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Mexican police official, bodyguard shot dead at restaurant

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Gunmen today opened fire in a Mexico City restaurant, killing a top police official in charge of monitoring the country’s illegal drug trade, as well as one of his bodyguards, Mexican officials said. The attack is the latest waged against authorities attempting to fight Mexico’s powerful drug cartels.

Security officials in Mexico City say the attack occurred as Igor Labastida Calderón, commander of the federal police‘s Traffic and Contraband division, was eating lunch with one of his bodyguards, Jose Maria Ochoa. According to Minerva Amado, spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, two unknown subjects got out of a black vehicle, entered the restaurant, and opened fire on Labastida Calderón.

Reports differ on who else was injured in the attack. Amado said two other bodyguards were injured and hospitalized, while Mexico City newspaper El Universal reports that three civilians were injured.

The motive for the attack remains unclear. No arrests have been made so far, as police continue to search for the assailants. Federal police have refused to comment.

President Felipe Calderón has sent over 20,000 troops throughout Mexico in an attempt to take back areas controlled by the country’s drug cartels. Since Calderón took office in December 2006, more than 4,000 people have been killed by these drug cartels, allegedly including federal police chief Édgar Millán Gómez, whose May death was attributed to the Sinaloa Cartel.

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Insurance

What Is The Need And Purpose Of Market Research?

By James Marriot

Carrying out the market research is not enough in itself. It has to be regularly updated also. In order to carry out marketing effectively, you have to need to have information like the demand of the consumers, competition, market demand, distribution channels etc. This information needs to be updated regularly as the market is dynamic; it keeps on changing. So in order to fulfill the needs and demand of the customer, the company has to stay updated with their recent needs and demands. Taking the help of market research companies, which can provide you with the following information, can carry out this market research:

Changes in technologyIn order to know about the new products and services being offered ion the market, you need to be updated with the new changes that are taking place.

Changes in consumer tasteConsumer taste and preferences are dynamic in nature, it keeps on changing frequently. Therefore the company has to remain updated with the latest consumer taste and preference in order to provide them with desired product. Changes in the consumer taste can be known through market research surveys, which are conducted with the help of questionnaires and personal interviews.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukaahh5JpoE[/youtube]

Changes in economic conditionsThe gross national income and the regional income will be vastly affected by the improvement or stagnation of the countrys economy. This fluctuation in the countrys economy has a different impact on items related to luxury and necessity. Market research enables you to know and cope up with the changing needs of the consumers. It has provides you with a well-interpreted analysis for the future.

The main reasons for carrying out market research are as follows:

To obtain a detailed and better understanding of the consumers needsmarket research provides you with valuable information such as their views on products, packaging, recent advertising campaigns, pricing etc. This information will help the company to rectify its mistakes and will also help you to improve upon your product.

Reduce the risk of business failureWhile launching a new product, there is no guarantee that the product will be a success for sure. However if you remain updated with the needs of the consumers, then the chances of failure while introducing a new product reduces. If you will be aware of the consumer needs, you will also be aware of their preferences and dislikes. This information about you consumers can be gathered by carrying out a market research.

Forecast future trendsmarket research provides you not only with the current status of the market, it also provides you a future forecast of the customer needs. Once you know the current and future demands of your customers, you can easily make changes in your product portfolio and cater to the needs of your customers in the best possible ways.

About the Author: RNCOS E-Services Pvt. Ltd. offers complete e-publishing solutions for your business. We provide personalized world-class content development and management solutions that are qualitative and result-oriented.

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Retired U.S. vets sue Donald Rumsfeld for excessive service cutbacks

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

One thousand residents of the Defense Department-managed Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. filed a class-action lawsuit on May 24, asserting that the cut-backs in medical and dental services imposed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld are illegal. The operating budget for the home was reduced from $63 million in 2004 to $58 million for 2005. The residents cite cuts in on-site X-ray, electrocardiogram, physical and dental services, and the closing of the home’s main clinic and an on-site pharmacy.

Chief Financial Officer Steve McManus responded that the changes not only save money but also achieved improved efficiencies. “We’re really trying to improve the benefits to our residents,” he said.

Most of the home’s costs are paid for by a trust fund and monthly fees paid by residents. By law, the Armed Forces Retirement Homes are required to fund, “on-site primary care, medical care and a continuum of long-term care services.”

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Uncategorized

Jeter saves the day for the Yankees

Tuesday, April 5, 2005After a blowout win for the New York Yankees on Sunday, their ancient rivalry with the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox resumed with a close game on Tuesday that went down to the wire. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera had a blown save in the top of the ninth when he surrendered a solo home run to Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek that tied the score at 3-3. Yankee Derek Jeter saved the day in his lead-off at bat in the bottom of the ninth, hitting a walk-off home run off Keith Foulke to win the game for the Yankees. Yankees manager Joe Torre said, “We escaped today. Mariano is still the best in the game as far as I’m concerned. That doesn’t mean that clubs aren’t going to get to him once in a while. These guys we’re playing are the world champs.”

Rivera and the Yankees won’t soon forget the glory snatched from them by the Red Sox in last year’s American League Championship Series. The Red Sox were within three outs of being defeated in a sweep when they rallied against Mariano Rivera at Fenway Park in Game 4. They went on to win in 12 innings, and won the next three games to take the Series, and went on to win the World Series.

Other spotlights included starting pitcher Carl Pavano‘s debut for the Yankees and Hideki Matsui, who hit his second home run in two games.

Today’s game was played in front of 54,690 at Yankee Stadium.

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Weight Loss Surgery

Thinking Of Weight Loss Surgery? Read These 6 Top Tips!!

Thinking of Weight Loss Surgery? Read these 6 top tips!!

by

Jodie Flynn

Making the decision to get a Lap Band or have weight loss surgery or even researching the possibility of getting a Lap Band or having weight loss surgery is a big step and there is no doubt that there will be some feelings of fear; it’s human nature to be scared of the unfamiliar.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zeW-VAJAqA[/youtube]

All fears can be broken down into 3 basic categories: * Fear of not being loved; * Fear of not being good enough and * Fear of not belonging For me, the decision was a long time coming. I had been contemplating getting Gastric Band surgery for at least 3 years before I even got the courage to go to an information night! I had booked in for the information nights before, but never had the courage to turn up. I finally decided to take the next step when I realised the fear of doing nothing and possibly dying from my obesity was now stronger than the fear of the actual operation, the pain afterwards or even the thought of whether people would find out about it. It’s probably fair to say that part of the fear for me of having Lap Band surgery was the changes that were going to take place in my life; of being ‘skinny’ and all the “what ifs”? “What if it didn’t work?” “What if it did?!” “What if I haven’t dealt with all the issues that kept me overweight in the first place?” “What if something goes wrong in surgery?” “What if I had no excuses and had to play at 100%?” I had so many questions I needed answers to!! How did I get those answers? Ultimately the answer was research, research, research! * Firstly and probably most obviously, the internet is a wonderful tool to help with getting answers to some of the questions you have. * Internet forums can also be a good way to discuss issues with like minded people who are going through similar things to yourself. * Finding your weight loss surgeon is one of the most important decisions you will make and you want to be more than 100% satisfied. You’ll find that Gastric Band Surgery centres hold presentation nights; go to more than one centre so you can make an informed decision about who will do your gastric band surgery. * Ask questions! Your surgeon will have most probably heard it all before and are the experts. Don’t be afraid to ask, even if you think it’s the most stupid question ever. * Discuss your decision with people you trust and who know you well. They are the ones who love you for who you are, not what you look like and talking it over with them will also help you make the right decision. Being informed, knowledgeable and also at ease about the decision will help the fear dissipate. Of course it’s only natural to still experience some fear, but if you have answers to most of your questions, you can be confident you’ve done all you can to make the most informed decision you can make. You need to make sure that whatever you decide, that you are comfortable with it and are satisfied you are making the best decision for you. Even though it is normal to experience fear, it’s important to be courageous and act in spite of it. What fears does losing weight bring out in you? Shine the light on your fears and see the shadows jump away.

Jen Kaminski and Jodie Flynn are Directors of Lap Band for the Mind. If you have had weight loss surgery or are considering it, they can help you increase your chances of success. If you enjoyed the tips in this article and want to learn more about how to maximise your weight loss surgery success, claim Lap Band for the Mind’s popular free ecourse, “Top 10 ways to fail with a Lap Band”, available at: =>

lapbandforthemind.com

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Uncategorized

How the Army Corps of Engineers closed one New Orleans breach

Friday, September 9, 2005

New Orleans, Louisiana —After Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, several flood control constructions failed. Much of the city flooded through the openings. One of these was the flood wall forming one side of the 17th Street Canal, near Lake Pontchartrain. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the primary agency for engineering support during such emergencies. A USACE team was assessing the situation in New Orleans on the 29th, water flow was stopped September 2nd, and the breach was closed on September 5th.

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Uncategorized

Fannie Mae forgives mortgage debt of 90-year-old woman who shot herself

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Fannie Mae, a housing mortgage lender, has forgiven the mortgage debt of Addie Polk, a 90-year-old woman from Akron, Ohio who attempted to kill herself when she was being evicted from her home on Wednesday.

Polk had lived in her home since 1970, and refinanced her mortgage numerous times since 1997 when she first got a loan taken out against her home. When authorities tried to evict her, she shot herself once in the chest. Fannie Mae took over Polk’s home in 2007 after the loan company filed for foreclosure. One report from Reuters states that authorities tried to evict Polk more than 30 other times in the past.

“Just given the circumstances, we think it’s appropriate,” said Brian Faith, a spokesman for Fannie Mae who also said that the incident was almost immediately “on [their] radar screen”.

Polk is currently undergoing treatment at Akron General Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery. She can return to her home as soon as she recovers from her injuries.

Polk was recognized on Friday when Dennis Kucinich, who is a democratic representative for Ohio, spoke of her incident during debates on a 700 billion USD bailout bill that the United States House of Representatives passed on Friday. He states that the bill does not focus on people in situations like Polk.

“This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world. This bill fails to address the fact that millions of homeowners are facing foreclosure, are facing the loss of their home. This bill will take care of Wall Street, and the market may go up for a few days, but democracy is going downhill,” said Kucinich on Friday.

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Music Chart

When Music And Lyric Poems Checked Its Way Of Life From The Cyberspace To The Mainstream

Submitted by: Tony Shapiro

The Cyberspace has unquestionably revolutionized amusement. Now, individuals have more options beyond the chronic tv set and radio; people can determine shows and take heed to music online. Because of this, many industrious someones have brought forth stuffs produced specifically for the Internet. For case, driven musicians who want their music and lyrics to get out there use telecasting self-sacrificing Sites and cultural networking web sites so souls can hear what they have produced. And individuals have so far reacted to these independent creative people positively. And for a good reason: the words and the euphony of vocals produced by these artists are commonly unlike what the mainstream offers. Of course, this means fresh words and advanced sounds; mainstream artists, on the other hand, have to stick with formula, since anything that winds away from the accepted music and words may not attract as many fans.

So it isn t stunning that many artists who discovered celebrity on the Net tracked the mainstream. With their groundbreaking medicine and smart lyrics, these Internet stars have taken the world by rage. Here are the creative people and the songs that few attracted Cyberspaces buzz before realise bigger hail.

Bubbly by Colbie Caillat

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leT-4Y1l7NY[/youtube]

Colbie Caillat is now a far-famed artist gives thanks to her hit vocals Realize and I m Yours, which is a span with Jason Mraz. But it was Bubbly that helped jumps start her career. First heard in her MySpace page, Caillat was among the most popular unsigned artists during the time she published Bubbly on her social networking site. Written by Caillat, the lyric poems of Bubbly perfectly fit the creative person s effortless vocals. The lyrics are simple (sample lyric poems: The rain is falling on my window pane / But we are hiding in a safer place / Under covers staying dry and warm / You give me feelings that I adore ), while Caillat s voice seems physical and facile.

Say It Again, by Marie Digby

Marie Digby became famous thanks to her win in a lyrical repugn frequented by video self-denying web site Youtube. Digby was already signed Hollywood Records, but her Youtube videos (such as her video where she sang Rihanna s Umbrella ) conveyed her to the calcium light, but beyond her fresh voice, it was the lyric poems of her vocals which attracted hoi polloi, particularly when she tackled her original compositions. Say It Again marches her skill as a ballad maker. Her lyrics are heartfelt but tight, as proved here: Thing about you is you know just how to get me / You talk about us like there s no end in sight / The thing about me is that I really want to let you / Open that door and walk into my life.

LDN by Lily Allen

Some Other MySpace discovery, Lily Allen has been equated to a come of recognised singers and musicians, all because of the strength of her first single, LDN. Her lyrics are also solid (sample words of LDN : Riding through the city on my bike all day / Cause the filth took away my license / It doesn’t get me down and I feel OK / Cause the sights that I’m seeing are priceless ), nicely congratulating her already well-acquired expansive prowess.

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Song Lyrics

available at http://www.smartlyrics.com

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93-year-old Michigan man freezes to death after electric company limits his power usage

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Marvin Schur, a 93-year-old man from Bay City, Michigan has died after the electric company limited his electric use due to his failure to pay over US$1,000 in past-due payments.

Bay City Electric Light & Power installed a power-limiting device on his home on January 13. The device would limit the amount of power the resident uses and would essentially shut it off if that limit is reached, or if the resident fails to pay the outstanding bill within 10 days of installation. In order for the electricity to be turned back on, the limiter must be reset by pushing a button.

Bay City power says that a warning, indicating that the power was to be turned off and a limiter installed, had been placed on Schur’s front door. Despite that, the company says that they are now “looking at our website and possibly doing an automated phone message. We obviously need to get the word out.”

The autopsy performed on Schur’s body concluded that he had died “a slow, painful death” caused by hypothermia. Dr. Kanu Virani, who performed the autopsy, explained: “Hypothermia shuts the whole system down, slowly. It’s not easy to die from hypothermia without first realizing your fingers and toes feel like they’re burning.”

It was less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Centigrade) in Schur’s home when neighbors found Schur dead on January 17. Virani commented that it was his first time performing an autopsy on a body in which “the person froze to death indoors.”

“His furnace was not running – the insides of his windows were full of ice the morning we found him,” said George A. Pauwels Jr., who was with his wife when they found Schur’s body.

In Michigan it is illegal for a utility company to disconnect power to any home between November 1 and March 31 when a resident is over the age of 65. Limiters are also not supposed to be used during that time frame. However, municipally-owned electric utilities like the one in Bay City, are not regulated by the state. The Michigan state attorney general’s office has launched an investigation into the incident.

Residents around Schur’s home say he was hard of hearing, and the city states that the device’s function and operation were never explained to him. When word of the story got around, people from all over the United States began to call the city in anger.

“I’ve taken calls from Canada, Massachusetts, Texas, New York, Alabama – and that’s just the ones I can think of off the top of my head,” said Melody Roth of the city’s administrative office, who also added that people from all over are “calling all city departments, not just our office.”

Schur has no known children, and his wife had died several years prior to the incident.

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Uncategorized

US adds 173,000 jobs in August; unemployment rate drops to seven year low

Monday, September 7, 2015

The US economy added 173,000 jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday. The unemployment rate fell from 5.3 to 5.1 percent, the lowest since April 2008.

Although August job gains were lower than most economists forecast, job growth numbers for June and July were revised upwards by a combined 44,000. Average job gains over the past three months stand at 221,000, compared to March-May’s 189,000 monthly average. Over the past twelve months, job growth has averaged 247,000 per month.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent, or 8 cents, marking the largest increase in earnings in seven months. Hourly earnings had risen by 6 cents in July. Wages have risen by 2.2 percent over the past year.

Job growth in August was primarily concentrated in the health care and social assistance, financial activities, and professional and business services sectors. Those three areas of the economy added a combined 108,000 jobs. Food service and drinking places employment increased by 26,000 over the month, and other economic sectors saw employment hold steady. Manufacturing, on the other hand, saw employment decline by 17,000 in August. A stronger dollar and worldwide economic weakness make US exports less desirable, leading to a flattening in manufacturing employment so far this year after steadily rising in the early years of the US economic recovery.

The solid overall job gains led analysts to slightly raise expectations for a decision by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month. Investors raised the likelihood of a September rate increase from 26 percent before the jobs report to 30 percent, and stocks dropped by over one percent on Friday. “The payrolls data is certainly good enough to allow for a Fed rate hike in September,” said Deutsche Bank’s head of currency strategy, Alan Ruskin. “The big question is still whether financial market volatility will scupper the plans.”

“This is the first time the market has looked at a Fed meeting and really has no idea what the Fed is going to do,” said Mark Kepner, a New Jersey equity trader with Themis Trading. “Right now you’re looking at the overall uncertainty and that’s what’s hanging on the market. I don’t think this number in and of itself changes how somebody’s going to vote.”

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