Family owned business management vs professional companies ...

Family owned business management vs professional companies

Written by Sameer Kamat

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

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

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Family business management ? Advantages and disadvantages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Dead letter offices: States closing the most mail centers

First-class stamped mail has declined more than 50 percent in the past 10 years, from 52 billion deliveries in 2002 to 26 billion in 2011.

By Michael B. Sauter, Ashley C. Allen, and Charles B. Stockdale, 24/7 Wall St.

The U.S. Postal service plans to close nearly half of the nation?s mail processing centers beginning May 15. The move, which follows a five-month study on 264 of the country?s 461 centers, puts more than 35,000 workers? jobs at stake. 24/7 Wall St. has identified the nine states where the USPS plans to close the most mail centers.

The plan is USPS?s latest attempt to stem mounting losses. At the current rate, the postal service?s debt is projected to reach $18 billion by 2015. The mail center consolidations are part of a plan to save $2 billion per year and $20 billion by 2015.

While it is still not clear exactly how these changes will affect delivery, a recent plan currently under consideration would make overnight delivery for first class mail impossible in many locations.

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The USPS is the first to point out that mail volume has declined precipitously because of electronic mail and the downturn in the economy. This places the postal service in an untenable position as it relies on revenue from mail service instead of tax dollars.

First-class stamped mail has declined more than 50 percent in the past 10 years, from 52 billion deliveries in 2002 to 26 billion in 2011. According to an email from USPS representative Sue Brennan, the drop in mail has resulted in significant excess capacity. She wrote, ?We have an infrastructure that has expanded over decades designed to handle hundreds of billions of pieces of mail and mail volume is no longer increasing. 2006 was our peak year. We need to right-size our infrastructure.?

According to the plan, neighboring facilities will absorb the functions of the 223 targeted centers. The USPS maintains that the 35,000 jobs will be lost through attrition, though employees will be relocated to other facilities initially. When not available, the employees will be offered other work, such as being post office clerks or mail carriers. In some cases, workers could be relocated to different states.

Nine states will see eight or more processing facilities closed. Almost half of the 223 plants scheduled to be shuttered are located in these nine states. For the most part, these states, which include California, New York and Texas, have the largest populations in the country.

24/7 Wall St.: 10 states that cannot pay their bills

If these measures are allowed to go through, some states will certainly be affected more than others. While unemployment in the U.S. has declined over the past year, it remains high in several states -- a number of which are set to lose the most processing facilities. Five of the nine states set to lose the most centers have unemployment rates above the national average of 8.3 percent. California and Illinois have some of the worst unemployment numbers in the country, and these cuts will only hurt their regional economies even further.

These are the nine states where the U.S. Postal Service wants to close the most mail centers.

1. California

• Proposed closings:?14
• Unemployment rate:?11.1 percent

Fourteen postal centers will be closed in California -- more than any other state in the nation. California is also the most populous state by a significant margin. Centers to be closed include Bakersfield, Industry, Long Beach, Pasadena, Stockton, Petaluma and North Bay. According to USPS spokesperson Augustine Ruiz, as reported by KPBS, overnight mail will be delayed by at least a day if the delivery address is further than 90 miles from one of the remaining processing centers. Ruiz also notes that employees will be given the option to follow their jobs to the centers where the work will be moved.

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2. Georgia

• Proposed closings:?13
• Unemployment rate:?9.7 percent

The USPS plans to close 13 processing centers in Georgia this year, including centers in Acworth, Albany, Athens, Augusta, Cartersville, Columbus, Douglasville, Marietta, Savannah, Swainsboro, Valdosta and Waycross. Some processing duties will be sent outside of the state. For example, some mail processing operations of the Augusta Processing and Distribution Facility will soon be handled by the Columbia, S.C., center, according to the?Augusta Chronicle.

3. New York

• Proposed closings:?12
• Unemployment rate:?8.0 percent

New York?s postal system will see a lot of change this year. The USPS will be shuttering customer service mail processing centers in Amsterdam, Binghamton, Glens Falls and Plattsburgh. A surface transfer center in Binghamton, processing and distribution centers in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Newburgh, Flushing and Garden City, an annex in Melville, a logistics and distribution center in Bethpage, and a delivery distribution center in Monsey will also be closed. New York is the country?s third-largest state by population.

The rest of the list of states closing the most mail centers at 24/7 Wall St.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/28/10518920-dead-letter-offices-states-closing-the-most-mail-centers

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Oscars 2012: Favorite Speeches, Shocks And Moments

Another year, another Oscars down. Plenty of predictable outcomes, yes, but some happy surprises in the mix as well, including an almost-streak for Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" and a few well-placed penis jokes from the "Bridesmaids" crew. MTV News' Eric Ditzian, Josh Wigler and Amy Wilkinson had plenty to say about what worked and what didn't [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/02/27/oscars-2012-highlights/

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Make Gold And Silver Investments | articlecart.com

More and more people decide to withdraw their money out of banks and search for the best investments they can make on their own. They do not trust the public financial institutions anymore due to the crisis that has spread all over the world. It is hard for them to entrust all their savings in the hands of national or international currencies, taking into consideration that even the greatest powers of the world have struggled with certain monetary difficulties. Individuals head toward a sure investment that can bring a certain profit. So far, they have found out that buying precious metals are a good way to start.

It has come to people?s attention the fact that silver and gold investment could be the greatest answer in times of crisis. This is mostly due to the characteristics that these precious metals present. First of all, they can be sold and bought with ease on the market, and second of all, their price will never register any decrease, no matter of the economic situation. Until now, individuals were more willing to close up deals that could bring them great profit. This is no longer the case, as people prefer nowadays to secure their savings than to increase their income. The best answer would be to invest in gold and silver, as they represent a hedge against any movement on the market.

If somebody wants to become a silver or gold owner, he can achieve this thing very easily. Nowadays people receive a great help from the modern technologies. Thanks to the internet and the specialized companies in making transactions with these special metals we find on the virtual space, things started to be simpler. The ones that want to own gold physically can buy the desired amount from the internet and have it delivered directly to their home. There is also a great variety of forms in which these precious metals can be bought, taking into account the needs of the investor.

The reliability that gold and silver present to investors defeats any currency in the world. They have fulfilled the same roles on the market as any other currency and they also have a greater stability. Another advantage that these precious metals present is that they can be used in other domains as well, meaning in the industrial and medical field.

In case the bank where someone holds its assets goes through bankruptcy, only gold stocks can be recovered. Gold is considered a great investment also due to the fact that its value increases because of its mining and refining process while money lose its worth because it can be printed without difficulty.

If you want to invest in something, make gold investments.

Source: http://articlecart.com/make-gold-and-silver-investments/

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Motorola RAZR heading to Spain courtesy of Yoigo

More love for the good folks in Spain today from Motorola. News out of MWC confirms that Spain will be receiving the global version of the Motorola RAZR via carrier Yoigo. The best part -- the RAZR will be available free on contract. 

It's no secret that we love the RAZR here at Android Central, and the people of Spain will be able to enjoy it starting in March. No exact dates have been provided at this time, but needless to say they won't have to wait too much longer. 

While launching with Gingerbread, the RAZR will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich at some point in Q3 2012.

Source: Motorola

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/nVZZN9ejwMw/story01.htm

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New fashion stars include Mara, Stone and Chastain (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - There were many new fashion faces on the red carpet at the 84th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night, but they brought with them a lot of old Hollywood glamour.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/fashion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120227/ap_en_ce/us_oscars_fashion

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Buying Real Estate Foreclosures

The Benefits of Foreclosures

There are various ways to save lots of when buying the property of your dreams. However, in case your price range is tighter than the subsequent particular person?s then perhaps you prefer to to try actual estate foreclosures. If you wish to purchase your dream house now or simply want to have interaction in a little property investing, then you may make enormous savings snapping up foreclosure properties.

What are Foreclosures?

When somebody borrows cash to purchase property, from the bank or some other kind of lender, that person is obligated to make funds on a pre-organized basis (normally, a hard and fast amount month-to-month). When this particular person fails to make these payments, the lender takes back the property. The bank or lender in turn tries to dump the property to others. Otherwise, it?s an asset not incomes its keep. Now, since most actual property foreclosures have been empty or neglected prior being sold, their prices are usually beneath market value as a result of they want some fixing up.

The State of Actual Property Foreclosures

Foreclosed properties are normally in want of a lot restore because no money has been spent on their upkeep. If the earlier?6pm free shipping coupon code proprietor can not pay his mortgage, then you may assume that money was tight and home upkeep isn?t one among his high concerns.

Additionally it is doable that the one that owned the home is quite resentful of losing it. As such, it is not surprising to see damage intentionally inflicted on the property. They feel that if they can?t preserve the property, then nobody else should profit from it. So they exit of their method to deface the property. It is a sad and obviously mistaken thing to do however a reality with many actual property foreclosures nonetheless.

Nonetheless, because the potential buyer of actual property foreclosures, this may actually be a benefit to you! You see, damage finished by earlier disgruntled house owners is hardly ever structural. As an illustration, they might have ripped off the sink but that does not mean the plumbing wants repair. Briefly, the harm is cosmetic. And but, it nice devalues the home, making it an awesome buy for you.

Despite of what you could have heard, you truly must buy a list of foreclosed properties in your locale to know precisely which real estate has been foreclosed. Get in touch with a dependable realtor in your space and state your want to amass real estate foreclosures proper from the start. Their experience in this kind of property is one thing that shall be of great worth to you. Furthermore, if you happen to require financing help, they may help as well.

Welcome To Oakleaf Plantation Jacksonville Florida. With This site you will be able to get up to date information about the area of Oakleaf for Shopping, Oakleaf Plantation Real Estate, Realtors, Oakleaf Plantation Restaurants, Oakleaf Child Care or Day Cares, Oakleaf Schools, Jacksonville Real Estate, Orange Park Real Estate and Sports. Over the next few months, we will be surveying the Oakleaf Area. As we accumulate information on the Oakleaf area, we will be posting articles and information about things to do in Oakleaf Plantation and the surrounding areas. When you have Questions About OakLeaf or Jacksonville Florida Real Estate, visit OakLeafPlantationSales.com

Oakleaf Plantation is an upscale family community located on the Westside of Jacksonville Florida. The Real Estate in the Oakleaf Plantation area is shared by Jcksonville, FL in Duval and Orange Park, FL in Clay county. This community resembles a small city that provides all types of recreation and shopping. If you are looking to move to Oakleaf Plantation Jacksonville, Florida. I must say that Oakleaf Plantation is an area I would encourage you to visit the Oakleaf area to tour the many neighborhoods.

OakleafPlantationSales.com is not affiliated with Hutson Land Development or the builders in Oakleaf Plantation.

Source: http://oakleafplantationsales.com/foreclosures/buying-real-estate-foreclosures/

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Prep for California Primary Stresses Lame Duck GOP (ContributorNetwork)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]ContributorNetwork - The AP reports that the California Republican Party is headed for its spring convention in Burlingame. Picking presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, whose popularity is extremely low in the Golden State, as keynote speaker doesn't jibe with more traditional California GOP choices.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120224/pl_ac/11007308_prep_for_california_primary_stresses_lame_duck_gop

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Video: Sprint-MetroPCS Deal is Off

KNTV's Scott Budman reports Sprint has walked away from a major deal with MetroPCS; Japanese regulators say AIJ Investment Advisors lost $2 billion dollars in pension assets it managed; shares of Kenneth Cole Productions soared after Kenneth Cole himse...

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46519854/

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Australian inquest opens in dingo-baby mystery (AP)

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AP - A coroner on Friday opened Australia's fourth inquest into the most notorious and bitterly controversial legal drama in the nation's history: the 1980 death of a 9-week-old baby whose parents say was taken by a dingo from her tent in the Australian Outback.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oceania/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120224/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_dingo_death

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Home Improvement: Doors: Choosing a Life Insurance Company

In choosing a life insurance company, one of which is to assess its reputation. Can we value the reputation of three things: Reputation Service, Financial Reputation, Reputation Owners and Management. Life insurance company if the agency system, choose an insurance agent who really have a good attitude, can explain the products with the best interests of customers (instead of self-interest, as the basis for getting a bigger commission). Assessing Treasury's reputation is to assess the company's financial statements could you ask for or do you see in print and in electronic media. Assess how much the company's capital strength compared to other companies. Also how good the value of the cash flows of the company known as Risk Based Capital (RBC). This is a way to assess your health insurance company. Choose RBC Insurance Company which has over 120 percent. If you are confused what RBC is, RBC just ask me how much your insurance company to your insurance agent.
Other tips, if you choose a joint venture life insurance company, you can see how the reputation of the foreign companies in various other countries. Your insurance agent usually has a collection of news about how the reputation of the foreign companies in other countries. And if you choose a local life insurance company then chooses a reputable company "resilient", the company is quite old and has been through various crises. After choose a life insurance company, notice the life insurance quotes then.

Source: http://dizzyfatplonka.blogspot.com/2012/02/choosing-life-insurance-company.html

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Company sues Apple over iPad name in Shanghai (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

AP - Apple Inc. defended its right to use the iPad trademark in China in a heated court hearing Wednesday that pitted the electronics giant against a struggling Chinese electronics company that denies having sold the mainland China rights to the popular tablet computer's name.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120222/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_ipad_dispute

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Researchers have discovered a promising alternative to common ...

Researchers have discovered a promising alternative to common antibiotics used to fight the bacteria that causes strep throat. In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists discussed how their discovery could fight the infection with a reduced risk of antibiotic resistance. By screening tens of thousands of small molecules, the team from the University of Missouri and University of Michigan identified a class of chemical compounds that significantly reduced the severity of group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria infection in mice...

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Source: http://www.kiefit.com/Health_Fitness/new-compound-to-fight-strep-throat-infection/

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Judith Samuelson: In Phase 2, Occupy Movement Needs a More Nuanced View of Capitalism

As the Occupy Movement gears up for its next phase, I hope it can help give visibility to ideas that move beyond vilifying "corporations" and "capitalism" and begin to focus on the incentives and policies that create sub-optimal results from business and capital markets. We need a more nuanced view of capitalism to make progress.

Corporations may be "persons" legally, but they are not in reality. To bring about change, we need to influence real people, especially those who shape the incentives, such as compensation and tax policy, that drive the behavior of business people and investors. General protest is important and legitimate for lots of reasons, but it's not all that is needed.

For those in the Occupy movement who blame corporations for a multitude of woes, it's also important to remember that "we the people" represent the demand for cheap goods, sugary soda, and freedom to live the way we want, which is the ying-to-the-yang of unsustainable consumption of natural resources and energy -- the goods and services largely being delivered by "corporate capitalism."

Meanwhile, however, although the encampments may be mostly gone, the attitudes about business that permeate Occupy are spreading. Harris Interactive released its latest polling data for 60 leading companies this week, and Wall Street firms hit a new low.

The percentage of respondents with a positive impression of the industry fell to 17 percent from 22 percent a year ago. The only industry with a less favorable standing was tobacco. Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and AIG had scores so low they resemble the approval ratings of companies like Enron before they went out of existence.

The reasons for this fall from grace probably stem from a host of issues, but clearly trust -- or the lack thereof -- in Wall Street, business and ,increasingly, something called "capitalism" -- play a big role. Indeed, a meta-narrative seems to have emerged, promulgated by pundits and authors alike, who blame multinationals for many of our economic woes.

For example, in a recent speech to promote his book, Death of the Liberal Class, I heard Christopher Hedges argue that there are three types of capitalism -- the local kind, like the green market in the parking lot at the neighborhood church, the regional kind -- like the grocery store chain, and then, of course, corporate capitalism. He made very clear which one was the problem. Mr. Hedges is articulate, passionate, well educated and seems in command of his facts. Given his background as a long time correspondent for the New York Times with a degree in divinity, it seems like truth is on his side -- and he touches on the big issues.

He referenced rapid decline of species, yawning problems in public health, a deficit of jobs and economic security -- and tying it all together? The failure of government to act, given that "they" -- the corporations -- control the campaign coffers, a reality now made worse by Citizens United and Super Pacs.

The room was packed, and even on the Upper East Side of Manhattan -- where there are likely more investment bankers in residence than any other place on the planet -- there were bursts of applause at his recurrent theme: corporations are at the root of the problems we face in this country. There is nothing left to be done, given their influence in the political process, but take to the streets.

I share his concern about the issues. I see two problems with his analysis.

The first problem, to quote the cartoon character Pogo -- "we have met the enemy, and he is us."

But further, every boomer fortunate to have a 401k plan wants it to go in one direction only -- up. The drumbeat for high returns is the flip side of short-term behavior in business and finance that drives the most egregious behavior in markets -- from creating junk mortgages to products with social and environmental costs. Excoriating corporations isn't going to bring about the changes we need. We need to delve into the incentives and the decision rules that shape behavior of those on both sides of the table.

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Follow Judith Samuelson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JudySamuelson

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-samuelson/in-phase-2-occupy-movement_b_1283195.html

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Tiny, implantable medical device can propel itself through bloodstream

ScienceDaily (Feb. 22, 2012) ? For fifty years, scientists had searched for the secret to making tiny implantable devices that could travel through the bloodstream. Engineers at Stanford have demonstrated a wirelessly powered device that just may make the dream a reality.

Someday, your doctor may turn to you and say, "Take two surgeons and call me in the morning." If that day arrives, you may just have Ada Poon to thank.

Yesterday, at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) before an audience of her peers, electrical engineer Poon demonstrated a tiny, wirelessly powered, self-propelled medical device capable of controlled motion through a fluid -- blood more specifically. The era of swallow-the-surgeon medical care may no longer be the stuff of science fiction.

Poon is an assistant professor at the Stanford School of Engineering. She is developing a new class of medical devices that can be implanted or injected into the human body and powered wirelessly using electromagnetic radio waves. No batteries to wear out. No cables to provide power.

"Such devices could revolutionize medical technology," said Poon. "Applications include everything from diagnostics to minimally invasive surgeries."

Certain of these new devices, like heart probes, chemical and pressure sensors, cochlear implants, pacemakers, and drug pumps, would be stationary within the body. Others, like Poon's most recent creations, could travel through the bloodstream to deliver drugs, perform analyses, and perhaps even zap blood clots or removing plaque from sclerotic arteries.

Challenged by power

The idea of implantable medical devices is not new, but most of today's implements are challenged by power, namely the size of their batteries, which are large, heavy and must be replaced periodically. Fully half the volume of most of these devices is consumed by battery.

"While we have gotten very good at shrinking electronic and mechanical components of implants, energy storage has lagged in the move to miniaturize," said co-author Teresa Meng, a professor of electrical engineering and of computer science at Stanford. "This hinders us in where we can place implants within the body, but also creates the risk of corrosion or broken wires, not to mention replacing aging batteries."

Poon's devices are different. They consist of a radio transmitter outside the body sending signals to an independent device inside the body that picks up the signal with an antenna of coiled wire. The transmitter and the antenna are magnetically coupled such that any change in current flow in the transmitter produces a voltage in the coiled wire -- or, more accurately, it induces a voltage. The power is transferred wirelessly. The electricity runs electronics on the device and propels it through the bloodstream, if so desired.

Upending convention

It sounds easy, but it is not. Poon had to first upend some long-held assumptions about the delivery of wireless power inside the human body.

For fifty years, scientists have been working on wireless electromagnetic powering of implantable devices, but they ran up against mathematics. According to the models, high-frequency radio waves dissipate quickly in human tissue, fading exponentially the deeper they go.

Low-frequency signals, on the other hand, penetrate well, but require antennae a few centimeters in diameter to generate enough power for the device, far too large to fit through all but the biggest arteries. In essence, because the math said it could not be done, the engineers never tried.

Then a curious thing happened. Poon started to look more closely at the models. She realized that scientists were approaching the problem incorrectly. In their models, they assumed that human muscle, fat and bone were generally good conductors of electricity, and therefore governed by a specific subset of the mathematical principles known as Maxwell's equations -- the "quasi-static approximation" to be exact.

Poon took a different tack, choosing instead to model tissue as a dielectric -- a type of insulator. As it turns out human tissue is a poor conductor of electricity. But, radio waves can still move through them. In a dielectric, the signal is conveyed as waves of shifting polarization of atoms within cells. Even better, Poon also discovered that human tissue is a "low-loss" dielectric -- that is to say little of the signal gets lost along the way.

She recalculated and made a surprising find: Using new equations she learned high-frequency radio waves \ travel much farther in human tissue than originally thought.

Revelation

"When we extended things to higher frequencies using a simple model of tissue we realized that the optimal frequency for wireless powering is actually around one gigahertz," said Poon, "about 100 times higher than previously thought."

More significantly, however, her revelation meant that antennae inside the body could be 100 times smaller and yet deliver the same power.

Poon was not so much in search of a new technology; she was in search of a new math. The antenna on the device Poon demonstrated at the conference yesterday is just two millimeters square; small enough to travel through the bloodstream.

She has developed two types of self-propelled devices. One drives electrical current directly through the fluid to create a directional force that pushes the device forward. This type of device is capable of moving at just over half-a-centimeter per second. The second type switches current back-and-forth in a wire loop to produce swishing motion similar to the motion a kayaker makes to paddle upstream.

"There is considerable room for improvement and much work remains before these devices are ready for medical applications," said Poon. "But for the first time in decades the possibility seems closer than ever."

Stanford doctoral candidates Daniel Pivonka and Anatoly Yakovlev contributed to this research.

Ada Poon's research was made possible by the support of C2S2 Focus Center, Olympus Corporation, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford School of Engineering. The original article was written by Andrew Myers.

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

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/DV2OKAbh6bY/120222094250.htm

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12 Most Compelling Free eBooks by Business Bloggers | 12 Most

In the past few years, eBooks have been a very popular method among online authorities for promoting themselves and the great work that they can do. The eBook is a highly diversified piece of content.

Basically, there are four types of eBooks. First, there are eBooks that are merely digital versions of print books, and these usually do carry a cost. Secondly, there are eBooks that authors charge for but are only available digitally. Thirdly, there are eBooks that authors use as a sort of incentive for a potential customer to take a desirable action, such as filling out a form or signing up for a newsletter. Lastly, there are the kind of eBooks that authors make available online for free ? 100%, with no strings attached.

This last kind eBook is what today?s post consists of. All of the books below can be downloaded for free by going to the webpage the titles are linked to. They range from 7 pages to 86 pages and are written by some of the best known business bloggers on the web (get to their blogs by clicking on their names). None of these great books require any kind information to be submitted. Just awesome. Free. Content. So read on?

Author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, Scott is one of the pioneering authorities on digital marketing. This well-written digital books piggy-backs on the ideas in his well-known book and adds a few additional insights in regards to the viral nature of certain content.

Chris Brogan, author of Trust Agents, Social Media 101, and Google+ for Business, is probably the single most popular name that people associate with social media. In this informative little eBook, Chris shows social media can be used as a platform for creating a professional image.

Anthony Iannarino?s blog, The Sales Blog, is probably the most widely-read sales blog on the web. Contrary to the direction that many sales professionals are headed, Anthony believes that cold calling still works? and that?s what his nicely formatted, straight-to-the-point eBook is all about.

Margie Clayman is probably one of the best bloggers I?ve read in regards to the quantity and diversity of content she creates. She writes about social issues, marketing, lifestyle, social media, self-improvement, and much more. Her eBook consists of 86 pages of some of her best articles on using social media for business. Margie is also an active member of the 12 Most community!

This great little eBook is put out by a few leaders from the Content Marketing Institute. Last year, the organization formed and held its first Content Marketing World conference in Cleveland, Ohio ? attracting dozens of the best known names in digital media. Definitely worth looking into!

Mark Hunter, aka ?The Sales Hunter,? is one of the best sales trainers online in regards to content production. He has a fantastic blog, great videos on YouTube, and about a half dozen highly informative eBooks all available for free. This eBook of his is probably the most poignant for our time.

Chris co-hosts the highly Marketing Over Coffee podcast, and is known as the authority on podcasting as a promotional platform. This nice little eBook provides a checklist for business people who may want to explore the medium.

Seth is probably the most widely-recognized author on this list. Authoring dozens of books including Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, and Linchpin, he is one of the few business leaders that I have no qualms about calling a guru. This 82 page eBook is an inspiring piece of motivational literature for professional as well as personal development.

Paul Castain, founder of one of the most interactive groups on LinkedIn ? Sales Playbook, is one of the most prominent sales leaders involved with social media. In addition to the group, Paul writes an excellent blog, does a fantastic podcast, and even has experimented with a little video. This 7-page eBook is a witty list of non-conventional ways to get a prospective customer?s attention.

Matt Heinz, author of several print books including Successful Selling, is a widely-known expert on issues related to sales and marketing. He offers great insight into the sales process and lead generation ? among other things. His eBook details 13 simple ways to get customers in the door.

John Jantsch is usually the first name that will pop into your head if you hear the term ?small business consultant.? Author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine, John also writes a killer blog and does a wonderful podcast in which he interviews other great business leaders and authors. John?s eBook, as the title implies, is about how small business owners can take advantage of the social media revolution to level the playing field in their industries.

Danny is one of the most highly-regarded online authorities regarding blogging and social media. For years, he has written profoundly on digital branding and personal development. His insightful little eBooks is a call to bring simplicity back into business.

I hope you enjoy the eBooks you find on this list. If anything, this will show you how much amazing information the Internet has to offer if you know to look in the right places. Have you discovered any other amazing, free eBooks online? Feel free to share in the comments below?

Featured image courtesy of pandemia licensed via Creative Commons.

Source: http://12most.com/2012/02/21/12-compelling-free-ebooks-business-bloggers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=12-compelling-free-ebooks-business-bloggers

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Online ordering key to increased business | Washington Restaurant ...

February 20, 2012

Full-service operators can build business and turn tables quicker by allowing time-crunched consumers to order meals online before arriving at the restaurant, research from the National Restaurant Association has found.

According to the 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast, 53 percent of adult diners said they likely would place their orders online in advance of their visits and schedule the time to arrive at the restaurant so their food would be served shortly after being seated.

The research also determined that younger consumers are more apt to embrace online ordering than their older counterparts. The report found that 68 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 years old would prefer to order ahead of time, compared with 64 percent of 35- to 44-year olds and 28 percent of adults aged 65 years and older.

Frequent customers ? particularly those who seek out convenience ? also said they likely would use the online ordering option before arriving at the restaurant. Among that group, 65 percent who order takeout would prefer placing their orders online first, while 60 percent of quick-service and 57 percent of full-service customers said they likely would use the option, too.

?Convenience has been one of the most important growth drivers for our industry during the last two decades,? said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the NRA?s Research & Knowledge Group. ?Consumers are always looking for away-from-home meal solutions, and ordering online is seen as a convenience option. But that doesn?t mean all restaurants have to head in that direction. It?s just one more solution for this diverse and consumer-driven industry to offer.?

(Source: National Restaurant Association)

Source: http://www.wrahome.com/news/online-ordering-key-to-increased-business/

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The Beauty of Life - Enjoy the Miracle of Life and ... - Personal Growth

Where and How to Find the Beauty of Life

How often do you stop to look at the beauty of life around you? If you have allowed life to just pass you by, you may have missed the beauty of the day and the miracle of life as well as signs of life and living.

Maybe you are one of many people out there who are busy chasing your dreams and only see the pains and ugliness in your daily existence. It is easier to notice them because they are so prevalent.

Life is beautiful. There is magic in living, in breathing and in all things and people if you take the time to pause and notice. The ability to see, hear and feel the fascinating universe is a gift endowed to all. But only a minority cares enough to sacrifice their time and use their senses to become captivated.

"Listen to the exhortation of the dawn. Look to the day. For it is life, the very life of life, in its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence. The bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendor of beauty. For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day. Such is the salutation of the dawn." - Kalidasa

Enjoying the beauty of life and living life fully today, makes life worth living and it makes tomorrow a better day.

1. Change your view about people and things around you. Start to observe and notice what you have not noticed before. Begin to see the flowers, trees and the clouds and listen to the birds and the waves. Nature helps bring out a sense of relief and enchantment to your soul.

   "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." - Henry Miller

2. Use uplifting metaphor when you talk about life. If life is a game, play the game of life and enjoy it. If life is a dance, dance along with the rhythm of life. If life is a piece of cake, you should find it easy to move about and get things done. If you think that life is a miracle, you will attract miracles.

   Change your metaphor if you have been saying that life is a struggle or life has no meaning because you will experience on the outside whatever you believe and affirm.

3. Learn to appreciate the people around you if you want to enjoy the beauty of life. There is beauty in love, in sharing and giving and laughing with friends and family. Relationships teach you about patience, trust and acceptance.
4. It is important to do what you love and love what you do. But don't forget to try something new and different. Dare to take risk, venture out, see new things, try them and play around. They will open and expand your mind and you will notice the magnificence and beauty of life and people.
5. Avoid regretting whatever has happened. Remember that you have learned something and gathered more life experiences even if the thing you did or went through was a mistake. Dare yourself to continue to learn in spite of your fears and doubts.
6. Plan your life as if you will live for a long time but live it like you only have today to live it.
7. There is beauty within you. It lies in your heart and soul. But you have to remove all your hatred toward people, things and life itself. Malice and spitefulness blind your eyes and soul to see the good.
8. Use your imagination to bring back beautiful moments and experiences any time you wish. Stop focusing on things that upset you and caused you pain.
9. Watch children and their curiosities. They find happiness and delight from seeing and doing things. They want to learn and to know more about life and people. They marvel at many things. Be like a child again.
10. Don't get wrapped up in negativity and ugliness that you find in the newspapers and the news. Avoid people who think that life is not worth living. Give yourself the chance to meet fascinating personalities. Try not to judge others but look for everyone's uniqueness.

Related Articles

Health Benefits of Laughter

Finding Inner Peace

Life and Living Tips

The Beauty of Life to Personal Growth Home

Source: http://www.about-personal-growth.com/beauty-of-life.html

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Asthma Diet and Its Amazing Effects | Article Whale

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Asthma diets are believed to be more effective than taking medications for asthma alone. There is truth in that. Diets are not only about proper food but it also includes medication and exercise. Food is somehow connected ...

Source: http://articlewhale.com/health-fitness/asthma-diet-and-its-amazing-effects

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Cosmonaut Stylus (for iPad)

Like a grownup crayon, the chunky Cosmonaut ($25) can help the shaky-handed navigate even tiny touch-screen elements on their iPads. While we prefer the Pogo Sketch Pro ($24.95, 4.5 stars) for nimbler fingers and the AppCrayon ($9.99, 4 stars) for little kids, we can see the Cosmonaut fitting firmly into the grasp of older iPad users.

Why use a stylus on your iPad? It gives you more precision when you're drawing or making handwritten notes, and it gets your finger out of the way. A stylus turns your tablet into a true sketchbook or notepad.

The Cosmonaut is the shortest of the four styli we tested at 4.5 inches, made of black rubber wrapped around a stainless-steel or wooden core. It feels very, very solid, and won't slip out of your hand. Studio Neat, the creators, say that it's similar to a dry-erase marker; that's selling the quality of the materials short, but the size comparison is right.?

The Cosmonaut's rubbery tip gripped the screen well, providing solid feedback, and it was especially good for clicking and dragging interface elements on the iPad.

Professional artist (and my wife)?Leontine Greenberg said she found the Cosmonaut's thickness made it a bit hard to hold and clumsy, but she typically paints with very small brushes. It might be a better pick for people with arthritis, carpal tunnel, or other disabilities, she noted. I'd add to the list older children turned off by the AppCrayon's very little-kid look.

If the Cosmonaut's chubby body appeals to you, it'll be a solid companion for your iPad.

More Accessory Reviews:
??? Crayola ColorStudio HD iMarker (for iPad)
??? Nomad Play (for iPad)
??? AppCrayon (for iPad)
??? Pogo Sketch Pro (for iPad)
??? Cosmonaut Stylus (for iPad)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/t4rH1lhQDTU/0,2817,2400329,00.asp

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Step Up Your Business's Sales With A Gift With Purchase Promotion ...

It cannot be kept that the high prices of merchandise has made consumers pickier. To some extent, the rate at which everyone is purchasing is just not as high as before. It may be mentioned that buyers are smarter these days, buying things which they only need or commodities which are worth purchasing.

While this kind of perspective is good for the world as a whole, businessmen like you might be experiencing the effects of this change. Sales usually are not as good as before. These are the occasions when superb marketing techniques must be launched. One greatly recommended strategy is to launch a gift with purchase campaign.

With customers being smarter these days, they often opt for products which present them with the perfect deal. One deal they might not resist is getting an item totally free after buying a specific product. This is what a gift with purchase promotion is. This marketing strategy, bearing the word ?free?, catches the attention of the shoppers and has the potential to persuade them to purchase. This type of promotion even has the potential to catapult your product ahead of your rivals

However, you need to keep in mind that this technique only becomes effective if you choose the suitable ?free? item to give. While the word ?free? can make purchasers see your product, the item you?re giving away is what convinces them to buy. It is, therefore, important to choose a gift that is irresistible or important to your clients. Moreover, it needs to be something distinct.

One step you may do to ensure the success of your gift with purchase promo is to be very familiar with your potential clients. Research on what clicks with them. Most importantly, be creative! Your competitors might be engaging in the same campaign; therefore, your free item must not be the same as theirs. Your product must stand out

Without a doubt, a gift with purchase promotion can banish your dwindling sales woes when you put together the right combination. So, don?t just pick an item that pops into your mind. Work with the experts and allow them to help you develop the winning formula!

Click for further information on Gifts or corporate gift.. Unique version for reprint here: Step Up Your Business?s Sales With A Gift With Purchase Promotion.

Source: http://newblogtips.com/index.php/2012/02/step-up-your-businesss-sales-with-a-gift-with-purchase-promotion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=step-up-your-businesss-sales-with-a-gift-with-purchase-promotion

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NKorea threatens to attack SKorea over drills

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? North Korea will launch "merciless" strikes if South Korea goes through with planned live-fire drills near their disputed sea border, a North Korean officer said Sunday, amid persistent tension on the divided peninsula.

North Korea doesn't want a war but its people are always ready to "dedicate their blood to defend their inviolable territory," officer Sin Chol Ung at the North's Korean People's Security Forces told The Associated Press.

"We are monitoring every movement by the South Korean warmongers. If they provoke us, there will be only merciless retaliatory strikes," Sin said.

South Korea will stage regular one-day artillery drills Monday from front-line islands off the western coast, including one shelled by North Korea in 2010, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff. It said South Korea informed North Korea of its training plan on Sunday.

Soon after, the North's military issued a statement warning of the strikes and urging all civilians living or working on the islands to evacuate before the drills start.

"Such move of the warlike forces is a premeditated military provocation ... to drive the overall situation on the Korean peninsula into the phase of war," a North Korean western military command said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The North frequently issues similar rhetoric against South Korea, but the latest warning comes as ties between the Koreas remain tense following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in December.

South Korea has barred all of its citizens, except for two private delegations, from visiting to pay respects to Kim, and North Korea has vowed to retaliate.

South Korea regularly conducts artillery drills from front-line islands. A November 2010 drill at one of the five islands, Yeonpyeong, triggered a North Korean artillery bombardment that killed four South Koreans. Pyongyang has accused Seoul of provoking the attack by conducting drills in its territorial waters.

In Seoul, an official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that South Korea's military will go ahead with Monday's two-hour artillery drills and is ready to repel any North Korean provocation.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity citing department rules, said North Korea hasn't shown any suspicious military activities so far.

South Korea also plans joint anti-submarine drills with the United States this week, but the training site is further south, he said. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as what U.S. and South Korean officials call deterrence against North Korean aggression.

"The Lee Myung-bak group of traitors should not forget the lesson taught by the Yeonpyeong Island shelling case," the North's statement said, referring to the South Korean president.

The North's warning also came four days before U.S. and North Korean officials meet in Beijing for talks on the country's nuclear weapons program. The talks will be the first such bilateral contact since Kim's Dec. 17 death.

The Korean peninsula remains technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

__

Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-02-19-AS-Koreas-Tension/id-d4b92f904ba740a6915e9012ad61b188

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Drug Abuse Treatment Centers - Health And Fitness Tips

Selecting a medicine therapy center can easily be one of the most crucial selections of your way of life. It happens to be of necessary significance that you think of a couple of elements before returning a selection.

Medication misuse is a disorder that demands a physician focusing on addiction medicine to make a specific medical diagnosis and recommend the most appropriate treatment. You must provide that a medication misuse therapy center can supply a range of therapy applications that match your desires. These programs may make up inpatient, non commercial, outpatient, and\/or short-stay possibilities. At that point an additional vital concern develops: just how much does a medication therapy center expense? The price tag for treatment appears in countless kinds of formats. You need to have an unmistakable idea of exactly what is offered, what are going to be added to your invoice as a fee-for-service show, and what products will be dealt with by your health and wellness insurance.

Inquire if the center has provisions for on-site medical care. It is advantageous, since physicians and nurses provide 24-hour medical services to monitor and ensure a safe withdrawal from drugs. Check the center?s medical credentials together with accreditation.

Do certainly not skip to ask which medical fees are provided in the rate of therapy at the center. As family members involvement is a crucial parts of recovery, ask if there is virtually any time committed to household applications, as well as if group therapy is integrated. Bear in mind that medicine rehabilitation therapy programs should integrate a proceeding care application that sustains and observes healing.

The Material Abuse as well as Mental Health and wellness Providers Administration (SAMHSA) provides on-line websites for finding medication as well as alcohol abuse treatment programs. The Substance Misuse Treatment Facility Locater notes private as well as public amenities that happen to be privileged, certified, or typically accepted for addition by their state material misuse agency

All information in the locater happens to be completely upgraded each many years, founded on facility effects to SAMHSA?s National Survey of Substance Misuse Therapy Providers. New resources are added month-to-month. Updates to resource names, addresses, as well as telephone amounts happen to be made regular monthly, if facilities inform SAMHSA of changes.

Want to find out more about Rick Lee?s site on how to choose the best Substance Abuse Treatment Center In Illinois for your needs.

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Source: http://healthandfitnesstips.biz/drug-abuse-treatment-centers

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Falcone sounds defiant note on LightSquared (Reuters)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - Hedge fund manager Philip Falcone told investors he will not quit plans to build a national mobile broadband service even after the startup wireless company he is backing suffered a serious regulatory blow this week.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120217/media_nm/us_hedgefunds_falcone

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Home health care industry fights overtime proposal

By Marisa Taylor

Imagine an industry that came through the Great Recession relatively unscathed financially. Now imagine that industry fighting proposed legislation that would afford its workers the same federal rights to minimum wage and overtime pay the rest of us enjoy.

No imagination needed, because that?s what?s happening in the industry for the workers who take care of us when we are too old or too sick to care for ourselves. Workers who care for homebound Grandma and Grandpa only earn about $21,000 a year on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the?industry that provides some 1.8 million home health care aides to the country?s disabled and chronically ill population is fighting new legislation that would guarantee those workers the same federal labor rights afforded to all other workers by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The Obama administration proposed legislation in December that would guarantee minimum wage and overtime coverage to home health care aides in the United States.?Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis pointed out that nearly 40 percent?of them rely on public benefits like Medicaid and food stamps, and many lack health insurance coverage. Home health care aides are paid an average of $10 an hour, but many are not guaranteed overtime pay when they work for more than 40 hours a week, and they're also not paid for travel time between client visits. (The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.)

As first reported by USA Today,?the home health care industry is fighting the proposal tooth and nail, claiming that a pledge of minimum wage and overtime pay would hurt caregivers because it would limit their hours?and could?send their charges to nursing homes and other institutions.?Home Instead Senior Care, one of the largest providers of home health care aides, spent?$362,000 fighting the White House?proposal last year, according to USA Today.

Home Instead Senior Care said it isn't opposed to paying minimum wage for home health care workers.

"The issue is keeping overnight care affordable for seniors and their families," Home Instead chief executive Roger Baumgart said in an e-mail to msnbc.com. "If agencies are required to pay overtime wages for overnight stays, it will significantly increase the cost of providing care to seniors." He wrote that the added expense would cause Medicare and Medicaid spending to rise.

The White House proposal?would overturn an exception to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act that was granted in 1974 to allow friends and family to offer in-home care?without running afoul of federal wage and hour regulations. The Labor Department has said that home health care companies have used the exception as an excuse to lower salaries for nursing assistants and other aides.

"The exemption was never really intended to apply to businesses like home care agencies, and it wasn?t supposed to apply to workers who were doing these jobs as a vocation," said?Steve Edelstein, national policy director of the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute.? "We just have to recognize that it?s a real job and pay for the services accordingly."

The majority of home health care aides don't even work a full 40 hours a week,?said?Edelstein, citing a recent PHI report that found that most of them work from 31 to?34 hours. That tends to defuse fears about costly overtime pay, he said.

In addition, he noted that?the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates?the aging U.S. population will require more than 800,000 more home health care workers in the next decade.

The home health care industry has weathered the economic downturn of the past several years in?good shape.

Privately owned home health care companies enjoyed a revenue increase of?12.8 percent over the past two years and net profit margins of about 8 percent,?according to financial information company Sageworks. Publicly held health care services companies saw revenues rise by 2.5 percent over two years?and?net profit margins of 4 percent.

In other words, the industry as a whole isn't doing too badly. "If you look at home health care, it certainly did better than most industries that we see in our data," said Michael Lubansky, a senior financial analyst at Sageworks. "Most other industries saw sales percent declines [beteween 2006 and 2011], but if you were to just look at this data for home health care, you wouldn?t be able to tell there was a recession."

Medicare and Medicaid accounted for about 75 percent of home health care revenue as of?2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State budget cuts could?make it difficult for Medicaid to cover higher salaries for home health care workers, according to USA Today.

In 2007, a case involving home health care aide Evelyn Coke, a single mother of five, was brought to the Supreme Court when she alleged that she was earning just $7 an hour without overtime benefits. Ms. Coke, who said she sometimes worked three consecutive 24-hour shifts, lost the case.

What do you think? Sound off on our Facebook page.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/16/10427004-home-health-care-industry-fights-overtime-proposal

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Pointers To Complete Your Home Improvement Plans

When you?re advancing toward a new home improvement project, you need to stop and consider what you really know and what you really should know. If you don?t really understand what?s concerned in house maintenance and transforming, or perhaps if you aren?t up-to-date on methods and abilities, you might lose out on the major advantages to gain from doing home improvement projects by yourself. These tips are just the beginning of the many things you should and wish to know.

For the best modern touch to the home, think about using wallpaper. Wallpaper can offer quite modern and funky designs, which can generate a great update for your house. This can give you a good look for the home with less effort than painting.

Keep your fans circulating, or invest in some if you don?t now utilize them. Rooms are kept more cool with the circulating air made by fans. In addition, if you use them instead of air con on those days that aren?t burning, the amount of energy you consume is reduced, allowing you to enjoy lower electric bills.

Remodel your wardrobe by employing closet organizer kits. These kits are built to maximise usable space in your closet. A basic kit usually features a closet rod and enough parts to offer you multiple shelves you can adjust. Further elements can be acquired to customise your closet. This is the best way to add space for storing in your house without a major transform.

When considering outdoor home improvements, you should take a quick look at your fence. Many have a tendency to overlook this aspect of our property more often than not, but an addition of a high quality and great looking fence can go a good way toward increasing the value of your backyard and outdoor entertainment areas.

To save on energy costs, consider adding a collection of small fluorescent light fixtures under your cabinetry. These lights consume less energy than your overhead light and can cast a glowing light on the counter surface that?s perfect for preparing food or illuminating a richly coloured counter top or ornamental back splash area.

If you have repairs that need to be done on your apartment, and your property owner is not doing them, you can withhold your rent. While you do not have to pay rent for those months, you do have to place the money in a ring-fenced account and write a certified letter to your property owner explaining why.

If you use these home improvement tips, it?s possible to get a great and full knowledge of what you?ll encounter in each stage of your project. At the exact same time, you might find that these tips are just what you want to choose whether the project at hand is one you can take on alone or if you must consider outside resources for help.

Find the Pest control services in Delhi and get best results in pest and termite control to enjoy your newly purchased or renovated home.

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Technorati Tags: home improvement, Home Improvement Catalog, Home Improvement Help, Home Improvement Ideas, Home Improvement Projects, Home Improvment, Pest Control

Source: http://premierpestcontrolreview.com/pointers-to-complete-your-home-improvement-plans

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Obama seeks $5 billion to transform teaching (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan delivered a scathing critique of teacher training colleges on Wednesday as he unveiled a $5 billion initiative to transform the teaching profession.

Duncan argued that the profession needed to become more selective, offer more consistent training, evaluate teachers' effectiveness more critically and reward the best teachers with salaries on a par with doctors and lawyers.

"Many of our schools of education are mediocre at best. Many teachers are poorly trained and isolated in their classrooms," Duncan told an online town hall meeting with educators.

"No other profession carries a greater burden for securing America's future. And no other profession deserves more respect," said Duncan, who once headed Chicago's public schools.

But his ambitious goals may run into major roadblocks.

President Barack Obama's administration wants states to compete for a share in $5 billion in federal grants to overhaul their teacher training colleges and create new standards to evaluate teachers.

But that fund is subject to congressional approval, and Republicans have already served notice that they intend to fight new spending initiatives. All four Republican candidates seeking to challenge Obama in November's election have called for greatly reducing the federal role in education.

On the state level, it is unclear where legislators will find the resources to raise teachers' salaries or offer sizeable bonuses to the most effective teachers, as Duncan has urged. Many states have cut tens of millions in education funding in recent years as they grapple with enormous budget deficits.

Duncan's rebuke of teacher colleges is also likely to arouse opposition from the institutions themselves. His description of many schools as ineffective rankles teacher educators such as Michael Morehead, dean of New Mexico State University's College of Education.

'MISPERCEPTION'

In recent years, Morehead said teacher training colleges had dramatically boosted their standards. Decades ago, he said, anyone with even a mediocre grade-point average in high school could get into a teacher college, flounder through the courses and still graduate as a teacher.

Now, he said, many schools are more selective in their admissions and require hundreds of hours of apprenticeship, or student teaching, before awarding a diploma. Many states also require teachers to pass one or more licensing exams before taking charge of a classroom.

"It's certainly a misperception" that teacher colleges are failing, Morehead said. "Yet that's what is consistently expressed."

But Tim Knowles, who directs the University of Chicago's Urban Education Institute, said teacher education reforms were sorely needed. About half of new teachers who go to work in urban schools leave the profession within five years, and many of them complain they were not well prepared for the job.

Knowles said some new teachers had spent as little as six weeks in apprenticeship before taking over their own classrooms.

Knowles said he hoped the Obama initiative would prod states to rank teacher colleges by how well they prepare their graduates, how long those graduates remain in the profession and how much impact they have on their students, as measured by standardized test scores.

Otherwise, he said, it is hard to tell how effective they were. "Right now, it's a total free-for-all," he said.

The Obama initiative is called RESPECT, an acronym for Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching.

The American Federation of Teachers, a national teachers' union, has issued a general statement of support for Obama's education reform policies but has not commented on the details of Duncan's proposal.

(Reporting By Stephanie Simon in Denver; Additional reporting by Ian Simpson; editing by Marilyn W. Thompson and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/education/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120215/pl_nm/us_usa_education_teachers

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