How to Build Rapport And Create Wealth In Two Simple Steps | Epic ...

There is a secret to creating wealth that few people will share. Mostly because they don?t feel it?s as important as it is, or they are completely oblivious to its power.

The size of your paycheck and your ability to create wealth will be in direct proportion to your capacity for authentic communication and building rapport. Which means, your ability to connect with people is the ONE skill that will make or break your career as a real estate investor. If you can?t do it, you won?t make a dime.

Real estate is not about shuffling pieces of property around, it is about people.

At the foundation, you are dealing with human beings, not buildings.

Always remember that.

The more trust, affection, and camaraderie you can command from every interaction you have, the more successful you will be.

Terrified?

Not a worry, connecting with people is a skill. And skills can be learned.

Everything revolves around this key point!

In order for people to be interested in you, you must first show interest in them.

You achieve this with two basic practices.

1. The first basic practice is to listen.

The majority of people don?t really listen. While the other person is talking, they?re thinking of how they want to respond, what to talk about next, or how to react. None of which includes actually paying attention to the person speaking. Listen as though there will be a quiz at the end of the conversation.

2. The second basic practice is to ask thoughtful and relevant questions.

When you ask questions, you pull people towards you. However, you can?t ask good questions if you?re not listening. Ask a question then listen to the answer. Often, people are terrified of empty spaces in the conversation and so they try to fill every moment with words. Don?t be afraid of a pause. Let the other person fill the gap. They?ll feel heard, important, and will offer information that you may not have thought to ask.

That?s it! Simple isn?t it?

Simple. Yes. Easy? No.

You have to practice. Turning your personal agenda off and focusing your undivided attention on another person is a skill that requires effort and repetition.

Think of it as a workout for your wallet, an indirect path to wealth creation.

Because when you master this skill, opportunities will fall into place, the real estate dollars will roll in creating your wealth, and, as an added bonus, all your relationships will benefit from it too.

[Pick up the best book ever written on the subject of building rapport. Click here]

Training begins now!

Source: http://epicprofessionals.com/how-to-build-rapport-and-create-wealth-in-two-simple-steps/

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Has Ted Cruz Hit The Tipping Point?

ABC's Michael Falcone reports:

The Ted Cruz headlines just won't stop.

"Sen. Ted Cruz says Obama wants immigration bill to fail to hurt GOP," wrote the Dallas Morning News last week. Another Texas paper, the Houston Chronicle, published a recent piece titled: "Ted Cruz: The next Reagan or the next Joe McCarthy?"

Politico carried this on their homepage: "Ted Cruz defends his blunt style." And Salon ominously foreshadowed, "The coming Rand Paul-Ted Cruz brawl."

In recent weeks the freshman senator from Texas has been the subject of a profile in The New York Times, which dubbed him "Washington's new bad boy," and in the New Yorker, which surfaced a speech he delivered in 2010 accusing a dozen members of the Harvard Law School faculty of being communists. (Cruz is a Harvard Law School graduate). Earlier this month, CNN's chief Congressional correspondent Dana Bash traveled to Texas to interview Cruz and so did the Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody.

Without a doubt, Cruz has attracted more attention than any other freshman member of Congress from either party in the opening months of the 113th Congress. The Republican lawmaker made waves for his blunt questioning of Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel during his confirmation hearings, and he has been embraced by conservative leaders seeking a new hero.

He has been hailed by the Tea Party Express as a politician who is "shaking up Washington, D.C. just like he promised" and by another political action committee, the Senate Conservatives Fund, as someone who is "showing Washington what courage looks like."

And that is almost exactly how Cruz sees it too.

"I made promises to the people of Texas that I would come to Washington to shake up the status quo," Cruz recently wrote to The New York Times and Politico in response to a list of e-mailed questions. (The Texas Republican declined to grant interviews to either publication).

"Ted's always been ambitious, he's always been arrogant," said one Republican strategist who has known Cruz since before coming to Washington. "I think the honest truth is, he's doing exactly what he's said he was going to do when he campaigned."

But keeping his promise has also earned him his share of criticism - and not just from those on the other side of the aisle - from prominent fellow Republicans too.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called some of the questions Cruz posed to Hagel "out of bounds" and Sen. John McCain of Arizona told The Times' Jonathan Weisman in an interview that "the appropriate way to treat Senator Hagel is to be as tough as you want to be, but don't be disrespectful or malign his character" (implying that Cruz had fallen short of that standard). Democrats piled on too.

In an interview on Tuesday with the Texas Tribune, Cruz defended his conduct at the Hagel hearings, saying he "focused on substance and, in particular, Mr. Hagel's policy record."

"It has not focused on personal issues, and, indeed, the character attacks that have been raised have been leveled at me for asking questions that I think every senator should be concerned to know the answer," he told the Tribune's Emily Ramshaw.

Cruz has won prominent advocates for his take-no-prisoners style.

"Most politicians know what to say to get elected but then arrive in Washington with no real spine - or in many cases, no intention of ever doing what they promised," former Sen. Jim DeMint, a conservative icon who now heads the Heritage Foundation, wrote in a Politico Op-Ed. "Not Cruz. He's proved himself an effective advocate for the founding principles that made our nation great: personal freedom and responsibility, local control and adherence to the law as it is written, not the way some politicians wish it was written."

And the junior senator from Texas has already achieved a certain iconic status himself. A Texas Republican who filed paperwork to mount a primary challenge to incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn told the Daily Caller that Cruz is an inspiration to him.

"If I'm trying to describe somebody who I would best mimic, it would be Sen. Cruz," the challenger, Erick Wyatt, told The Daily Caller's Alexis Levinson. (Regardless of Wyatt's compliment, reports have suggested a close political alliance between Cruz and Cornyn).

Those who know him say Cruz has been more than happy to take full advantage of his time in the spotlight, but the freshman lawmaker who previously served as solicitor general of Texas, emphasized in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody that he is taking all of the new-found attention in stride.

"I try to pay, pay very little attention to the media," he said. "It is, as you know, a fickle creature."

Notably, Cruz's approach represents a marked contrast to that of another prominent Republican, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who started out his career in the U.S. Senate quietly. In 2011, Rubio spent his first months in Washington mostly out of the public eye. Since then, of course, he has become a major player in the Republican Party, emerging as a key voice in the immigration reform debate and stoking speculation about a potential 2016 presidential run.

With Cruz and Rubio's stars rising fast, one Texas GOP insider predicted that the U.S. Senate may eventually not be big enough for the both of them: "At some point the fire hydrant is going to get crowded, and we'll see who marks it."

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ted-cruz-hit-tipping-point-154206271--abc-news-politics.html

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House Likely to Pass Violence Against Women Reauthorization

ABC News' Kristina Zverjako and John Parkinson report:

Update:

The House is likely to pass a Senate-approved version of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act Thursday, sending the bill to President Obama for his signature.

A rule approved in the House Rules Committee tonight allows an up-or-down vote first on a controversial House GOP version of the measure as a substitute amendment. If that passes, then the GOP version becomes the underlying bill. If it fails, the House would be left with an up-or-down vote on the Senate-passed bill. With insufficient support for the GOP bill, the vote on the Senate bill appeared almost certain to pass with bipartisan support.

--

House Democrats earlier said they were not satisfied with the Republican-crafted version of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, pledging to oppose it if it came up for a vote later this week in the House.

Speaking at the Capitol today, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the Republican measure a step down from the Senate bill that passed with bipartisan support earlier this month, saying that "this bill is weaker than the Senate bill, weaker than the current law."

House Democrats said that the Republican-proposed version up for consideration this week does not provide adequate protection for the sexual crime victims associated with human trafficking or members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Native American communities.

Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., who has previously detailed her experience as a sexual assault victim on the House floor, asked her GOP colleagues Tuesday afternoon to "stand up for what is right and righteous, and reconsider this ill-conceived legislation, and work together with us to pass the bipartisan Senate bill."

A House GOP leadership aide defended the latest Republican proposal, contending that House Democrats are using the politically contentious issue as a way to divide the Republican Party. Some members of the Republican conference have pressured leadership to allow a vote on the Senate bill rather than delay passage with another political fight.

The House GOP aide said the Republican leadership believes its bill makes significant improvements to the Senate bill, claiming that every woman is protected from discrimination.

The House could vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act as soon as Thursday.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-dems-rip-gop-redo-violence-against-women-020607993--abc-news-politics.html

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Tech and Outsourcing Hot Spots: Governances and Change Control ...

Olswang partner Jonathan ChooOlswang associate Shaun LeeOlswang Singapore-based partner Jonathan Choo and associate Shaun Lee examine governance and change control procedures in outsourcing contracts in this second fascinating post in their Technology and Outsourcing Hot Spots Series.

This knowledge partnership article follows November?s piece discussing pre-contractual negotiations in tech and outsourcing contracts.

Outsourcing contracts anticipate a fairly long-term relationship between the parties that is generally measured in years. Given such lengthy time frames, change is nearly inevitable in the form of the customer?s technological and business needs. Therefore, there needs to be a system / process in place to allow parties to make periodic changes to the agreed work scope in a manner that is structured and which minimises disputes.

The need for effective cooperation and governance

There is no standard outsourcing agreement that adequately suits all scenarios and business needs. Outsourcing contracts can operate in a number of forms depending on what the customer wants from the outsourced arrangement. This can range from simple cost savings, to allowing businesses to focus on their core competencies, to obtaining real improvements (expertise and scalability) in the area outsourced.

Regardless of the outsourcing arrangement entered into, effective governance, whether of an IT project or IT outsourcing, is crucial.

The case of Compass Group UK and Ireland Ltd (t/a Medirest) v Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, [2012] EWHC 781 (QB) provides an example of how a failure to cooperate in good faith and an overly aggressive insistence on strict contractual performance can destroy an effective business relationship.

Medirest entered into a contact with the defendant Trust for Medirest to provide facilities management, including catering services to the hospital. Under the terms of the contract, in return for services rendered in accordance with the Service Level Specification, the Trust agreed to pay the Contract Price (on a yearly basis and subject to indexation). The agreement also provided for the parties to cooperate with each other in good faith and to take all reasonable action as was necessary for the efficient transmission of information and instructions and to enable parties to derive the full benefit of the contract (see paragraph [23]).

The High Court held that such a general obligation to cooperate in good faith accorded with commercial sense, especially in the context of long term contracts (see paragraph [25] and [27]).

However, from an early stage (barely a week into the contract) the Trust's commercial director took a "challenging" and unhelpful approach to the way the contract was performed by Medirest. Severe financial penalties were imposed for minor infractions and the High Court held that these ?were patently absurd? and displayed a lack of ?fact and common sense? (see paragraph [85]).

For example, a single box of out of date ketchup attracted 30,860 service points and a deduction of ?46,320 (to put this into context, the contract provided that service failure points of more than 1,440 justified a termination of the contract by the Trust).

The English Court considered that the effect of the Trust?s conduct was to damage, and ultimately to destroy, the working relationship with Medirest.

Lack of effective service descriptions

In the case of Vertex Data Science Ltd v Powergen Retail Ltd [2006] EWHC 1340 (Comm), one of the major problems encountered by the parties involved in the outsourcing arrangement was a fundamental disagreement as to the respective parties? obligations. This was the result of a lack of effective service level descriptions within the outsourcing agreement.

The High Court noted that there was ?a fundamental question whether Powergen [could] legitimately complain about, or regard as non-contractual, a level of service which, whilst not in accordance with the Regulations and Good Industry Practice to which, by clause 4.2.1 of the MSA, Vertex must adhere, [was] nonetheless not actually in breach of a Service Level Agreement (?SLA?) because the SLA lack[ed] a criterion which measure[d] the relevant shortcoming in performance" (see paragraph [21]). The High Court also noted that, ?[i]t [wa]s perfectly possible that the terms of the SLAs permit[ed] a level of performance which [wa]s, objectively, unsatisfactory" (see paragraph [38]).

In fairness, the parties did try to resolve their disputes. The High Court decision detailed a series of near-monthly meetings between the parties, at the operations level up to management level in an attempt to resolve these disputes. However, parties were ultimately unable to resolve their differences, in part because of a failure to specify the parties' obligations.

Change control procedure ? Catering for business and technological change

As mentioned, a customer?s requirements, however well specified, will likely evolve over time. In those circumstances, it is important that the contract provides for a framework and mechanisms that would allow parties to determine and effect the necessary changes whether to the design, quality, quantity or costs of the project. For example, in cases of long term IT projects and outsourcing contracts, issues of technology replacement and technology refresh might arise which affect all four criteria.

One important mechanism is benchmarking provisions, which can have the dual benefit of keeping pricing and performance competitive.

However, in a complex outsourcing agreement, benchmarking itself could prove to be a costly endeavour with the result that the expense of conducting benchmarking outweighs its benefits. For example, when performance targets run into the hundreds, gathering and analysing the data to determine if such targets have been met will inevitably be costly. In such circumstances, parties might wish to consider either reducing the number of performance targets, or committing to review such targets on a sample basis.

Parties also need to have mechanisms in place in order to allow changes to the scope of work. In the absence of a contract change (or variation order) clause, a vendor is (at least under common law) only obliged to perform what is stipulated in the contract. The customer is not entitled as of right to direct variations, whether to amend or increase or decrease the scope of work.

Conversely, a proper variation order clause will ensure that the vendor is paid the agreed contractual price as opposed to a fair market value (or quantum meruit basis) for a properly directed variation. Similarly, a proper variation order clause should provide for attendant effects like delay.

Changes can be good, neutral or even detrimental to the project. It is advisable for all stakeholders to have an opportunity to participate in the control of any changes. A change control procedure should therefore anticipate the possibility that a change is rejected. Hence, it may be necessary for parties to adopt processes which will help them to identify reasons for the changes, to investigate the impact of such changes (including attendant costs and delays) and to review those changes in light of the likely impact of such changes.

A contractual provision that occasionally finds its way into such contacts is an agreement to negotiate certain changes in good faith. This is despite the fact that such provisions are generally unenforceable under English law as per the House of Lords decision in Walford and Others v Miles and Another [1992] 2 AC 128. Such agreements, like agreements to agree, are unenforceable because they lack the necessary certainty as to their terms.

Nevertheless, a number of commonwealth jurisdictions (New South Wales and Canada) have departed from that strict position to give some effect to such provisions in certain circumstances. The recent Singapore Court of Appeal decision of HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Singapore) Ltd (trustee of Starhill Global Real Estate Investment Trust) v Toshin Development Singapore Pte Ltd, [2012] SGCA 48 clarifies that where parties are already in a contractual relationship, the court will not simply render an agreement to negotiate in good faith unenforceable. More details of this case can be found in a previous post.

However, this does not mean that the courts can be called upon to ensure that parties actually come to a result. Instead, the role of the courts is simply to ensure that parties abide by their contractual obligations. If there is an unremedied breach of an obligation to negotiate in good faith and parties come to a negotiated result, then the prejudiced party may seek the court?s assistance in voiding that result.

Nevertheless, there are real limitations to this approach. In the event that parties are unable to come to a negotiated position despite having negotiated in good faith, the Singapore courts will not determine that dispute for them and impose a result on parties. In the event that parties prefer for the business relationship to continue, they would be well advised to have some binding mechanism that is capable of breaking the deadlock.

Conclusion

The execution of technology and outsourcing contracts presents a host of interesting issues by virtue of the length of their tenure and the extent of cooperation required between the parties.

Compounding the problem is the tension between the specificity of service level obligations (or benchmarking provisions) to ensure that the customer gets what it actually wants, and the costs of monitoring and enforcing those provisions in large and complex contracts.

The importance of effective governance cannot be overstated. Effective governance structures allow parties to highlight, ventilate and escalate issues and problems before those become intractable and jeopardise the entire agreement.

Nonetheless, such structures and processes cannot be panaceas. To borrow a phrase from the judgment in Medirest, the key to ensuring a successful business relationship is ultimately to have the right people in those governance structures ?deploy[ing] fact and common sense?.

?

Jonathan Choo is a Partner and Head of Arbitration & Dispute Resolution at Olswang Asia LLP. Shaun Lee is an Associate; Arbitration & Dispute Resolution at Olswang Asia LLP.

Olswang Asia, based in Singapore, is a full service law firm particularly focused on advising businesses in the Technology, Media and Telecoms industries. For enquiries or further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or contact Olswang Asia at +65 6720 8278.

Check out Olswang?s Singapore International Arbitration Blog at http://singaporeinternationalarbitration.com/

Source: http://www.legallyindia.com/Tech-Media-Comms/technology-outsourcing-contracts-governance-control-change

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Blizzard blasts Plains ? again

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) ? The nation's midsection again dealt with blizzard conditions Monday, closing highways, knocking out power to thousands in Texas and Oklahoma and even bringing hurricane-force winds to the Texas Panhandle. Two people have died.

Already under a deep snowpack from last week's storm, Kansas was preparing for another round of heavy snow Monday evening and overnight, prompting some to wonder what it could do for the drought.

"Is it a drought-buster? Absolutely not," National Weather Service meteorologist Victor Murphy said. "Will it bring short-term improvement? Yes."

The storm is being blamed for two deaths on Monday. In northwest Kansas, a 21-year-old man's SUV hit an icy patch on Interstate 70 and overturned. And in the northwest town of Woodward, Okla., heavy snow caused a roof to collapse, killing one inside the home.

Earlier on Monday, blizzard warnings extended from the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles into south-central Kansas. The blizzard warnings were dropped Monday evening for the far western portion of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles.

Meanwhile to the east, lines of thunderstorms crossed Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida, bringing heavy rain and an occasional tornado warning.

As many as 10,000 people lost power in Oklahoma, as did thousands more in Texas.

"I have a gas cooking stove and got the oven going," said Ann Smith, owner of the Standifer House Bed and Breakfast in Elk City, Okla., late Monday afternoon. Her daughter and grandchildren had come over because they lost power.

"If it gets cold tonight, I guess we'll have to put pallets in the kitchen," Smith said with a laugh.

Colorado and New Mexico were the first to see the system Sunday night, with up to 2 feet falling in the foothills west of Denver.

As it moved into the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles Monday, the storm ground travel to a halt, closing miles of interstates and state highways.

Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Daniel Hawthorne said about a dozen motorists had to be rescued, but no one was injured. The National Weather Service in Lubbock reported at one point that as many as 100 vehicles were at a standstill on Interstate 27.

Extremely strong winds whipped around at least a foot or more of snow in the Texas Panhandle, and a hurricane-force gust of 75 mph was recorded at the Amarillo airport. Amarillo recorded the biggest snowfall total in Texas ? 19 inches, just short of the record of 19.3 ? while Fritch was second with 16.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed all highways in the Panhandle and much of the state's northwest because of blizzard conditions. Trooper Betsy Randolph said several dozen motorists have reported being stranded or have abandoned their vehicles.

Chris McBee, a storm chaser, got stuck outside Woodward in northwest Oklahoma in the mid-afternoon. By then, the city was leading Oklahoma's snow totals with 15 inches of snow.

"We were planning to go back to Oklahoma City tonight, but the road was just impassable," McBee told The Associated Press. "You couldn't see 50 feet in front of you." A man with a bulldozer dug out McBee's vehicle.

"He's just helping people," McBee said, adding he assumed the man was still out there. "We tried to pay him and he refused."

While the wintry precipitation is "a shot in the arm," National Drought Mitigation Center climatologist Mark Svoboda said, the drought in the Plains and Midwest is far from over. Svoboda, speaking from Lincoln, Neb., said 12 inches of snow is equivalent to about 1 inch of rain.

"We would need 2-4 feet of snow to just erase the October to present deficits," in Kansas, he said.

Jim Shroyer, a wheat specialist with Kansas State University Extension, said snow is more efficient than summer rain in replenishing soil moistures because rain tends to run off or evaporate during the summer months.

But it can take months or years for pastures and rangeland to recover to the point where there is good forage there for livestock.

"There is a lag coming out of drought where some of these impacts will linger on long after 'climatological drought' is gone," Svoboda said. "And there is always a sense of false security there."

Texas rancher Jay O'Brien warned the storm could be deadly for grazing cattle, with the wind pushing animals into a fenced corner where they could suffocate from the drifts.

"This type of snow is a cattle-killer," he said.

Parts of Kansas are bracing for anywhere from 8 to 24 inches of snow as the system moves through the state overnight. Wichita figures to take another hit after last week's storm that dumped about a foot and a half of snow.

In preparation, many Kansas school districts already have called off Tuesday classes, as has the University of Missouri-Columbia. And Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James declared a state of emergency Monday, as another foot or more could fall, adding to last week's 10 or so inches.

"This one has the potential to be quite serious," James said at a news conference.

Through the day Tuesday, the storm is forecast to spin toward the upper Midwest, bringing snow to Chicago and eventually Detroit before heading toward Buffalo, N.Y, and northern New England in the middle of the week.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Zeman Bleed and Kelly P. Kissel in Little Rock, Ark., Daniel Holtmeyer in Oklahoma City, and Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kan., Bill Draper in Kansas City, Mo., and John Milburn in Topeka, Kan., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2nd-round-heavy-snow-plains-midwest-2-dead-002811293.html

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Opera WebKit-based browser hands-on

Think Opera is content at 300 million? That would be a rather silly notion for any company, of course, and naturally the browser is bumping up its efforts by making the jump to WebKit. This move will make Opera even more tempting for Android (phone and tablet) users who would never have given the browser even a sideways glance previously. The newer, fancier Opera throws in a few extra features. First, there's a launch page called speed dial that looks an awful lot like what we've seen in older versions; you can customize a bunch of shortcuts and links based on your overall usage and personal preferences, and toss all of them in folders. There's also an off-road mode, which essentially gives you the option to switch over to Opera Mini for extra data compression for those times you need it -- this obviously comes in handy when you're reaching your data threshold or just in a low-reception area. Lastly, HTML5 support is built in, as we would come to expect with a new browser these days.

Though we were originally told in January that we could expect Android and iOS versions of the browser sometime this month, representatives at the company's booth at MWC noted that what we're seeing is actually a pre-beta version and the final product is "coming soon" with no specific timetable given. This doesn't surprise us, as the demonstration had its fair share of bugs, but we will reserve judgment until we see it in its final form. As we patiently wait for the browser to make its public appearance, you can pine for it by drooling over the images in our gallery below.

Gallery: Opera WebKit-based browser-hands-on

Sean Cooper contributed to this hands-on.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-L20IOIePrk/

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Barnes & Noble Founder Hopes to Buy Retail Business - GalleyCat

Barnes & Noble founder Leonard Riggio hopes to ?purchase all of the assets of the retail business of Barnes & Noble? as the bookseller struggles in a difficult bookselling environment.

The company offered a brief statement, but will not provide more commentary until a committee has evaluated the proposition or a deal is struck. Here?s more from the official company release:

The process of evaluating a proposal and negotiation of any transaction will be overseen by a Strategic Committee of three independent directors: David G. Golden, David A. Wilson and Patricia L. Higgins, who is Chair of the Strategic Committee. The Strategic Committee has selected Evercore Partners to serve as its financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP to serve as its legal advisor.?There can be no assurance that the review of Mr. Riggio?s proposal or the consideration of any transaction will result in a sale of the retail business or in any other transaction. There is no timetable for the Strategic Committee?s review.

Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/barnes-noble-founder-hopes-to-buy-retail-business_b65918

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Chris Brown: Beating Rihanna "Deepest Regret of My Life"

Source:

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Afghan president orders US forces out of key province

NBC's Jim Miklaszewski joins Lester Holt to discuss the latest on Afghan President Hamid Karzai order that U.S. forces be removed from Wardak province over allegations of torture and disappearances.

Ahmad Jamshid / AP, file

Afghan President Hamid Karzai addesses military officers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013

By Hasani Gittens, News Editor, NBC News

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has ordered that all U.S. special forces must leave Wardak province, just west of Kabul, within two weeks ? citing allegations of disappearances and torture.

In a statement Sunday, a spokesman for Karzai said, "after a thorough discussion, it became clear that armed individuals named as U.S. special force stationed in Wardak province engage in harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people."

---

Karzai's office cited a "recent example" in which nine people allegedly "disappeared" and a separate incident where a student was taken from his home in the middle of the night and whose tortured body was found two days later under a bridge with his throat cut.

U.S.?defense officials strongly deny that military personnel condoned, or were involved in, any kidnappings, torture or murders of Afghan civilians or suspects.

In addition to demanding the U.S. pull out in two weeks, Karzai also demanded the immediate cessation of all international special forces operations in Wardak.

Military?officials told NBC News that Karzai's order came as a total surprise. The province is one of the hottest combat zones in Afghanistan and?is a strategically important area because it is seen as the gateway the Taliban uses to carry out attacks in Kabul, the war-torn nation's capital.

In response, International Security Assistance Force, which coordinates the multinational coalition in Afghanistan, said "the U.S. Forces Afghanistan is aware of the reporting of presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi's comments today. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them."

The ISAF declined to comment further until they've "had a chance to speak with" senior officials in the Afghan government.

In their statement, the Afghan government noted that "Americans reject having conducted any such operation," but also noted "that such actions have caused local public resentment and hatred."

President Barack Obama announced during his State of the Union address earlier this month that 34,000 American troops --? about half of the total U.S. force in Afghanistan -- will leave the country by the end of this year.

NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube contributed to this report

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/24/17076037-afghan-president-orders-us-forces-out-of-key-province?lite

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Government objects to French firm's attempt to trademark 'rooibos'

?The department of trade and industry?together with the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, has raised its objection with the French Embassy in South Africa as?well?as with the European Commission Delegation in Pretoria. These engagements will be further intensified to seek an acceptable resolution to the matter,? the department said in a statement on Thursday.

The?Business Day?reported?earlier this month that the ?rooibos industry is fighting to protect its intellectual property after a French company applied to?register?a number of trademarks incorporating the terms ?South African Rooibos? and ?Rooibos? last year.

The report added?if?the company was?successful??it would own the exclusive rights to the names of any rooibos products sold in France, a key market in the European Union, which is the biggest export market for rooibos?.

In a response, Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies on Thursday said, ?The [department]?stands ready to defend South Africa?s trade and intellectual property interests vigorously. However, the issues in this particular matter will require an urgent assessment of the legal options to strengthen protection of the Rooibos name in South Africa.

This is not the first time a?foreign?firm has attempted to capture the intellectual property associated with Rooibos. As in the 2005 case that took place in the United States, the [department] will support the local industry to protect our mutual trade and economic interests.?

Staple in SA

?As all South Africans know, Rooibos tea is made from the leaves of a unique shrub, indigenous only to South Africa. In addition, a number of Rooibos products in South Africa are already protected by South Africa?s domestic trademark legislation. The registration of such a trademark in France could have a significant negative impact on South Africa?s exports of Rooibos products to France, and the [department]?is co-operating with the local Rooibos industry to ensure that South Africa?s trade interests are not unfairly compromised,? the department said.

A staple tea in many homes in South Africa, the health benefits of rooibos, long part of South African cultural lore, are only beginning to be properly verified through rapidly growing scientific research,?reported the?Mail & Guardian?last year.

The tea, which is closer to a herbal infusion known as a tisane, has been linked to the prevention of certain types of cancer as well as heart disease. It grows in hardy bushes amid the Cape?s uniquely diverse fynbos floral kingdom.

Source: http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-22-dti-objects-to-french-firms-attempt-to-trademark-rooibos

Source: http://www.tralac.org/2013/02/25/government-objects-to-french-firms-attempt-to-trademark-rooibos/

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'Argo' Wins Best Picture Oscar

Ben Affleck gets his Academy Award as a producer on the CIA thriller.
By Amy Wilkinson

Ben Affleck at the 2013 Oscars
Photo: Christopher Polk/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702527/ben-affleck-oscars-argo-best-picture.jhtml

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Silver Linings Playbook Sweeps Independent Spirit Awards

The winners of the 28th annual Independent Spirit Awards were announced on Saturday February 23, 2013, in a ceremony hosted by Andy Samberg at a beach luncheon in Santa Monica. In a tight race for Best Feature, in the end Silver Linings Playbook took home the gold or, in this case, the bird on a pole. The event will be broadcast on IFC tonight at 10pm. See the full list of results below.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926901/news/1926901/

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Pope reflects on "evil" in last address to Curia

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI has lamented the "evil, suffering and corruption" that has defaced God's creation in a final address to the officials who run the Vatican bureaucracy.

Benedict spoke off-the-cuff Saturday at the end of a weeklong spiritual retreat coinciding with the Catholic Church's solemn Lenten season. For the past week, Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi has led the Vatican on meditations that have covered everything from the family to denouncing the "divisions, dissent, careerism, jealousies" that afflict the Vatican bureaucracy.

Ravasi's blunt critique of the dysfunction within the Vatican Curia, exposed by the leaked document scandal, comes as cardinals from around the world are arriving for the final days of Benedict's papacy and the conclave to elect his successor. Bureaucratic reform is a major priority for the next pope.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-reflects-evil-last-address-curia-113902036.html

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President's personal life hits French stage

In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, French actors Daniel-Jean Colloredo, center, Marie Piton, left, and Dominique Merot perform in a scene of "Mr. Normal, His Women and Me," directed by Bernard Uzan, at the Tristan Bernard theater in Paris, France. A vow to keep his private life out of the public eye helped sweep Francois Hollande to power last year as France?s president, attracting voters tired of his flashy predecessor?s amorous exploits. Now, the words of the one-time dull Socialist are back to bite him in a new play. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, French actors Daniel-Jean Colloredo, center, Marie Piton, left, and Dominique Merot perform in a scene of "Mr. Normal, His Women and Me," directed by Bernard Uzan, at the Tristan Bernard theater in Paris, France. A vow to keep his private life out of the public eye helped sweep Francois Hollande to power last year as France?s president, attracting voters tired of his flashy predecessor?s amorous exploits. Now, the words of the one-time dull Socialist are back to bite him in a new play. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013, French actors Daniel-Jean Colloredo, center, Marie Piton, left, and Dominique Merot perform in a scene of "Mr. Normal, His Women and Me," directed by Bernard Uzan, at the Tristan Bernard theater in Paris, France. A vow to keep his private life out of the public eye helped sweep Francois Hollande to power last year as France?s president, attracting voters tired of his flashy predecessor?s amorous exploits. Now, the words of the one-time dull Socialist are back to bite him in a new play. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

PARIS (AP) ? A vow to keep his private life out of the public eye helped sweep Francois Hollande to power last year as France's president, attracting voters tired of his flashy predecessor's amorous exploits. Now, the words of the one-time dull Socialist are back to bite him in a new play.

"Mr. Normal, His Women and Me," a comedy of errors set in the presidential Elysee Palace, is inspired by a real-life Twitter scandal involving his glamorous live-in girlfriend, journalist Valerie Trierweiler, and the elegant and influential mother of Hollande's four children, politician Segolene Royal.

The affair last year shook up Hollande's carefully cultivated dull image and hurt his popularity. And it immediately caught the attention of director and writer Bernard Uzan.

"When I first saw the tweet... it was a vaudeville before my eyes," said Uzan, referring to a message sent by Trierweiler during last June's legislative elections expressing support for Royal's political opponent.

Days later, Royal lost her bid for a parliamentary seat. Widely criticized as a vindictive move, the tweet went viral and dominated French media for days.

When writing the play, Uzan says he interviewed real politicians and used genuine quotes and anecdotes.

Indeed, the characters are very thinly disguised. The play features a portly, bespectacled protagonist called Francois Gouda ? named after a Dutch cheese ? who's chased around the Elysee by an obsessive ex-partner, Marjolaine Loyal, and bossy First Lady Nathalie Valtriere, who likes designer dresses.

Though it is fictional, the play ? which opened on Jan. 24 ? points out some uncomfortable truths about the last nine months, which have seen Hollande's popularity plunge at the same speed as the country's economic fortunes.

"I, as president, won't expose my private life to the eyes of the French," says Gouda, evoking Hollande's pledge a month before his election victory in May to not mix up his public and private lives.

Hollande's words were calculated to distance himself from his conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. He was criticized for letting his private life get too public during his presidency, divorcing his second wife Cecilia and marrying his third, former supermodel and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy while in office.

Two months after winning the election, it was Hollande in the hot seat, answering an uncomfortable question on Bastille Day about his own love triangle. His 27-year-old son, Thomas, was dragged into to the affair, dubbed "tweetgate," to defend his mother, Royal.

Mirroring the image political satirists paint of Hollande, the play shows the presidential character as incapable of controlling the two warring women who throw insults at each other.

To chuckles, an exasperated Gouda says, "I never asked to be here ... Why can't I just resign, like the pope?"

Actor Daniel Jean Colloredo plays the president as a weak, ridiculous leader ? steered by the characters around him, including his aide who tries to teach him the confidence to say "I am a winner" to a mirror. He eventually manages with a weak "we-we-winner."

"He really doesn't have the strength of character to choose either woman," said Colleredo.

Hollande's ex-partner Royal was back in the news this week causing controversy, with an announcement of her appointment as vice president of the new government-funded Public Investment Bank.

Top business leader Laurence Parisot questioned Royal's experience for the job, while journalists have called it a political appointment from the Elysee to keep Royal happy ? a charge she vehemently denies.

The play also tries to address the key question on everyone's lips: What is the irresistible appeal of Hollande, who has been nicknamed "flanby" after a bland custard dessert?

"We asked ourselves this, too. How can this (love triangle) have come about?" says Dominique Merot, the actress who plays Loyal. "He must have a lot of charm behind closed doors."

____

Follow Thomas Adamson at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-23-France-All%20the%20President's%20Women/id-a215a8eb12a943f18d020b566d1b7ef7

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University stops sharing student gun permit info

The University of Iowa temporarily has halted its sharing of information with local law enforcement about students who apply for gun permits.

University officials told The Cedar Rapids Gazette newspaper on Thursday that they will be consulting with federal officials for guidance on confidentiality rules.

The university was sharing information normally kept confidential as required by the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.

In some cases information on failing grades may have been included or information about depression or anger issues.

A university lawyer says forms signed by gun permit applicants at the Johnson County Sheriff's Office lets the university share that information with the Sheriff's Office.

Source: http://www.kcci.com/news/central-iowa/University-stops-sharing-student-gun-permit-info/-/9357080/19034386/-/yv5jluz/-/index.html?absolute=true

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I-MEGO THRONE Gold and Poison headphones are tuned for your musical taste

The Gold and Poison THRONE over-ear headphones from I-MEGO have a great retro design that would look perfect with my Musubo Retro iPhone case (see related links). ?Inside are 40mm drivers that reproduce a frequency range of 20-20,000Hz, with?105 +/- 5db sensitivity, and 32 ohms impedance. ?They each have 4-ft cables with gold-plated 3.5mm connectors [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/23/i-mego-throne-gold-and-poison-headphones-are-tuned-for-your-musical-taste/

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San Jose City Council to consider banning Styrofoam food containers (San Jose Mercury News)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/286784183?client_source=feed&format=rss

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PFT: Cowboys reportedly begin talks with Romo

AP

Perhaps the most shocking sight at this year?s NFL Scouting Combine happened Thursday, and it had nothing to do with anyone?s 40-yard dash time.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid took the podium. Without a team-issued hat on his head. And he talked. And he cracked jokes. And he looked, for a moment, like a man refreshed.

Reid never did these interviews at the Combine when he ran the Eagles, so the simple glimpse of him stood as news. But he spoke at length about a number of Chiefs-related topics, tried to quell any Nick Foles speculation, and even drew a few laughs along the way.

?He?s not available,? Reid said when asked if he?d try to acquire the Eagles quarterback. ?You just had Howie (Roseman, the Eagles general manager) up here, so I think you know that. . . . Listen, Nick is the property of the Philadelphia Eagles, and I think they like him.?

Reid might like him too, but if he?s unable to put his hands to his former Eagles pick, he?s going to have to find one elsewhere. Like every coach, he talked about ?the process,? and ?evaluating? and didn?t offer much in the way of specifics.

While admitting this year?s class of draftable quarterbacks might not measure up to last year?s (?but I would tell you that there are some good players in there?), Reid also acknowledged the Chiefs might be open to trading the top pick in the draft.

?We?re just not going to give it away, so we?d have to see what people throw our way,? he said. ?It?s a pretty valuable pick I?d say.?

But the best, and most surprising line might have been when he was asked about his introduction to the AFC West.

?I?ll tell you it?s a pretty good division,? he said, setting up his punch line. ?The Broncos, I?m sure they?re probably looking for a quarterback, too. . . . He?s (Peyton Manning) a pretty good player. I think we know that.?

While it?s not exactly Henny Youngman, it was a peek of personality that Reid hadn?t shown at all in Indianapolis, and not terribly often during 14 years in Philadelphia.

Things won?t stay this relaxed for Reid in Kansas City forever (the reality that he inherited a 2-14 team and doesn?t have a quarterback will come crashing down soon enough), but for a day he looked like a man enjoying a new challenge.

And after a long stay in Philadelphia that included plenty of ups and downs of the personal and professional variety, it looked like one he needed.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/21/report-cowboys-launch-romo-negotiations/related/

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The Mississippi Delta Tornado Outbreak: February 21, 1971

Click image to enlarge

On the morning of Sunday, February 21, 1971, a surface low was over Central Texas near Waco. The low had caused severe weather overnight in the Hill Country. A warm front extended east from the low across northern Louisiana, Central Mississippi and into Alabama. South of the boundary, winds were southerly and dewpoints were in the middle 60s at moist air surged northward.

At Jackson, Mississippi, thunderstorms were occurring with a temperature of 68F and a dew point of 66F. At New Orleans, it was 71F over 67F.

In the upper atmosphere, a highly amplified pattern was in place across the U.S. with a huge full latitude trough extending from North Dakota to New Mexico. The trough was progressing eastward. Ahead of it, a diffluent pattern aloft was in place over the Lower Mississippi Valley. This upper divergence would be a key factor in a significant tornado outbreak.

At the National Weather Service in Jackson, forecasters knew it was going to be a bad day. But Sundays in Mississippi were a sleepy time. Forecasts and statements highlighted the threat, but radio stations were broadcasting recorded programs. Most didn?t have a NOAA Weather Wire teletype drop anyway. Some had the Associated Press wire. The news departments in most television stations were not staffed. There was no NOAA Weather Radio.

By early afternoon, sunshine had driven surface temperatures to near 80 degrees across the Mississippi Delta. Instabilities were sky high and the diffluent pattern aloft made for an explosive situation. Just before 3 p.m. CST, an F5 tornado touched down near Delhi, Louisiana. It roared northeast, crossing the Mississippi River into Mississippi. Eleven people died in Louisiana, and another thirty six in Mississippi. The town of Inverness was completely obliterated. Twenty one people died there.

Around 4 p.m., a family of tornadoes started in Issaquena County, Mississippi. It would produce damage along a 160 mile path all the way to north of Oxford. F4 damage was caused along much of the path. The town of Cary was destroyed and eleven people died in the area. A total of fifty eight fatalities were reported with these tornadoes. Thirteen people died in an F4 tornado that cut a 70 mile path of destruction through Warren, Yazoo and Holmes County.

A total of 121 fatalities were reported in Mississippi and Louisiana, making it one of the deadliest tornadoes outbreaks in United States history.

Alabama got lucky in this outbreak, as the storms pushed across the state during the overnight hours, when instability was lower. Additional tornadoes were reported in North Carolina the following day.

Comments

Category: Alabama's Weather, Weather History

Source: http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=68956&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-mississippi-delta-tornado-outbreak-february-21-1971

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Google AdWords Offer Extensions: Putting Discount Offers in Search ...

Google Offer Extensions are the latest and greatest AdWords advertising extension, enabling advertisers to make some powerful adjustments to their standard-issue Google ads. Offer Extensions integrate offers with search, allowing you to attach a clickable coupon, rebate, or discount offer to any standard Google Search ad.

Previously, Google Offer Extensions were available in a private beta for select AdWords advertisers. The feature is now on track to be rolled out to all advertisers along with a ton other changes by the end of February.

Here?s what an AdWords Offer Extension looks like in the wild:

How Do AdWords Offer Extensions Work?

Advertisers can attach a redeemable offer to their regular Google search ad. When users click the offer, they?ll be sent to one of two locations, depending on the advertiser?s chosen redemption option:

• Online Redemption: If your deal is for online redemption, users who click the ?view offer? link will be taken to your offer page, complete with redemption details, existing on your business?s website.

• In-Store Redemption: If you choose to do an in-store redemption option, users who click the ?view offer? link will be taken to a Google hosted landing page. From there, users can choose to print out the offer or ?save it for later? by sending it to the ?My Offers? section of Google Offers for later in-store use.

Why is Google Implementing the Offer Extension?

Google has been fiddling around in the deal space for some time now. It makes sense that Google wants to enter the deal market space ? they have over a million local advertisers, and the coupon concept works well in tandem with local businesses.

Google in 2010 was reported to have been in talks to buy Groupon for as much as $6 billion ? an offer that was rejected by Groupon, which later filed for an IPO. As a result, Google Offers was created in 2011 to directly compete with deal sites like Groupon and Living Social ? the Groupon concept was considered relatively easy to repeat and replicate, which Google did with its own offering.

Google Offers failed to take off with quite the horsepower Google was hoping for, but the Googs wasn?t about to give up that easily.

Google ?Save to Wallet? was the next step in Google?s quest for couponing. ?Save to Wallet? is a feature for Google Wallet that lets users save deals they discover to use at a later date. It basically serves as an online coupon clipper for coupons that can be used at brick and mortar businesses or online.

Google Wallet as a whole has been struggling to wrangle in users, despite being a cool product, partly because the technology doesn?t work across all mobile phones. The ?Save to Wallet? feature continues the trend of Google emphasizing local.

And now we have AdWords Offer Extensions, a logical next step in Google?s efforts to delve into the realm of coupons, offers and rebates. It?s clear that Google sees the value of coupons and deals, especially when combined with local searches, which account for roughly one of every 4 searches conducted on Google. Offer Extensions are a smart move for Google, but it?ll benefit advertisers even more if they take Google up on the offer.

Offer Extensions: Better ROI Measurement for Advertisers

Online advertisers ? in particular those with physical retail presences ? have long lamented the difficulty in measuring the all-encompassing value of online marketing. The traditional model of conversion tracking online measures completed actions as those that end in a ?thank you? page, be it at the end of a form or an online purchase, but the real measure of online advertising is fairly elusive. How many web surfers saw your business?s ad, but instead of buying online, went to your brick and mortar location?

While measuring the full ramifications of online ads continues to be a challenge, Google has recognized the challenges advertisers face in being unable to track how PPC traffic affects footfall.

AdWords Offer Extensions closes the gap between online and offline activity considerably. Google keeps track of how many users save and print your online ad offer, so that users can better measure their ROI. When users choose to print out your ad offer to redeem your deal in-store, you?re getting a better glimpse at the ramifications of online action toward offline.

AdWords Offer Extensions Let Advertisers Easily Enter the Deal Market

Coupons and discounts are big. Whether it?s ?buy one, get one free? or ?20% off,? if users know they are getting a deal, they are more likely to go ahead with a purchase. Everyone enjoys the feeling of getting a bargain.

Coupons mean more eyeballs and attention for advertisers. Even if users see your deal, save it for later, and forget about it, they?ve still interacted with your business and brand more than they might have if you didn?t put out an ad offer.

Putting up a deal with a site like Groupon or Living Social can be quite a hassle. Some of the biggest complaints are the very high costs and lack of control over your deal once it launches. Offer Extensions serve as a great alterative to deal sites like Groupon, letting advertisers enter the deal market through the familiar form of AdWords.

The Value of Foot Traffic

AdWords? Offer Extensions feature gives advertisers the capacity to turn online interest into in-store traffic. What?s more valuable? An online purchase or a physical purchase at a traditional store? The answer often depends on the size of your business (big name chain vs. small local business) and your industry.

Small local businesses often gain the most from in-store purchases. For many businesses, part of their perceived value lies in their accessibility for users. This is especially true of places that provide products or services that don?t work well (or at all) online ? think flower boutiques, ice cream parlors, and cafes.

Even larger businesses that are capable of online orders can benefit from consumers taking advantage of in-store deals. A user may find an online deal for Olympia Sports, for example, and use that coupon, have an order delivered, and that?s the end of the line. An in-store offer, on the other hand, prompts a user to find a nearby Olympia Sports. Once a user has visited that physical store and its location, the individual will be more likely to return there in the future for sporting needs that can?t be dealt with online.

How to Set Up Google Offer Extensions in AdWords: Easy as Pie

One of the great things about Offer Extensions is how easy they are to implement. It?s a fairly simple process, but Offer Extensions are only available in ?enhanced campaigns,? so when you create your campaign, you?ll need to choose one of these campaign types:

• Search & Display Networks - All features
• Search Network only - All features

You can issue offers at the campaign level of your AdWords account by clicking Ad Extensions ? Offer Extensions, and then ?Create New Extension.?

Next fill out the details:

• In-Store or Online Redemption Method: Choose if you want users to redeem your coupon in-store or online.

• Headline: You?ll need a headline for your offer; keep in mind best practices you would use for a regular Google text ad, like putting in a call to action. One great feature of Offer Extensions is the abundant character space; an offer gets 35 characters, which is a considerable amount considering that a normal Google ad is only 25.

• Redemption Date: The dates between which users can redeem your offer.

• Distribution Date: The dates you want the offer to run alongside your ad.

• Promotion Code: You can choose to offer your deal in the form of a barcode or a text discount code that can be recognized at the point of sale.

• Details: Offer restrictions or details about how users can redeem your deal.

Once you?ve set up your Offer Extension, you?re good to go! Your offer won?t always appear ? it will show up when your ad is in one of the top three ad positions, and only if Google deems the offer relevant to a searcher?s query. Also keep in mind that currently Offer Extensions only appear for US search queries.

The offer appears right under you text ad, with a link that takes users to your chosen landing page (Google-hosted for offline offers, your own site page for online offers) that dishes out the deal details.

An Offer Extensions click costs the same amount whether a user clicks the offer extension link or the ad text link. The CPC is the same, despite the fact that an offer click is likely to be more valuable since users have something invested in the click (the savings your deal offers). These offer ad extensions can appear on mobile devices too:

Once a user clicks the offer link, coupons for in-store redemption will take the user to a Google-hosted landing page that will display your offer headline, the details of your offer, and your business logo. The actual discount code or barcode only appears once the user has printed the deal or redeems the offer. Users can choose to print the deal or save it for later in their Google Offers account.

Offer Extensions Best Practices

Stay Specific: In your offer headline, give a deal on a particular service or product, such as ?50% Off Children?s Bike Helmets.? Don?t make it a general business description like ?Fast Deliveries Every Time.?

Make it a Real Deal: Be sure that your deal provides a significant value. The deal needs to be worth it for users to bother clicking.

Separate the Offer From Your Ad: Your product or service offer should use different wording than your text ad. There should be a distinction.

Exclusivity: Don?t promote a coupon that gives consumers 40% when everyone who walks into your store can get 40% off ? the discount should be exclusive to those who have your deal. Remember, your offer isn?t to promote your general sale, it?s to provide an exclusive deal for a limited time or for a limited group of people.

Consistency: Ensure that your Terms and Conditions and the offer details are not in conflict with one another.

Keep In Mind Where Your Offer is Created: Offer Extensions created at the campaign level can show for any ads in your campaign, meaning that the offer must be relevant to all the ads under that campaign, and relevant for the locations where the ad will appear. The same applies for creating Offer Extensions at the ad group level.

Make Your Offer Stand Out: Just as with regular Google text ads, you want your offer to stand out from the rest. Try experimenting with wording, punctuation, or extraordinary discounts.

Pay Attention to Policy: Your Offer Extension should follow Offer Extensions Policies and AdWords policies.

Good vs. Bad Offer Extensions: Examples

?Buy One Regular Priced DVD and Get The Next 50% Off?

Details: From now until March 31, present this coupon when you buy any full-priced DVD and get the second DVD for 50% off! Lowest priced item will receive discount. Does not apply to DVD Season Sets or Special Collections. One per customer, per purchase. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase.

Why it Works: Provides real monetary value, has specific conditions that are detailed, and explains how to redeem the offer.

?Free Shipping On All Orders!?

Details: Customers get free shipping on all online orders

Why it Doesn?t Work: This deal isn?t for a limited time ? it?s a consistent offer that is part of the business?s regular service.? It also doesn?t tell users how this deal can be redeemed or if there are any restrictions.

Offer Extensions ? Coming Soon To a Google Map Near You?

Google Maps has been a huge flagship for Google, especially in delving into local. Google Maps commands a huge market share, but yet so far, Google Maps has relatively been ad-free.

However, I wouldn?t be too surprised to start seeing offer extension ads appear on Google Maps ? after all, Google has previously placed their failed Google Offers and ?Save to Wallet? products on Google Maps:

Will Offer Extensions allow Google to successfully monetize the popular Google Maps? I wasn?t able to get an answer from Google on this question ? we?ll have to wait and find out!

What Future Does Offers Extensions Offer?

I think advertisers ? particularly local advertisers ? should jump all over this opportunity presented by Offer Extensions. Why?

• Advertisers will be able to easily enter the deal-space without much hassle.
• Closing the loop between online and offline activity, Offer Extensions will let advertisers measure ROI more accurately.
• Built-in discount offers beneath ads will help your ads stand out and will undoubtedly improve CTRs (which will by association improve Quality Score).

Offer Extensions could mean big things for AdWords, too. Instead of throwing out a deal and hoping things work out, Google instead tries to match your offer to the right users with the right intent to buy.

This new deal setup could spell the end for sites like Groupon, who rely on their name to bring users in on deals, rather than deliver deals to a user?s virtual doorstep, as Google Offer Extensions potentially does!

What do you think? Should we start digging Groupon?s Grave?

Source: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2013/02/21/google-adwords-offer-extensions

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The Sequester Wobbles the GOP's 'Three-Legged Stool'

Ronald Reagan Library/Getty Images)

US President Ronald Reagan holds the trunk of a baby elephant, presented to him in a ceremony by President Jayewardene of Sri Lanka on June 18,1984.

In many ways the showdown underway in Washington over the budget sequester is complicated and confusing. But on one level is it clarifying: It has revealed the supremacy of the Republican Party?s economic wing over its other key factions.

For decades, Republicans have talked about their three-legged stool?the coalition assembled by Ronald Reagan that has defined their party ever since: economic conservatives, social conservatives and defense conservatives. The three groups have never worked in perfect harmony. But when there?s tension, it?s usually among social and economic conservatives. Heartland evangelicals and Wall Street financiers have precious little in common. Evangelical Republicans, for instance, had little love for an economy-first candidate like Mitt Romney. But their (last) favorite candidate, the intensely pro-life Rick Santorum, was ultimately steamrolled. George W. Bush labored to keep social conservatives on his side with issues like a gay marriage ban. But ultimately many evangelicals were disappointed with his presidency.

Now comes the sequester, which has, for the first time since at least September 11, 2001, put the GOP?s defense and economic wings in conflict. With the sequester scheduled to inflict $46 billion in cuts to the Pentagon budget, President Obama has offered an alternative that would mitigate the cuts, in part, by raising taxes on the wealthy. But Republican leaders won?t swallow any new taxes or accept smaller cuts to the federal budget.

And so, defense will get the budget ax. And national security conservatives, long accustomed to being granted virtually every wish by their party, find themselves appalled. Bill Kristol, a reliable spokesman for the GOP?s defense wing, calls the sequester ?deeply irresponsible,? and a threat to national security (in part, he says, because it will force the military to keep one aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf instead of two). John McCain, who shares Kristol?s passion for defense, has hinted he might support closing tax loopholes to blunt the Pentagon cuts.

But it appears that the likes of Kristol and McCain have lost out to economic conservatives, who insist that nothing?not even the defense budget?is more important than shrinking the budget without raising taxes. The Republican party still is a long way from civil war. But that stool is looking awfully wobbly right now.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/time/topstories/~3/5QMYosujH04/

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