to know who you are and what your business is all about. And ask how they will support you beyond the production side. At SPIRO, once a video is completed for a client, we go out of our way to help promote it online and share it with our network.

Ryan: Make sure they really know how to listen to you and that they ask great questions. Everyone has their unique story and that should ALWAYS informs the direction of a video. That gives it the authentic and genuine feel that is so important for creating a connection with audiences, and it?s the foundation for all the videos we produce here at SPIRO.

What do you love most about the work you do?

?

Adera: Meeting AMAZING people and showcasing them to the world! Learning new ways of getting information online that is positive, joyful and fun!

Ryan: Working with people who have the same passion for what they do that we have for our videos. There is an energy and harmony there that lifts creativity to unimaginable heights, and it is a joy to work in that kind of environment.

?

?

Any last tips or pointers to share?

Adera: Think of video as an important component of your marketing, if it?s done correctly (and that?s not hard to do!). Think of the power it has ? you can qualify potential clients even before meeting them, saving you tons of time and money. Remember that your message is important, that who you are is enough and that everything you have to offer the world can be realized and received by people who watch your video. There are 3 billion people online and if only 100-500 see your video and 2-10 people buy from you, well that makes video a valuable business tool.

Ryan: Keep your brand in mind. Online video is about helping you build awareness of your business. Most importantly, know that you have a story to tell that is powerful and resonant, and needs to be shared with the world. Video offers a spectacular opportunity to tell that story and spread it around the world.

To learn more tips about creating effective business videos, attend Empower By Design?s Meetup, ?8 Keys to Making a GREAT Online Business Video? featuring Ryan Smith and Adera Angelucci from SPIRO Creative. See details below or click here to go to our event page.

8 Keys to Making a GREAT Online Business Video

Date: Thursday, Feb. 21st Time: 7:00-9:00 pm Price: $22/person (includes coffee & tea) Location: The Pantry Restaurant | 1812-152nd Street, South Surrey Tickets: www.empowerbydesign.eventbrite.ca

Source: http://www.empowerbydesign.com/cms/?p=425&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=using-the-power-of-online-video-to-promote-your-business

rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments phish gluten free diet barry zito mac virus santorum drops out