Education Freestyle

Around the world this week, Ikea fans’ voices rose up in disgust. It’s not because the Grevbäck bookcases looked any less sturdy, or that the Bibbi Snur duvet covers were any less colorful, or even that the names given to each of the company’s 9,500 products were any less whimsical. No, what made a huge part of the globe feel so betrayed was the typeface. “I thought that something had gone terribly wrong, but when I Twittered about it, people at their ad agency told me that this was actually the new Ikea font,” Göteborg resident Mattias Akerberg recalls. “I could hardly believe it was true.”

Over its 60 years, Ikea has built a reputation as a purveyor of inexpensive but stylish home furnishings, selling everything from leather sofas to chrome toilet-bowl cleaners. Branding has been a large part of the Swedish chain’s success — what urban dweller today, whether in Atlanta or Kuala Lumpur, doesn’t recognize that bright blue warehouse, glowing like a beacon of fine living, at the side of the highway? And its signature typeface, a customized version of Futura, has long been an integral part of that brand. But with its 2010 catalogue now arriving in mailboxes, the supplier of headboards and coffee tables to the world’s thrifty and trendy has switched to what it sees as a more functional typeface: Verdana. In the process, it has provoked an instantaneous global backlash, the kind that can only happen on the Internet.

“Ikea, stop the Verdana madness!” pleaded Tokyo’s Oliver Reichenstein on Twitter. “Words can’t describe my disgust,” spat Ben Cristensen of Melbourne. “Horrific,” lamented Christian Hughes in Dublin. The online forum Typophile closed its first post on the subject with the words, “It’s a sad day.” On Aug. 26, Romanian design consultant Marius Ursache started an online petition to get Ikea to change its mind. That night, Verdana was already a trending topic on Twitter, drawing more tweets than even Ted Kennedy.

IKEA's 2010 online catalogue features the Verdana font.

IKEA's 2009 online catalogue uses the old typeface.

All this outrage over a font? For some designers, it’s an issue of propriety — Verdana, which was invented by Microsoft, was intended to be used on a screen, not on paper. “It has open, wide letterforms with lots of space between characters to aid legibility at small sizes on screen,” explains Simon l’Anson, creative director at Made by Many, a London-based digital-consulting company. “It doesn’t exhibit any elegance or visual rhythm when set at large sizes. It’s like taking the family sedan off-road. It will sort of work, but ultimately gets bogged down.”

Carolyn Fraser, a letterpress printer in Melbourne, Australia, adopts a different metaphor to explain the problem. “Verdana was designed for the limitations of the Web — it’s dumbed down and overused. It’s a bit like using Lego to build a skyscraper, when steel is clearly a superior choice.”

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Others seem mystified by the choice to eliminate one of the chain’s key identifying features. “The former typeface definitely better reflected Ikea’s design philosophy, giving it a very special, unique flavor that actually fit the company’s style,” says Vitaly Friedman, editor in chief of the online Smashing Magazine, which is dedicated to Web design. “With Verdana being used all across the Web, Ikea’s image not only loses originality, but also credibility and the reputation that the company has built since the 1940s.”

The main complaint that online protesters have, though, is that the newly adopted font is plain ugly. Especially when it’s enlarged to, say, the size of a catalogue headline. Or worse yet, a billboard.

So why would Ikea make such a change? The very ubiquity of Verdana seems to be part of the font’s appeal. Freely distributed by Microsoft, the typeface allows Ikea to use the same font in all countries and with many alphabets. “It’s more efficient and cost-effective,” says Ikea spokeswoman Monika Gocic. “Plus, it’s a simple, modern-looking typeface.” 

“They went cheap, in other words,” counters Bucharest designer Iancu Barbarasa, who blogged about the font change on his website. If he sounds somewhat bitter, there’s a reason. With its attention to the curve of even a $9 lampshade, Ikea has become renowned for its understanding of good design. “Designers have always thought of Ikea as one of their own,” Barbarasa notes. “So now, in a way, the design community feels betrayed.”

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Indeed, the desire to remind people — and corporations — that design matters is what spurred design consultant Ursache to start a petition asking Ikea to do away with the offensive Verdana typeface. “Look, I know this isn’t world hunger,” he says. “But if a company like Ikea can make this mistake, you have to wonder who is going to lead when it comes to design.”

Publicly, Ikea hasn’t responded. “I think it’s safe to say we were surprised by the response,” admits spokeswoman Gocic. Ursache’s petition has gathered over 700 signatures as of the 27th of August. Alright, that doesn’t sound like a lot, but ask yourself: how many protests arose from that horrible product of the 80’s, New Coke? The answer: not 700, not initially. And New Coke only lasted three months. Let’s see how long New Ikea will stay on the shelves.

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My Take: While I would normally be the first person to say, “really, guys? It’s just a font”, but in this case, I agree. It’s like going to a friend’s house who’s a professional chef, and being served Spaghetti-O’s. Sorry, that’s just not cutting it. I’d like something a bit more… a bit more.

IKEA is the largely undisputable king of simple, effective design that you would actually want in your house. For that to be the case, they had to do a lot better than a font I can pull up in Word.

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Reach your market

Hopefully, they won’t be as irate as Ikea’s usually-loyal fans. Not to jinx you. But when you have a new product that you want to tell your public about, there’s aren’t more efficient ways than an auto-dialer. It knows who to call, it dials, and you don’t have to give it a lunch break. Not bad, huh? We offer a huge number of call center solutions to your marketing issue- and friendly, personal service to boot.

Help with your ticket

How are you supposed to get to Ikea if you can’t drive? Losing your license is extremely stressful, and the only way to avoid it is to get yourself a good attorney. If you’re in Massachusetts, a MA DWI lawyer is not out of reach. You need someone who will fight for you to keep you on the streets. If you’ve been caught drinking and driving in Massachusetts DUI attorneys have a history of getting cases thrown out or penalties reduced. Don’t give up hope!

Keep your home pest-free

Just like you don’t need to deal with cheesy home decor, you don’t need to deal with bugs. Simple, effective products like a Catchmaster fly ribbon go a long way to getting rid of insects. And if there is scurrying when you turn on lights, try roach bait and get your home creepy-crawley free.

Fight for your money

If someone else is at fault, you still usually need to litigate to get your money. In NYC, an auto accident attorney doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg- they should win you money, not lose you money. Similarly, if there’s been a mishap on a site, you need a reliable NYC construction accident lawyer to represent you before you, your career, or your bank account suffer.

Don’t lose your home

Everyone runs into problems paying bills on time. Before you face a Mesa, AZ foreclosure, research your options. Giving up is not a viable choice. In Arizona, refinancing has become easier and more effective in recent years, so consider it instead of moving.

Style in life, elegance in death

It’s something no one likes to think about, but when the inevitable occurs, we are left with unavoidable issues. While grappling with your loss, you must also make arrangements- be they for a pet urn or a large casket. Do your loved one the honor of a proper good bye, such as with a beautiful cremation urn to ease mourners and remember a beautiful person.

Measuring for Tablecloths

Unlike stores that sell standard, pre-made tablecloths, one retailer custom makes your banquet tablecloth so that it fits your table and your event. In order for them to design the perfect tablecloth for your table, they will need to know how you envision it and the “look” you are going for. When ordering, they will ask you for the size of the custom tablecloth you want. In order to determine the size of your tablecloth you will need to determine the length and width of your table in inches and the desired drop or the amount of cloth that drapes over the edge of your table.

Downunder Gifts

One Australian store has items that will definitely show you what is unique in Australia. Owing to its unique evolutionary heritage, the flora and fauna of Australia stands out among the rest. They have animal species that thrive only in Australia. Australia is famous among these are the koala, the kangaroo and the wombat. You definitely need to take one of these to your own home in the form of remembrances and display items. You can even visit their large warehouse in the Heart of Sydney CBD, New South Wales, Australia! And if you are not happy with the product, simply return it in its original condition and packaging within 30 days.

Strategic Partnerships

Finding the right partners for your business is part of one SEO service company full-service marketing campaign. They will spend countless hours researching, seeking out and acquiring quality strategic partners for your business. This is a fantastic way to increase traffic, sales and increase the number of links pointing to your website. They will focus on finding relevant partners that will promote your product and generate sales for your business. They will also look for partners that will promote positive brand awareness. Their strategic alliance service focuses on acquiring “related” product synergies, cross promotional opportunities and new ways to drive sales. This is not link building.

Waste and Pollution

Most people do not know that the glue, dust and other materials in school furniture can emit particles that pollute the air they breathe. Usually, when school furniture and supplies were down, they often go to the landfill instead of the recycling plant where they create more waste and pollution. One company offers a wide selection of premium furniture such as kids desks, tables, folding chairs and workstations that are made with recycled content to minimize waste and pollution. In fact, this company offers products and furniture that are recognized as GREENGUARD™ certified because of their low emissions materials.

cited: The Guardian

Even as 17-year-old Mike Perham lands in Portsmouth tomorrow as the youngest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe, 10,000 miles away in Queensland, Australia, another teenager is poised to try to wrest the record from him.

Jessica Watson, 16, is the next in a queue of super-teens eager to pit themselves against the elements. Her boat, Pink Lady, is being kitted out, and she goes next month. Abby Sunderland, 15, plans to follow in November, setting forth from California on the same challenge that her brother, Zac, 17, completed in July.

And, had a court not intervened, a Dutch schoolgirl, Laura Dekker, would have left next week at 13. Her dreams of chasing the record were stalled today by judges in Utrecht placing her under a two-month supervision order.

The court ruling highlights the controversy and concern surrounding the recent phenomenon of teenage long-distance sailors. Born on a boat in New Zealand and spending the first four years of her life at sea, no one doubts Dekker has “salt in her veins”. But social workers fear that a desire to impress her father, Dick, an excellent sailor with whom she has lived since her parents divorced, could have influenced her.

This year she was picked up by social workers in Britain having sailed alone to Lowestoft, where she was sleeping on her boat. She was put into care for a night while her reluctant father, who thought she was old enough to sail back alone, was ordered to come and get her.

Now she must be psychologically assessed to see whether she is capable of coping before the court will agree to her two-year journey. While remaining with her father, she will be under the supervision of the Dutch council for child protection.

As the quest to set new records continues, debate is raging. Just how young is too young? And to what extent are vainglorious parents pressurising children into riskier ventures?

“Million-dollar questions,” said Dee Caffari, 36, the first woman to sail solo non-stop around the world in both directions. The decision by the sport’s governing body, the World Sailing Speed Record Council, to abandon its “youngest” category reflects a desire not to further encourage it, she believes.

“If everyone keeps trying to break it, where does it end: with some 10-year-old having a go?”

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, first to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world, said: “The problem is, I don’t know legally how you can have a cut-off. But I would say that 13 is very marginal.

“I think parents are going to have to play a very big part in this. We all know that some parents try to relive their lives through their children. They think, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be great if my son or daughter could do that. I will get all that glory.’ Then it’s: ‘Right. You’re doing it.’ That’s probably the biggest danger.”

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Watson, too, has the proverbial salt in her veins, having been home-schooled on a boat for five years. “I made my mind up when I was 12,” she said from aboard Pink Lady. “It’s not about any records. It’s about fufilling my dreams. And if that brings a record with it, then it’s a bonus”. It’s a statement open to question, given that her website’s address is youngestround.com.

She is prepared, having sailed 10,000 nautical miles. She has “stitched up some chickens and stabbed a few oranges” in first aid training. The ocean, she says, doesn’t care about age: “It respects experience.” As for the run on youth records: “I personally think it is amazing that so many young people are showing the courage and belief to live dreams.”

“If you see someone else do it, then you want to do it. And the more do it, the more want to do it,” said Perham from aboard his yacht heading towards Portsmouth. He has not met Dekker, but “would be fascinated to”. He will not say whether he thinks she should or should not be allowed to sail.

“Anyone, whatever age, has to ask three key things. Are they physically strong enough? Are they mentally strong enough to cope when the going gets tough? And are they technically good enough to fix generators and work as an electrician? The mental side of this trip is huge,” he said.

Knox-Johnston, whose Clipper Ventures allows people to experience round-the-world sailing, said: “You just can’t do this without experience, and maturity to cope with loneliness. If something goes wrong with the boat, and you’ve got a gale coming, and perhaps you’re frightened to deal with it, it’s having the strength to say ‘I’ve got to do this. I can’t sit down below and cry.’”

Caffari, who is currently involved with the Toe in the Water sailing charity for injured service personnel, said her own experiences had taught her just how mentally tough it was. “It’s quite surprising, the effect it has on you. And at a young age, you are not emotionally strong.”

At 14, Perham, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, became the youngest to sail the Atlantic single-handedly. Now he has set the new record, for how long can he keep it? “Well, it’s going to take Jessica about eight months to get round. So I’ll hold it for quite a while.

“But it’s not holding it that counts,” he added. “It’s getting it.”

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My Take: Kids are going to take chances. That’s one of the benefits of being 16 and bulletproof. At what point should parents allow children to make their own decisions about their lives and safety? And how much of that decision should be reserved for the public?

Personally, I believe people should be able to take whatever chance they want- but good luck selling that line to a mother who’s seen a toddler toddle up to the edge of something quite high, without understanding the danger they are in. So should these parents be stopping their kids? Nah, but they should let them know just how high up they are.

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Life Insurance

Whether you’re taking huge risks or hanging around the house, you should get a life insurance quote. You will be surprised how affordable coverage can be- and you shouldn’t open your loved ones up to the risk of not getting life insurance. Search for the reassurance of coverage- and complete information about universal life insurance quotes.

Drive Safely

When most of us are teenagers, we don’t sail boats- we drive cars. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to train properly; the roads are dangerous, and you need to prepare yourself for them. Take a NJ defensive driving online class to learn how to get from point A to B safely. After this defensive driving course, you’ll be ready to do a round-the-world trip yourself.

Rugged Uniform

Part of working safely is wearing the proper clothes- which is why a supply flame resistant coveralls is important to firefighters. You have enough going on- worrying about flammable clothes should not be distracting you. All the big brands, like Carhartt, for fantastic prices are available online.

Sport Fishing

According to Wikipedia, the most common form of sport or recreational fishing is done with a rod, reel, line, hooks and any one of a wide range of baits. Other devices, commonly referred to as terminal tackle, are also used to affect or complement the presentation of the bait to the targeted fish. Big-game fishing is fishing from boats to catch large open-water species such as tuna, sharks and marlin. Key West Florida sport fishing is dominated by men, although women also participate in the sport. Sport fishing methods vary according to the area fished, the species targeted, the personal strategies of the angler, and the resources available.

Small Business Accounting

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Cited: The Wall Street Journal

Friday, luxury-jewelry retailer, Tiffany & Co. stated that their second-quarter profits fell 30%. Correction, only 30%, which was less than they were expecting. Not only that, but the company saw improved results from Europe and Asia, which helped compensate for U.S. shoppers’ cutbacks.

Outside of Japan, Asian comparable sales were up 5%, with continued strength in Australia and China as the company also saw solid improvements in markets including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, spokesman Mark Aaron said on a conference call with analysts. He said Europe “also is looking up” with new stores the company opened last year in countries from the U.K. to Spain generating “excellent initial results.”

Even the company’s top U.S. market showed some positive signs. While it still lagged other markets as the number of transactions and the average transaction amount declined, the company has seen a small improvement in the conversion rate of customers who end up making a purchase after visiting a store “for the first time in quite a while,” Aaron said.

“The tide may be slowing turning in our favor,” Aaron said.

The company Tiffany & Co. also said sales trends in August are meeting its expectations and many of its stores are seeing either a slower rate of sales declines or modest growth compared with the prior two quarters. Luxury retailer Saks Inc., in posting a better-than-expected result, also said earlier this month that it appears that the decline in shopping frequency and spending may be “leveling off.”

“We believe the worst is behind” Tiffany, said analyst Stacey Widlitz of Pali Capital in a note. “There has been a major shakeout in the jewelry business with a significant amount of store closures. (Tiffany) will certainly be a beneficiary and we expect market share gains to translate into strong sales growth in the U.S.”

Tiffany shares jumped 8,8% to $36.72 in early trading. Before Friday, the stock had already surged 43% this year, outpacing the 33% gain of the S&P Retail Index (RLX 370.17, -0.07, -0.02%) .

Tiffany has introduced Tiffany Keys collection, ranging in price from $150 in sterling silver to $15,000 in platinum and diamonds to spur demand after sales of items priced above $50,000 were hurt the most after the financial markets’ meltdown led to job cuts and reduced bonuses in its top markets such as New York, which also was hurt by reduced tourism travel.

Tiffany has lowered management incentive compensation, lowered frequency of catalog mailings and has opened a smaller store to test demand while announcing plans to shut its Iridesse pearl jewelry chain.

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Luxury retailers from Saks  (SKS 6.39, +0.05, +0.79%) and Macy’s Inc.’s  (M 15.82, +0.17, +1.09%) Bloomingdale’s to Nordstrom Inc. (JWN 28.60, +0.15, +0.53%) and privately-held Neiman Marcus have been among the worst hit in the recession. Tiffany’s rival Fortunoff filed for bankruptcy protection in February and has liquidated its stores.

Net income fell to $56.8 million, or 46 cents a share, from $80.8 million, or 63 cents a share, a year earlier. The latest quarter’s results included a 7-cent gain related to a loan recovery and tax-reserve adjustments, Tiffany said. Sales in the quarter ended July 31 dropped 16% to $612.5 million and would have fallen 14% excluding the impact of currency translations.

It raised its profit forecast for the year to $1.65 to $1.75 a share from a previous projection of as much as $1.60 with sales expected to decline about 10%. The company, however, cautioned on the call that its sales projection doesn’t assume “meaningful changes in the economic conditions and said it’s not changed its sales and profit expectations for the second half of the year.

Analysts, on average, estimated Tiffany would earn 33 cents a share in the second quarter and $1.58 for the year, according to FactSet.

Tiffany’s second-quarter sales at stores open at least a year declined 16%, led by a 27% plunge in U.S. same-store sales. The company’s New York flagship sales, about 10% of its total business, tumbled 30%.

European sales have dropped 10%, with Asia-Pacific comparable sales falling 2%, including a 1% drop in Japan. Hit by increased product cost, the quarter’s gross margin slimmed to 55.1% from 57.8%. After the company reduced staffing and marketing costs, its selling, general, and administrative expenses fell 14%.

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My Take: There are some industries that suffer and some that thrive in economic recession; for reason, the less money in people’s pockets will still find their way into the cash drawers of cheap bars, movie theaters, and cosmetic companies. So is this news about Tiffany’s surprising?

More like uplifting. Everyone thought the company should be doing far worse, but it’s limping up to a walking pace. Perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel?

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Cash in on valuables

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but not one’s only valuable possession, easily transferable into money. You can sell notes for cash. We’re all getting hit by the recession, and this is your chance to exchange any real estate notes you have for money. Because couldn’t those notes be put to a better use- like filling your wallet?

Doors that glitter like diamonds

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Indoor Vs Outdoor Weddings

With indoor weddings you will not have to worry about your plans or decorations being ruined or blown away. You can bring in a little of the outdoors by adding San Diego CA wedding flowers and greenery. Outdoor weddings allow you more freedom with space and San Diego CA wedding decorations. Look for a location that offers shade or lots of sunlight depending on the weather and season. You can add silk ivy or vines to columns, tables or even a gazebo for a romantic, sophisticated wedding. Outdoor locations can have their drawbacks like rain or wind.

Have you ever been stuck with an odd remainder on the end of a giftcard? What are you supposed to do with $7 to Bloomingdales or $12 at Home Depot? Now, an answer is popping up that makes us feel good about more than just not wasting: donating them.

On average, each household in the United States has around $400 worth of gift cards lying around, according to Plastic Jungle, a start-up that sells, purchases and exchanges unused gift cards.

Owners of idle gift cards typically use Plastic Jungle to exchange cards for cash or a credit with Amazon.com. (Customers lose some of the face value in the transaction.)

But the Mountain View, Calif., company recently added the option of donating the full face value of the cards to needy schools through DonorsChoose.org.

Plastic Jungle is hoping the initiative will strike a chord with strapped consumers who still want to donate to charitable causes, said Kristin Cunningham, director of marketing and business development for the company.

“This is a new way to fund a charity, which is particularly relevant during a time when it might be hard for some people to make the same-sized gifts as usual, although they still want to donate,” said Ms. Cunningham.

Plastic Jungle, which was founded in 2006 and closed a Series A round of funding for $4.8 million in May, makes money by buying retail cards at a discount and reselling them at a slightly higher price.

For example, if someone wanted to trade in a $100 gift card from Macy’s for cash, Plastic Jungle would verify the amount on the card and make an offer to the customer, usually around 80 percent of the original amount.

That Macy’s card would then go up for sale on Plastic Jungle’s Web site at a slightly higher price, but still lower than its original retail value. Ms. Cunningham said the average discount was around 15 percent, although discounts could occasionally reach 40 percent or higher.

The company sees cards for everything from Tiffany to McDonald’s but the ones for Wal-Mart Stores and Target are the most popular and often “fly off the shelves within minutes,” she said.

Plastic Jungle is handling millions of transactions and revenue is growing 50 percent quarter over quarter, Ms. Cunningham said.

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DonorsChoose.org was founded in 2000, when Charles Best, then a social studies teacher in the Bronx, was feeling the brunt of budget cuts in his own bank account. Tired of covering the costs of supplies and field trips for his students, Mr. Best created a Web site where he and his fellow teachers could list their specific requests in the hopes of receiving funding.

Teachers on the site commonly ask for items such as book sets, arts materials and study cards. Donors receive thank-you cards from the classes they help and a line-item report of how donations were spent. More than 100,000 teachers have posted requests, and the site has processed $40 million worth of donations to classroom projects, said Mr. Best.

“We’re like a philanthropic eBay,” said Mr. Best. “We are both a charity and a marketplace.”

The nonprofit, which partnered with Plastic Jungle in May as a way to expand its donor base, will match the difference between the original balance on the gift card and what Plastic Jungle pays the donor “so that donors don’t lose a single penny when donating a gift card,” said Mr. Best.

For example, if a $50 gift card exchanged through PlasticJungle is valued at $40, DonorsChoose.org will match the remaining $10 to be donated to one of the classroom projects on its site.

However, unlike direct donations to DonorsChoose.org, gift-card donations through Plastic Jungle are not tax-deductible. Although the company says that in the next few weeks, users making a gift-card donation through Plastic Jungle will receive a donation confirmation to seek a tax deduction.

Mr. Best said the collaboration with Plastic Jungle was “just one example of the partnerships we are building with a number of companies.” Almost 20 DonorsChoose gift cards have been redeemed thus far- to the tune of close to $700.

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My Take: It’s nice to see a combination of philantrophy and that Ultimate Motivator, profit. It had to happen eventually, but it’s become economically viable to think about our fellow man. Sort of the like the evolutionary value of altruism- now the propogation of our bank accounts is assisted by cunning cyber skills, as much as our species was kept alive by hunting and gathering back in the day (that’s right, the Trogdalyte day).

I’ve got to tip my hat to the resourceful creators of DonorsChoose. Way to go outside the system when it’s not fulfilling your needs. We could all learn a lot from you. And Plastic Jungle can smell a deal when it gets near one (look at how well eco-friendly toilet paper sells- consciousness is marketable), but what I don’t get is: how is the non-profit entity expected to make up the difference? What’s up with that?

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Small business software needs

Every small business has its own special set of needs, but what doesn’t change is the need for some kind of software solution. There is a range of options, just compare them with bluefolder and marvel. Try the CRM software to keep track of your customers- the prices will also let you keep to your budget.

Accreditation assistance for medical offices

Getting your accreditation is a hassle, especially if it’s your first time. Let someone help you navigate the quagmire of red tape and get your office up and running. Other healthcare accreditation services want to charge an arm and a leg, but someone does understand that you’ll be needing everything you’ve got for your new practice. Meet with one of the accreditation consultants today and find out what they can do for you.

Custom Planner Board

With a unique process of fusing a custom layout into the surface of a top quality porcelain whiteboards, one company can create a custom planner or project board to your exact specifications. Supply them with the graphics, size, layout, colors, etc. and what you will get back is a professional visual communication tool combining style and efficiency for flexible planning. Stay in control of almost any task with this versatile magnetic whiteboard and visual planning system with unlimited applications. Washing out, bleeding, chipping, fading, or peeling is not an issue with a fused custom board from them. They can even provide you with extra folding chairs, chalkboards or display cases.

cited: New York Times

The debate has waged for years: are men or women likelier to engage in “mate poaching”? Yes, there have been surveys indicating that men go after other people’s partners more often, but are they simply more willing to admit it? Now, data has arisen from an experiment conducted by two social psychologists, Melissa Burkley and Jessica Parker of Oklahoma State University, that women are more likely to after another’s mate, according to a report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology .

Noting that single women often complain that “all the good men are taken,” the psychologists wondered if “this perception is really based on the fact that taken men are perceived as good.” To investigate, the researchers quizzed male and female undergraduates — some involved in romantic relationships, some unattached — about their ideal romantic partner.

Next, each of the experimental subjects was told that he or she had been matched by a computer with a like-minded partner, and each was shown a photo of an attractive person of the opposite sex. (All the women saw the same photo, as did all the men.) Half of the subjects were told that their match was already romantically involved with someone else, while the other half were told that their match was unattached. Then the subjects were all asked how interested they were in their match.

To the men in the experiment, and to the women who were already in relationships, it didn’t make a significant difference whether their match was single or attached. But single women showed a distinct preference for mate poaching. When the man was described as unattached, 59 percent of the single women were interested in pursuing him. When that same man was described as being in a committed relationship, 90 percent were interested. The researchers write:

According to a recent poll, most women who engage in mate poaching do not think the attached status of the target played a role in their poaching decision, but our study shows this belief to be false. Single women in this study were significantly more interested in the target when he was attached. This may be because an attached man has demonstrated his ability to commit and in some ways his qualities have already been ‘‘pre-screened” by another woman.

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Well, that makes sense. But I asked Dr. Burkley, a professor of social psychology at Oklahoma State, if the correlation could also be due to another factor at work in some women: fear of intimacy. Could their interest in unavailable guys be what was keeping them single in the first place?

Maybe, answered Dr. Burkley replied. “There are many possible explanations for our results,” she told me, “and future research needs to identify exactly why single women prefer taken men. Our lab is currently conducting studies to try and tease apart the different potential explanations for our findings, but your explanation seems quite plausible.” Until we know exactly why the attraction occurs, maybe guys interested in a date should wear a wedding band.

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My Take: Maybe it’s true. I certainly don’t want a dress nearly as much until my friend slips it on and looks stunning. And who hasn’t seen someone else put on those old earrings you never wear anymore, only to be hit with an immediate desire to snatch them off and wear them yourself?

So who knows- if we’re jealous of another’s happiness, if the girlfriend makes the guy look great, or if it’s just the approval of someone as boyfriend material is that little bit extra. All I know it, a girl on his arm gives any guy 2 extra points. While I seeth with envy.

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cited: New York Times

Scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) revealed that, for the first time, the building blocks of life as we know it were found on a comet. They found animo acid glycine, the forerunners of protein, on pieces of comet brought back from the 2006 probe, Stardust. This discovery goes further to proving the modern theory that many of the original ingredients for life on Earth showered down when asteroids (space rocks orbiting the solar system in a belt) and comets (conglomorate hunks of dirt and ice that form past Neptune) collided with the surface.

“It tells us more about the inventory of organics in the early solar system,” said Jamie Elsila, an astrochemist at Goddard who led the research.

Amino acids are small molecules that, when strung together into chains, form a diversity of proteins. For four decades, scientists have found a multitude of amino acids in some meteorites, the bits of asteroids that land on Earth. More recently, astronomers reported that amino acids might float throughout the cosmos, a belief resulting from their detection of the color signatures of glycine, the simplest of the amino acids, in distant interstellar gas clouds.

Some doubts remain about that claim, but if it is true, it would then not be surprising that when the clouds condense into stars and planets, the building blocks of life might be readily available there.

As for our solar system, meteorite data show that amino acids are present in its inner neighborhood, where asteroids orbit, but until now nothing has been known for certain about what might have formed farther out, where comets gather.

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But on Jan. 2, 2004, the Stardust spacecraft flew through the tail of dust and gas of the comet Wild 2 (pronounced vilt two). Two years later, the probe returned to Earth, sending collected samples to the ground by parachute for scientists to analyze. Comets are thought to preserve material of the early solar system, largely unchanged for the last 4.5 billion years.

Within a few months, the Goddard scientists found glycine embedded in aluminum foil of the collecting apparatus. They had spent the time since then confirming that the glycine indeed came from the comet and not from contamination.

“It’s not necessarily particularly surprising,” Dr. Elsila said of her extraterrestrial glycine in a phone conversation Tuesday. “I would have been surprised if it wasn’t there.”

Dr. Elsila and her colleagues were able to show that the glycine from the comet had heavier quantities of the isotope carbon 13 than what occurs on Earth. They also detected a second amino acid, beta-alanine, but the quantities were too minuscule to confirm.

The findings were presented Sunday at a Washington meeting of the American Chemical Society and will be published in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science.

Donald E. Brownlee, a professor of astronomy at the University of Washington and principal investigator of the Stardust mission, said the discovery indicated that the chemical reactions that produce glycine, and presumably other amino acids, occurred throughout the early solar system.

“That means production of amino acids is fairly common,” Dr. Brownlee said, although this is far from a foregone conclusion. Other scientists suggest that the warm and wet conditions that were in early asteroids may have been the breeding ground for the chemical reaction- conditions which were not found in comets.

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My Take: Well, we’ve getting closer and closer to calling up our neighbors on Mars and inviting them over for a potluck. Why is the world not more shocked by this news? The researchers themselves seem positively stoic, as opposed to the champagne-popping, I-was-right celebration that I would have assumed they’d throw.

All I know is,  every day it goes to show that the future really is upon us. I can’t wait for my flying car.

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cited: US News & World Report

New research has found that elderly, overweight people have significantly less brain tissue than their counterparts of a normal weight.

“The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than their healthy counterparts while [those of] overweight people looked 8 years older,” said UCLA neuroscientist Paul Thompson, senior author of a study published online in Human Brain Mapping.

Much of the lost tissue was in the frontal and temporal lobe regions of the brain, the seat of decision-making and memory, among other things.

The findings could have serious implications for aging, overweight or obese individuals, including a heightened risk of Alzheimer’s, the researchers said.

“We’re all trying to protect our bodies and our brains from aging and this is just one factor that’s accelerating that on top of all the other factors such as pollution, smoking, alcohol. We all lose some tissue as we get older and they’re saying this is being accelerated,” said Paul Sanberg, distinguished professor of neurosurgery and director of the University of South Florida Center for
Aging and Brain Repair in Tampa.

According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 30 percent of American adults 20 years and older — more than 60 million people — are now obese, while another 36 percent are  considered overweight. Either condition puts you at a much higher risk for type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, as well as cognitive problems.

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The findings seem to explain why heavier people are more prone to such cognitive conditions. “This is the first study to show physical evidence in the brain that connects overweight and obesity and cognitive decline,” said Thompson, who is professor of neurology at UCLA and a member of the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging.

The researchers studied brain images of 94 people in their 70s who had participated in an earlier study looking at cardiovascular health and cognition. None of the participants had dementia or other cognitive impairments. They were followed for five years, and any volunteers who developed cognitive symptoms were excluded from the study.

Clinically obese people had 8 percent less brain tissue, while the overweight had 4 percent less brain tissue compared to normal-weight individuals.

Dr. Jonathan Friedman, an associate professor of surgery and neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine noted that the causal relationship here is not clear. Theoretically, he said, a smaller brain might mean appetite and weight-control centers of the brain are actually propelling the weight-gain process.

Thompson believes it may be a vicious cycle. “Each one is contributing to the other,” he said. A person’s genetics may be contributing to overeating and weight gain, which leads to less activity, which leads to a shortfall in the oxygen and nutrients that the brain needs to thrive and grow.

Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of obesity surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City wasn’t completely shocked by the results. “Obesity affects every system in your body. The body can’t be splintered. It’s completely linked. We are what we eat and we eat too much,” he said. “The bottom line is that an obese, sedentary person is going to have a breakdown of every organ system, and that includes a greater chance of impotence and infertility and other things that people don’t generally think are directly related to obesity.”

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My Take: It’s shocking to consider what varied ramifications obesity has on the body. I feel like we’re talking about smoking, here.

I wonder if the day will ever come when eating a Cheeto in a public place will be looked upon like people look upon smoking now. Maybe I’ll tell my grandkids, “No one knew it was bad for us back then! We all thought bacon was healthy food.”

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cited: MTV News

Cited: Associated Press

Superman, Aquaman, Iron Man, X-Men: all these undefeatable superheroes have suffered defeat at the hands of an industry that often functions more as a money-making tool than actual entertainment.

So calling “Batman: Arkham Asylum” (Eidos, $59.99, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) one of the best superhero games ever is kind of a backhanded compliment. Let’s just call it a great game, period. For DC Comics fans, it’s a must-buy, but it’s hugely entertaining even if you aren’t versed in the whole Batman mythology.

It begins with the Caped Crusader ushering the Joker back to Arkham Asylum, Gotham City’s home for the criminally insane. This time, however, the supervillain has set up a clever trap and quickly takes over the entire facility. Besides setting free hordes of violent lunatics, the Joker has an even deadlier endgame in mind — and only Batman can stop it.

Fans will relish the chance to take on familiar foes like Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc and Scarecrow. Combat is easy to handle, and Batman can usually handle a dozen or so henchmen without breaking a sweat. But it’s more rewarding to take them out one by one, using Batman’s stealth skills to sneak up on them or swoop down from the rafters.

More intriguing is the opportunity to explore Arkham, the eeriest video-game setting since Rapture, the underwater city in “BioShock.” The dank, decaying facility oozes menace and depravity, even when the all-seeing Joker isn’t taunting you over the public-address system.

Throughout the asylum, you discover tools from Batman’s utility belt: “batarangs,” explosive gel, a grappling hook and other wonderful toys that open up new areas of Arkham and help you uncover its secrets.

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“Arkham Asylum” developer Rocksteady Studios borrows freely from other games: puzzles from “The Legend of Zelda,” stealth from “Metal Gear Solid,” freaky nightmare sequences from “Eternal Darkness.” But those are pretty good games to imitate, and this game blends its influences smoothly.

The mood reflects the darker tone of last year’s “The Dark Knight” movie, and younger Batfans may find the violence and dialogue disturbing. The smart script is by Paul Dini, a veteran of the noirish “Batman: The Animated Series,” and that show’s two stars — Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker — deliver stellar voiceover work.

Most of the major boss battle are less than extraordinary, and more demanding fans will be disappointed because some popular villains are absent. And Batman’s powers are occasionally unnaturally limited, which is aggravating as you are forced to solve the game the way the programmers want you to. It is, however, a fascinating journey. The solid plot, mixed with diverse gameplay styles- Rocksteady has, finally, delivered a super superhero game. Three-and-a-half stars out of four.

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My Take: The best songs are “borrowed” from predecessors. Why not video games, especially one as motley as “Batman: Arkham Asylum”?

Composing a game as eclectic as this one requires the grace and taste of a master, so let’s not knock them for not being completely original. Since they put together an entertaining game with a solid story, why not break out the ticker tape? Like Van Gogh said, “good artists copy, great artists steal”.

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cited: Wall Street Journal

First, YouTube gave “David After Dentist” fame. Now, it’s giving him a headstart on college tuition. The website announced Tuesday that it would begin offering its 15-minute, one-off stars the kind of ad revenue that was once reserved for high-posting partners and mega-companies.

YouTube

Viral hit “David After Dentist,” one of the intended beneficiaries of YouTube’s ad-partner push.

YouTube says the expanded partner program is designed to benefit people like David Devore, the 40-year-old father from Lake Mary, Fla., who in January posted a video of his son’s funny reaction to the sedative he was given by his dentist. The video, originally intended for family and friends, has now been viewed nearly 28 million times.

A few days after Devore posted his video, he received a message from YouTube asking if he was interested in becoming an advertising partner. After he said yes, ads began appearing on his video for everything from dentists to Palm.

Devore declined to say exactly how much he’s made from YouTube, but said it is “in excess” of $10,000. “It isn’t enough to make a career out of. But it certainly is an excellent supplemental income,” said Devore, who recently had to foreclose on his house. He’s taken a more traditional approach to monetizing the fame, too: selling t-shirts featuring his son’s funny phrases.

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Devore was an early trial in a program that’s now being rolled out to potentially all of YouTube’s most popular video makers. Tom Pickett, the director of online sales and operations at YouTube, said the move — part of a wider effort to pump more ads into the site — was designed to expand the diversity and depth of content that it sells to advertisers.

“We have dramatically increased the number and percent of monetizable views,” said Pickett. “This keeps us tracking along that path.” He declined to say what percentage of YouTube videos would now contain ads. But he said the company currently had “thousands” of content partners who feature ads in their videos, and this program would open it up to “tens of thousands” of content producers.

YouTube says it doesn’t have a cut-off for how many views a video has to get before its owner will be invited to join the advertising program. Instead, it will use a formula that is based on how fast a video is growing in traffic and its longevity. The company wouldn’t say how much video creators would get paid, but a very popular video could easily generate thousands of dollars for its maker. People also have the option to not participate, and keep their videos ad free.

Videos only qualify if they meet all of YouTube’s terms of service – such as not including any copyrighted music or video footage. Jill and Kevin, the makers of the popular “JK Wedding Entrance Dance” couldn’t participate because their video was claimed by the record label for singer Chris Brown, whose song “Forever” is featured in the video.

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My Take: It was only a matter of time before YouTube figured out how to turn a profit. It had to happen, really, otherwise we would all be deprived of the joys of entertaining wedding entrances, children being drop-kicked, and many, many people falling down.

The good news is, it looks like YouTube won’t go anywhere anytime soon. The bad news? Our already-stretched wallets have a whole new set of temptations to fight.

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