SmackDown live results: May 18, 2012

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

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Car bomb explodes near security agencies in Syria

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

In this citizen journalism image provided by Sham News Network SNN, an anti-Syrian regime protester, holds up a Cross and Crescent painted with colors of the Syrian revolution flag during a demonstration against Syrian President Bashar Assad, at the Damascus suburb of Yabroud, Syria, Friday, May 18, 2012. Syrian security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands rallying Friday in Aleppo in what activists said was the largest protest yet in a city that has largely remained loyal to President Bashar Assad during the country’s 15-month uprising. (AP Photo/Sham News Network, SNN)THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO

In this image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Thursday, May 17, 2012 purports to show a Syrian man helping a wounded man in Rastan town, Homs, Syria. Government forces pounded a rebel-held town north of the central city of Homs with artillery shells and rockets, according to Syrian opposition groups. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

BEIRUT (AP) ? A strong explosion shook Syria’s eastern city of Deir el-Zour Saturday, apparently targeting a security agency in the latest of a wave of blasts to hit the country in recent months, state media and opposition activists reported.

State TV said a car bomb caused casualties and severe damage to residential and state buildings nearby. The pro-government Ikhbariya TV said the blast happened inside a parking lot connected to a military complex.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the explosion, which it also identified as a car bomb, took place near where the city branches of the Military Intelligence Directorate and Air Force Intelligence are located. Amateur videos posted online showed thick black smoke hovering over the city.

Security agency compounds in several Syrian cities have been targeted by a wave of explosions in the past months. The blasts raise fears that al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants, possibly including fighters from neighboring Iraq, have made strong inroads into Syria’s rebel movement.

The most recent bombing targeted an intelligence building in Damascus on May 10. It struck during morning rush hour and the high death toll ? some 55 people ? made it the deadliest such attack since the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime began in March of last year.

Some of the tactics used in Damascus ? a small blast drawing attention prior to a larger one ? were reminiscent of al-Qaida attacks during Iraq’s insurgency.

Deir el-Zour is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Iraqi border. Saturday’s blast came a day after the state-run news agency SANA reported that authorities foiled an attempt to blow up a car rigged with explosives in the city and detained those involved.

On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he believes that “alarmingly and surprisingly,” al-Qaida must have been behind the May 10 attack in the Syrian capital.

“The recent terrorist attacks in Damascus suggest that these attacks were carefully orchestrated,” he said. “Having seen the scale and sophistication of these terrorist attacks, one might think that this terrorist attack was done by a certain group with organization and clear intent. I have strongly condemned these terrorist attacks.”

Associated Press

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7 Companies That Could Have Been Facebook

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

It?s been a long road for Facebook. What began as an intimate platform has turned into a social networking giant serving more than 900 million users.

Facebook may be cashing in on its intial public offering this week, but it wasn?t the first to introduce the world to online social networking ? many other sites were once recognized as the most popular. What made them fall by the wayside?

For some, it was server instability or lack of financial support to hit the ground running. Other formerly popular networks received the necessary monetary backing, but were inhibited by the corporation that had acquired them ? and some went on to morph the company into something broader than just social networking.

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg: Smart or Lucky? [POLL]

But perhaps the most important reason why other sites couldn?t compete with Facebook?s current growth is timing. Today, the web is stronger, faster and more crowded than ever ? people rely on an Internet connection to communicate, earn revenue and entertain, among many other things. That wasn?t the case 10 to 20 years ago.

Take a look at some of the past social networking kings that existed before Facebook. That?s not to say all weren?t successful. Most are still around, but in a different form from which they originated.

1. AOL

For many computer users in the mid ?90s, the Internet was AOL. From chat rooms to the ubiqutous AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), AOL was the center of online activity. The company acquired one of the dominant desktop browsers (Netscape), the leading streaming music and MP3 services (WinAmp) and was the king of Web 1.0.

SEE ALSO: AOL Founder Warns Zuckerberg: Don?t Get Distracted by Facebook IPO

Then in 2001, AOL acquired Time Warner in its bid to become a media company. The merger was a disaster ? one of the worst in business history. The fallout from the merger prevented AOL from keeping its eye on the evolving nature of technology, including broadband and real-time social channels.

AOL tried to compete again in the social space in the mid ?00s, but blunders like 2008?s $1 billion acquisition prevented success. Today, AOL is known as a media and advertising company and owner of such properties as The Huffington Post.

2. GeoCities

GeoCities was originally founded as a web hosting service that let users create communities of homepages on like-minded topics. The pages were hosted by specific ?cities? ? for example, ?Silicon Valley? (computers/electronics) or ?Hollywood? (Entertainment).

Near its peak, GeoCities was acquired by Yahoo for $3 billion. New copyright rules upset members and some left in protest. Among other issues, Yahoo was unable to make the site profitable and it was shut down in 2009.

3. SixDegrees.com

SixDegrees.com, named after the six degrees of separation concept, was one of the first social networking sites to exist. Users list friends and family, invite external contacts to join, then see if there were connections with other users on the site.

At its peak, SixDegrees.com had 1 million members and partnered with NADP. The site simply wasn?t profitable at the time, and shut down in 2001. It has since been revived, but is only open to former members and those who get an invite.

4. Friendster

Friendster was once considered the top online social network. It allowed users to connect, communicate and share online content with other members. Within a few months of launching, it had more than 3 million users.

During Friendster?s peak in 2003, Google offered founder Jonathan Abrams $30 billion, however he chose to be funded by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers and Benchmark Capital. The decline is considered one of the biggest blunders in the history of Silicon Valley. The site could hardly keep up with demand, and had trouble serving web pages. It was eclipsed by MySpace in 2004.

Friendster shifted in 2011 to focus on its expansion in Asia, and is now a social gaming site. Today, more than 90% of new users are based in Asia, and monthly users have increased by 50%.

5. MySpace

In 2003, Tom Anderson, Chris DeWolf and a few other Friendster users saw potential in the site, but felt it was lacking infrastructure. The MySpace team and its resources were supported by eUniverse. The new platform had the programmers it needed as it rapidly grew in popularity.

By 2006, MySpace was bought by NewsCorp for $580 million and had 100 million accounts. It peaked in 2007 when it was considered the leading social networking site, valued at $12 billion.

The site?s downfall began in 2008, when Facebook eventually caught up and overtook the Alexa ratings. Among other issues, Myspace struggled with a decline in ad revenue, failure to innovate and Facebook?s expansive membership to users under 18. The downfall accelerated in 2009, when it lost millions of followers monthly.

MySpace was bought for $35 million by advertising network Specific Media, and Justin Timberlake took ownership stake. Recently, Timberlake introduced MySpace TV. The site gained a million new followers in February 2012.

6. Second Life

Second Life?s online virtual world was developed in 2003 by Linden Lab. The service enables users to interact with others, create and trade virtual property, and participate in jobs and activities through an avatar. As of 2011, there were 1 million active users on the site.

Though Second Life was not necessarily a direct competitor to Facebook, the site became so popular that people made a living through their avatar. Some quit their jobs and others felt happier in a virtual life instead of reality.

Due to Second Life?s rapid growth rate, its servers struggled with instability. Eventual changes to the terms of service in order to comply with various international laws regulated or banned many Second Life businesses that once thrived.

7. Orkut

Orkut was quietly designed by Google in 2004. The social networking site was originally hosted in California, but today it is one of the most popular social networks in Brazil.

The site intended to help users connect with new and familiar people. It became popular in Brazil, India and Estonia ? until 2010, when many users in Estonia and India switched over to Facebook.

Due to its prominence in Brazil, as well as its legal issues, the company moved its operation and management there to continue business. Today there are 66 million users on orkut.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, blackred

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Wall Street edges lower on Europe, data

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

[ [ [['A picture is worth a thousand words', 5]], ‘http://news.yahoo.com/why-facebook-bought-instagram-4-theories-160400376.html’, ‘[Related: Why Facebook bought Instagram: 4 theories]‘, ‘ ‘, ’630′, ‘ ‘, ‘ ‘, ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 9]], ‘http://contributor.yahoo.com/join/yahoonews_virginiabeach’, ‘[Did you witness the jet crash? Share your story with Yahoo! News]‘, ‘ ‘, ’630′, ‘ ‘, ‘ ‘, ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], ‘http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj’, ‘[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]‘, ‘ ‘, ’630′, ‘ ‘, ‘ ‘, ], [ [['Dick Clark', 11]], ‘http://news.yahoo.com/photos/dick-clark-dies-at-82-slideshow/’, ‘Click image to see more photos’, ‘http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/c/21/c217c61aa2d5872244c08caa13c16ec5.jpeg’, ’500′, ‘ ‘, ‘Reuters’, ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], ‘http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/’, ‘Click image to see more photos’, ‘http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg’, ’630′, ‘ ‘, ‘AP’, ], [ [['Titanic', 7]], ‘http://news.yahoo.com/titanic-anniversary/’, ‘ ‘, ‘http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/4e/b4e5ad9f00b5dfeeec2226d53e173569.jpeg’, ’550′, ‘ ‘, ‘ ‘, ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], ‘http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/’, ‘Click image to see more photos’, ‘http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg’, ’630′, ‘ ‘, ‘AP’, ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], ‘http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/’, ‘Click image to see more photos’, ‘http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg’, ’500′, ‘ ‘, ‘AP’, ] ]

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Obama eases investment curbs on Myanmar, names ambassador

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

President Barack Obama eased investment sanctions on Myanmar and named the first US ambassador to the country in 22 years, seeking to reward an easing of “iron fist” rule.

But Obama, seeking maximum leverage on Myanmar’s nominally civilian government and to preserve his options in case of “backsliding,” maintained wider US sanctions on Myanmar and figures linked to the former junta.

“As an iron fist has unclenched in Burma, we have extended our hand, and are entering a new phase in our engagement on behalf of a more democratic and prosperous future for the Burmese people,” Obama said in a statement.

The US government will now license certain types of investment in financial services and allow US businesses to work in Myanmar, though will ensure that those who abuse human rights and seek to slow progress do not benefit.

“It is a recognition of progress, it is a recognition that opening up greater economic engagement between our two countries is important to support reformers,” a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Obama also said however that current sanctions law would stay on the books to encourage further reform and to allow a speedy reimposition of tough measures if needed.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who made a historic trip to Myanmar in December, also pressed the authorities to release more political prisoners, after meeting Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin.

The US decision could usher in the first major trade and investment between the United States and Myanmar for years, and help pry open a backward economy left behind by speeding Southeast Asian development.

The US government will maintain restrictions on investment with the military, which has deep commercial interests in the country’s economy.

“What we are doing is easing on society at large and carefully looking to target what we call the spoilers, the bad actors within the system,” said another senior US official.

Obama also nominated Derek Mitchell, who has been serving as the State Department’s special representative to Myanmar, as US ambassador, pending confirmation by the US Senate.

Washington withdrew its ambassador to Myanmar, also known as Burma, after a crackdown on a democracy uprising in 1988 and elections won by Suu Kyi‘s democracy movement in 1990 that were never recognized by the junta.

“Burma has made important strides, but the political opening is nascent, and we continue to have concerns, including remaining political prisoners, ongoing conflict, and serious human rights abuses in ethnic areas,” Obama said.

US law currently requires the president to restrict imports from Myanmar, where civilians backed by the military now rule, and bans US investment and export of financial services to the country.

It also blocks property and assets of certain members of the Myanmar ruling class and senior officials linked to the former junta.

A statement from Republican Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell and his party colleague Senator John McCain pointed to strong bipartisan support for Obama’s approach on Capitol Hill.

“Today’s announcements strike an appropriate balance between encouraging the process of reform now unfolding in Burma, while maintaining sufficient leverage to continue pressing the Burmese government for additional progress,” the two senators said.

They noted the move did not amount to lifting sanctions but was a “conditional suspension” of some measures, and that punishments for those who steal Myanmar’s resources and abuse human rights would remain in place.

But Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Obama was moving prematurely.

“We know so little about the actual impact of political changes made by the ruling junta in the past year,” she said.

“Until we see more evidence of change, I am adamantly opposed to rolling back the only leverage that we possess in that country.”

The US Campaign for Burma also expressed concern at the US move, saying it sent the wrong message at a time when the Myanmar military was escalating its attacks against the ethnic Kachin minority in northern Myanmar.

President Thein Sein surprised many US observers by initiating political reforms designed to break Myanmar’s isolation, and elections saw Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy secure 43 of the 44 seats it contested in parliamentary by-elections in April.

But it remains a minority, with many seats in both chambers reserved for unelected military officials.

Suu Kyi, spoke to a gathering in Washington this week and said that although she was not opposed to a freezing of sanctions, people should not be “too optimistic” about developments in Myanmar.

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Benefits To Drinking Coffee | Gourmet Food & Grocery

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

Benefits To Drinking Coffee Photo

Benefits To Drinking Coffee

Benefits To Drinking Coffee Photo

Benefits To Drinking Coffee

Benefits To Drinking Coffee Photo

Benefits To Drinking Coffee

Benefits To Drinking Coffee Photo

Benefits To Drinking Coffee

Benefits To Drinking Coffee Image

Benefits To Drinking Coffee

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About Traditional Medicinals

In early 1974, three young friends started Traditional Medicinals? in the back store room of a little herb shop along the Russian River in Northern California. The company was founded with the aim of supplying herbal teas for self care, while preserving the psychological result of perception learning and reasoning and herbal formulas of Traditional Herbal Medicine (THM). At the time, established herbal tea infusions had all but faded away in the United States. And never before had these dependable formulas been available in commodious tea bags. Over the decades that followed, the company introduced millions of health conscious buyers to conventional herbal tea formulas and the conceptions of THM. These authenti natural teas were well received and Traditional Medicinals? has grown dramatically.

Well over a billion cups of tea have been produced at our gorgeous country facility and numerous merchandise like Organic Smooth Move?, Organic Throat Coat? and Organic Mother?s Milk? have become mainstream and may be found in supermarkets and drug stores allround North America. Additionally, our product offerings have expanded to include a great deal of of our best selling tea formulas in other forms such as pastilles, syrups and capsules.

From our simple beginnings we have been competent to part the wonder of herbs and pass along the psychological result of perception learning and reasoning contained in the great systems of Traditional Herbal Medicine. To this we have added clinical testing and scientific understanding, as well as sophisticated processes to make sure you authenti products. So, while our business has grown and evolved, we stay rooted in the severe and spirited dedication with which we started out over thirty years ago.

Traditional Medicinals? offers Herbal Dietary Supplements, Natural Health Products, OTC Medicines and Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products for the global market.

*These affirmations have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal or prevent any disease.

About the Brand
The mystery lives of plants have captured the imagination and respect of Traditional Medicinals for more than 30 years. Blending a reverence of plants with the wisdom of the ancient arts, Traditional Medicinals combine the best of herbal medicine with the most modern scientific methods of quality control to invent a line of conventional herbal tea formulas circulated throughout the country.

It all started in early 1974, when three young friends started Traditional Medicinals in the back store room of a little herb shop along the Russian River in Northern California. The company was founded with the intent of providing healing remedies, while sustaining the psychological result of perception learning and reasoning and herbal formulas of Traditional Herbal Medicine, or THM. At the time, conventional herbal tea infusions, likely the earliest form of medicine, had all but faded away here in this country. And never before had these safe and effective medicines been available in commodious tea bags. Over the decades that followed, the company introduced millions of health conscious buyers to conventional herbal tea formulas and the conceptions of THM. These effective natural medicines were well received and Traditional Medicinals has grown dramatically. Well over a billion cups of tea have been produced at the company?s California facility, and some merchandise such as Smooth Move, Throat Coat, and Organic Echinacea Plus have become mainstream and may readily be found allround North America.

Dandelion root tea has shown ?choleretic? effects, which means that it may stimulate the liver to increase bile flow.* Once bile is freed by the liver, it is two main functions are to carry away waste and to break down fats for the duration of digestion. Dandelion?s beneficial effects on liver and biliary tract function have been proven in pharmacological studies.* Dandelion root tea has a pleasant roasted taste, sweet and somewhat bitter.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #751 in Grocery & Gourmet Food
Size: 16 BAGS
Brand: Traditional Medicinals
Released on: 2006-02-08
Ingredients: Organic dandelion root, roasted (1500mg).
Number of items: 6
Dimensions: 5.50? h x 6.80? w x 8.50? l, 1.10 pounds

Features

Case of six boxes, each box containing 16 sealed tea bags (96 total tea bags)
Promotes Healthy Liver Function*
100% Organic Ingredients
The most eminent quality, pharmacopoeial grade herbs
Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

Legal Disclaimer

Actual product packaging and materials may integrate more and dissimilar info than what is shown on our website. We commend that you do not rely solely on the data staged and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. Please see our full disclaimer below.

Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Satisfies my coffee fix with benefits!
By Joseph A. Galus
I have been using this product for about 6 months now. I am fighting Gall Bladder cancer, and was told not to drink coffee. The Dandelion Root Tea is a great alternative to coffee, for many reasons. No caffeine, it stimulates your liver, it really tastes a lot like coffee as well. I even have my boss hooked on it! He had to give up coffee for some health issues, and I let him try a bag, and now he drinks it daily! You have to brew it for 15 minutes to get all the flavor and benefits from it. I highly recommend it, it?s good for you, and tastes enough like coffee to satisy your coffee craving.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
Loved it!
By V.Z.
I love this tea very much. It smells good and it tastes good. I drink a cup every morning before breakfast and before going to bed. It has helped me to get rid of a lot of excess water?.I feel so much lighter and I have lost 10 lbs since I began drinking it a month ago. It?s especially good for the liver and for the kidneys?it makes you pee a lot, which is very good. I recommend this tea to everyone.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
Roasted Dandelion Root Tea
By teapot collector
This is definitely a tea that stands alone. This tea is from a bitter, cooling-type herb. Good for problems with digestion, this tea does whatever is necessary to get your GI system back in order. Do not steep too long and remove the tea bag. Sip slowly and enjoy the roasted flavor of this calming and detoxifying drink.

See all 31 customer reviews?

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BILLS APPROVED ON RATIFYING CREDIT AND FINANCIAL

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /MONTSAME/ A plenary meeting of parliamentary session held on Friday tackled some matters on credit and finance.

80 per cent of MPs approved draft laws on ratifying a Mongolia-Germany intergovernmental agreement on the financial cooperation, a credit and project agreement for the Energy Efficiency-2 project, and a collateral additional credit agreement for a project of developing the regional transportation infrastructure with an aim to improve the food supply of Ulaanbaatar city, which were established between the government of Mongolia and the Deutsche Bank for Reconstruction and Credit.

The State Great Khural adopted bills on ratifying a financial agreement established between the government of Mongolia and France with votes of 77.8 per cent and a financial cooperation agreement between the governments of Mongolia and Austria with votes of 72.2 per cent. Parliament also approved draft laws on ratifying a financial agreement for the “Fresh Air of UB city” project established between the government of Mongolia and the International Development Association (IDA), a credit agreement for the 2nd phase of a program on supporting social sector between the government of Mongolia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and an agreement between the government of Mongolia and the Export-Import Bank of India.

B.Khuder

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Bill Cheney: Five Things Small Business Owners Need to Know …

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

With National Small Business Week starting on May 20, a few thoughts about what small business owners should know about Capitol Hill these days.

I hope the thoughts will resonate since I really come at them from two points of view: credit union trade association CEO pushing for a bill to boost our industry’s small-business lending capacity, and long-time small business advocate. Meaning, I’ve been around long enough to know the pitfalls for small business owners:

1. Everyone likes to talk about supporting small businesses. Sure, it sounds good to say, “We need legislation that will get people back to work, and we need small business to grow again.” But empty talk has always been in abundant supply on Capitol Hill. The reality is we are not doing enough to support small business.

While our economy is showing signs of improvement, the small business lending environment is lagging. In fact, lender-approved small business loans fell from March to April this year. That, of course, is due to the belt tightening of the banks and in part to the current regulatory environment. In fact, since the beginning of the economic downturn in 2007, credit union business loans grew by nearly 45%, but bank business loans declined by roughly 15% in the same period. Moreover, current data show that the credit union approval rate for small business loans is five times higher than that of big banks. Again, I’m a credit union guy, but those stats tell you how the banks are falling short these days.

2. It’s not all gridlock. Yes, this is a bitter election year, and many members face tough campaigns. Filibusters are threatened left and right. But even so, I think Sen. Mark Udall’s legislation (S. 2231) to expand credit unions’ small business lending authority has a strong shot of making it past a filibuster this year. Small business owners fall into that increasingly shrinking bipartisan group of coalitions that are well-received in Congressional offices and on both sides of the aisle.

3. Congress needs to hear from actual small business owners. The bank trade associations have powerful lobbyists and are expending vast resources to continue to tell Congress, “Don’t increase the small business lending authority of credit unions.” Our pending legislation would allow us to lend more money at no cost to the taxpayer, but the banking lobby keeps trying to thwart our effort because they feel threatened by our potential expansion. But, the good news is that members of Congress also still understand that small business owners play significant roles in their districts and that credit unions have been involved in small business lending since the early 1900′s. It was only in the late 1990′s that our lending was restricted, at the banks’ urging.

Candidly, that’s why my organization is relying on the visits of people like Michael and Trevor Tucci — the founding brothers of Energy Interactive Fitness Center in St. James, New York — who were turned away from nine banks before they turned to Bethpage Federal Credit Union and were granted a loan. We’re also counting on folks like Doug Krussel of Omaha, Nebraska. Doug wanted to expand his security systems firm and was shown the door at six different banks. He then walked into his local credit union, where he was granted a loan. The funds helped these borrowers successfully expand their businesses.

4. Talk jobs, not just numbers. Job creation is on every member’s mind right now. Every representative wants to return to his or her district and demonstrate votes and actions they took to help get people back to work. That’s why I personally emphasize in every meeting that raising the cap on credit union small business lending would translate to 140,000 new jobs created in just year one. It’s simple really. Issue more loans to businesses, and they’ll spend more on new hiring. Oh and by the way, I have to get to that fact quickly, which is another imbedded lesson. Pick key points, stick to them and have them at the ready for a conversation in a hallway, elevator, or home district meeting. When you’re dealing with Congress, you may only have a 30-second window to make your case.

5. Band together. You can’t go it alone on Capitol Hill. It’s imperative to have like-minded allies, and to be creative. Again, I’m a credit union veteran, but I’m working with leaders of more than 30 organizations that you wouldn’t necessarily think fit our interests including the National Association of Realtors and the National Council of Textile Organizations. Also candidly, we may take different positions on issues, but we all agree that the Hill can do better and make more capital available for small business owners.

All in all, simple lessons. But they matter, especially now. If small business owners want to see more credit available, they need to keep their eye on Washington as much as their local lending institutions. And yes, we need the help. Sure, organizations like mine know the ins and outs and the daily machinations of the legislative process. But a small business owner really knows what it means to support a small business.

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‘No more ships like this’: USS Iowa finds home in LA

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

Volunteers work under the 16-inch guns at the stern of the USS Iowa in Richmond, California, on Thursday.

By msnbc.com staff and news services

LOS ANGELES – The USS Iowa, which ferried the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the perilous Atlantic waters to a historic meeting with Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin in the dark days of World War Two, is to become a floating museum.

The battleship saw combat in the Pacific, survived a devastating explosion in a gun turret, and even a snub from the city of San Francisco. At the end of its final voyage, the storied warship will have a permanent mooring in San Pedro, Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Harbor Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to create a permanent home for the ship at the city’s port, where it will open as a floating museum.

AP, file

A cloud of gunfire smoke hangs over the USS Iowa during exercises on Oct. 17, 1952.

The vessel, which saw service with the U.S. Navy over six tumultuous decades, will become the only battleship museum on the U.S. West Coast when it opens on July 7.

“There’s no more ships like this in existence in the active navies anywhere in the world,” said Robert Kent, president of the Pacific Battleship Center.

“They’ve either been sunk, scrapped or turned into museums, and the Iowa is the last battleship to find a home,” he added.

‘Your ship is coming in’
It is expected to attract 400,000 visitors a year and could revitalize the city?s port area, jubilant local officials told the Los Angeles Daily News.

“This will help transform our waterfront in making it a world-class destination,” Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino told commissioners, adding that the area will soon see interconnected network of promenades, open spaces and shops.

We’re all so excited,” Katherine Gray, vice president of the San Pedro Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Daily News. “You really feel the swell of support and excitement. … San Pedro, your ship is coming in.”

The 887-foot Iowa-class warship was commissioned in 1943.

That same year it took Roosevelt across the Atlantic on his way to a meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran with British Prime Minister Churchill and Soviet strongman Stalin, the first conference of the “Big Three” Allied leaders of the war.

The hulking warship, which towers 175 feet above the water line, was equipped with a special bathtub for Roosevelt — who was partially paralyzed following a bout with polio — which remains on board to this day.

Later in the war, it pounded beachheads in the Pacific with its 16-inch guns ahead of Allied landings, and took part in the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945. During the Korean War in the 1950s, it conducted gun strikes and bombardments.

Robert Galbraith / Reuters

Curator David Way sits at the bow of the U.S. battleship USS Iowa in Richmond, California, on Thursday.

In 1989, off the coast of Puerto Rico, an explosion within a gun turret on board the ship killed 47 sailors.

The Iowa was decommissioned in 1990 and was later kept in a naval center in Rhode Island before it was towed through the Panama Canal to Northern California.

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’
Historic groups in Northern California had sought to find a permanent home there for the ship, but they faced a number of setbacks. Among them was a vote in 2005 by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to reject a resolution to move the Iowa to the city as a floating museum.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported at the time that some city supervisors had voted against the resolution out of opposition to the U.S. military’s then-policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which barred gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces.

Several members of the board who took part in the 2005 vote could not be reached for comment.

The Iowa, which once powered through the waves at a top speed of 33 knots or 40 miles per hour, will have to be towed to Los Angeles from Richmond, in North California, where it has been undergoing a $7 million restoration.

The funds included $3 million from the state of Iowa, where residents have taken a keen interest in the ship, Kent said.

It is set to leave Richmond on Sunday, pass under the Golden Gate Bridge and arrive off the coast of Los Angeles on May 24.

While the Iowa will be the only battleship museum on the West Coast, San Diego, also in southern California, has the USS Midway Museum to showcase that historic aircraft carrier.

The Midway attracts about a million visitors a year, and the Pacific Battleship Center, the group responsible for bringing the USS Iowa to Los Angeles, hopes to one day approach those numbers. Initially, they expect up to 500,000 visitors a year.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Active health and fitness Holistic Fitness | Acupuncture Online School

Posted on May 19, 2012 by pseudoafinal

David | May 18, 2012 | Comments 0 | 20 views

By Christina Cioci Active staying Holistic Fitness is a studio with heart. corp-Owners Christina Yaworowski and Drew Lewis believe in living the kitchen connoisseur. Yaworowski met Lewis at a crucial time in her life when she decided to stop her current sedentary lifestyle and become entirely focused on living a long, Great life. She and Lewis began a romance relationship and inspired one another to exercise regularly and eat healthy. After Yaworowski?s own switch she decided she wanted to help other women do the same. ?I finished my Liberal Studies undergraduate degree and then I began by getting certified as a trainer, She understood. ?I then did an internship with a non-public studio and started my career at a local franchised gym,
Two years following she earned many additional fitness qualifications and helped many women but still felt resistance from some. Then she decided to pursue wellness coaching. ?Wellness Coaching is an emerging field that really puts the client in the driver?s seat by permitting them to find their own answers, Yaworowski gone over. ?In turn the client begins to feel back in charge of their lives and there wellness, When Lewis and Yaworowski were romance, He was drinking pre-Med tuition. Lewis felt there was something missing in his mission to help individuals. He had agreed to a nutrition class that he says changed his life. He decided that he wanted to help others diversely than being a doctor. He and Christina started a plan of action to guide others in the kitchen connoisseur through exercise. At the time both Yaworowski and Lewis worked at a gym but they decided to take your small business course in hopes to someday start one of their own. Yaworowski said they were given a ?Divine thrust? A month after the course was completed the particular gym they worked at closed down. From that came Active and also. Their business is a part of Revive Wellness which offers a variety of restorative and preventative methods like acupuncture, Homeopathy, And energy healing and holistic medicine. ?Coaching is a process in which we indentify and tap into our clients? genuine intrinsic willingness, Lewis believed. ?Then make reference to them to set small tangible realistic goals, Lewis shares a story of a client that had a home fitness cardio equipment in her home but was not motivated to use it. He suggested investing in 1 minute at a time on the treadmill. In a natural manner she laughed at him but she listened and soon 1 minute became 5, 10 proper 30! ?We found that as people succeed in small wins, They build momentum that catapults them on direction of achieving their goals, He was quoted saying. Another positive and essential factor of Active Wellness is being ?Yellow, ?Our vision right from the start of the business was to be as green as possible, These Lewis. ?We have a minimalist style of training which uses only quick and easy apparatuses, This may be for clients to re-Create the exercises in their everyday life and particularly at home when they cannot come to a class. This is in which most sites can do but not all will, So Active healthiness gets major brownie points! They likewise have a commitment to their surrounding communities, Charitable organizations, And administrations. Active Wellness Holistic Fitness concentrates on one on one training and coaching. During these private sessions Yaworowski and Lewis set goals with their customers that are realistic and achievable. They perform services that include yoga, Lifting weights, speed, Balance practicing, Usefulness, Pilates and boxing. Everyone session is designed with the specific client in mind addressing their physical needs. They also offer motivation Boot camp with 4, 12, 24 or 36 week internet channels. In simple terms about 15-20 person classes where they do several types of methods including yoga, Fitness level training, Strength training and kickboxing (variations in class everyday). They have programs that help clients run their first 5K or travel on fitness retreats. When Yaworowski and Lewis were asked what they wanted for their potential customers their answer was simple: ?Our main intention is to empower, Build confidence and teach how to exercise safely and basically, They teach how to be realistic and achieve optimum results whether they are physical, Mental or non secular. Active Wellness recently celebrated their two year husband?s last Saturday. ?This was really important benchmark for us, Yaworowski suggested. For a new client going to a fitness studio might possibly be scary. But when one comes in to Active Wellness they are given care and importance. Each client meets with either Lewis or Yaworowski to get body sizing and to do a short fitness test to see the capabilities, Abilities and failings. They also talk with each client at this initial meeting to write down long and short term goals. Array of your weight or fitness level, These people have a plan that fits. They are supporting, Fun and know what they?re teaching. Active Wellness Holistic Fitness is perfectly located at the Westville area of New Haven, CT.

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