CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES: News ...

Universities to Lead Energy Department-Funded CSP Projects

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The Energy Department announced on August 28 new investments totaling $10 million for two university-led projects to advance innovative concentrating solar power (CSP) system technologies. The five-year projects are under the Department's SunShot Initiative, a collaborative national effort to make solar energy cost competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade.

CSP technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat that can be used to produce electricity. Heat transfer fluids are a key component of CSP systems that transfer heat from a receiver to the point where the heat is needed to drive a turbine. The investments will improve heat transfer fluids to increase efficiency and lower costs for CSP systems.

Two university teams were selected to develop new heat transfer fluids. The University of California?Los Angeles will lead a team with researchers from Yale University and the University of California?Berkeley to investigate liquid metals as potential heat transfer fluids with the ability to withstand higher temperatures. And the University of Arizona, the second awardee, is teaming with researchers from Arizona State University and Georgia Tech to develop and demonstrate new, molten salt-based fluids as possible alternatives to traditional heat transfer fluids.

The projects will focus on making dramatic improvements to fluids that gather thermal energy from the sun and transport it to the power block, where the energy is used to drive a turbine that generates electricity. Today's state-of the-art heat transfer fluids are capable of operating at temperatures up to about 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in excess of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit are needed to reach efficiencies greater than 50%, which allow CSP plants to capture more energy from solar power. The selected projects are working to develop heat transfer fluids that can operate at temperatures up to 2,350 degrees Fahrenheit, while simultaneously maintaining high levels of performance. See the Energy Department press release. ?

Energy Department Announces University Appliance-Design Winners

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The Energy Department on August 23 announced that a University of Maryland team has won the Department's first Max Tech and Beyond Appliance Design Competition. The student challenge, which involved nine teams, aims to inspire students to pursue energy efficiency improvements in home and commercial appliances, helping to develop innovative ultra-efficient products.

The University of Maryland team chose to simplify the design of a standard wall-mounted air conditioner by separating the systems that remove humidity and provide cooling. After the students tested a fully functional prototype, they found that the design reduced energy use by 30% compared with typical wall-mounted air conditioners already on the market. Because the current largest consumer of electricity in most homes nationwide is the air conditioning system, this innovative design has the potential to substantially decrease residential energy use and save consumers money.

The runner-up team from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developed a prototype of a natural gas-fired combination water heater and clothes dryer that can use the waste heat from the clothes dryer to heat water for the next washing load. The team demonstrated that with this approach, they could get a 10% dryer efficiency improvement compared to the best comparable products on the market.

The nine faculty-led student design teams were competitively selected and funded with up to $20,000 by the Energy Department to design, build, and test their prototypes during the 2011-2012 academic year. A panel of Energy Department experts along with those from the Department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory judged each team's prototype based on its demonstrated ability to reduce energy use by 10% or more compared to best on-market products, or based on the prototype's ability to reduce production costs compared with typical high efficiency products already on the market by 20% or more. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the Max Tech website. ?

EPA Awards $9 Million to 13 Universities for Climate Change Impacts Research

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The EPA announced on August 22 that it awarded $9 million in grants to fund 13 universities for technologies that can help predict and prepare for the impacts of extreme weather triggered by climate change may have on air and water quality.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was awarded $749,931 to examine the ability of models to represent the presence of extreme air pollution and the weather conditions. The project at MIT, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will use advanced statistical techniques to identify the drivers and occurrence of historical and future extreme air quality events in the United States from observations and models. The project combines the work of statisticians and atmospheric scientists. The other 13 grants were awarded to researchers at Columbia University, Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Mississippi State University, Ohio State University, Oregon State University, University of South Florida (two grants), Public Policy Institute of California, University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Washington. See the EPA press release and the list of projects. ?

New York Offers $107 Million for Large Solar Power Projects

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New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on August 9 announced that $107 million is available for a major solar power incentive program that will increase the amount of electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) systems throughout New York. The NY-Sun Competitive PV Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, seeks proposals for PV systems greater than 50 kilowatts to be installed at larger commercial and industrial customer sites.

The newly established NY-Sun Competitive PV Program will make $36.4 million available in 2012 and $70.5 million in 2013. This phase of the program is available through the end of 2013 for PV projects in New York City and upstate New York at eligible customer sites. This is an expansion of a two-year-old program that previously focused on large PV systems for the commercial, industrial, and municipal sectors exclusively in New York City, Westchester County, and the lower Hudson Valley. All projects will require co-funding to best leverage state resources with funding capped at $3 million per project. See the New York press release and the NY-Sun Competitive PV Program initiative website. The governor also signed a series of bills on August 17 as part of the NY-Sun initiative that will make solar energy more affordable for homeowners and businesses. The new laws include statewide tax credits for the lease of solar equipment and power purchase agreements, statewide sales tax exemptions for commercial solar equipment, and an extension of the real property tax abatement in New York City for solar installations. See the New York press release. ?

National Solar Tour Kicks Off in September

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The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour officially takes place on October 6, but several events kick off as early as mid-September, and some offer weeklong action. Now in its seventeenth year, the annual showcase allows participants the opportunity to see innovative green homes and buildings that use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies. ASES estimates that more than 165,000 participants will visit some 5,500 buildings in 3,200 communities across the United States.

Kicking off the nationwide series of tours, the Michiana Solar Tour is scheduled to take place on September 15 at Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana. The following day, the BRING Home & Garden Tour bus will take ticketholders to a variety of sustainable sites in Eugene, Oregon. Most tours will take place on or around October 6, but there are events scheduled through October 27. See the ASES National Solar Tour website and the list of tours.?

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Source: http://solarserdar.blogspot.com/2012/08/news-and-events-by-ccres-august-30-2012.html

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What do you do with a cat when you go on vacation? | TheDogs: A ...

I am a professional pet sitter. But sometimes a pet sitter needs?a pet sitter.

When going on vacation in the past, my boyfriend and I had no problem leaving our cat, Poca, to be cared for by a family member who was willing to sleep over and keep her company. But now that our little girl is working off of one kidney and needs regular doses of medication and fluids, we need professional help.

If you aren?t sure the neighbor is up to snuff, rest assured: there are other options. However, it might take some careful consideration to determine what your cat?s needs are and how to find a situation that both you and your cat can purr about. Here in New York City, ?there are so many pet professionals that most laymen assume competition weeds out the less qualified. But, due to the highly unregulated nature of the industry, the opposite is true.

First, you should consider your individual cat?s needs: Some cats are content to sit at home basking in a spot of sun by themselves all day long. Others expect two hours of laser tag and a warm body to snuggle against. Some like strangers; others think strangers are human scratching posts.

If you think your cat might be more than your neighbor can handle, or if your cat exhibits stress behaviors when left alone ? such as leaving waste outside of the litter box or excessively grooming himself ? it?s time to call in a pro.

BOARDING

One of the deluxe cat boarding rooms at Unleash Brooklyn.

This is for you if you fall into one of the following categories:

-Your cat?s care requires high veterinary skill
-You don?t want a stranger entering your home
-Your cat does not require a lot of stimulation
-You are getting your house bombed for pests

This is not for you if:

-You don?t believe in vaccinations
-Your cat needs a ton of play/stimulation
-Your cat is unhappy traveling and being in new places

What to expect:

Cats who stay at a vet or kennel are usually caged for most of the time. But they?ll also be well monitored. If your cat needs subcutaneous fluids, is on a complicated medication schedule, or is recovering from an illness or surgery this might be the way to go. Your cat must be up to date on all vaccines and will need to test negative for Feline Leukemia to ensure the safety of all boarded animals. Healthy animals and sick animals are boarded in separate areas.

The Cat Practice?s all feline Manhattan boarding room.

Better vets and kennels will let the cats out of their crates daily and give them some love and playtime. Ask what the cat?s schedule will be like, if he or she will get loving attention, and make sure to take a tour of the boarding facilities and play areas. If you?re not sure this is a suitable option for your feline, ask if you can do a trial run for an afternoon to make sure your kitty is comfortable.

Cat boarding facilities usually cost between $35 and $45 a day, per cat.

Recommended NYC Vets:

Recommended Non-Veterinary Boarding Locations:

PET SITTING

This is for you if:

-You don?t like the idea of leaving your cat in a crate for the duration of your absence
-Your cat hates travel
-Your cat exhibits stress behaviors such as spraying, destructive scratching, or over-grooming

This is not for you if:

-Your cat needs veterinary care that requires a special skill (ex: insulin shots or subcutaneous fluids) and you can?t find a pet sitter who has experience dealing with these medical issues. Many pet sitters deal with these conditions often and if you plan ahead finding someone with this skill set shouldn?t be a problem. For peace of mind, go through a trial run with your new pet sitter so you can watch them administer medications in your presence.

Finding a pet sitter:

Conduct a search through the member directories at?Pet Sitters International?and the?National Association of Professional Pet Sitters?to find a professional pet sitter in your area. Look for companies and individuals that have their CPPS certification, as this is not a criterion for directory inclusion. Your pet sitter should also have bonding and liability insurance and proof that they have undergone a background check. If you find someone that meets this criteria, set up a meet and greet to get to know the person better. She or he ?will come to your home to meet your pets, help you decide which of services best fit your needs, and review the contract and price sheet. You know you have a winner if the individual comes prepared, happily supplies a list of references, and shows a genuine love for and interest in your pets.

Option 1: Daily Visits

These are between $15 and $40 per visit, and can vary in length from fifteen to 75-minutes. Depending on your cat?s (or cats?) needs, you may choose to have a pet sitter come in once or twice a day to do feedings, change the water, clean the litter box, play, and give any necessary medications. ?Most cats that exhibit stress behaviors with a fifteen minute visit will do better with a one hour visit that includes more play and cuddle time.

Option 2: Overnight Stays

Most cat owners don?t think that having someone sleep over with their cats is necessary but if you have it in your budget to give your cats this treat it is the best option available. Pet sitters will sleep overnight at your house, water the plants, bring in the mail, and keep your cats happy and stimulated. You can expect to pay between $55 and $90, charged either per night or per 24-hour period.

Recommended NYC Pet Sitters:

Featured image by Robert Grossman?

Source: http://thedo.gs/2012/08/cats-etc/what-do-you-do-with-a-cat-when-you-go-on-vacation-23725/6639

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NASA's 'Mighty Eagle' robotic prototype lander takes 100-foot free flight

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2012) ? With a whistle and a roar, the "Mighty Eagle," a NASA robotic prototype lander, sailed to an altitude of 100 feet during another successful free flight Aug. 28 at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

During the 35-second run, the vehicle was "open loop" -- navigating autonomously without the command of the onboard camera and flying on a preprogrammed flight profile. Once it reached the 100-foot mark, the "Mighty Eagle" identified a new, larger target on the ground about 100 feet away, took pictures, processed the images and safely landed. The test is part of a new series of free flights testing the robotic prototype lander's autonomous rendezvous and capture capabilities. Testing will continue through September.

"We met our goal for this flight, which was to test the new software at triple the height of our last flight," said Dr. Greg Chavers, "Mighty Eagle" test lead at the Marshall Center. "The higher we go, the more realistic the scenario is compared to an actual descent."

"This test article is a vehicle system and requires a lot of team interaction," said Jake Parton, test conductor on the flight. Parton is one of several young engineers gaining experience and getting guidance from senior engineers on the "Mighty Eagle" project. The test team's ages range from 25 to 71.

"We are getting good experience in handling flight hardware and reacting to real-time conditions and anomalies," said Parton. "Each time we test, we load propellant, launch the vehicle, fly the vehicle and land the vehicle. It's hands-on flight experience for young engineers."

Nicknamed the "Mighty Eagle" after one of the characters in the popular "Angry Birds" game, the vehicle is a three-legged prototype that resembles an actual flight lander design. It is 4 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter and, when fueled, weighs 700 pounds. It is fueled by 90 percent pure hydrogen peroxide and receives its commands from an onboard computer that activates its onboard thrusters to carry it to a controlled landing using a pre-programmed flight profile.

NASA will use the "Mighty Eagle" to mature the technology needed to develop a new generation of small, smart, versatile robotic landers capable of achieving scientific and exploration goals on the surface of the moon, asteroids or other airless bodies.

The "Mighty Eagle" was developed by the Marshall Center and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., for NASA's Planetary Sciences Division, Headquarters Science Mission Directorate. Key partners in this project include the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation, which includes the Science Applications International Corporation, Dynetics Corp., and Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., all of Huntsville.

Watch the video of the Mighty Eagle flight on Aug. 28 at the Marshall Center: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=151295641

For more information on NASA's robotic landers, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/lunarquest/robotic/index.html

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.

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

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/lA--2917C78/120829145855.htm

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Physical Therapy Aide - ArgonautStudios.net ? Sciences - Typepad

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Article by John Degree

A person who aides the Physical Therapy Assistant is really a Physical Therapy Aide. This peculiar job is capable to infect one a full idea of what the existent duties imply for a forcible therapy aide. The existent duties of a Physical Therapy Aide may incorporate the existent ordering of supplies, taking inventory, completing health insurance forms, filing and aiding patients in travelling. A Physical Therapy Aide doesn?t necessitate a college degree to do this job. On the job clinical training is normally uncommitted from the employer, nevertheless, an eminent school diploma is necessitated.

Physical fitness and a sure amount of strength will be necessitated, since you necessitate to help patients with travelling and giving them forcible assistance. All tasks will be transported away under the near supervision from the Physical Therapist or Physical forcible therapist assistant. Some of these responsibilities would incorporate: the preparation from the patient and the treatment area, cleaning and disinfecting of equipment and work area after the treatment, aid patients by teaching, motivating and safeguarding with practice workouts or usable activities, helping and procuring patients into therapy equipment, changing sheets, making certain that equipment is kept within full working condition, and the assembling and disassembly of equipment. They are only a very few of the duties that are included in this specific job description.

An assistant will help you to supply the therapy for the customers. They may help the therapist in the session with the client. In some instances the patient or client may necessitate forcible assist to get up as good as downwards. They may besides necessitate assist with travelling into unlike positions. This program may inquire for two people to assist with the travelling of a patient or yet the assist of the person to do sure forcible tasks. When an expert has an assistant to assist, they are capable to work jointly on many program goals. An aid could besides run some of the sessions on their ain. They might act over half of the session or could supply the full treatment on their ain. In some cases the existent assistant will trot the existent programs and the existent therapist will emanate in to supply feedback as good as changes if necessary.

Creativity and besides the development of unexampled and innovative ideas and the seeking of answers for work associated problems. If you are relentless in the face of obstacles and independent enough to build your ain way of performing things, without supervision, this may be the correct career choice for you. Another necessity would be the ability to analyze information logically, when addressing function associated problems. Assisting individuals with dressing and undressing and transporting patients from one area to another in wheelchairs or supplying standing aids is a necessity.

Physical Therapy Aides are skilled health care workers who supply assist with patients experiencing treatment by helping Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants. They?ll assist with supports and devices and stabilize patients during treatment. All routine treatments will be transported away by Aides. The use of raging and stale packs, paraffin baths, water treatments and keeping track of individuals conditions. Reporting signs of fatigue, distress or anything strange would be a key responsibility. Although the duties of a Physical Therapy Aide look to be numerous, one must remember they are not merely about all transported away at the same time. Only a restricted amount of skills abilities as good as are mentioned in this article, but you should have a full idea of what is necessary for this very significant task. It ought to be quite obvious that a rather particular type of person with an over-the-top sensitivity and perceptiveness course, is a trait that will surely suffice you for this job.

About the Author

If perhaps forcible therapy seems like a line of work you might be interested in you can bid forcible therapist schools without delay merely by clicking on the highlighted weblink to our absolutely complimentary forcible therapy school steer.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author?s information and copyright must be included.

No related posts.

Source: http://argonautstudios.net/2012/physical-therapy-aide-find-the-info-you-need-to-make-the-right-decision/

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Source: http://pettwayqtamiko6.typepad.com/blog/2012/08/physical-therapy-aide-argonautstudiosnet-sciences.html

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Why the Website Sher Valenzuela Didn't Build May Haunt the GOP

Sher Valenzuela is basically embodies everything the Republican party wants from its "We Built This" narrative: She's a small business-owning Latina running for office in Delaware. The only problem is, her company has taken some $17 million in federal loans and contracts and Reddit is all over it.?First off, Valenzuela's company is called First State Manufacturing, but, as Reddit user FirstStateMan figured out,?Valenzuela did not register firststatemanufacturing.com --so he "built" it for her. And this may be where those loans and contracts come to haunt Valenzuela and the Republican National Convention, where she's scheduled to speak Tuesday. As the left-leaning?Media Matters reported on August 23, Valenzuela and her manufacturing company received more than $2 million in federal loans and more than $15 million in federal contracts over the years--which severely?undercuts the "We Built This" theme that Republican are running with?for the convention. ?

RELATED: Obama Impersonator Says He Wasn't Pulled Early Over Race Jokes

And this is where FirstStateMan's dummy site comes into play. Currently it's?being bombarded with tons of hits,?which makes it harder to load. But he has outlined a year-by-year timeline of the federal aid and technical help that Valenzuela received since 1997. Highlights include:

1998

"With?help from SBA resource partners SCORE and the Small Business Technology and Development Center?the [we] composed a business plan and opened First State Manufacturing in their garage with an old but reliable sewing machine named 'Betsy.'"

We received an?SBA $20,000 Express loan to rent a 2,000 sq. ft. space in a warehouse so we could expand outside of our garage.

...

1999

Earned larger contracts with assistance from local?Procurement Technical Assistance Center?(PTAC)

...

2002

We got two loans from the SBA in 2002!

The SBA gave us a?$96,000 loan?7(A)?to modernize and?expand our inventory.

The 9/11 tragedy challenged our very existence. The SBA gave us a $65,800 Disaster loan to maintain our business and employees.?

Using taxpayer funding to help your small business, isn't embarrassing by any means. But it is damning if you're going to tell everyone at the convention and on television how you did it "on your own" and champion the GOP "We built this" talking point thatObama's administration doesn't care about small business owners. It also can't help when there's a dummy site out there with a Google bomb-friendly Web address for your business. (Valenzuela's actual site firststatemfg.com.) We still don't know if this hypocrisy is enough to bump Valenzuela off the schedule (she's still on for Tuesday sometime after 9:00 p.m. EDT), but if it does, Ms. Valenzuela can thank Reddit.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-website-sher-valenzuela-didnt-build-may-haunt-145941205.html

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Complete The Home Improvement Project You Have Been Planning ...

Before you start painting a wall, you have to prep the surface. Prepping the wall requires washing it with soap and water, which removes built-up dirt and grease that can affect how the paint sticks to your wall. A dirty wall will cause paint to chip sooner, shortening the life of your paint job.

Painting home improvement projects require dry days. This tip is critical for having success in painting your home. On wet and humid afternoons, paint dries more slowly on the walls, which means that you will be at your project longer. Only painting on the dry days will cut your time in between coats and speed up the project overall.

If you are using a tank style hot water heater and do not have the money to replace it take a trip to your hardware store. You can buy an energy saving blanket to wrap around your tank to keep heat in and save you money on your energy or gas bill.

Any home will benefit from a regular painting schedule. Painting is one of those home improvement tasks that is not vital, but keeping up with it pays considerable dividends. A house which has been painted and repainted at frequent intervals will look more appealing to potential buyers. Homeowners that paint their houses regularly will also avoid the necessity of a major, expensive paint job when they decide to sell their homes.

When you are planning a roof replacement, make sure to consider using white tiles. Not only does this give your home an unique look, it also translates into keeping your home cooler. Roof tiles that are a lighter color attract less heat, which reduces the heat that builds up in your attic or upstairs floor. With white tiles, your house is sure to stay cooler during the hotter months of the year.

If you live in an apartment, then you may believe that there is nothing you can do to improve the value of where you live. If you are the owner of the apartment, this is not true. There are many floorplans that you can use to easily add value to your apartment.

In order to make a living running a home improvement gig, you must know the proper rates to charge. This includes being able to give your customer a detailed report of the expenses that they are incurring. These rates include materials and labor, so make sure that you don?t charge them too much or you will not get the job.

Painting is a perennial task. Water-based latex paints make for the easiest clean-up. You only need soap and water. But sometimes oil paint is best for a job. It is longer lasting. When cleaning up from oil paint, use cooking oil on your brushes to dissolve the paint. Then you can use soap and water.

If you would like to spruce up your home, the biggest impact is to paint your walls. A fresh coat of paint will give you instant results and make the home look new again. Paint doesn?t cost much, and if you don?t like the final results, it is easy to buy another paint color and try again.

If you are doing an extensive kitchen renovation, it is a good idea to set up a spot that you can utilize as a kitchen for the time being. Your kitchen might not be useable for a couple of weeks so have a microwave and a refrigerator elsewhere in the house so you can store food and make easy meals.

If you are going to pay someone to do home improvements for you, then make it a point to be available during the work and check up on progress regularly. You want to make sure that things are going as you expected and that the work is being done properly. Inform yourself and make sure all the appropriate permits and inspections are completed.

Don?t commit to a home improvement project without doing your homework first; this will ensure the project you choose is something your entirely family can enjoy. Using these tips can help you pick a project that you and your family are sure to enjoy.

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Source: http://cannabismrsacure.letstalkaboutpot.com/complete-the-home-improvement-project-you-have-been-planning-2/

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UK Newsx.com ? Enjoy lip-smacking pasta and yummy desserts at ...

Today, Italian pasta lovers of London have found the great food of their choice from Giovanni Rana, the renowned restaurant in London. The founder of this restaurant Giovanni Rana has more than 50 years of experience in this business. He is famous as the King of Tortellini in his home town. He has been making pasta since the year 1962 and the pasta in his brand name Giovanni Rana is now available in 25 countries. His brand is now recognised internationally for good taste and high quality. If you are settled in UK and want to taste the finger licking pasta, Restaurant Giovanni Rana at Regent?s Place is the right place for you to visit.
There are numerous food outlets and Restaurants near Euston that offer variety of food and drinks. But Giovanni Rana is the one and only restaurant that offer extremely delicious and fresh Italian food menu at attractive price range. The courteous staff and chef also take care of cleanliness and hygiene to a great extent. Now, you can satisfy the appetite with the delicious and hygienic food and drinks of Italy without actually visiting Italy. Everything that you want to have is available at your city London.
Main reasons for Restaurant Giovanni Rana becoming the most preferred food outlet of London:-
. Available variety of Italian pasta and beverages
. Pasta menu includes spicy, simple, sweet, salty and many more
. Perfectly prepared and garnished food serve with the beverage of customer?s choice
. Fresh and quality raw materials are used for preparing pasta
. Fresh and properly washed vegetable and ingredients are used for preparing all food items and beverages . Hygiene and cleanliness is the first concern
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Visit the famous food outlet to enjoy the cuisine and drink of your choice in authentic Italian dinning tradition.
Now, you can book Christmas party restaurant London in advance. Whether you want to enjoy Christmas Eve with your beloved, friends or family, Giovanni Rana offers everything that you need to make your party happening. Enjoy great food and drinks in the pleasant environment to make your Christmas celebration meaningful and memorable. Client?s satisfaction is the main priority. For more info, please visit the website http://www.dagiovannirana.com/uk/home/ any time you want.

Source: http://www.uknewsx.com/enjoy-lip-smacking-pasta-and-yummy-desserts-at-giovanni-rana-restaurant/

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Apple jurors grappled with complex patent issues ...

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) ? The youngest juror, a 24-year-old whose favorite court attire was T-shirts bearing names of rock bands, chose a Beatles sweatshirt for Friday's dramatic unveiling of the $1.05 billion verdict in favor of computer titan Apple Inc. One of the oldest was a retired electrical engineer who, as foreman, signed the unanimous verdict that Samsung Electronics Co. copied Apple's patented technology for the iPhone and iPad. Among the other seven jurors were a homemaker, a bicycle shop manager and a U.S. Navy veteran.

The decision Friday by this panel of people from many walks of Silicon Valley life was one that experts say could dramatically alter the future of computer tablet and phone design if the verdict stands. But the case also is part of a trend that has accompanied an explosion in the number of patent infringement cases, especially in the technology sector.

Increasingly, these highly complex disputes are being decided by juries, rather than judges, and the juries tend to issue more generous awards for patent violations.

That has companies on the receiving end of successful patent infringement lawsuits crying foul and calling for reform in the patent system, but it also has some legal experts questioning whether ordinary citizens should be rendering verdicts and fixing damages in such high-stakes, highly technical cases.

"That's a great question ... and it's the subject of a fair amount of current debate," said Notre Dame University law professor Mark McKenna.

Deliberations in the Apple v. Samsung battle were far more challenging than most. The jury was confronted with hundreds of questions on a 20-page verdict form that was more complicated than a U.S. tax return. They had in the jury room more than two dozen electronic devices at issue, 12 patents to decipher and 109-pages of instructions from the judge on rendering a verdict.

"This case is unmanageable for a jury," Robin Feldman, an intellectual property professor at the University of California Hastings Law School, said before the verdict. "There are more than 100 pages of jury instructions. I don't give that much reading to my law students. They can't possible digest it."

"The trial is evidence of a patent system that is out of control," Feldman said. "No matter what happens in this trial, I think people will need to step back and ask whether we've gone too far in the intellectual property system."

Apple filed suit in April 2011, accusing Samsung of essentially selling illegal knockoffs of its popular iPhones and iPads. Apple demanded $2.5 billion in damages and an order barring U.S. sales of the Samsung products in question. Samsung countered with its own claims, accusing Apple of using wireless technology it owned.

The jury rejected Samsung's claims and refused to award Apple the maximum amount demanded, finding that fewer Samsung products violated Apple's patent than alleged.

The jury arrived at its verdict after less than three days of deliberations, far swifter than many experts thought in view of the many complex issues.

The foreman, Velvin Hogan, a 67-year-old electrical engineer, told the San Jose Mercury News on Saturday that the panel was methodical. "We didn't whiz through this," said Hogan, who relied on his own experience patenting inventions. "We took it very seriously."

Hogan, who does not own Apple products, said the first task was to determine if Apple's patents were valid. Using his own experience getting a patent, Hogan said he had a revelation on first night of deliberations while watching television. "I was thinking about the patents, and thought, 'If this were my patent, could I defend it?'" Hogan recalled. "Once I answered that question as yes, it changed how I looked at things."

The jury did not completely grant Apple's demand for at least $2.5 billion, Hogan said, but they "wanted to send a message to the industry at large that patent infringing is not the right thing to do, not just Samsung."

Although the jurors all promised to weigh the evidence fairly, jury consultant Ellen Brickman said Samsung started out the underdog for several reasons. Apple is based just 10 miles from the courthouse, jurors have a predisposition to side with patent holders, and Samsung is a foreign-based company fighting a domestic outfit during tough economic times.

Finally, she noted that many Americans view Apple and its late founder Steve Jobs as legendary innovators. "Apple changed the world when it came to computers. Apple changed the world when it came to phones," she said.

Samsung has vowed to fight the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. It will first ask the trial judge to toss the verdict. Failing that, Samsung will appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C., a specialized court that hears nearly all patent appeals.

Apple itself benefited from a judge last year reversing a jury's verdict in a patent trial in Tyler, Texas. A jury had awarded software company Mirror Worlds $625.5 million after concluding Apple infringed three patents related to how documents are displayed on computer screens.

"Mirror Worlds may have painted an appealing picture for the jury, but it failed to lay a solid foundation sufficient to support important elements it was required to establish under the law," U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis wrote in April 2011 in tossing out the jury's verdict.

The number of jury trials, as opposed to "bench" trials presided over exclusively by a judge, has greatly increased in the last 20 years, a 2011 PriceWaterhouseCoopers study concluded. It found that only 14 percent of patent trials were held before juries in 1980, 25 percent in 1990 and nearly 60 percent since 2000.

The consultants attributed that dramatic rise in part to a tendency of juries to award higher damages than judges. The average jury award was a little more than $10 million during the last decade while the average award after a bench trial was barely more than $1 million.

Both sides must agree in order to have a case decided by a judge rather than a jury.

The number of patent suits in the technology sector has soared in recent years.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers reported that 182 lawsuits were filed between 2006 and 2010 involving patents in "computer hardware/electronics, software and telecommunications." That was an increase from 77 filed during the previous five years.

Losing companies often appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which received 432 cases from the federal district courts in the 12-month period ending March 2011. The court reported that it reversed 19 percent of those cases, without differentiating between bench trials versus jury trials.

"The purpose of the patent system is to encourage innovation, but the system is still too often exploited in pursuit of other goals," Steven Zipperstein, the chief legal officer of Blackberry phone maker Research in Motion Ltd., said in a statement earlier this month. "This case clearly highlights the significant need for continuing policy reform to help reduce the amount of resources wasted on unwarranted patent litigation," he said.

Zipperstein was responding to U.S. District Judge James Ware tossing out a $147.2 million jury verdict against Ontario, Canada-based RIM after a monthlong patent trial in San Francisco.

The judge said the "clear weight of the evidence" couldn't support the jury's verdict that RIM used the patented technology of New Jersey-based software maker Mformation Technologies.

___

AP video journalist Haven Daley in Palo Alto, Calif., contributed to this report.

Source: http://washingtonexaminer.com/apple-jurors-grappled-with-complex-patent-issues/article/feed/2027679?custom_click=rss

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Phenomenal Returns With Social Media Marketing ? Tips You Need ...

Many people that are not into Internet marketing, especially over the last few years, may have not been aware of social media marketing and its rise to fame. It is so important that all of us participate in some form of social media marketing as it is something to be reckoned with online. It is not about making a few tweets here and there ? you have to do much more than that. Everyone that aspires to become successful online has to have a very serious attitude. Social media is actually very simple to do. There is not that much to it. Most brick-and-mortar stores are not that interested in using social media to help their business. If you are apprehensive about using social media marketing, this article will help you with this specific problem.

Remember that using social media marketing is not just all about you and your business. Essentially, you want to put the word out, letting other businesses know about what other people are doing. Instead of just promoting your business, you want to promote everyone else ? it?s a total paradigm shift. Other people in business just like you ? share their content, and don?t be afraid to do so. Once you share someone else?s info, they will share yours ? that?s how it works. You can blog about what other people are saying, as it is very easy to do this on the web today.

How you express yourself on Twitter really depends upon what you do and say. How you play it is your call, and you have to remember that. You have to be yourself, yet also follow the rules of online etiquette when using social media in this way. You should learn about your audience especially since you are there for business. You have to speak to your audience in their language, more or less. There is some kind of balance you have to find between using your own voice while communicating effectively to your niche audience.

There are several things you can do to make your content much more viable and exciting to those that find it. If you have different formats of content available, people will be very interested in what you have to say week after week. There is so much more you can do with different media formats.

Video is absolutely huge! And YouTube is second to none when it comes to video on the web right now. Then there are other forms of images you can use on your site, as well. You want to let your audience know about things by tweeting, say, a new graphic that you have uploaded. A lot can be done with exploring different formats for your content. If you have never done any social media marketing, it can seem a bit confusing. Some think you have to become a Twitter or Facebook junkie, and that is certainly not the case. If you understand marketing, then you have the hardest part down. What you have to do is understand the new resources available to you.

Tags: business online, internet, marketing, social, social media, social media marketing

Source: http://www.learn-in-ireland.com/phenomenal-returns-with-social-media-marketing-tips-you-need-to-know/

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Business Consulting | The first and most obvious reason is that this ...

Courier and delivery companies such as Federal Express and UPS have for decades, and yet it seems that customers much better than the larger companies comply with smaller local companies. There are many reasons for this, and many reasons why you should be a local courier service in contrast to a national giant.

Why would one of the larger established companies such as Federal Express or UPS a smaller independent courier about? Although the larger firms are more established many disadvantages do not have the smaller companies, and most people choose a smaller local courier service of the larger firms.

The first and most obvious reason is because these local courier companies are usually independently owned and operated you actually support your local economy by the business with them. Why feed a huge company money if an equal, if not better a local company can do job?

Another reason to go with a smaller local company instead of the alternative is much better than a staff employed the routes are local delivery companies typically local drivers who know, because local workers down to ride these very same lines, make them at home. In addition, a local Messenger would know which streets are employed, which time and can usually find alternative routes for data traffic. Of course, the most obvious factor when choosing a local courier service in contrast to the larger national companies is the cost of the actual courier. Because much less than the operating costs of a huge group of companies will be operating from a local courier these savings generally to the client are passed. Instead of paying plane fuel costs and operational accounting, the local company only for ground pays wages vehicle fuel costs and drivers. If you for same day courier or a direct Messenger service then look for the obvious choice would be a locally-owned courier company, located one near by or around the place of supply.

Source: http://www.siouxfallsscore136.org/the-first-and-most-obvious-reason-is-that-this-local-courier.html

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Hot Real Estate Marketing Tips For 2013 ? mycoordinatorllc.com

Aug 25

Are you prepared to win at marketing in 2013?

What real estate marketing trends will be the
most important for winning the most business as we break into the New Year?

You can?t afford to wait to start working on your
strategy, making the right hires and developing the materials you need to win.
You need to be 6 months ahead?

6 real estate marketing trends you need to be
on top of:

1. Email

Email marketing may not be new but it is
actually growing in importance and value to real estate professionals,
especially with the new inclusion of email results in Google searches.

2. Content

Content remains the single most important
marketing medium for real estate agents, mortgage pros and investors. The
quality of content makes all of the difference in outbound campaigns and with
consumers increasingly tired of being bombarded by advertising good content has
quickly become the number one differentiating factor between those who win at
inbound marketing and converting the most prospects.

3. Mobile Apps

With this fall expected to be a record season
for tablet and smartphone sales and new devices like the iPhone 5, Surface and
mini iPad coming mobile coming out this is a crucial time to lock customers
into your mobile apps. It will soon be a matter of whoever has their apps on
devices that will retain the most clients.

4. Video

With video now more easily viewed on mobile
devices and the search engines rewarding real estate websites with better
rankings for having video it will continue to become more important.

5. Going Virtual

Thanks to technology it is now a lot easier
for consumers to shop for homes and meet with professionals before making the
trip and more are choosing this option not just to save money but to save their
precious time. Those real estate pros who utilize the latest tech to connect
with prospects face to face over the web and capitalize on the ability to shave
overhead and deliver more dynamic presentations via virtual open houses and
virtual home staging will come out on top.

6. Foreign Buyers & Investors

With mortgage loans becoming even tougher to
come by and the U.S. economy continuing to struggle it is foreign home buyers
and investors who will increasingly make up the slack and come in with cash to
buy Michigan real estate. Those who get good at reaching these prospects and
tailoring their marketing to them will come out ahead quickly. Think attending
overseas property shows, partnering with lead courses abroad and having local partners
who can back you up with the services they need such as tax advice, company
formation and U.S. banking like My Coordinator LLC.

Posted in Uncategorized

Source: http://blog.mycoordinatorllc.com/?p=41

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Judge rules Trayvon Martin shooter can travel to meet lawyer

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The former neighborhood watch volunteer charged in the shooting of unarmed, black teenager Trayvon Martin can travel outside the Florida county where he lives, but only to visit his lawyer's office, a judge ruled on Friday.

George Zimmerman has been restricted to Seminole County in central Florida under the terms of his $1 million bond. He is charged with second-degree murder in the February 26 shooting death of Martin.

The judge's ruling was in response to a motion filed by Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, asking that he be allowed to move outside the county.

"I'm not granting carte blanche," Judge Kenneth Lester said.

Zimmerman, a 28-year-old who is white and Hispanic, shot and killed Martin, 17, in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, where Martin was visiting his father.

Martin was walking back from a store when Zimmerman called a 911 dispatcher and said the teenager looked suspicious. Zimmerman said he shot Martin in self defense after Martin attacked him.

Martin's killing drew national attention after police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law and his assertion that he used deadly force because he feared his life was in danger.

Prosecutors claim Zimmerman profiled, pursued and killed Martin.

In a bond hearing last month, Lester restricted Zimmerman's movements and ordered him to stay away from the Orlando-Sanford International Airport after determining Zimmerman lied to the court about his finances.

O'Mara claimed the tough language of Lester's bond order indicated bias in the case and has sought to have him removed, but Lester has refused. The issue is on appeal.

O'Mara, whose office is located in Orlando, in Orange County, told reporters he will ask Lester to reconsider allowing Zimmerman to move outside of Seminole County after the judge said he might grant a motion if presented with a satisfactory reason and plan for the move.

"I don't think he needs to be limited to Central Florida or Florida because of some of the threats (against Zimmerman) out there," said O'Mara, who previously cited rumors of an alleged $5,000 bounty offered to anyone who could find Zimmerman's undisclosed location.

Lester also agreed to review in private Zimmerman's medical records sought by prosecutors who are trying to reconcile Zimmerman's injuries with his account of his encounter with Martin. O'Mara said he wants to preserve Zimmerman's privacy and prevent the release of irrelevant medical records.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-rules-trayvon-martin-shooter-travel-meet-lawyer-192112324.html

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More Calif. cities at risk of bankruptcy, says one of nation's top credit ...

Hannah Dreier and Gosia Wozniacka,
The Associated Press Associated Press
Created: 08/17/2012 03:29:40 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO - One of the nation?s top credit rating agencies said Friday that it expects more municipal bankruptcies and defaults in California, the nation?s largest issuer of municipal bonds.
Moody?s Investors Service said in a report that the growing fiscal distress in many California cities was putting bondholders at risk.
The service announced that it will undertake a wide-ranging review of municipal finances in the nation?s most populous state because of what it sees as a growing threat of insolvency.
The report has both investors and government leaders worried.
Three California cities - Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes - have filed for bankruptcy so far this year. They are not likely to be the last, Moody?s said.
Moody?s reports that some cities are turning bankruptcy as a new strategy to take on budget deficits and avoid obligations to bondholders, an emerging dynamic that could have ripple effects throughout the investment community.
The municipal bond market has long been characterized by low default rates and relatively stable finances, Moody?s said, but that outlook is beginning to change as bankruptcy becomes a tool for cash-strapped cities.
As a result, the agency will reassess the financial position of all cities in California, which issues about 20 percent of the municipal bond volume nationwide, ?to reflect the new fiscal realities and the governmental practices.?
The agency also will examine the outlook for municipal bonds in other troubled states, according to Robert Kurtter, managing director of public finance at Moody?s.
Moody?s would not say which states it will review, though Kurtter mentioned Michigan and Nevada as possibilities. Friday?s report noted that cities across the country are in financial distress but said that a greater share of bankruptcies are expected in California.
In California, officials rushed to downplay the report.
?Moody?s has an obligation to review changing circumstances, but we would just suggest that their assessment of the framework and ground activities is perhaps exaggerated,? said Chris McKenzie, executive director of the League of California Cities.
The state treasurer?s office also cautioned against overacting to three bankruptcies among California?s 482 cities.
?No city?s going to blithely skip into bankruptcy court to avoid its obligations,? said treasurer?s office spokesman Tom Dresslar, who called the report ?a little hyperbolic.?
More than 10 percent of California cities have declared fiscal crises, according to Moody?s, with the most troubled areas lying inland in the middle of the state and east of the Los Angeles area.
Kurtter said the declarations of emergency were ?a reflection of the broader fiscal stress in the state.?
Moody?s floated the idea Friday of an across-the-board ratings adjustment for California cities, a move McKenzie warned ?would have a terrible impact on taxpayers.?
The agency will consider ratings downgrades for embattled counties, school districts and special districts.
The report highlighted growing doubts in some corners about whether cash-strapped cities are making good-faith efforts to pay their debts.
?Credit analysis is based on the ability to pay and the willingness to pay,? said Paul Rosenstiel, Principal at DeLaRosa & Co., a San Francisco-based municipal bond investment-banking firm.
Investors have historically assumed that cities are willing to pay their debts because they want continued access to the bond market, Rosenstiel said.
Now, some are not so sure.
?What is being considered is whether the willingness to pay is something that needs to be factored in more than in the past - and if so, how would you measure it?? he said.
Lower bond ratings would increase borrowing costs for cities at a time when many already are struggling financially because of a steep drop in tax revenue. Because of that, Friday?s report is raising alarms for city leaders who fear that it could trigger a crisis of confidence that would hinder their ability to borrow for needed projects.
?Every city in the state is looking on with some concern,? said Dave Vossbrink, spokesman for the city of San Jose. ?Governments of all kinds borrow money, usually to build infrastructure that lasts a long time. It?s like getting a mortgage to build roads, a sewage plant, whatever it might be.?
Moody?s said it will review all California cities in the coming weeks and conduct in-depth reviews of stressed cities in September, with reports issued as the reviews are completed.

Source: http://wyia.org/announcements/marketplace-news/more-calif-cities-at-risk-of-bankruptcy-says-one-of-nations-top-credit-rating-agencies/

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Advologix? Appoints John Hults, Industry Veteran, as Vice ...

HOUSTON (August 23, 2012) ? Advologix.com LLC, the leading provider of cloud based enterprise matter management legal solutions, today announced the appointment of John Hults as Vice President of Business Development.? ?An experienced sales manager, technology innovator, and corporate executive with more than two decades of experience.? His responsibilities will include key account sales, marketing, and channel development.

?John is a capable and competent manager, with experience in cloud applications and building high performance, market-focused organizations?, said Bill Pickard, president of Advologix. ??We know he will be a primary contributor during this phase of stratospheric company growth.?

Prior to Advologix, Hults spent sixteen years at Wolters Kluwer Corporate Legal Services / CT Corporation where he held positions of increasing responsibility.? He most recently served as vice president of sales managing an organization that included over 75 sales and consulting professionals.

Hults holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from The Ohio State University and has participated in post graduate Executive Development/Leadership Programs from the Kellogg School of Management.

About Advologix

Advologix is driving the practice of law to the cloud, enabling law firms, their clients, and corporate counsel to collaborate jointly and seamlessly while dramatically lowering costs utilizing unified project, matter and knowledge management, secure third party portals and mobile/tablet access.???Advologix?Enterprise Matter Management runs on the?force.com platform, the?most?powerful, secure, and reliable cloud-based platform serving over one million users per day.??For more information, please visit www.advologix.com.

# # #

Media Contact: Karen Reed Phone: 832-886-0049 Email: PR@advologix.com

This entry was posted in Company News. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.advologix.com/web/2012/08/advologix-appoints-john-hults-as-vice-president-of-business-development/

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Video: Makeover! Kids speechless over mom?s new look

Hansen on new baby girl: I'm keeping her away from Ryan Lochte

??Ryan Lochte and Brendan Hansen stopped by TODAY Thursday to discuss London, their future plans, and "those pictures" from Las Vegas. Brendan, meanwhile, is looking forward to welcoming a brand new baby with his wife. And how is he be preparing for being a dad? "I'm going to keep her as far away as possible from Ryan Lochte," he said.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29054368/vp/48765023#48765023

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Politics thwarted closure of immigration jail

Hannah Rappleye/NBC News

When The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced its intention to close the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Ala., in 2010, Alabama's congressional delegation turned on the pressure to block the closure.

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By Lisa Riordan Seville and Hannah Rappleye, NBC News

GADSDEN, Ala. -- The serpentine Coosa River once brought people and goods aplenty to this pretty Southern town, known first for its riverboats and later for its rubber and steel plants.?

But those times are mostly a memory. The city has struggled since the 1980s. Plants shuttered, and industry moved abroad. Many jobs shifted into the service sector.?

Then, in the late 1990s, a tide of immigrants flowed into Gadsden, delivering an unlikely economic boost. The essential revenue they generated came not from their work in fields, factories or hotels, however, but from their presence in the county?s jail cells.

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Ever since, the Etowah County Detention Center has typically held hundreds of immigrant detainees, incarcerated at the behest of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, as they either await deportation or fight it.?

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The stable jail population has meant a steady income for the county -- $40 per detainee per day, plus additional payments that bring the total to more than $5 million a year ? and good-paying jobs. But the revenue stream appeared to be about to dry up in late 2010, when ICE decided to move the detainees out of the remote and controversial Alabama jail, where critics say they often are subjected to indefinite confinement far from their families and lawyers.?

Alabama politicians weren?t going to let that happen without a fight. Records obtained by NBC News show that members of Congress waged a successful battle to stop ICE from ending its deal to lease over 300 beds at the Etowah jail, part of a plan to consolidate its detention facilities and house detainees closer to the courts where their cases are heard.?

The Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, Ala., holds as many as 350 suspected undocumented immigrants for open-ended stays as they await deportation. Critics say conditions in the rural lockup are "inhumane." NBC's Mark Potter reports.

The story of the Etowah County jail demonstrates how politicians can shape not just policy, but everyday operational decisions at ICE, an agency responsible for nearly 34,000 detainees on any given day.?

?ICE has understood very clearly ? that moving people out of Etowah would not be welcomed,? said Michelle Brane, director of the detention and asylum program at the Women?s Refugee Commission, which recently published a report detailing what it said are ongoing human rights abuses at the jail. ?Etowah was a facility we felt should be closed, and to keep it open because of local politics and favors obviously does not seem to be in the best interest of American taxpayers, or the detainees.??

Growth of an industry
The Obama administration has deported record numbers of illegal immigrants in recent years, including nearly 400,000 in fiscal 2011. It also has detained record numbers of immigrants, thanks to 1996 legislation that expanded the jailing of immigrants pending deportation proceedings.?

Floyd Abdul, a Zimbabwean national, describes the four months he spent locked up in Alabama's Etowah County Detention Center.

As a result, ICE now operates the largest detention system in the country. Most detainees await their court appearances or deportation dates not in ICE facilities, but in a network of private and local jails and prisons that offer the agency beds for far less than it would cost to build its own. ICE currently makes use of more than 200 such facilities.?

Related stories

Read Part 1: Immigrant detainees land in limbo in Alabama jail

Letter never received landed immigrant in 'hell on Earth'

Many, like the Etowah jail, are in financially struggling rural counties that have come to depend on ICE, which pays between $40 and more than $100 per person, per day to house and feed the detainees.?

But ICE itself is under pressure to strengthen oversight and improve conditions in the detention facilities. It has taken aimed numerous steps to improve conditions in the facilities, including increased inspections, regular visits by ICE staff and an expanded oversight structure, ICE spokeswoman Gillian Anderson wrote in January 2012 in response to inquiries about conditions in the lockups. The agency has also tried to centralize operations, and give detainees greater access to family and lawyers, Anderson said.

Those initiatives can be at cross-purposes with the needs of cities like Gadsden, the seat of Etowah County, where the fierce pressure brought to bear on ICE when it sought to remove the detainees illustrates how economically dependent the community has become on immigrant detention.?

Immigrants have been dispatched to the Etowah County Detention Center ? a large, gray block that sits across the street from shops selling guns, bail bonds and barbecue -- since 1998, when the agency then known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service began using it to house detainees it had no room for at its detention facilities in Georgia.?

The federal government helped pay for an expansion of the jail in 2003, kicking in about $8 million to help finance the $13.5 million project.?

Cost savings and jobs
The relationship was good for both sides. It meant steady revenue for Etowah County and much-needed ? and cheap -- space for the INS and its successor agency, ICE, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.?

The county receives not just the $40 per detainee payment from the feds, but reimbursement from ICE for expenses arising from transporting detainees. ICE also rents offices in Gadsden and pays the county officers assigned to the detainees $17 an hour.?

The facility remains a bargain for ICE, which pays day rates nearly three times higher at detention facilities in some northern states.?

But the remoteness of the jail poses problems. For years, detainees and ICE employees have had to travel two hours each way to reach the ICE field office and courts in Atlanta.?

That was one of the justifications cited two years ago when ICE, under pressure from Georgia politicians to make use of a half-empty detention facility there, announced that it planned to pull detainees out of Etowah County in December 2010.?

File

The county decided to fight. A Dec. 7 email obtained by NBC News through an open records request shows Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt?s staff contacted ICE the day after the announcement.?

?Mr. Aderholt is quite concerned about this move and is requesting any information we have on the decision,? the email reads.?

The email was among more than 800 pages of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request that detail the fight to keep immigration detainees at Etowah.?

In phone calls, meetings and interviews with the press, Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin implored the county?s congressional representatives to intervene.?

?The financial impact of ICE voiding their contract with Etowah County and Alabama will be economically catastrophic to the employees, the county and Northeast Alabama,? he said, according to local newspaper accounts. Voiding the deal, which generates approximately $5.2 million a year for the county, would mean ?49 individuals losing their jobs only days before Christmas with no notice whatsoever,? he said.?

The county also was still paying off about $3 million in debt associated with the jail expansion. ?Without the ICE contract, Etowah County will not be able to meet these obligations,? Entrekin told the Gadsden Times.?

Members of Alabama?s congressional delegation, including Reps. Aderholt and Mike Rogers and Sens. Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, all Republicans, reacted swiftly. Within days, they sent emails to and met personally with high-level ICE officials to plead Etowah County?s case.?

'Secret, unprofessional and unfair'
Aderholt also publicly assailed the decision, saying, ?The manner by which this decision has been made by ICE has been secretive, unprofessional and unfair,? according to the newspaper. ?I will continue working with the Alabama delegation and Etowah County to further challenge ICE to reverse any plans to end their agreement with Etowah County.??

ICE staffers told the Alabama politicians that the withdrawal from Etowah was ?inevitable,? documents show. And ICE said the agreement between the county and the agency, set to expire in 2014, simply set terms for ICE to use the facility -- it did not guarantee the agency would do so.?

But emails show ICE officials soon grew concerned they would face budgetary repercussions if they did not find a solution that would satisfy Etowah County.?

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

An email from an ICE employee cited a conversation on Dec. 7 with Allen Cutler, Sen. Shelby?s appropriations staffer. ?Cutler stated there would have to be a resolution that would satisfy Shelby or there would be a stop to all ICE reprogramming requests," it read, referring to requests from the agency for more funding.?

The next day, the local newspaper reported ICE had decided to postpone the pullout.?

In meetings over the following days, ICE staff presented reports that outlined the cost-savings of using Georgia detention centers. They also encouraged Alabama officials to "highlight the need for Secure Communities in AL, which would lead to the use of more facilities in the state." Secure Communities is a controversial program that uses a federal database to identify immigration violators when they are booked into local jails.?

The agency also looked for other solutions -- including the transfer of detainees from other facilities. "We can move 100 women out of Etowah, and replace them with a hundred others,? read one Dec. 15 email. ?Not a zero-sum issue."?

ICE eventually backed down, guaranteeing that the detainees would stay at the Etowah County Detention Center at least until March 2011. Records show that the Alabama lawmakers were placated, but wary. Sen. Shelby?s office told ICE they would continue to negotiate on behalf of the county, and asked for a personal meeting between the senator and ICE staff members to discuss their ?poor performance,? according to emails.?

True to his word, that March, the senator again queried ICE about the agency?s plans, communications logs show.?

ICE, Rep. Aderholt?s office, and Etowah County officials declined to speak on the record with NBC News. Shelby?s office issued a statement, saying, ?In light of the unreasonably short notice of unnecessary job losses just before the holidays, in addition to the fact that the Etowah County facility was already obligated to hold a significant number of beds for ICE for several more years, members of the Alabama congressional delegation met with ICE to request a more realistic drawdown period.??

But records suggest representatives went beyond such requests. Not long after Rep. Aderholt become chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in January 2011, giving him power to shape ICE?s budget, he demanded a meeting with ICE.?

'Serious repercussions against our budget'
?I met with Aderholt?s personal staff,? wrote Gary Mead, ICE?s executive associate director for Enforcement and Removal Operations, or ERO, in a March 29 email to top ICE staff. ?I do not believe we will be allowed to leave Etowah without serious repercussions against our budget. I have a meeting tomorrow with ERO folks to figure out if there is a reasonable way to make some use of Etowah long term. Discretion may be the better part of valor here."?

Throughout that month, local newspapers reported what a pullout would mean for the county. Sheriff Entrekin said that, in addition to losing revenue from leased beds and jobs, his department would no longer collect fees that ICE detainees paid for phone calls and commissary items, forcing cuts in programs like substance abuse treatment and inmate work details in the community.?

By June 2011, ICE had developed a proposal that satisfied the Alabamians. The agency decided that the detention center would be switched to the New Orleans regional office. That would enable the transfer of long-term detainees held at different facilities throughout the Southeast to Etowah.??

In emails, ICE reasoned these detainees have often exhausted legal remedies and would not need to be transferred regularly to immigration courts hundreds of miles away. At Etowah, it said, they could fight their cases by mail or await their deportation.?

But for some detainees, those waits are open-ended.?

Neville Swaby, a detainee sent to Etowah after the New Orleans Field Office took over, has been at the facility for nearly a year. He is an undocumented immigrant who entered the country illegally from Mexico. He was detained by ICE after serving a sentence stemming from a marijuana possession charge.?

An order for Swaby?s deportation has been in force for more than nine months, but his case is complicated because he has no official country of birth.?

?I don?t have a country to go back to -- I would go to any country,? Swaby told NBC News reporters who visited the Etowah jail in May. ?I?m not fighting deportation.??

ICE has requested travel papers from Jamaica, where Swaby says he was born. But the request has been pending since August 2011 and still no records have been delivered. Meanwhile, the agency has refused to free Swaby, saying his removal is expected in the ?reasonably foreseeable future.? To Swaby, it seems simply to be a sentence without end.?

?After six months? time, nine months? time, I?m still here,? he said.

?

Source: http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/22/13398156-when-feds-sought-to-shutter-immigration-jail-politics-intervened?lite

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AP-GfK poll shows White House race still tight (The Arizona Republic)

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Hampshire College in Mass. offering new scholarship to illegal immigrants

Published August 23, 2012

Associated Press

BOSTON ? ?A small liberal arts college in western Massachusetts is offering a new scholarship to illegal immigrants.

Hampshire College officials say the endowment and scholarship will finance one student's education every four years. The student will get at least $25,000 in scholarship annually, beginning this fall.

College spokeswoman Elaine Thomas on Thursday declined to identify this year's recipient, citing federal student privacy rules.

An estimated 65,000 illegal immigrants graduate from American high schools each year. Five to 10 percent of them apply for college.

The admission of illegal immigrants into U.S. colleges does not violate federal or state laws.

Eva Millona of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition says this is the first instance she's heard of a Massachusetts college offering a scholarship specifically for illegal immigrants.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/d_QjXDbeHk0/

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Home-based Business Help You Must Not Overlook - Total Vibration

You need to understand that there are so many great options in terms of home-based business. Getting the method to set up the hours that you just function as well as response simply to oneself is extraordinary. Executing this idea in to a practical plan is actually a different lesson and are attainable from the following ideas.

Seek out message boards where other individuals with house enterprises discuss their business. There are lots of websites in which home business managers accumulate and present top quality assistance for individuals within the exact same position as them. These internet websites usually have fantastic areas of folks packed with advice and practical experience to share with you as you may set up your small business.

Make business card printing for your residence enterprise. You can get organization credit card provides on the internet for free or inexpensive. Your company charge cards needs to include your business, your small business and a contact number that you can be arrived at at. Don?t forget about to add your email and internet site deals with. This is certainly so customers can have far more alternatives for getting in touch with you.

Publish an intensive business strategy to steer the method of your house enterprise. After a while, you might want to deviate through your authentic program you may even plan to fully give up on it. This plan will help you get structured and check out the procedure for making a company using a very clear target in your mind. Continuously change your organization want to mirror the existing route of the enterprise.

Making use of the assistance of an experienced accountant will ensure you make your suitable selections about your taxes details. This can be vital due to the fact understanding the different kinds of taxation legal guidelines can get rid of time away from you which can be used for the business.

Developing a checking account chosen for your enterprise can help you keep an eye on your small business investing. Make use of your take into account all build up, repayments and costs linked to your organization. As a result, you can preserve your business and personal dealings different. Get a charge card for your enterprise to order items and such.

You need to have designated function time in which your friends and relations do not disturb you. In case you have buddies that like to make unforeseen trips, illustrate to them pleasantly which you can?t see them in the course of work hours. When they turn up at when you are operating, get them wait in another location and view TV or study a magazine. Discover their whereabouts when you can extra time, placing your projects routine very first.

Setup a fund that you can use in the case of unexpected emergency, in order to guarantee your business? fiscal protection. Your business could at some point encounter unpredicted situations exactly where you will require quick access to cash. Having an urgent account will ensure the continuity of your own business. Just use this emergency fund after it is really an unexpected emergency. Turn it into a main priority to switch these funds.

Care for your home-based business, but be sure to deal with you as well. In the event you invest too much effort in your work and never enough on on your own, you can create confidence issues. Bath each morning, gown down in your shoes or boots, to make time for regular exercise and restrict snack food items. Use these tips to improve yourself esteem and you?ll realize that other people carry you in increased esteem as well.

In order to help make your buyers satisfied, go the extra mile. Try and make a move far more to suit your needs client by including a thanks a lot take note or possibly a small extra object with their bundle. This can show them which you importance them as a consumer. Two things everyone loves have the freedom gift items and gratitude. They are going to sense that they are not being employed.

When you no longer have supply of the given piece, be sure you inform possible buyers. A great way to upset your clients is always to keep these things purchase something rather than inform them that it will not show up for a lot of several weeks. Be in the beginning about things that aren?t in store, so that consumers can decide some other product and save the hold out time.

Give your home business website the opportunity to sell. Numerous home based companies only market from your property - to provide a boost around the competitors, pick a site that provides also! Signing up a website with a domain name company is incredibly economical.

There are tons of individuals that are looking to launch an organization using their homes. Beginning your home-based business may be hard if you don?t learn how to be successful along with it.

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Source: http://blog.thorsrubberhammer.com/2012/08/home-based-business-help-you-must-not-overlook-18/

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