Obama dribbles past job approval, shoots for personal appeal
Posted: March 12, 2012 at 6:12 pm
President Barack Obamas campaign website is offering to showcase anyone who submits a more accurate prediction of the March Madness basketball results than Obamas personal prediction.
Think You Got Game? asks a recent headline on his official campaign website. Fill out your bracket below and see if you can beat President Obamas bracket predictions. And hows this for bragging rights: well publish a list of everyone who does better than the President here on BarackObama.com after the tournament is over.
The new Obama Bracket Challenge is designed to help him spur base voters, build his mailing list and boost low-dollar donations, while also fronting his personal charm, which gets higher polls from voters than does his record on the economy.
Obamas job-approval rating was only 45 percent in February, but his personal ratings have usually been a few points higher. Last December, for example, Gallup reported only 42 percent of the public approved of his performance, while an ABC/Washington Post poll pegged his personal rating at 48 percent.
That rating is relatively high given the state of the economy, although far below his high point of 79 percent in Jan. 2009.
The bracket competition may also tug the public conversation away from the dour economy.
Gallup says the combined unemployment and underemployment rate is 19 percent, despite Obamas spending $5 trillion more than tax receipts since 2009. Even the official unemployment rate of 8.3 percent is far higher than the historical average, and is well above the 6.1 percent Obamas team promised it would be by early 2012 when Congress passed the controversial $787 billion stimulus bill in 2009.
In fact, Obamas personal popularity can shield him from GOP criticisms, and bring over a percentage of swing-voters who would otherwise vote for his eventual Republican opponent. And his campaign periodically tries to pump up those personal ratings by displaying Obamas personal charm on the website.
In a recent video, for example, Obama is shown talking about the Chicago Bulls basketball team with several supporters who won tickets for a meal with him.
Asked by one man where hed like to work other than the White House, Obama responded genially that, Id be starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls.
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Obama dribbles past job approval, shoots for personal appeal
Author says key to NCAA Tournament bracket success is in the numbers
Posted: at 6:12 pm
Planning on playing hooky Thursday and Friday to see how youre doing with your NCAA Tournament bracket? Good for you.
But if you really want to be able to be the champion of your office pool, Andrew Clark advises taking a sick day today as well. Maybe Tuesday, too. But only if youre willing to do a little research.
Clark is the author of Bracketeering, The Laymans Guide to Picking the Madness in March, which mainly relies on statistics to predict the NCAA mens basketball tournament, although he claims it doesnt take a masters degree in mathematics or a total immersion into college basketball to be successful.
Last year, I had Ohio State (eliminated in the Sweet 16) and Kansas (out in the Elite Eight) in the championship game, said Clark, whos in his third year at Suffolk University School of Law in Boston. But Virginia Commonwealth came out of nowhere, and I didnt think Butler could do it again.
So many unpredictable things like that can happen. But its certainly better to have an educated system rather than picking things haphazardly.
Maybe. Maybe not.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi was beaten by a Cocker Spaniel two years ago.
If anybody was smart enough to have Butler and VCU in the Final Four last year, he should be picking stocks instead of basketball teams from his penthouse on Park Avenue, Lunardi said.
The easiest thing about Clarks method is that the data he uses is readily assessable at ncaa.com/statistics, where all 338 Division I teams are ranked in 20 categories.
From there, Clark prepares his sheet of integrity, lining up the 68 teams in the tournament, which this year culminates with the Final Four on March 31 and April 2 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
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Author says key to NCAA Tournament bracket success is in the numbers
Modern Etiquette: Seven tips to making the right impression
Posted: at 6:12 pm
LONDON (Reuters) - We all know that making a good impression is fundamental to professional and social success. All too often, however, we unintentionally tarnish our personal polish by forgetting the basics of face-to-face communication.
From personal appearances and body language to handshakes and introductions, here are some top tips on being remembered for all the right reasons...
1. Looking Good
Your appearance is an instant message to those around you, so the way you look is as important as how you behave. It goes without saying that you and your attire should be shiny and clean from head to toe. Dress appropriately for the situation - tailor your personal sense of style to suit your surroundings.
2. Positive Posture
The way you stand, walk and sit all make a big impression. Hold your head high, keep your back straight and pull your shoulders back, but keep it all looking natural. Tread lightly (no clumping, thundering footsteps), and don't drag your feet or shuffle. Women should always sit with their knees together; men should avoid sitting with their legs excessively wide apart, and should never repeatedly jiggle their leg up and down.
3. Boost Your Body Language
Body language is a series of silent signals that play a vitally important part in the impression you give to the world. Create an air of confidence and positivity by avoiding crossed arms, hunched shoulders and awkward fidgeting. Focus on good posture, positive gestures and a natural sense of self-awareness. Never yawn in public and don't forget to smile.
4. Shake On It
A handshake, lasting just a few seconds, is the common form of greeting for all business situations and most social situations. Always use your right hand and 'pump' the recipients hand two or three times before you let it go. Make eye contact and ensure that your fingers firmly grasp the other palm. Avoid bone-crushing grips or loose, limp hands.
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Modern Etiquette: Seven tips to making the right impression
Natural Personal Care Markets in Western Europe and the United States Naturally Evolving, However Still Vibrant …
Posted: at 6:12 pm
PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Demand for natural personal care products remains strong within the well-established markets of Western Europe and North America, maintaining high growth rates. The most recent findings, from worldwide consulting and research firm Kline & Company, show that while the segment's 2011 growth waned slightly compared to the five-year compound annual growth rate of 13.9%, it still consistently outperformed the overall beauty market.
Both of these markets are distinctly different as market leaders vary from region to region; moreover, within Europe, the dynamics of the naturals market varies significantly between countries. In Western Europe, the natural segment is becoming more mainstream, but it's the largely untapped markets of Central and Eastern Europe where opportunities show great promise. Additionally, Western European and North American shares of the total market have been decreasing over the past five years at the expense of Brazil and China. The latter are expected to draw the focus of astute companies keen to establish critical footholds in these budding markets. Savvy marketers are also opening up and exploring new channels of distribution, allowing access to new consumers and ultimately broadening demand.
Large, predominantly German drug stores, such as DM, Schlecker, and Rossmann, represent the fastest growing pan-European channel. In the United States, traditional natural health food stores still lead the way; however, mass outlets, such as Walmartwhich as an indicator of the retailer's faith in the naturals' market, recently introduced its own private-label productsare quickly increasing in significance.
Indeed, more mass market brands are recognizing the vitality and viability of the naturals segment with its inherent market cachet and consumers' increasing readiness to pay a premium for genuinely natural products. The benefits are manifold; by increasing the channels of distribution and allowing consumers easier access to natural products, both ultimately contribute to the segment's growth.
Kline's Consumer Industry Manager Nancy Mills attributes the resilience of the natural personal care sector to ever growing consumer awareness of health, environmental, and sustainability concerns. "These drivers are near universal, but their influence varies significantly between markets," observes Mills. "In Western Europe, consumers have a higher awareness and interest concerning product ingredients, business ethics, and sustainability practices, and many are astutely avoiding products which are natural only in positioning. In Eastern Europe, where the movement is starting to blossom, consumers aren't yet as discerning."
"Natural personal care is not a fad, but a genuine movement that's manifesting itself in ever diverse product applications," continues Mills. "The consumer is better educated, and this can serve the marketer well, particularly as credible certification standards are being implemented and recognized."
The global market for natural personal care products is expected to maintain strong growth with a compound annual growth rate of almost 10% through 2016. The growth of truly natural products will likely outpace that of natural-inspired brands across most regions; however, natural-inspired brands will continue to dominate the global natural personal care market.
Natural Personal Care 2011: Regional Market Analysis and Competitive Brand Assessment provides subscribers with competitive and market intelligence on the global natural and organic personal care market. By examining the key players and the ingredients they use, Kline's report uniquely separates the market into two distinct segments: truly natural products and naturally-inspired products.
About Kline Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit http://www.KlineGroup.com.
For more information, contact:Vera Sandarova Marketing Communications +420-222-316-282 Vera.Sandarova@klinegroup.com
Customer Success: Lenovo Manages ITIL®-Compliant Service Delivery with BMC Software’s Remedy ITSM Suite
Posted: at 6:12 pm
BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Lenovo, the worlds second largest personal computer vendor, is using BMC Softwares (NASDAQ: BMC) Remedy IT Service Management Suite (ITSM) to manage IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-compliant service delivery. Lenovo has developed a new unified managed services offering for its customers that is powered by the BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite. BMC is delivering improved system stability, significantly better service performance and enhanced customer satisfaction.
The market for managed IT services is exploding in China as organizations seek more efficient and effective ways to deliver information services to clients and end users. A growing challenge for IT service providers, like Lenovo, is the need to maintain control and visibility over an increasingly diverse range of infrastructure and management processes.
Lenovo launched its IT managed services, including device debugging, software maintenance and post-guarantee equipment servicing, in August 2010, offering multi-vendor infrastructure management for PCs, network equipment and printers. In order to optimize its own efficiency, Lenovo implemented the BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite to provide a framework for enjoying greater process control and systems stability while enhancing customer satisfaction.
Since the data from different resources could not be integrated, we faced the challenge of controlling service processes, response times and service quality, said Mr. Lv Zaifeng, general manager of service operation and support, emerging markets business group, Lenovo. BMC Remedy incorporates ITIL best practices, offering incident management, problem management, change and configuration management and improves service levels from every corner.
Although Lenovos managed services team is highly trained and effective, the company needed to streamline their schedules and monitor their performance with staff spread over more than 1,000 locations. Additionally, Lenovo had no way to manage the handovers needed when Line 2 service personnel passed a job over to Line 3 personnel, either because of scheduling or skills issues.
The company suffered from a relatively low front-line incident resolution rate and keenly understood that it needed to implement a solution that would deliver increased service quality without sacrificing efficiency or flexibility. Following a review of all available solutions, Lenovo decided on the BMC Remedy IT Service Management Suite as the best solution for its needs.
The BMC Remedy solution offers customers the ability to easily configure the solution without the need to build or maintain code. Underpinning this flexibility is the BMC Remedy Action Request System (ARS), a powerful and scalable workflow engine.
By providing more transparency into the process and immediate access to supporting data, it is possible to significantly improve help desk or service desk performance and boost the first-call resolution metrics. Lenovos first call resolution rate has increased drastically following the introduction of the Remedy suite.
We will continue to work with BMC as a strategic partner, and the next step includes data center integration, automation and monitoring, said Mr. Lv. We plan to expand Lenovo IT outsourcing services business into a new realm.
Damien Hirst gallery will open in 2014
Posted: at 6:11 pm
Damien Hirst says his public gallery in south London, which will display his personal art collection, is to open in 2014.
Hirst said the development, in Newport Street, Vauxhall, would contain six galleries and a cafe, adding: "It's my Saatchi gallery, basically . . . a place to show my collection of contemporary art. It feels bad having it all in crates. It's basically Francis Bacon and beyond."
The gallery will house around 2,000 pieces including works by Hirst, Banksy and US artist Jeff Koons.
The gallery - designed by architects Caruso St John - will take up the whole of Newport Street and incorporates the conversion of a terrace of three listed buildings flanked by two new buildings.
Hirst's gallery follows in the footsteps of London's Saatchi Gallery, opened in 1985 by art collector Charles Saatchi to display his own collection to the public.
Tate Modern's Hirst retrospective will run from 4 April to 9 September and one of Hirst's most famous pieces -the 50m diamond-encrusted skull entitled For the Love of God, will be on display in the gallery's Turbine Hall from 4 April to 24 June.
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Damien Hirst gallery will open in 2014
Continua Health Alliance Announces Certification of First Mobile Solution Suitable for Apple Mobile Devices and Wide …
Posted: at 6:11 pm
BEAVERTON, Ore., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Continua Health Alliance, the international industry organization dedicated to advancing personal connected health by promoting end-to-end, plug-and-play connectivity of personal health devices and establishing industry standards for interoperability, today announced two new certifications for mobile health technologies. Vignet, Inc., a Continua member company, was certified by Continua for its iPhone Mobile Manager, the first solution for Apple mobile devices that meets Continua standards for interoperability. It is also the first solution to incorporate Continua's WAN (wide area network) guidelines for mobile applications. Vignet demonstrated its Continua-certified solutions last week at Continua's Spring Summit in Austin, TX.
The Vignet iPhone Mobile Manager is a Continua certified software manager that can be easily customized and adapted by various mobile applications and service providers. Implemented using Continua WAN guidelines, the Vignet Mobile Manager enables developers to build custom applications, and connects with other certified personal health devices such as weight scales, blood pressure cuffs or pedometers. It also facilitates integration with various interoperable servers to securely deliver personal connected health data and information.
"We are delighted to recognize Vignet as the first company to have a Continua certified product for Apple iOS mobile devices based on our WAN guidelines. It is another important step in creating an ecosystem of compatible devices and technology to help individuals and their healthcare providers better manage their health and wellness, any time, anywhere," said Chuck Parker, executive director, Continua Health Alliance.
Continua Health Alliance offers a testing and certification program with a recognizable logo that signifies interoperability according to industry standards. Continua certification enables more efficient, standardized development and new market opportunities for interoperable products such as smartphones, dedicated wireless hubs, the Internet and personal health devices that can be used to collect and relay vital health information and education.
"With Continua certification, device manufacturers and solutions providers know that our Mobile Manager is going to link up," added Praduman Jain (PJ), CEO, Vignet. "Now Continua connected health solutions can be rapidly adapted to work on a variety of servers and devices, saving developers significant development time. We are pleased to support the use of mobile phones in providing readily available and convenient personal connected health solutions to improve patient self-management and wellness."
For healthcare delivery, a WAN is a telecommunication network used to transmit collected data securely to medical records storage locations, and between different LANs (local area network) and other types of networks, so that computers or devices in one location can communicate with services or storage in other locations, such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs) or Personal Health Records (PHRs).
About Vignet, Inc.Vignet is a pioneer in the person-centric mobile healthcare (mHealth) solutions that connect multiple devices belonging to any person with multiple healthcare data sources, networks and caregivers. Vignet's mHealth applications enable a system that is Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory. As a contributing member of Continua Health Alliance, Vignet has been a leader of mobile health innovation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Vignet has an established track record of providing valuable solutions to many parts of the healthcare industry. For more information visit: http://www.vignetcorp.com.
About Continua Health AllianceContinua Health Alliance is an international not-for-profit industry organization enabling end-to-end, plug-and-play connectivity of personal health devices and services. These services will empower information-driven health self-management and facilitate the incorporation of health and wellness into the day-to-day lives of consumers. Continua is a pioneer in establishing industry standards and security for connected health technologies such as smartphones, gateways and remote monitoring devices. Its activities include a certification and brand support program, events and collaborations to support technology and clinical innovation, and outreach to employers, payers, governments and care providers. With nearly 250 member companies reaching across the globe, Continua is comprised of technology, medical device and healthcare industry leaders and service providers dedicated to making personal connected health a reality. For more information visit: http://www.continuaalliance.org.
How to Log into eLotus Webinars – Acupuncture Continuing Education Online – Video
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Balance Method Needling Demo 1/5 — Acupuncture Continuing Education Online – Video
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Balance Method Needling Demo by Robert Doane 2/5 — Acupuncture Continuing Education Online – Video
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