Family owned business management vs professional companies ...

Family owned business management vs professional companies

Written by Sameer Kamat

In India, family owned businesses have done very well. They generate a lot of jobs and keep the economy growing. Millions of employees work with a single entrepreneur managed or family businesses. Quite a few of such family businesses grow into empures, big enough to take on the might of the best multinational companies. But the original small company culture tends to get retained. Some like it, some don?t.

Shantanu Bhattacharya has worked with both types of companies and has strong opinions about why the family owned business model doesn?t work for him. Shantanu is also a King Kong when it comes to Ping Pong. A very talented Table-Tennis player who could have done very well in sports (national and international level) if the corporate work hadn?t lured him in.

---

Family business management ? Advantages and disadvantages

My Background: A Mechanical Engineer with Professional Management Diplomas from IIM Lucknow & ICFAI. I have around 17 years of experience in various roles and functions and have been part of some Large Organizations. I also have around 6 years experience of running an Organization which was built from Zilch.

I have put down my thoughts from experiences which I have had while working with some of the Family owned business groups visa-vis the MNC culture.

So what is it about these companies where I have seen people spend their entire career, do the same mundane job, follow a monotonous routine and still not want to look for a change?

Here are the pros of being associated with these kind of Organizations, where there is minimal bureaucracy, easier access to the Top Man of the Organization, a faster growth in terms of fat pay checks and hierarchy, quicker decisions being taken and a feel of being part of one big family?so?

So far so good?but is it true for everybody who work here, necessarily not and that?s is one of the biggest cons, here one needs to be of a kind who can please and appease and get their way to the top, say a YES to every YES coming from the TOP. These typically are not organizations which are driven by policies & processes, most of these organizations have ad-hoc policies in place which get twisted and ?made to fit? depending on a particular situation

For those who cannot accept to see a downfall because of unilateral decisions being taken find it a very difficult place to work, a small scuffle with the top boss and you could find yourself in an unwanted position in the organization, and in no time hunting for a new job.

In my opinion, after seeing the greener and not so greener pastures of both MNCs and the Family Owned / Single Owner Organizations, I feel one should start his / her career in these kind of organizations, where there is an opportunity to cut across lot of domains and functions, choose where one wants to be and then pursue a career in a more structured and process-oriented organizations.

Do I have the right or the authority to write on this subject? Maybe not, however I am writing only from what I have experienced?an experience which I think could assist a lot of people wanting to make a choice in their selection of organizations.

There are quite a few who start the family way (in the broader sense) and then recruit professionals to run the organizations?say an Infosys, an L&T and many others and who can forget Apple where even the founder was once sacked for non performance!

I leave this discussion to thoughts and suggestions and contribution from others who have had similar experiences.

Food for Thought: Not everybody should be authorized to start and run organizations, just on the sheer strength of money?as by doing so we may put to risk the career of few thousands or even lacs of people, and with that the overall economic and social structure of the society at large is put to risk.

---

Some strong sentiments in there, eh? Have you had better or worse experiences with family owned businesses? Share your experience with us in the comments below.

Liked the post? One little click to say 'Keep it up'

Source: http://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2012/02/28/family-owned-business-management-vs-professional-companies/

hope solo dancing with the stars jack wagner snow white and the huntsman trailer snow white and the huntsman trailer sexiest man alive kentucky basketball bob costas

Lawyer: Indictment near in NYC terror case (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - A lawyer for a New York City man charged with building a homemade bomb to try to attack soldiers, police and other government targets, says she expects him to be indicted by a grand jury this week.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/terrorism/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120227/ap_on_re_us/us_nyc_bomb_plot

recursion amy schumer amy schumer ascii art ascii art andrew mason once in a blue moon

The Internet of the Future Will Be Powered by Optical RAM [Guts]

Fiber optics are the future of data transfer. The problem is that when that light signal reaches a machine, it must be converted into an electrical signal copper-veined devices can handle, resulting in speed bottlenecks. But Japanese engineers at NTT think their groundbreaking optical RAM will allow for an internet backbone comprised entirely of light-based components. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/xDzVLft5Vt4/the-internet-of-the-future-will-be-powered-by-optical-ram

robert hegyes andrew bogut mary louise parker mary louise parker jim irsay cher morgellons

Funeral director's forgotten role in the civil rights movement, an ...

Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955. The sheriff told the funeral director to bury him immediately, but Till's mother wanted the world to see what they had done to her son. Suzanne Smith discusses this case and others in her new book on black funeral directors.

Slave getaways were plotted at funeral homes, civil rights leaders were shuttled to safety in hearses, and after writing his famous letter from the Birmingham jail it was a prominent local funeral director that bailed out Martin Luther King Jr. This and more is discussed in Suzanne Smith's new book, To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death. Smith teaches at George Mason University, she recently spoke with Digital Dying.

How did black funeral directors become so powerful?

In the late nineteenth century insurance companies come out with a study that says African Americans are too risky to insure. In response blacks form their own insurance and burial societies. African Americans are obsessed with the idea of a proper burial and communities put whatever extra pennies they have into these societies. Booker T. Washington actually comes out and says he's frustrated that blacks are putting so much money towards burials. ?You ask a white man what he is doing in the morning, he is preparing to start a business,' says Washington, ?you ask a black man what he is doing in the morning, he is prepping to die.' Eventually Washington wakes up and realizes funeral homes are a way for African Americans to gain financial independence and this is good. He founds the National Negro Business League and becomes really gung-ho about black funeral directors. Black funeral homes also become a way to spread civic messages. For example, on the back of the funeral fans they handed out at black funerals would be instructions on how to register to vote.

Other Great Reads: More on African American funeral customs

How did the act of embalming itself become politicized during the civil rights era?

Often African American funeral home directors would have to figure out how much restoration they were going to do. In the case of Emmett Till, a 14 year-old black boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi, his mother wants the world to see what they had done to her son. They drag him out of the Tallahatchie River and the sheriff said to the black undertaker, Chester Miller, ?Bury him immediately.' Then the family showed up and stopped the burial. Funeral directors were right in the thick of how this was going to be presented to the world.

What role did funeral directors play the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated?

King's security detail was provided by a Memphis funeral director. Funeral homes also provided the cars to drive him and his people from place to place. The last person to speak to King was his chauffeur, a guy from the funeral home named Solomon Jones. He jumped in a car and tried to chase in the direction of where he thought the shooter had come from. In the book I also tell the story of James Farmer, who was leading a protest and got threatened by the local authorities. He finds refuge in a funeral home. They throw him in a hearse and take him away from the lynch mob that is trying to kill him.

Didn't funeral directors also help King in Birmingham?

A man named A.G. Gaston starts a burial society in Birmingham that asks members to pay 25 cents each week. Gaston ends up becoming a multi-millionaire, running a funeral home business with more than a dozen branches across Alabama, as well as an insurance company and a motel. He becomes this power broker between the white leaders of Birmingham and civil rights leaders. The blacks thought of him as conservative, but he is providing his funeral home as an organizing place for civil rights activists. He bails King out of jail after he gets arrested for breaking the injunction against marching. King was also staying at the Gaston Motel. That was a big deal, the motel gets bombed at the tail end of the Birmingham campaign. Gaston's house gets bombed too. He is the ultimate symbol of black success and him and his wife are at a White House state dinner with the Kennedys. Then they come home and find that their house has been bombed. What's so fascinating is Gaston says, ?I'm not really sure who bombed me, could have been the Klan and could have been the black radicals who don't think I'm radical enough.'

Why didn't black funeral directors like Jessica Mitford?

Black funeral directors said, ?This woman is crazy,' nobody is going to tell blacks they can't have a nice funeral. Robert Miller defended black funeral directors, saying, ?Our people were lynched and got laid low, we picked up the dead bodies and gave them a good home going.' The black funeral directors were very much invested in supporting the black community's desire for a proper burial because it is seen in this larger context of racism. So, no matter how you died in life, whether you died violently or not, you would get a proper home going.

What's a ?home going', and can you describe a typical slave funeral?

The concept of a home going comes from the slave trade, if you died on the boat it was thought you would go back to Africa. Now it would be more like, you're going home to God. Slave funerals usually involved two funerals, the first funeral is in the week after the death, during the time of most intense grief. There is singing at night, visitations, and the body is prepared for burial. The second funeral was like a big celebration of the person's life and happened upwards of a year after the death. That would allow for whatever family members who could travel to come. Slaves would actually get black preachers to preach the sermon.

How did African American burial rituals mimic those found in West Africa?

West Africans usually decorated graves with the last few objects the person touched before they died, or with objects that held water. In West African cosmology the world of the living and the world of the dead is separated by water. Spirits of the dead dance on top of the ocean, so it's important to decorate the grave with things that can contain water, like pitchers and cups. I found a picture in a book of a grave in Alabama from 1936 with bottles arranged in the same way as on graves in West Africa. And in South Carolina I saw a grave elaborately decorated with a wheel from a motorcycle. Mirrors or other things that replicate how water looks are important too.

Other Great Reads: Get buried in a uterus or a Ferrari, the history of fantasy coffins

Are African American funerals still as grand today as they once were?

There's an interesting Baltimore Public Radio piece that describes competition between black and white funeral directors. This one funeral director said a lot of white funeral directors are jealous of black funeral directors because black people tend still not to cremate and want the full funeral, whereas whites tend to simplify it these days. They don't want lavish services anymore. I think because of the discrimination and degradation faced in slavery there is a different intensity about what a proper burial should be within African American society.

What's the future of African American funerals?

There's still a tremendous amount of loyalty within the black community. What's really changing for black funeral directors today is that because immigrant communities are so diverse they have to reach out to immigrant groups to keep their businesses going. Class is also changing, as many elite blacks go out into the suburbs where there are not as many blacks. But look at Whitney Houston, she was a very successful millionaire and yet when she died her family brought her back to their funeral home in Newark, New Jersey, a very down home funeral home. I was surprised by that.

Source: http://blogs.funeralwise.com/dying/2012/02/27/funeral-director%E2%80%99s-forgotten-role-in-the-civil-rights-movement-an-interview-with-suzanne-smith/

weezer slavoj zizek adam savage adam savage mos def jack o lantern jack o lantern

scheekeong: Msia a rogue state?ruling party sponsors thugs against oppositions,journalists,NGOs,men,women,kids,malay,chinese,indian,iban,kadazan? #fb

Msia a rogue state?ruling party sponsors thugs against oppositions,journalists,NGOs,men,women,kids,malay,chinese,indian,iban,kadazan? il y a environ 5 heures via Twitter for iPad

Source: http://twitter.com/scheekeong/statuses/173796667722702848

dave thomas mean girls hank williams jr hank williams jr peter king tough love tough love

GOP governors concerned about long primary race (The Arizona Republic)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/204640438?client_source=feed&format=rss

ronnie brown man up man up wayne newton naomi wolf social security increase menagerie

Gingrich criticizes Quran burning apology by US (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said Thursday a U.S. apology to Afghan authorities for burned Qurans on a military base was "astonishing" and undeserved.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120224/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich_quran

columbus day bank holidays bank holidays john galt john galt post office hours post office hours

Plumbing technicians may possibly conduct plumbing servicing ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Plumbing technicians may conduct domestic plumbing routine maintenance jobs with regard to domestic plumbing businesses, exclusive companies, colleges, along with government office buildings. Other folks handle industrial domestic ...

Source: http://vitalesseafood.info/plumbing-technicians-may-possibly-conduct-plumbing-servicing-careers-for-plumbing-firms-non-public-organizations-colleges-as-well-as-authorities-workplaces/

rihanna thug life tattoo chuck pagano arizona governor patrick witt nflx leprosy tampa bay buccaneers

'Black fish' scam skippers fined

24 February 2012 Last updated at 10:26 ET

Seventeen skippers who operated an industrial scale fishing fraud have been fined ?720,000 in total

Seventeen Scottish skippers and a processing firm have received fines totalling almost ?1m for their part in the UK's biggest fraud involving illegal catches of fish.

The men had admitted they were able to sell vast quantities of mackerel and herring by evading EU quotas.

Three firms, one in Shetland and two in Peterhead, were involved in the black fish fraud, worth almost ?63m.

Judge Lord Turnbull said the scam was "an episode of shame" for the industry.

During hearings at the High Court in Glasgow, six more skippers also admitted their part in the illegal fish landing.

Stephen Bellamy, 49, from Fraserburgh, John Smith, 36, and James Smith 54, both from Peterhead, Ernest Simpson, 64, Allan Simpson, 42, both from Fraserburgh and Oswald McRonald, 63, from Banff, are due to be sentenced in May, along with four others.

Seventeen men who had previously admitted to being involved in the scam were fined a total of ?720,000.

One of the processing companies, Alexander Buchan Limited, which operated a factory in the Aberdeenshire fishing town of Peterhead, was fined ?240,000.

A second Peterhead processing plant, Fresh Catch, admitted landing ?10.5m of illegal fish. Shetland Catch has already pleaded guilty to landing ?47.5m of black fish. Both companies have still to be sentenced.

Scales rigged

The convictions came as the result of a seven-year investigation, Operation Trawler, after the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA), now Marine Scotland, became suspicious about widespread illegal landing of fish within the pelagic fleet.

The 17 fishermen sentenced on Friday illegally landed mackerel and herring at the Shetland Catch factory in Lerwick over a three year period, between January 2002 and March 2005.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

Those who were already making a good living saw this as a way more income could be generated and were prepared to participate in deliberate lies and falsehoods."?

End Quote Judge Lord Turnbull

They offloaded thousands of tonnes of fish, much more than they were allowed under European rules to protect stocks.

The court has heard how logbooks were falsified and digital weighing scales at the factory were rigged to underestimate the weight of the fish being landed.

In Peterhead, at the Fresh Catch factory, fish was pumped ashore through secret underground pipes.

Fisheries officers and police raided the factories in 2005 after an investigation into the companies' accounts.

Sentencing the 17 skippers, judge Lord Turnbull said the scam was a "cynical and sophisticated" operation which had the "connivance of a number of different interested parties".

He described the men as normally law-abiding, but said the proceedings brought "embarrassment and shame" to them and their families.

He said: "No-one for example appears to have engaged in this exercise on account of struggling to cope financially with the costs of continued fishing within the quota levels allocated.

"Indeed, in contrast to some within the fishing industry, those engaged in fishing with the pelagic fleet appear to have been able to make very substantial sums over many years, providing very comfortable livings for themselves and their families."

He added: "The motivation was purely financial. Those who were already making a good living saw this as a way more income could be generated and were prepared to participate in deliberate lies and falsehoods."

Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead welcomed the fines imposed on the skippers and company.

He said: "There is no doubt that these illegal activities are a stark and shameful reminder of the culture that existed in some sectors of the fishing industry in past years but they do not reflect the much improved culture we see today."

Men fined

Hamish Slater, 53, and Alexander Masson, 66, both from Fraserburgh, were fined ?80,000 and ?50,000 respectively, while Alexander Wiseman, 60, from Banff, was also fined ?50,000.

Another 13 men from Shetland were fined for their role in the scam.

Robert Polson, 48, was fined ?70,000; John Irvine, 68, was fined ?80,000; William Williamson, 65, was fined ?45,000; Laurence Irvine, 66, was fined ?80,000; and both David Hutchison, 66, and 56-year-old Thomas Eunson were fined ?40,000.

Allister Irvine, 63, and Gary Williamson, 52, were both fined ?35,000; John Stewart, 57, was ordered to pay ?15,000; and both George Henry, 60, and George Anderson, 56, must pay ?12,000.

Colin Leask, 39, and Allen Anderson, 55, were each fined ?3,000.

A ?70,000 fine was imposed on Victor Buchini, 51, from Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire.

The seventeen men have already been forced to pay back almost ?3m in profits they made from the scam.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17153085

barkley beltran space ball jim mora the weeknd echoes of silence gio gonzalez san francisco fire

Grand imperial London square gets touch of innocence (Reuters)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - One of the central plinths of the London square designed to celebrate Britain's imperial glory will temporarily turn the projection of power on its head with the statue of a boy on a rocking horse.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120223/lf_nm_life/us_britain_fourth_plinth

how old is justin bieber north dakota jobs referendum scarlett johansson glee project winner kris humphries remember the titans

Determing the top Home gym models for that Conditioning Needs ...

Home fitness center machines will give you the opportunity to replicate health and fitness exercise within the gymnasium without paying costs monthly or even departing your property. Numerous components of gymnasium home fitness tools sold pertaining to residence usage allows you to exercise parts associated with one?s body. This means that certain device in your own home may well fulfill the demands associated with 3 distinctive machines you would employ within the health and fitness center. Space-saving models and also overall flexibility has produced a number of types of home fitness equipment very efficient to shed weight and also enhanced health and fitness and also well-being.

There are lots of what to consider when looking for a new part of dog crates tools. Budget range and also price will probably be very first about many peoples? listing but top quality and also place requirements should occur very first. Expensive home fitness tools might not be the best choice but needs to be backed with a excellent warranty and offer many years of reliable service in the event that covered appropriately. Brand-new gymnasium home fitness tools buys needs to be backed with a excellent warranty for example. Customer service is extremely crucial and you will probably desire to establish that this tools manufacturer has a excellent standing regarding the two top quality and also excellent customer care.

Brand-new home fitness equipment for sale could be explored online helping you to find the proper pieces to match your needs. There are lots of models which will switch configurations helping you to exercise your legs and also thighs and leg within a configuration plus your hands and also higher chest muscles within one more. If you?d like your item for everyone various uses this is a good option to ascertain if you would spend more pertaining to accessories that enable it to alter configurations. This might differ from manufacturer for you to manufacturer and a few occur as a entire arranged in the first place.

Gym home fitness tools should fit in with the house and also life-style. Hard to retailer products could be quit crammed aside if they?re way too hard to advance. A good idea is to research pertaining to discount golf clubs which will be suitable for the place you?ve hold for this. A number of properties possess place for you to designate pertaining to health and fitness in your house needs while others must talk about areas. Heavy health and fitness exercise equipment can even be difficult to proceed and a few models take some time as well as for you to reconfigure any time moving over uses. This should end up being re explored when you choosing your following item.

Home fitness center machines offers became huge business and also customary impression may help you pick the best pieces to suit your needs and your loved ones. Your old-fashioned stationary bikes have several extra features to deal with the particular changing technology. Numerous units come with heart monitor timepieces, Live view screen electric readouts, and also Capital t./. screens to allow for simulated motorcycle voyages through distinct areas. Rowing machines and also dog crate reviews units provide his or her rewards but seeking the gymnasium home fitness tools that can make you stay and your loved ones making use of it is the vital thing to your excellent strategy.

Source: http://www.gumshoe-online.com/determing-the-top-home-gym-models-for-that-conditioning-needs/

sanctum the notebook duke basketball ides of march miranda july joe paterno near death joepa

The Quantity One Safety Rule For All House Improvement Projects Is ...

When you do a home improvement project, don?t get caught only focusing on the project itself. We forget about the project itself and get caught up in what needs to be done. Our project may not be done properly if we are not careful. But once in a while something will come along and bite you real good. Depending how big the problem becomes, we may never forget it for the rest of our lives. Usually these things happen because we have bad habits. The following is a list of things we may encounter while doing a home-improvement project.

Maintaining your tools is part of the territory when you have and use them. People like to buy high ticket tools for their workshop. Taking care of your tools is essential for the tools and safety. Not maintaining your tools on a regular basis can lead to mishaps. An example of this is using a power saw with an old blade that simply cannot cut through wood anymore. The blade may break after using it for too long which is a safety hazard.. It is possible to have a variety of safety risks sitting in your tool shed because of poorly maintained tools. To make sure you are operating at secure levels all the time, always maintenance your tools.

We have included a few basic items about home improvement, and they are important to consider in your research. They are by no means all there is to learn as you will quickly discover. We feel you will find them to be very helpful in a lot of ways. It should not need to be said that you must conduct closer examination of all pertinent points. The rest of the document will provide you with a few more essential points to bear in mind.

Rags that are in miscellaneous places can present certain hazards that need to be avoided. The concept of fire loading is a little known but very important safety consideration. The risk of fire is much higher when there are flammable materials congregated in one location. You need to remember to always store material soaked in flammable solvents so that it has little chance of becoming a danger. You will want to keep them in an air tight container if possible.

Another area of safety concerns working with adhesives and strong bonding agents. Not only do you need to protect yourself, but also your home depending on what you are doing. Don?t try to work with potent chemical products, such as adhesives and glues, without wearing protective gloves. The kind that are necessary are the heavy-duty latex gloves. In addition to finding these heavy-duty gloves at such local home improvement centers such as Lowe?s, you can usually find home improvement stores online that cater to this market. Check the labels, or ask an expert at your home improvement center, if any of the chemicals you will be using are carcinogenic, because some are. Also, make sure you protect your skin from the possibility of getting a chemical burn. If you are working in a closed environment, then think about using a mask respirator that has filtration cartridges.

Many people don?t even think about safety when making basic home improvements. Always be sure to think about safety every step of the way when making any home improvements. Keep in mind that it only takes a split second for something to happen.

The author is a search advertising professional ? who writes on numerous home improvement related topics such as Jacksonville roofing, Orlando roof contractor and roofing Orlando FL.

Share and Enjoy

Source: http://street-lighting.net/the-quantity-one-safety-rule-for-all-house-improvement-projects-is-safety/

associated press shark tank foster friess new orleans hornets ghost rider spirit of vengeance prince johan friso hornets

Internet Business Make Money Online ? Make ... - 1directory.net

Published by witter | February 22, 2012 | | 2

Internet Business Make Money Online

Many people hear about making money online in their own businesses but few ever really meet or know anyone personally who is doing so. This is probably because the majority of people who start an enterprise on the internet pick the wrong type of business to go into. A lot of the success of any endeavor depends on the person working it, of course, but the product that the individual small business owner is selling has to be something that appeals to a large enough niche audience. There has to be a demand, in other words.

Something new has come down the pike in recent months, however, that fits the bill for many who don?t have their hearts set on a particular product or business choice.

This is a home based business opportunity from the joint venture of three companies; T-Mobile, Sprint and a smaller carrier called Liberty International. You can now start your own virtual cell phone store without an investment. Internet Business Make Money Online

A virtual cell phone store has the same access to phones, gadgets and service plans that a traditional retail store like a Wireless Zone from Verizon, but without the need for inventory, employees, accounting, paperwork or overhead costs. It is a virtual business without walls because all transactions are done solely online. A small business owner of one of these online stores can earn commissions on the sale of phones and plans just like the retailers.

Plus, there is the added benefit of being able to make residual income from all of the customers who become business owners themselves. So, take a few moments to check this virtual franchise opportunity out. It may be right up your alley. Internet Business Make Money Online

Source: http://www.1directory.net/internet-and-businesses-online/internet-business-make-money-online-make-money-online-with-an-internet-cell-phone-store-7004.html

chanukah chanukah david archuleta david archuleta hobbit trailer greenhill nj plane crash

China's Real Estate Market Is Getting Weaker And Weaker

Between 2003 and 2007 and currently, Guangdong contributed the most to the GDP of China.
Look at Chart 2: Provincial Share of the Change in the Current Account, 2003-2007.
http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/faculty/orazem/TPS_papers/Dekle_Sun.pdf

Notice the contribution to China GDP from places like Beijing and Shanghai were negative.
BJ and SH consider themselves as the ruling classes and do not need to contribute to GDP and yet they criticize other parts of China where people trying hard to make a living.

Remember the Great wall of China was built centuries ago to keep these people from entering China.
The modern day Mongols of China includes the North-East and Shanghai.
By being the ruling class, it is easier to steal than to earn their own GDP.

Some of them try to pretend they do not realize that a weak China was the very reason why HK was controlled by foreigners.
I think they forget Beijing lost to the Japanese and was controlled and run by Japan for some time.
They also forget there is a finite probability that some of the ruling classes have ancestry that worked as sex slaves during Japanese occupation.

Within the Mongol empire, there are so many economic non-producers that even back in 2008, the empire lost the dialog with the local officials.
Out of desperation and out of the need to obscure realities, they instructed them to build ghost cities so that some cities can claim their 10% growth per year.
But of course they cannot keep building ghost cities year after year.
It is getting harder and harder for them to coerce local officials in Guangdong to come up with 10% growth per year when the other provinces do not contribute.

For a long time I wonder why so many countries that used to be part of China are happy to be their own separate countries.
After what happened at Wukan, I guess every body know why.
They already retaliated HK for their role in Wukan.
Expect HK to have funny elections and even less real freedom.

Before 2005, HK did not require any approvals from Beijing when they make a movie.
After 2006, the movie scripts in HK have to be approved from Beijing before they go into production.

I wonder how long coastal provinces like Guangdong can keep quiet.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-real-estate-market-is-getting-weaker-and-weaker-2012-2

watch the walking dead giuliana and bill giuliana and bill 2012 camry endometriosis 9 9 9 plan 9 9 9 plan

Wasting Away: Can a Gates Foundation-Funded Toilet-Design Initiative End a Foul Practice in the Developing World?

ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE: According to UNICEF, 2.6 billion people, almost entirely in the developing world, use bucket, public or open (uncovered) latrines, if they use latrines at all. Image: Courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Chances are that if you are reading this, you have a private flush toilet a few steps from your bed. Your commode is more reliable than your mobile connection, and likely will outlast all of your home appliances. Yet huge tracts of the developing world have yet to see so much as a latrine, a situation that facilitates the spread of debilitating or even deadly diarrheal diseases.

Advocates for universal access to and use of basic personal sanitation hope their efforts will get a big boost in August, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation present several hygienic innovations developed through its Reinventing the Toilet Challenge. Technology alone might help with failing sewers in industrialized countries, but for poor nations, where changing social norms is more important, the Gates Foundation is a powerful ally. The foundation's involvement could do for sanitation what it has accomplished in the battle to eradicate malaria?raise the visibility of a fundamental health care crisis and encourage new efforts to end it.

Toilet tech
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2.6 billion people, almost entirely in the developing world, use bucket, public or open (uncovered) latrines?if they use latrines at all. Of that total, 1.1 billion people defecate in the open?a social norm in some societies, but one that results in typhoid, cholera, dysentery and other diseases.

One of the foundation's efforts in this fight was to spread $3 million in grants last summer among engineering teams at eight research institutions in North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, including the California Institute of Technology, South Africa's University of KwaZulu?Natal and National University of Singapore. The foundation approached about 20 institutions, eight of which took up the challenge. These teams were charged with developing concepts that: do not use piped-in water; are not connected to a sewer system; do not use outside electricity; and will not cost more than 5 cents per visitor per day to operate, including initial investment and ongoing maintenance.

Several prototypes have been proposed: A team at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands proposes using microwaves to turn human waste into carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which would be stored in solid-oxide fuel stacks to generate electricity. Teams at Loughborough University in England and Stanford University are working separately on methods that involve turning waste into charcoal, or biochar.

At the University of Toronto, researchers are building a system that sanitizes feces (dehydrated after running it between two rollers) by smoldering it. The system decontaminates urine via membrane filtration and ultraviolet radiation. Meanwhile, Caltech researchers have proposed a solar-powered toilet that generates hydrogen for fuel cells from the waste.

Frank Rijsberman, director of the Gates Foundation's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Initiative, says he is hoping for something that goes beyond the minimum criteria to become the "iPad of sanitation." He says, "There must be an aspirational element" to toilets or even latrines if they are going to become the norm. People have to want to be seen owning one.

Sanitation marketing
This last point is more important than one might think. After all, what arguments for toilets could be more persuasive than hygiene and health? The numbers alone would seem capable of convincing any adult mind that open defecation is disastrous. For instance, the World Health Organization says 1.5 million children alone suffer miserable deaths each year from diarrhea, a common outcome of poor sanitation. It turns out, however, that getting people to climb the first rung of what is called the sanitation ladder to improved waste-disposal practices is a complex social endeavor.

For example, although some people, particularly women and girls who risk being assaulted while crouching alone at night in the open, might opt for latrines and toilets where available, others say they prefer the experience of open defecation. To them, it is a natural practice going back generations.

Nonprofits and government agencies trying to end open defecation historically have parachuted into villages armed with health statistics, subsidies and latrines. Those involved in the battle say such campaigns are viewed locally as, at best, irrelevant and, at worst, as condescending noblesse oblige. Return visits revealed that if the facilities were used at all, they became grain stores, animal pens or even kitchens.

Even the Gates Foundation, Rijsberman says, is putting more money into toilet technology than behavioral efforts, but it recognizes the limits of technology in changing social norms. He says the foundation has also issued grants for "sanitation marketing programs" in Indonesia, India and Tanzania, for example.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8a5e6b095f7a1b00d797a87a265afd5a

frank gore frank gore drew brees drew brees nfl games nfl schedule nfl scores

Why American Singles Seek Dates at Online Dating Services?

You are at : Home | Relationships ? | ? Dating

???

By : Tammy Johnston ??
Submitted 2012-02-19 11:17:46 The global web continues to expand and attract millions of new customers every day. To have Internet connection at every place at any time is something absolutely normal. And while online dating was something new and strange, nowadays this is an absolutely normal way of getting a date. Everything seems so much easier; having in mind the fact how convenient is to find a soul mate just by becoming a member of a dating website. The online dating services start to play more and more important role in the daily life for all the Americans by giving them the chance to find their most desired person by just clicking the search button. But here comes the question: Why do they seek their partner virtually?

Every one of us hopes that somewhere there in the world is our soul mate. But with the creation of online dating websites this "somewhere there" has become at a place, which you can reach by just turning your computer on.

Recently studies show that American people are number one when it comes about using websites, where they can find flirt, love, friendship and even a business partner and all that is possible, just because of the diversity of services offered by those websites. But is it possible to be absolutely sure if the information presented by a certain person is reliable and real? Maybe this is the reason why many people prefer this way of starting a relationship, rather than going out in person, where they could talk and share experiences, and see if their expectations about each other are fulfilled.

When you create your profile, you are the one who put the information to the others. Many Americans use the services offered by numerous dating websites just because the internet gives them the opportunity to create a profile, which may sound attractive and alluring to the others, but actually it does not show the truth about the person. In that way a person around 35 years, who is over weighted might present himself as: "Attractive 25 years old young man, with athletic body looking for the girl of his dreams", therefore his opportunities in finding a woman that he would never had in the real life, has increased with more than 100 %.

Another reason for seeking a partner using the services offered by net-dating websites is that the internet allows the communication between people, who are living thousands of kilometers away from each other. You can find a great diversity of people with similar interests and desires. The barrier between you might be the reason for giving you more strength and not to be afraid of being rejected. Many psychologists claim that virtually, the people communicate in more relaxed way, which leads to a meaningful conversation, where you can clearly explain all your thoughts and ideas.

Free dating sites have been too popular these days because thousands of relationships online are generated every year. American dating service is too easy and simple because all work can be finished at the comfort of your computer.

Author Resource:- Thousands of American singles at http://www.americansingleswomen.com waiting at free dating sites like http://www.dating72.com and t http://www.single123.com There many American single women and men onlinw now Meet your second half online now
Article From World Class Articles

Related Articles

HTML Ready Article. Click on the "Copy" button to copy into your clipboard.

<title>World Class Articles | Why American Singles Seek Dates at Online Dating Services?</title><h3>Why American Singles Seek Dates at Online Dating Services?</h3>

By: Tammy Johnston

The global web continues to expand and attract millions of new customers every day. To have Internet connection at every place at any time is something absolutely normal. And while online dating was something new and strange, nowadays this is an absolutely normal way of getting a date. Everything seems so much easier; having in mind the fact how convenient is to find a soul mate just by becoming a member of a dating website. The online dating services start to play more and more important role in the daily life for all the Americans by giving them the chance to find their most desired person by just clicking the search button. But here comes the question: Why do they seek their partner virtually?

Every one of us hopes that somewhere there in the world is our soul mate. But with the creation of online dating websites this "somewhere there" has become at a place, which you can reach by just turning your computer on.

Recently studies show that American people are number one when it comes about using websites, where they can find flirt, love, friendship and even a business partner and all that is possible, just because of the diversity of services offered by those websites. But is it possible to be absolutely sure if the information presented by a certain person is reliable and real? Maybe this is the reason why many people prefer this way of starting a relationship, rather than going out in person, where they could talk and share experiences, and see if their expectations about each other are fulfilled.

When you create your profile, you are the one who put the information to the others. Many Americans use the services offered by numerous dating websites just because the internet gives them the opportunity to create a profile, which may sound attractive and alluring to the others, but actually it does not show the truth about the person. In that way a person around 35 years, who is over weighted might present himself as: "Attractive 25 years old young man, with athletic body looking for the girl of his dreams", therefore his opportunities in finding a woman that he would never had in the real life, has increased with more than 100 %.

Another reason for seeking a partner using the services offered by net-dating websites is that the internet allows the communication between people, who are living thousands of kilometers away from each other. You can find a great diversity of people with similar interests and desires. The barrier between you might be the reason for giving you more strength and not to be afraid of being rejected. Many psychologists claim that virtually, the people communicate in more relaxed way, which leads to a meaningful conversation, where you can clearly explain all your thoughts and ideas.

Free dating sites have been too popular these days because thousands of relationships online are generated every year. American dating service is too easy and simple because all work can be finished at the comfort of your computer.

Author Resource:->??Thousands of American singles at http://www.americansingleswomen.com waiting at free dating sites like http://www.dating72.com and t http://www.single123.com There many American single women and men onlinw now Meet your second half online now

Article From World Class Articles

Firefox users please select/copy/paste as usual

Source: http://www.world-class-articles.com/Art/460112/129/Why-American-Singles-Seek-Dates-at-Online-Dating-Services.html

imessage sukkot sukkot aziz ansari aziz ansari corn maze icloud

Whitney Houston being laid to rest at ceremony

WESTFIELD, New Jersey (AP) ? Whitney Houston is being laid to rest at a private ceremony in New Jersey.

Houston died Feb. 11 in California at age 48. No cause of death has been determined.

She is being buried Sunday at the cemetery in Westfield where her father was interred in 2003. Onlookers were gathering along the route to her gravesite as the police-escorted motorcade headed toward it and the hearse carrying her casket entered the cemetery.

The pop star was mourned at a funeral Saturday at the church in Newark where she sang in the choir as a child. The invitation-only service featured a tribute by some of the biggest names in music, including Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys. Kevin Costner and music mogul Clive Davis were among those who spoke.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-02-19-Whitney%20Houston-Burial/id-978c73bcd82e4417b6ca70b5c448ae9f

tony robbins bon iver abraham lincoln vampire hunter the secret life of bees pope joan pope joan diners drive ins and dives

Groups report another Tibetan self-immolation (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Another Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire in western China amid a wave of such protests against China's handling of the vast Tibetan areas it rules, overseas groups said Saturday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120218/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tibet

miss wisconsin packers green bay packers miss america golden globes 2012 lana del rey saturday night live packers vs giants

Birds in uncertain climates are more likely to stray from their mates

Friday, February 17, 2012

Married people may pledge to stay faithful through good times and bad, but birds sing a different tune ? when weather is severe or uncertain, birds are more likely to stray from their mates, says a new study by researchers working at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center and Columbia University.

The results could mean more marital strife for birds coping with climate change, the researchers say.

Divorce and infidelity are a normal part of life for most birds, which typically nest with one partner for a few months or years, but may have chicks out of 'wedlock' or move on to new mates between breeding seasons.

"Most apparently monogamous birds end up having multiple partners," said lead author Carlos Botero, who conducted the study while at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Initiative in Biocomplexity at North Carolina State University.

Botero and his colleague Dustin Rubenstein of Columbia University wanted to find out if bird divorce and infidelity were more or less likely in dicey climates.

To find out, they studied records of the mating habits of hundreds of bird species, focusing on species where males and females work together to raise their chicks ? a large data set that included swallows, chickadees, blue birds, falcons, warblers, sparrows, ducks, geese and gulls.

For each species in their data set, they measured the rate of infidelity ? defined as the fraction of nests containing chicks resulting from an 'affair' ? as well as the rate of divorce, or the fraction of birds that changed partners between breeding seasons.

When they combined this data with temperature and precipitation records from weather stations near each species' nesting sites, they found something interesting ? birds that breed in changeable climates were more likely to cheat.

Infidelity was more common in species that breed in areas with more dramatic seasonal swings between warm and cold. When seasons are severe, promiscuity may pay off as a way of increasing the genetic diversity of the chicks, Botero said. "Mating with multiple partners improves the chances that at least one chick will have the genes to cope with the variable conditions to come," he explained.

The effect was greater for divorce. Birds in unpredictable climates were more likely to cast off their current mate and seek a new partner for the next breeding season, even at the expense of losing valuable breeding time before they paired up again.

"The quality of a potential mate depends on the context," Botero explained. In the Galapagos Islands, for example, finches with bigger beaks are better at finding food during dry periods, when larger, drier, harder-to-crush seeds are more important, whereas finches with smaller beaks do better during wet periods.

The perfect partner during one set of conditions may be a so-so mate at another. But when the length, timing or intensity of annual weather cycles is less certain, it may be harder for a bird to predict, based on conditions during the courting phase, what conditions are likely to be like during the chick-rearing phase. "The more unpredictable the environment is, the more likely birds are to make mistakes [in picking a mate], and the more likely they are to divorce," Botero said.

What does this mean for birds coping with climate change?

"As a result of climate change weather patterns have become more unpredictable, and the frequency of extreme weather events has increased," Botero said.

Whether the findings apply to humans is still unknown, but in birds "we would expect marital strife will become much more common," he added.

###

Botero, C. and D. Rubenstein (2012). "Fluctuating environments, sexual selection and the evolution of flexible mate choice in birds." PLoS ONE.

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent): http://www.nescent.org

Thanks to National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 27 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117707/Birds_in_uncertain_climates_are_more_likely_to_stray_from_their_mates

katy perry russell brand kevin durant rutgers mark hurd new ipad 3 baylor jodie fisher

Colorectal cancer affecting India&#39;s fight against cancer

New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) India?s fight against cancer becomes tougher with more incidences of colorectal cancer (CRC) coming up, say doctors in the national capital.

?Commonly known as bowel cancer, this form of cancer malignant cells grow in the tissues of the colon or rectum leading to formation of tumors,? Dinesh Chandra Doval of Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre told IANS.

According to Doval, colorectal cancer usually occurs in people above the age of 50 years. Symptoms include blood in stool, changing bowel habits such as constipation, weight loss and fatigue.

?Though there are hereditary reasons for its occurrence, in India due to poor dietary habits and population becoming older, number of patients of colorectal cancer is increasing,? Doval said talking to IANS on the sidelines of an educative programme organised by European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in partnership with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre.

?At early stage, CRC is curable through surgery, but at advanced stages it cannot be completely treated as it spreads to other organs as well, like liver,? he elaborated.

The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre acknowledged colorectal cancer as sixth most prevalent cancer in India.

Professor Eric Van Cutsem, head of the Digestive Oncology Department, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium, who was in the national capital to participate in the conference, said a multi-disciplinary approach is needed for treating this disease.

?Through a multi-disciplinary approach comprising of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy we can try to make patients live as long as possible,? said Cutsem.

Last year, the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital diagnosed about 400 cases of colorectal cancer, of which 50 percent were in the advance stage.

?The more problematic aspect with this cancer is that due to low levels of awareness, about 40-50 percent cases are detected after they have reached the advanced stages,? added Doval.

Related Posts:

Source: http://news.hamaraphotos.com/ians/colorectal-cancer-affecting-indias-fight-against-cancer.html

papelbon anita hill penn state football schedule carrier classic j edgar hoover j edgar hoover jonathan papelbon

Professional Home Improvement Assistance You Are Able To Set To ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]If you discover oneself in the situation of having to do some home improvement instead of realizing best places to start, or when you have run out of tips, this post is for you personally. Roof covering. Steel roof covering can be ...

Source: http://www.articleplusx.com/2012/02/professional-home-improvement-assistance-you-are-able-to-set-to-great-use/

tinker tailor soldier spy rich forever rick ross project runway all stars elin nordegren tangled ever after kansas state last house on the left

Cheap Speech and Presentation Writing

Published by Robertson | February 16, 2012 | | 67

At some point in their academic life, students are asked to write a speech and presentation paper. Not everyone has good presentation skills. Moreover, public speaking skills are skills that a person can learn with time. It takes a lot of practice and perseverance in order to be a good public speaker. Confidence is among the major requirements for public speaking. A good public speaker is confident and has knowledge of what is about to be presented. It is therefore advisable for students to read widely and gather vast amount of information in order to come up with exemplary speech and presentation writing paper. It is also essential for be creative and have good writing skills. A speech and presentation should be able to capture the listeners? attention from the beginning to the end. This means that creativity is an essential aspect to take note of. No one would want to listen to a long and boring speech or presentations.

Organization is also important, whereby a presenter has to organize the key points to be delivered in a logical and appropriate manner. The topic chosen for the speech or presentation should be interesting enough to grab the listener?s attention from the start to the end.

There are so many students who are troubled when it comes to speech and presentation writing. This is due to the fact that such students lack the skills and expertise needed for delivering a good speech or writing a good presentation. The best option for such caliber of students is seeking help in speech and presentation writing from custom writing companies online. There are thousands of companies that often promise students quality help in speech and presentation writing.

The problem is that majority of those companies can not be relied on them. Most of them are only interested in making easy money and hardly care about the quality of services delivered to customers. It is therefore essential for students in need of speech and presentation writing help to be careful enough not to fall into the traps of fraudulent companies. Students should conduct a preliminary research prior to settling on a particular custom writing company for assistance in speech and presentation writing. Through research, students can easily figure out a company that has all the qualities and features that would enable it to deliver quality assistance in speech and presentation writing. Research also enables students to choose a company that offers affordable and quality services.

Our company is among the online writing companies that provide the best speech and presentation writing services. Our speech and presentation writing services are not only of superior quality but they are also authentic and affordable. We have writers who have the skills and knowledge needed for writing quality speech and presentation writing papers. Another aspect about our company is the fact that we have advanced plagiarism detection software. With the availability of the software, customers can be assured of receiving original and 100% plagiarism free speech and presentation writing services. Our company has hired a professional team of editors who go through all the speech and presentation writing papers to make sure that they do not have any grammatical, spelling or language mistakes. In addition to help in speech and presentation writing, our company provides custom research papers, essays, term papers and other academic custom papers.

?

?

Source: http://www.1directory.net/writing-speaking/cheap-speech-and-presentation-writing-4940.html

elizabeth banks gabrielle giffords juliette lewis nancy pelosi nancy pelosi chelsea handler mitch daniels

"Malachy" the Pekingese wins prestigious U.S. dog show (Reuters)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Reuters - A placid Pekingese slowly trotted to victory on Tuesday at the 136th Westminster Kennel Club dog show, beating a Dalmatian, a German Shepherd, a Dachshund and three other canines to become the first of his breed to win the prestigious annual event since 1990.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/pets/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120215/lf_nm_life/us_dogshow

malawi angela davis angela davis zombie apocalypse matt moore matt moore national grid

Lawmakers move to cusp of deal on payroll tax cut

President Barack Obama speaks to continue to push Congress to act to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance through the end of the year, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, in the Old Executive Office building on the White House complex in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama speaks to continue to push Congress to act to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance through the end of the year, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, in the Old Executive Office building on the White House complex in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congressional leaders are gauging lawmakers' reactions to a tentative deal extending a 2 percentage-point payroll tax cut and extra jobless benefits through 2012, a pact bargainers reached after House Republicans conceded that the tax cut would not have to be paid for with spending cuts.

Both sides cautioned late Tuesday that the agreement was not final and still could be altered. If completed, final congressional approval was possible by Friday, which would be an election-year victory for President Barack Obama, who made the payroll tax cut a keystone of his largely ignored jobs creation plan in September.

House Republicans emerging from a closed-door meeting said reaction to the package was generally positive, with some saying it reflected a desire to avoid spending months debating an issue that cost them dearly last year. In December, the House GOP initially opposed a two-month extension of the tax cut and other benefits that were about to lapse, only to retreat under pressure from outside party leaders and conservatives.

"We've got to move onto another issue," said Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla. "I think that's what the mood is."

"I'd say most people are for it, at least accepting it," said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

Republicans were determined that Obama not be able to claim that the GOP was standing in the way of a middle-class tax cut. They would rather spend the months leading up to the November presidential and congressional elections focused on GOP themes of opposing tax increases, higher spending and Obama administration regulations that they say stifle job creation.

The tentative compromise would extend through December the current 2 percentage-point cut in the usual 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax deducted from workers' paychecks. That reduction, which saves $1,000 a year for families earning $50,000, would affect 160 million workers and would otherwise expire on March 1.

It would also prevent extra unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless from expiring March 1 and block a 27 percent cut in reimbursements for doctors who treat Medicare patients. Overall, the legislation would cost roughly $150 billion.

On Monday, House Republicans dropped their demand that the payroll tax cut ? totaling roughly two-thirds of the bill ? be paid for. The hunt for savings had been one of the chief hurdles in weeks of negotiation over the legislation.

Also excluded, aides said, was a collection of expiring tax breaks, largely for businesses buying equipment and other corporate expenses that had been sought by some lawmakers of both parties.

Participants said the Medicare payments to doctors would be paid for by reducing Medicare reimbursements to hospitals and by cutting in half an $8 billion program under Obama's health care overhaul aimed at battling obesity and smoking.

The unemployment benefits would be financed with a collection of savings that include government sales of parts of the broadcast airwaves to wireless companies and from boosting federal workers' contributions to their pensions.

Democrats were saying little publicly, and House Democrats planned to meet Wednesday to discuss the tentative plan.

In private, some Democrats called it a victory, pointing to the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefit extensions while heading off the GOP's earlier demand that the entire measure be financed with spending cuts and other savings. Others complained that the jobless benefit extensions were not generous enough.

Republicans claimed victory, too, noting their rejection of early Democratic efforts to pay for the payroll tax cut by boosting taxes on millionaires, and with jobless extensions that would be less than the 99 weeks under current law that Democrats wanted to renew.

Aides presented differing figures about how many extra weeks of coverage would be provided, but they roughly agreed that the current 99-week maximum would fall to around 73 weeks for most states. Republicans had wanted to cut the ceiling to 59 weeks.

Republicans abandoned provisions from a House-passed bill that would have required the jobless to pursue a high school equivalency degree to get benefits and let states require recipients to undergo drug testing.

They also dropped other House-passed language forcing low-income people to have Social Security numbers to get government checks by claiming the children's tax credit, a move that was aimed at illegal immigrants and caused a furor among many Hispanics.

Early Tuesday, Obama tried turning up the heat on Republicans to strike a deal.

"Just pass this middle-class tax cut. Pass the extension of unemployment insurance," he said at a White House appearance. "Do it before it's too late and I will sign it right away."

___

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-02-15-Payroll%20Tax/id-64faca8b2dee44009d594c58624764a6

martina mcbride terry jones andy reid elf on the shelf elf on the shelf 2012 grammy nominations stephen sondheim

Another upbeat sign for housing industry

Homebuilders are feeling more upbeat, but there's still a long way to go before the industry can pop the corks on the bubbly.

By Msnbc.com staff and wire

For the fifth consecutive month, homebuilders are feeling upbeat about prospects for the market in single-family homes, offering another positive signal for the depressed housing industry.

The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 29 from 25 in February, hitting the highest level in four years, the National Association of Home Builders said on Wednesday.?

The index has climbed 15 points since September and is now at its highest level since May 2007.

Builders have generally become more hopeful during that stretch about current sales, sales six months out, and foot traffic, the report shows.

?Builder confidence has doubled since September as measured by the HMI,? said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. ?Given the recent improvements in new home starts and the increasing number of markets included in the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index, this consistency suggests that the housing market is moving toward more sustainable growth.?

Even with the brighter outlook, the industry has a long way to go. Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn't reached 50 since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/15/10415735-homebuilder-optimism-up-for-5th-straight-month

rob the firm new york philharmonic marines urinating on taliban critics choice awards super pac dre kirkpatrick