Obama set for 'intense' Pakistan, Afghan summit – AFP
May 2, 2009
Obama set for 'intense' Pakistan, Afghan summit – AFP Obama set for 'intense' Pakistan, Afghan summit
Voice of America
AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama meets Wednesday with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, hoping to shore up the fight against Islamic extremism as concerns about the region mount.
Zardari to meet Obama, buoyed by sea-change in Pakistan
Taliban holding villagers as human shields: Report
Obama: US swine flu response justified – Inland Empire News Obama: US swine flu response justified
China Daily
Inland Empire News
WASHINGTON–President Barack Obama says his administration has taken aggressive action to confront the outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus and prepare for the possibility that it could get worse.
Video: Obama: Gov't Ready for Swine Flu Battle
Chrysler's Fall May Help Administration Reshape GM – New York Times Chrysler's Fall May Help Administration Reshape GM
guardian.co.uk
New York Times - David E. Sanger, Bill Vlasic
Auto task force members, from left: Treasury's Ron Bloom and Gene Sperling, Labor's Edward Montgomery, and Steve Rattner. By DAVID E. SANGER and BILL VLASIC WASHINGTON – Fresh from pushing Chrysler into bankruptcy, President Obama and his economic team …
Chrysler's filing means new worries for dealers
Boston Globe union granted deadline extension – Washington Post Boston Globe union granted deadline extension
AFP
Washington Post
A front page news brief highlights the deadline for reaching an agreement on $20 million in concessions from the unions at The Boston Globe Friday, May 1, 2009, in Boston.
Boston Globe gets reprieve, deadline extended
Globe talks go on; union seeks deadline extension
Pig Flu- Influenza (Flu) | Swine Influenza (Flu)
May 2, 2009
Pig Flu- Influenza (Flu) | Swine Influenza (Flu)
CDC – Influenza (Flu) | Swine Influenza (Flu) If ever there was a time to optimise your immune system it seems now is the time. 28 confirmed cases in New York already.
There were a number of people criticizing factory farming saying they were perfect breeding grounds for new superbugs and it was only a matter of time before a global epidemic was upon us.
We had numerous ‘warnings’ over the last few years but it seemed even bird flu did little to bang home the threat of the laws of nature and it’s determination to restore the equilibrium of diversity of species.
The World Health Organisation has upgraded the phase of pandemic alert to 4 on the Pandemic Flu Phases Chart
First UK cases of Swine Fever Pig Flu
Spit Out Your Energy Drink!
Why you should spit out your energy drink | Metro.co.uk:
Considering many people go to the gym to manage their weight London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston has long held the view that the best thing to do with the sugary drinks on sale in Gyms is to spit them out. Now a scientific study has proven her correct – Spit out those highly processed simple carb rich sugary drinks, drink more water and eat proper food!
Sugars – carbohydrates – in liquids such as energy drinks fire receptors in the mouth which stimulate the brain to increase output, tests found.
The result is an average two per cent boost in exercise performance, with the added bonus of athletes not even feeling as if they are working any harder.
‘Much of the benefit from carbohydrate in sports drinks is provided by signaling directly from mouth to brain rather than providing energy for the working muscles,’ said physiologist Dr Edward Chambers.
Energy drinks have long been known to boost exercise performance but experts have said the sugar hit alone is not enough to explain the improvement.
Dr Chambers’ team found that cyclists who sipped and spat out drinks laced with carbohydrates outperformed those who did the same with drinks laced with artificial sweeteners.
The sugar-drinking group finished a one-hour endurance test two per cent faster.
Previously unidentified receptors in the mouth sent pleasure signals to the brain, which reduced the cyclists’ perception of the workload, said Dr Chambers, of Birmingham University, in the Journal of Physiology.
Sample sent to CDC confirms flu in NH – Nashua Telegraph
May 2, 2009
Sample sent to CDC confirms flu in NH – Nashua Telegraph
CONCORD – As expected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta confirmed that one of three samples sent to it is positive for swine flu, or the H1N1 virus. The results of two other samples are still pending. The confirmed sample comes from a Concord Hospital employee who was
Father of Malawan girl rejects Madonna adoption – CBC News
Madonna, seen here visiting Malawi in April, has vowed to keep up efforts to adopt four-year-old Chifundo (Mercy) James. (Riccardo Gangale/Associated Press) The father of the girl from Malawi that Madonna has been hoping to adopt says he doesn’t want the pop star to adopt his four-year-old child
Souter to Retire From Supreme Court – AOL
WASHINGTON (May 1) — President Barack Obama said Friday he will replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter with someone who shares the president’s respect for “constitutional values” and hopes to have “him or her” seated on the nation’s highest court by the start of the next term in
Chrysler Said to Seek Approval to Sell Most Assets by May 22 – Bloomberg
May 3 (Bloomberg) — Chrysler LLC , under orders by President Barack Obama to conduct a quick bankruptcy, will ask court approval to auction most of its assets in three weeks, a person familiar with the matter said. In a motion filed yesterday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, Chrysler
Pacquiao KO’s Hatton In 2nd Round – ESPN.com
May 2, 2009
Pacquiao KO’s Hatton In 2nd Round – ESPN.com
LAS VEGAS — First Oscar De La Hoya, now Ricky Hatton. The way Manny Pacquiao is handing out beatings, maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr. should have stayed retired. Pacquiao cemented his claim to being the best pound-for-pound boxer Saturday night with a spectacular performance that ended with Hatton
Jack Kemp, 73, dies after illness – Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described “bleeding-heart conservative,” died Saturday. He was 73. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) WASHINGTON – Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described
Souter to Retire From Supreme Court – AOL
WASHINGTON (May 1) — President Barack Obama said Friday he will replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter with someone who shares the president’s respect for “constitutional values” and hopes to have “him or her” seated on the nation’s highest court by the start of the next term in
Store
May 2, 2009
DA Michael Nifong Resigns
Breaking News: Durham DA Michael Nifong just announced that he will resign his post. This is something we had hoped for. We are glad to hear that Mr. Nifong finally reached that decision. Below are links to selected media coverage on this topic.
Articles:
Law Expert: Cleared Player’s Testimony Devastating for Nifong WRAL
Reactions to Nifong’s resignation Newsobserver
Embattled Nifong Says He’ll Resign WRAL
Nifong resigns KC Johnson
Nifong says he’ll quit as district attorney Newsobserver
Duke prosecutor says he will resign Associated Press
Videos:
Reade Seligmann Full Testimony
Nifong announces he is resigning
Nifong’s testimony ‘Extraordinary’ lacrosse attorney says
Tony Veitch to appear in court 9am tomorrow[
May 2, 2009
Tony Veitch to appear in court 9am tomorrow
[ Update see below for his sentence]
The depositions hearing against Tony Veitch will not proceed as planned on Monday, but no-one is saying why. Instead Veitch will appear in court tomorrow morning. He was charged with assaulting his partner.
TVNZ has the possible legal options:
-Veitch could be pleading guilty to all the charges.-Veitch could accept that there is a case to answer, will plead not guilty and the matter will go straight to trial.
-The hearing may not take place because one or more witnesses are not available.
-The hearing may not take place due to police withdrawing all charges.
-The hearing is unnecessary, due to police replacing existing charges with lesser ones, and a plea bargain has been negotiated.
I’m wondering if it will be either a plea bargain or a withdrawal of charges. He wont go to jail.
UPDATE He pleaded guilty under a plea bargain although seven charges were dropped. Sentenced to nine months supervision and 300 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine. Probably the only person to to lose his job over community service and a fine – before being sentenced.
It’s good that is is now over. Let him get on with his life. He’s already lost $100,000 to his former partner. Do you think he deserved his sentence?
Flu fighters warn against complacency, seek clues – The State
May 2, 2009
Flu fighters warn against complacency, seek clues – The State
MEXICO CITY — The leader of an international team helping Mexico face down the swine flu outbreak said it should soon learn whether the epidemic is really stabilizing in Mexico, but that many key questions about how the disease kills still need to be answered. Dr. Steve Waterman, the head of a team
Outbreak in Mexico May Be Smaller Than Feared – Star News Online
Of 908 suspected cases that were tested, only 397 people turned out to have the virus, officially known as influenza A(H1N1), Mexican health officials reported at a news conference. Of those, 16 people have died. Mexico had reported about 2,500 suspected cases as of Friday, but the number of real
Resistance to Obama high court pick may be modest – Yahoo News
WASHINGTON – Awaiting President Barack Obama ’s first Supreme Court pick, activists expect a less-spirited nomination battle than would have been anticipated if conservative justice had stepped down or Democrats held a slimmer edge in the Senate. Retiring Justice David H. Souter is part of the
Opponents of Iran’s hard-line president accuse him of faking support by bussing in crowds – Minneapolis Star Tribune
TEHRAN, Iran – Opponents of Iran’s hard-line president accused him Saturday of faking his support by bussing in students and soldiers to attend his public appearances, a strategy brought to light by the death of a student in a bus crash. The tactic and the student’s death on Wednesday gave Mahmoud
Dance students echo love for Kansas City B-B-Que
May 2, 2009
Dance students echo love for Kansas City B-B-Que
For those people who appreciate the Kansas City traditions of Gates BBQ and KC Jazz, they will not want to miss one of the highlights of our city’s dance community this season.
The Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company will present their annual Spring Concert 2009, at White Recital Hall on May 14, 15 and 16, featuring another successful collaboration with Kansas City Jazz icon, Bobby Watson.
‘Master and Margarita’ comes together in the end
Last weekend, UMKC Theatre opened their final performance of the year – and their biggest stage production to date.
“The Master and Margarita” is an adaptation of Mikhail Afanasievich Bulgakov’s novel, which tells the story of a writer in communist Russia.
7 Questions To Ask Before You Hire a PPC Management Company
May 2, 2009
7 Questions To Ask Before You Hire a PPC Management Company
If you’ve ever thought about outsourcing your PPC, then this post is for you. Pay-Per-Click Expert Paul Rakovich provides some very helpful guidance on choosing a PPC vendor. I normally don’t post other people’s stuff – but this is incredibly valuable… check it out!
My (Paul’s) Experiences with Outsourcing My Pay-Per-Click Needs
The first pay-per-click management company that I hired kept raising my budget and jacking up my costs-per-click. Yet, I wasn’t getting any conversions! So I decided to fire that PPC firm and manage my own pay-per-click campaigns. I studied under the top gurus like Perry 
Marshall. I bought all the ebooks and coaching programs. And, I spent more than $10,000.00 figuring everything out on my own until I grew a no name business into $50k per month in sales all from pay-per-click advertising. But, I worked day and night on my pay-per-click campaigns.
I spent a ton of time, money and effort on it. I couldn’t handle it anymore so I hired another pay-per-click firm to take over the accounts again. They did a nice job and are still around today, but I saw some holes in their approach. Now, I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. I want to help you choose a pay-per-click management company that’s actually going to help you turn clicks into clients.
Here are 7 Questions You Need to Ask Before You Hire a Pay-Per-Click Management Company
1. This is going to piss people off: How many accounts does an account manager handle? Just because you have a “dedicated” account manager doesn’t mean he/she isn’t dedicated to 50 other accounts. This is not uncommon in some of the larger pay-per-click firms out there. If they work 40 hours per week that’s less than 1 hour/week they are spending on your account, provided they do nothing but work on accounts every minute of the day.
2. Can I peek in and have access to my Google & Yahoo accounts? There’s a new breed of PPC management that keeps everything secret. They are basically buying a click for $1.00 then charging you an undisclosed markup on the click. That’s why their setup & management fees are low. They’re making money on marking up your clicks.
3. What constitutes an improvement? You need to put in your order with the pay-per-click firm just like you would order a steak medium rare with a side of truffle fries to a waiter. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t be afraid to speak up. For example: I want to increase sa
les while keeping my cost-per-sale under $50.
4. Do you track phone calls? If you are doing any part of the business offline then your pay-per-click management company should offer a way to track where your calls are coming from. Tracking calls back to specific keywords helps eliminate waste and will reveal high response terms you’ll want to dominate.
5. What are your prices? Now, don’t be cheap. There is no such thing as a Mercedes Benz for Honda prices. I’ll admit some people don’t need the Mercedes, but if you are spending $2,000/month or more, chances are you at least need a certified, pre-owned BMW.
6. What is your experience? I’m all for giving the new guy a try. I was the new guy at one point. Nothing, I repeat nothing can replace experience. Experience comes from long hours of hard work. There are no magic formulas. Good solid basics and some creativity will always win in the end.
7. Will you involve me in the project? No one knows your business as well as you. Get specific on how often you’ll meet to review the results and plan next steps. A good pay-per-click firm will welcome your input. It is invaluable.
Now, it’s up to you. But, if you fail to ask the above questions, then you’re risking hiring and firing new pay-per-click management companies when things go south or spending tens of thousands of dollars learning how to do it yourself like I did. Learn from my pay-per-click outsourcing experiences.
Pay-Per-Click Expert Paul Rakovich grew a no-named business selling Tony Robbins CDs to doing $50,000.00 per month in sales with PPC advertising. Today, he manages PPC campaigns for plastic surgeons, dermatologists, clothing companies, dentists, lawyers, Internet marketers, a famous copywriter and more! Now get his FREE 5 PPC Fixes That Could Save You Thousands at http://www.clicksandclients.com & learn how to turn your clicks into paying clients.
GIVE Act takes away freedoms
May 2, 2009
GIVE Act takes away freedoms
Being a sappy person at heart, I always get chills of pride when I witness an act of kindness.
It not only boosts my pride of country, it gives me a glimmer of hope that there is still good in the world.
Driving down Wornall Road Saturday afternoon, I passed a Big Brothers Big Sisters truck full of people offering a helping hand in the community.
