Cash Flow Planning for Solo Professionals | Small Business Support ...

You?ve heard it a million times ? cash flow can make or break a business.? Lack of cash flow planning is the reason why many businesses fail.? In fact, many PROFITABLE businesses fail because of cash flow issues.? Without adequate cash flow, you can?t pay your bills and you can?t make plans for your business.

So? what is cash flow planning?? Cash flow planning is projecting your future cash inflows from sales, services, and loans, and comparing them to your future cash flow needs (suppliers, salaries/wages, loan payments, taxes, etc.).? The difference between the two is your net cash flow.

Why is cash flow planning so important?? Cash flow planning can help you identify problems down the road, and fix them before they occur.? Cash flow planning can also help you make decisions such as should I attend that conference I?ve wanted to attend, should I buy the new computer I?ve been wanting, or do I need to work extra hard this month to avoid a cash flow deficiency next month?

The first step in planning your cash flow is knowing where you spend your money!? Solo entrepreneurs need to have a good grip on both their personal and business spending, as most solo entrepreneurs rely on their business income to meet personal finance goals (i.e., pay the bills!).? So, you should track both your personal and your business spending, although I recommend that you keep them separate (that?s a topic all by itself).

What?s the best way to track your spending?? You can use pen & paper, spreadsheets or a software program.? The best method for you is the method that you will actually use on a regular basis.

You should project your spending for at least the next 12 months so that you include annual and other periodic expenses.? If you are experiencing a cash flow crisis, you should track & project your cash flow on a weekly basis, instead of monthly.

If you are an existing business, you can project your cash flow for the next year by reviewing your expenses for last year.? If you are a new business, you will need to estimate your start up costs in addition to regular operating expenses.

Start up costs include inventory, legal expenses, advertising, licenses & permits, supplies, and many more costs that you may not have thought of.? To research startup costs you should contact your local Small Business Development Center, contact a SCORE counselor, join groups of similar business owners, and read as many books or articles you can find on the subject.

To improve your cash flow, you should:

1. Complete the first 3 steps.? You have to understand cash flow planning, track your cash flow, and project your future spending needs before you can improve your cash flow.

2. Create best and worst case scenarios and create appropriate responses to both scenarios.? For example, if your best case scenario is to increase sales by 50%, how will you use the profits?? Will you put the profits back into the company by investing in new equipment, training, etc.?? If your worst case scenario is a drop in sales by 50%, how will you continue to cover your monthly expenses?? By planning for the best and worst case scenarios, you?ll be ready for any situation.

3. When estimating your future income, realize that some people will pay late, and account for that fact in your projection.

4. Charge what you?re worth.? Many businesses, especially service professionals, under-charge when they are first starting out.? This is a great way to go out of business.? Make sure you are charging what you?re worth, and remember you?re in business to make money, not to give your expertise away for free.

5. Watch your business spending.? Focus on the value the item brings to your business, and avoid lavish spending (i.e., do you really need the fastest, newest computer available?).

6. Don?t hire until necessary.? Consider using virtual assistants or temporary employees before hiring permanent employees.

7. Give incentives for early payment for products and services.? On the flip side, chase down invoices the minute they?re late.? Charge interest or late fees to encourage timely payments.

8. Update your cash flow regularly.? Your cash flow plan will change frequently as your business grows.? You may want to update your cash flow plan weekly when you first get started, then switch to monthly once you?ve got a good handle on your cash flow.

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6 Ways to Supersize Your Networking ROI | Business 2 Community

A few days ago I jotted down notes for an article on how to get more value from your networking efforts and as I sat down to write this article for the 365 Days of Marketing blog, I remembered writing in 365 Days of Marketing about the fact that a lot of people misunderstand what networking is and isn?t, and so may never realize any return on their networking efforts.

If this has been your experience, you may have written off networking as a waste of time in terms of a bona fide marketing tactic. I?m hoping to give you a reason to give it a fresh look, and I?m hoping to give you some useful ways to adjust your approach to networking so that it brings some actual benefits to your business.

As it turns out, the 2nd week of April is actually National Networking Week ? so no wonder it was on my mind!
In 365 Days of Marketing, I define networking this way: net-work-ing, noun
meaning: the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions
specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business Networking is more than attending meetings with other business owners or showing up at events where prospects might be in attendance.

Real networking is purposeful.

It either involves working together with peers to help improve the business climate in your community or it involves being present, visible and alluring in the same places as are your target market/s prospects or ideal types of clients.

Maybe that?s why so many business professionals give up on networking or put it on the bottom of their priority list; they?ve been doing it wrong! Now that you have a better understanding of what networking is (and isn?t), how are you going to put this tactic to work to help build business?

Here are 6 ways that you can reap a bigger return on your networking efforts:

1. Know what you want to get out of it and be prepared.
When you attend networking meetings and conferences, be prepared with an audience-targeted, short introduction ? no more than 30 seconds, and no more than one main point beyond your name, company name and title. For more on networking introductions read this post on the topic called ?I?m Sorry, I?ve Already Forgotten Your Name.?

In addition to your 30 second power introduction, consider offering something for give away (I frequently bring a copy of one of my books for give away at networking events by way of instant business card drawing). And create a one-sheet which is targeted to that audience and which highlights some important aspect of your business. I like to include a sample blog post along with a short list of ?Related Services? that my business provides.

And make sure every one-sheet or take away includes a call to action and the means for the recipient to take the next step in the relationship they have (or want to build) with you and your business. Such calls to action might include an invitation to subscribe to your blog or email newsletter, to visit your business or book an appointment, to shop your store or website, to connect with you on social media, etc.

2. Use your social media platforms to make generous mention of businesses in your networking groups.
All too often we focus all of our marketing communications ? social media profiles included ? on marketing our own businesses. You can improve your SEO and generate plenty of goodwill among your peers if you will use your social media platforms for what they were intended; social interaction.

Over the last month, I?ve made it a point to mention every independent business that I?ve interacted with on social media as quickly as possible. It costs me very little by way of time and brings a wonderful return in the relationships that I?m building with other business owners. And hopefully it encourages my peers to do the same on social media in mentioning my services and those of the other businesses in our networking groups (and isn?t that one of the purposes of networking groups, anyway?)

3. Encourage reciprocal links.
Most blogs include a list of recommend other blogs or other websites that the blog?s author would recommend to their readers. Just as you can mention other local businesses on social media, you can also set up links to their businesses on your blog or website as local resources which you would feel comfortable recommending as resources for your customers. And there?s no reason not to point this out to the businesses with which you choose to network and to create reciprocal links in order to boost everyone?s SEO as well as provide a helpful list of local resources for your customers.

4. Write reviews for your networked peers.
Again, you might be asking yourself, why should you spend valuable time talking up other people?s businesses? The first reason should be that you genuinely want to be an information hub to your own customers in providing valuable resources to your customers. It improves your own reputation when you make good recommendations to others, and it makes you look good to both your peer business owners and your customers when you spend time saying good things about other people, and other businesses!

Secondly, reviews, blog comments and other similar online forums can also help you improve your own SEO and visibility to prospective customers. You can leave reviews on sites such as citysearch.com, yelp.com and others. You can also leave your own ?shout outs? and complimentary reviews of local businesses on their blog sites, and on their social media pages (as well as your own). You may even choose to feature raves for local businesses in anecdotal stories as posts on your own blog.

However and wherever you decide to leave reviews for other businesses, I would recommend that you adhere to what ?mom? always advised. When reviewing other businesses in your community, ?if you can?t say something nice, don?t say anything at all.?

5. Create an online directory.
One of the ways to build influence and become a catalyst for improving the local business economy is to turn your blog and websites into hubs. And not only hubs of information, but your website (and blog roll) is a great place to create a hub of local business listings. Include a directory of local resources on your website which features listings of the businesses within your peer networking groups.

6. Actually visit ? and patronize ? the businesses represented in your networking groups.
I recently attended a local networking group at the invitation of a friend who said that she was a little fed up with the networking group. When I asked why, she replied that in the year they?d been having the meetings, not one of them had even visited her business.

While participation in networking groups should bring referrals from other members, it might be that a lot of networking groups are missing the person that should be the most obvious referral: you.

If you participate in business networking groups, and especially if you are going to refer your own customers to these other businesses, take the time to visit these other businesses and patronize them when you have opportunity. After all, this is something you want from other group members, right? Time to put your time and money where your desires are!

If you think about it, local business networking groups operate as loosely affiliated cross and cooperative marketing partners in many respects. Wouldn?t it behoove your networking group to approach this strategically and make this one of the biggest benefits to local business owners for participation?? Feel free to pass on my tips to your group or even use them as the basis for a more purposeful, concerted effort in order to boost the local economy for all participating businesses!

Like any other part of your overall marketing, networking should be done as strategically and efficiently as possible. You are much more likely to reap a return when you understand what networking is (and isn?t) and you have a plan for getting the most ROI on the investment of time and money you make.

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Pope marks Easter with call for Syria violence end

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI implored the Syrian regime Sunday to heed international demands to end the bloodshed and expressed hope that the joy of Easter will comfort Christian communities suffering because of their faith.

Benedict, struggling with hoarseness and looking tired, celebrated Mass on Christianity's most joyous holy day on the flower-adorned steps of St. Peter's Basilica, before a crowd of faithful that swelled to far over 100,000 by the end of the 2-hour-long ceremony.

Only hours earlier the pontiff, who turns 85 on April 16, had led a long nighttime vigil service in the church. There have been concerns over his health, and he has recently used a cane in public appearances. He no longer walks down the basilica's long aisle, traveling instead aboard a wheeled platform pushed by aides.

At the end of Sunday's Mass, Benedict moved to the basilica's central balcony to read his Easter message "to the entire world," as he put it, delivering a ringing appeal for peace in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East, and in Africa, citing coup-struck Mali and Nigeria, where Christians and Muslims alike have been hit by terrorist attacks.

"May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights," the pope said.

"Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community," Benedict said, making Syria the first of several strife-torn countries he mentioned in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (Latin for "to the city and to the world") Easter speech.

The Syrian government on Sunday appeared to be backing out of a cease-fire deal aimed at ending the country's crisis, saying that it will not withdraw its troops from cities without written guarantees from armed groups that they also will lay down their weapons. U.N. estimates put the number of dead in that conflict at some 9,000 since it began in March 2011.

Benedict also lamented that many Syrians who have fled the conflict are enduring "dreadful sufferings" and prayed that they would receive welcome and assistance.

Underlining the pope's concern for the Middle East, the Holy See said Sunday the pope would make a three-day pilgrimage to Lebanon in September, celebrating Mass in Beirut and encouraging bishops and other churchmen in the Middle East.

Christians throughout the world on Easter celebrate their belief that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after his crucifix, and the day symbolizes hope. Benedict said that Christ is "hope and comfort in a particular way for those Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution."

Sectarian violence in Iraq, often aimed at Christians, has prompted an exodus over the last years of many from the sizable Christian community there.

Benedict also prayed that God sustain the Christian community in Africa, where the Catholic church has been enjoying vibrant growth in recent years.

"To Nigeria, which in recent times has experienced savage terrorist attacks, may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of its citizens," he said. Terrorism has hit both the Muslim and Christian community in Nigeria.

He prayed that Mali, wracked by a recent coup, would see "peace and stability."

To the delight of the cheering crowd below, Benedict recited Easter wishes in 66 languages. He had special greetings for the people of the Netherlands, expressing gratitude for some 42,000 potted plants and floral arrangements, including sprays of Japanese cherry blossoms, roses and orchids, that brightened the square and balcony on a sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy and breezy morning.

Benedict sat in an armchair while reading the message but stood at the end, when he gave his Easter blessing.

In Jerusalem, thousands of Christians gathered for Easter celebrations, crowding into one of Christianity's holiest churches, worshipping, singing and praying. Catholics and Protestants took turns to hold ceremonies within the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried.

Thousands of Palestinian Catholics smashed egg shells against each other, representing Jesus' emerging from his tomb. They ate circular bread symbolizing his crown of thorns and greeted each other with the Arabic felicitation, "Christ has arisen," prompting the response: "Verily he has arisen."

At the Vatican, Benedict encouraged Israelis and Palestinians to "courageously take up anew the peace process."

Meanwhile, other Christians belonging to Eastern Orthodox churches, who celebrate Easter using a different calendar from their Catholic and Protestant brethren, marked Palm Sunday.

Several dozen Ethiopian Christians who also use the older calendar gathered in a niche of the Sepulcher church, wearing long white robes, decked in white, blue and black rimless hats. They sang in their ancient language, marking off beats with a silver instrument that made a rattling sound.

In Britain, Queen Elizabeth II attended a traditional Easter Sunday service with three generations of the royal family at Windsor Castle. The monarch was joined on Sunday by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and three of her children ? Princes Andrew and Edward, along with Princess Anne. Her granddaughters, Princess Eugenie and Lady Louise Windsor, were also among those attending the service at St. George's Chapel.

Dressed in a lilac, green and white Stewart Parvin silk dress with a lilac coat and matching hat by Philip Somerville, Elizabeth took time to greet well-wishers gathered outside the chapel after the service.

In the U.S., Moravian Christian believers in North Carolina gathered for the 240th annual sunrise service in the city of Winston-Salem. It's one of the oldest and possibly the largest Easter sunrise service in the nation.

Brass bands assembled at Moravian churches across the city shortly after midnight, and at 1:45 a.m. they all played "Sleepers, Awake," before setting off on a two-hour circuit of their neighborhoods, stopping to play hymns and chorales on street corners and familiar landmarks.

"Moravians are stuck on tradition," said Dick Joyce, 62, who started playing trumpet in the brass bands as a 12-year-old. "It worked 240 years ago, so we keep doing it."

______

Diaa Hadid reported from Jerusalem. Tom Breen in Winson-Salem, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

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InNOLEvation Challenge Verbal Presentation & Business Viability ...

The judges for the InNOLEvation Challenge?s Final/Shark Tank round will use the following criteria to evaluate your presentation. Please structure your 10 minute presentation accordingly.

Technology / Service / Innovation
1.) The team has presented a clear and concise overview of its unique capabilities and state of development.
2.) There is minimal fundamental technology or development risk left to resolve.
3.) The team has a solid Intellectual Property position as well as plans to protect it.

Product or Service
1.) The team has identified a compelling initial product or service.
2.) The team has described a robust product/service additions roadmap going forward.
Market
1.) The team did a good job identifying its initial target market
2.) The team is targeting a large and attractive potential market
3.) The team showed credible market research data to support its market size claims
4.) The team identified large and attractive secondary markets to serve over the long term
5.) The team has articulated a strong hard-dollar customer value proposition.

Competition
1.) The team comprehensively identified potential competitors.
2.) The initial product or service has strong competitive advantages vs. existing alternatives.
3.) The team?s unique innovations will confer sustainable competitive advantages on its products or services as these evolve over time.

Development Plan
1.) The team has outlined a credible and thorough plan for developing its first product or service.
2.) The team has clearly identified its resource requirements and these can be reasonably obtained.
3.) The team has a plan to derive additional funding from alternative sources such as government grants, friends, bootstrapping, bank loans, etc.

Distribution Plan
1.) The team understands and has clearly articulated its business model.
2.) The team?s sales model is a good fit for its product/service and business model.

Team
1.) The team has a strong and complete founding management team or a well described plan to build such a team.
2.) The team has attracted an impressive advisory board or has a well described plan to develop such a board.
3.) The team clearly understands what additional people and skills it needs to build a team.

Financial Projections
1.) The team has clearly described its funding needs; these are reasonable and adequate to the task.
2.) The team has presented attractive and credible 5 year financial projections.

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Libya ?probes oil deals?

The Libyan general prosecutor?s office is probing a number of oil giants and oil trading stalwarts as it investigates possible financial irregularities, according to a report.

Italy?s Eni and Total of France are among a host of companies to be sent letters by the prosecutor?s office, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Deputy head of the office, Abdelmajeed Saad, told the newspaper that the it is investigating past operations in Libya?s oil industry both by local and foreign players.

Two of the trading companies being investigated are Vitol and Glencore. The former was the first to take a shipment of crude out of the country following the outbreak of fighting between rebels and forces loyal to the deceased former national leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

The prosecutor has asked the head of audit at Libya?s National Oil Company (NOC) for documents relating to transactions with Glencore and Vitol, the newspaper reported.

NOC's marketing manager, Ahmed Shawki, told the newspaper that NOC and its dealings with foreign companies, in general, are "under investigation from the general attorney?.

"NOC submitted all documents. [The prosecutor's office is] doing the right thing," he said.

The Wall Street Journal said neither the letter nor the deputy prosecutor mentioned any specific allegations involving the companies they named.

Eni has long been a stalwart of the Libyan oil industry while Total has ramped up activities since the toppling of Gaddafi?s regime last year.

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National Review fires columnist accused of racism

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Gaming PC cases and what they mean to you | Internet Marketing ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Exclusive with the online environment, ?VR? or ?RPG? ? which consequently means virtual reality gaming and role computer games ? are simply just two aspects of a gaming world gone wild. The times of playing scrabble ...

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The Useful Area ? Blog Archive ? Dallas Business Networking ...

Kasmir Fabrics
Are you searching for one of the leading brand names of drapery clothing for your most highlighted indoor artwork? Discovering the best and the well performing designers inside the store is definitely the very best thing that you will need to achieve. Kasmir Fabrics is really one of the most highly regarded fabric manufacturer around the state. For your own desired fabrics and colors, they?ve all the very captivating and greatest created patterns that you will definitely be attached to decide on for additional designs and styles. Lee Jofa is just one of the most appreciated styling artists for which you can trust. For more great garment sketches and decorations, just like any other large producing associations, Kravet Fabrics carries all the most likened creations. You will absolutely be amazed of the merged colors and lines of their styles. Choose the right specialist fashion designers that you prefer most.

Chattanooga Accounting Firms
Being involved in concerns with Internal Revenue Services such as tax evasion is not a real quick thing for any individual or enterprise. That?s the reason why it is very important that being a business owner you could handle effectively and arrange your accounting and economic matters. If you?re not satisfied in working with your own personal accounting problems, there are many Chattanooga accounting firms that are capable to make items easy for you. With their assistance offered just like Chattanooga bookkeeping and Chattanooga payroll services, you?ll be alleviated from the issues with IRS and with your own payroll management. Accounting organizations in Chattanooga can guarantee you with most reliable professional services and with extra worth of your own investment. If you are looking forward of engaging their own services presented, check out your own Computer and visit accounting firm internet sites in the locality of Chattanooga.

Dallas Business Networking
Whenever you?re at the search for different ways and strategy to maximize your sales effectively, then you definitely have to join Dallas Networking. This company has actually been famous around the business world for the fascination they?ve been occupying both their contributors and the ambitious ones. Dallas Business Networking may be easily reached by those individuals who are serious about this line of business. This particular organization is absolutely different from other businesses for the reason that Dallas Network holds open conversation lines to their associates. It is because they believe that the achievement of any corporation or venture depends on the bonds that have been developed around. In DFW Business Networking, you?re all a family that boosts everyone. The success of your business is on this networking group. And the bad days of discovering anyone to assist you is absolutely over.

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Business Opportunities: Discover The Most Profitable Home Based ...

Are you looking for the right home based business opportunity that can make you financially independent? Well, there are plenty of options available for you. The Internet is full of money-making programs that promise great returns for the work at home entrepreneur.

The bigger challenge, however, is finding a profitable home business that is stable and can withstand recessionary trends. In other words, you need to look for an opportunity that can offer long term earning potential.

Venturing Into Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)

MLM is an example of a business opportunity that can withstand the test of time. This type of business model started in the early 1950s and outlasted several recessions and economic downturns.

Until today, multi-level network marketing remains as the most viable home based business opportunity. It has become a billion-dollar global industry that gave birth to quite a number of millionaire-entrepreneurs.

And the best thing about multi-level marketing model is that everyone has an equal chance of profiting from it. It only takes perseverance, patience, and a little creativity to grow your home business.

How to Succeed and Make Money from MLM Companies

Like other business models, there are no foolproof guarantees that you can instantly make money from network marketing. However, there are proven ways how you can grow your business. Here is a quick overview:

1. An MLM Home Based Business Opportunity Is a Serious Venture

Most people who failed in network marketing didn't take their businesses seriously. An MLM venture is a serious undertaking. You need to have a plan of action and learn the basics of marketing. It requires hard work but the profits that you can gain from it can be very rewarding.

2. Look for Established and Reliable Companies

There is no denying the fact that some networking businesses failed miserably after a few years of operation. But you have to keep in mind that the great majority of MLM companies have been in business for decades already. These are the companies that you should be looking for. You have to promote a company that is sustainable and has proven business longevity and stability.

3. Promote the Right Program or Product

A good number of MLM opportunities belong to the health and fitness niche. If you think that you have the ability to market health and wellness products, then you can establish your networking business within this niche. But if you do not want to venture in a highly competitive market, you should look for other networking opportunities in the energy sector, food business, e-commerce discounting, digital solutions, or communications.

The key to finding the right program is to understand and know the demand of the market. Make sure that you are promoting a company's product that has a stable market.

4. Sharpen Your Marketing Skills

If you venture into network marketing, it is not enough to recruit down-lines and simply wait for your paycheck. You need to actively sell products too and train your own network in becoming good sales people.

Additionally, you have to use the most effective online tools to promote your home business. You can leverage social media, email marketing, paid online advertising, search engine marketing, banner advertisements, press releases, and many more.

Multilevel marketing is the most viable home based business opportunity today. It can provide you with a steady stream of income for the long term.

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Power of Attorney Critical for LGBT Couples | Lawyers.com Blog

If you are a gay, lesbian or unmarried heterosexual couple, have you considered what role you would play in your partner?s healthcare should they become incapacitated and unable to communicate?

In critical situations, a hospital may only allow family members to visit a patient. If you and your partner aren?t married in the eyes of the law, will your access to your partner be restricted? Will doctors defer to the opinions and wishes of your partner?s parents?

If you are an LGBT couple or an unmarried hetero couple, you should consider creating a living will and healthcare power of attorney document naming your partner as your attorney-in-fact or healthcare proxy. This legal document helps ensure your partner can be involved in your medical treatment if you?ve been incapacitated and are unable to communicate.

?Due to the lack of LGBT relationship recognition laws in most states, and because most default medical decision-making law is not inclusive of LGBT families, it is especially important that same sex couples complete directives to ensure their ability to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners,? writes the Human Rights Campaign in its 2011 Healthcare Equality Index report. ?Unfortunately, LGBT individuals come forward with tragic stories of hospitals failing to recognize these directives at critical moments of emergency and end-of-life medical treatment.?

The annual report tracks LGBT-related policies and procedures at healthcare facilities nationwide.

?

The living will and healthcare power of attorney are among the essential legal documents for every LGBT couple.

?Advance healthcare directives (i.e., durable powers of attorney, healthcare proxies and living wills) allow individuals to express their healthcare wishes and designate surrogates who may make medical decisions on their behalf in the event of mental incapacity,? the HRC says.

A living will enables you to explain what medical treatment you do and do not want to receive in end-of-life situations. You can share your wishes about treatment such as life support, pain medicine and artificial resuscitation. A healthcare power of attorney allows you to name an attorney-in-fact or healthcare proxy to make medical decisions on your behalf if you?re incapacitated. Your healthcare proxy can work with doctors and nurses, make treatment decisions and discuss your medical needs with insurers and healthcare providers.

Even if you live in a state that recognizes gay marriage, these legal documents may come in handy if you?re traveling out of state. If you don?t want to carry the documents with you at all times, share a copy with family members or friends who could email or fax them to a hospital in the event of an emergency.

Learn more about living wills and power of attorney, or find an attorney who can help you put together these important documents.

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Virginia Is For TechCrunchers: DC, Norfolk, and Richmond, Here We Come

Just a reminder: starting April 9 TechCrunch will be hitting Virginia for a barnstorming tour of three cities - DC on Monday, Norfolk on Tuesday, and Richmond on Wednesday. You should have already RSVPed (did you?), you should have already picked out what you're going to wear (did you?), and you should have your pitch ready (do you?). As a special bonus, DC meet-up folks will get to meet our new co-editor, Eric Eldon, who is coming in from San Francisco and who will be in Virginia with us that evening. It will be, as they say in Virginia, a hoot.

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Get The Home Improvement Tips That Will Make A Difference ...

Friday, April 6th, 2012. Author : TuneHartmann. 21 views.

If you don?t already have some, install some ceiling fans in all your rooms. You can use these to cool rooms and circulate the air, reducing the need to use your air conditioning unit. This in turn will save you money on your electric bill and most likely increase the life expectancy of your air conditioner.

To reduce the amount of water you use in the shower, install a low-flow shower head. Many varieties provide great pressure while using fewer gallons per minute than standard shower heads. Not only does this save you money on your water bill, but using less hot water means that your water heater doesn?t heat as much, either.

If you are hiring someone to perform your home improvement work, make sure to ask for their references. Think of it in terms of hiring an employee for your business. You want to look into their background as much as possible and make sure that other people have been pleased with their service.

If you?re doing home improvements to help the sale of a home, you must focus on aesthetics, but you should also have a home inspection, just in case something serious needs to be done, as well. If you can install a new roof or furnace, it will show the buyers that you were on top of your game and will permit you to command a higher price.

When working with home improvement in order to survive, it is important that you have ALL of the knowledge you need about home improvement before you jump into the job market. This is because, if you are on a job that someone expects you to be able to do and you can?t complete it or are taking too long, this will cost you in the long run.

An inexpensive way to improve the appearance of your home?s interior is by replacing your curtains. Old and worn-out curtains will make your home look dated and worn-out too. New curtains will brighten up a room and can be had from discount stores at a fairly minimal cost to you.

Copper is by far the most attractive building material for thieves, so exercise care when installing copper pipe and wiring. Whenever possible these installations should not be done until the house, ideally the entire property, can be protected by lock and key. Thieves are talented at stripping copper from a building site very quickly. Protect your copper supplies, so you don?t wind up buying it twice.

Make sure you have weather stripping around all of your doors and windows. This helps you with multiple problems. It keeps air from leaking out keeping your house cooler or warmer when you?re running your A/C or heat. It can also keep little critters from finding their way in. It?s also good if you?re in an area that floods a lot, to keep water from seeping in.

Now that you know a little bit more about home improvement, you are all set to embark on the around the house project of your choosing. Whether or not you start with something small or tackle a monster of a job is completely up to you. Either way, you?ll have the confidence you need to improve your home.

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Leave a Reply for ?Get The Home Improvement Tips That Will Make A Difference?

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New effort by MDs to cut wasteful medical spending

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Old checklist for doctors: order that test, write that prescription. New checklist for doctors: first ask yourself if the patient really needs it.

Nine medical societies representing nearly 375,000 physicians are challenging the widely held perception that more health care is better, releasing lists Wednesday of tests and treatments their members should no longer automatically order.

The 45 items listed include most repeat colonoscopies within 10 years of a first such test, early imaging for most back pain, brain scans for patients who fainted but didn't have seizures, and antibiotics for mild- to-moderate sinus distress.

Also on the list: heart imaging stress tests for patients without coronary symptoms. And a particularly sobering recommendation calls for cancer doctors to stop treating tumors in end-stage patients who have not responded to multiple therapies and are ineligible for experimental treatments.

Dr. Christine Cassel, president of the American Board of Internal Medicine, said the goal is to reduce wasteful spending without harming patients. She suggested some may benefit by avoiding known risks associated with medical tests, such as exposure to radiation.

"We all know there is overuse and waste in the system, so let's have the doctors take responsibility for that and look at the things that are overused," said Cassel. "We're doing this because we think we don't need to ration health care if we get rid of waste." Her group sets standards and oversees board certification for many medical specialties.

The recommendations come at a time when American health care is undergoing far-reaching changes. No matter what the Supreme Court decides on President Barack Obama's health overhaul, employers, lawmakers, insurers and many doctors are questioning how the United States spends far more on medical care than any other economically advanced country and still produces mediocre results overall.

Until now, the health care system has rewarded doctors for volume. Now the focus is shifting to paying for results and coordination. That explains the urgency for doctors themselves to identify areas of questionable spending.

It's unclear how much money would be saved if doctors followed the 45 recommendations rigorously. Probably tens of billions of dollars, and maybe hundreds of billions over time. That would help, but come nowhere near solving, the problem of high health care costs.

The nation's medical bill hit $2.6 trillion in 2010. A major quandary for cost-cutters is that most of the spending is attributable to a relatively small share of very sick people. Just 5 percent of patients accounted for half the total costs among privately insured people, according to a recent study from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

Dr. James Fasules of the American College of Cardiology said the goal is to begin changing attitudes among patients and doctors.

"We kind of have a general feeling that if you don't get a test, you haven't been cared for well," said Fasules. "That has permeated American culture now." The new advice isn't meant to override a doctor's judgment, Fasules added, but to inform and support decisions.

The recommendations will be circulated to consumers and doctors by a coalition calling itself Choosing Wisely, which includes employer groups, unions, AARP and Consumer Reports. Neither the insurance industry nor the federal government was involved in process.

Each of the nine medical societies submitted five tests or treatments they viewed as overused. Their work was coordinated by a foundation that's an offshoot of Cassel's group. Eight other medical societies are developing additional recommendations, Cassel said.

The medical societies don't have any power of enforcement, and fear of malpractice lawsuits may well prompt many doctors to keep ordering as many tests as ever.

Insurers will certainly take a close look at the recommendations, but what they do may be limited. That's because most of the questionable tests and treatments in the lists don't particularly stand out in the avalanche of bills processed daily by insurance companies.

Take a recommendation for no annual EKGs for low-risk patients with no heart symptoms. Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, said he used to routinely order EKG's when he was a general adult medicine practitioner. EKGs cost $50 to $60. A medical assistant would do the tests, and it would take Santa just a couple of minutes to read them. Yet 2 percent to 3 percent of his income came from EKGs, enough to make a difference in a tight year.

"It's very difficult for an insurance company to tell the difference when an EKG is being used as a diagnostic tool and when it is being used as a screening test," said Santa. "It would probably cause more trouble for insurance companies."

The medical groups that participated are: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, American College of Radiology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Nephrology, and American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

Associated Press

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5 ex-cops sentenced in Katrina killings case

Sherrel Johnson, mother of James Brisette, who was killed by New Orleans police, is hugged by Rev. Aubrey Wallace outside Federal Court after sentences were handed out in the case in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, with the judge lashing out at prosecutors for two hours on their handling of the case. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Sherrel Johnson, mother of James Brisette, who was killed by New Orleans police, is hugged by Rev. Aubrey Wallace outside Federal Court after sentences were handed out in the case in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, with the judge lashing out at prosecutors for two hours on their handling of the case. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Susan Bartholemew, whose arm was shot off by New Orleans police, listens as prosecutors speak outside Federal Court after sentences were handed down in the case in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten hugs a supporter of victims who were shot by New Orleans police, outside Federal Court after sentences were handed down in the case in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Fuki Madison, right, mother of Ronald Madison, who was killed by New Orleans police, and attorney Mary Howell, listen to prosecutors speak outside federal court after sentences were handed out in the case in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, with the judge lashing out at prosecutors for two hours on their handling of the case. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Lance Madison, brother of Ronald Madison, who was killed by New Orleans police, speaks outside Federal Court after sentences were handed out in the case in New Orleans, Wednesday, April 4, 2012. Five former New Orleans police officers were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six to 65 years for their roles in deadly shootings of unarmed residents in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? A federal judge sentenced five former police officers to years in prison for the deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge in the chaotic days following Hurricane Katrina but not before lashing out at prosecutors for allowing others involved to serve lighter penalties for their crimes. The case that wrapped up Wednesday was the centerpiece of a Justice Department push to clean up New Orleans' police department that has long been tainted with corruption.

U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt expressed frustration that he was bound by mandatory minimum sentencing laws to imprison former Sgts. Kenneth Bowen and Robert Gisevius and former officers Anthony Villavaso and Robert Faulcon for decades when other officers who engaged in similar conduct on the Danziger Bridge ? but cut deals with prosecutors ? are serving no more than eight years behind bars.

"These through-the-looking-glass plea deals that tied the hands of this court ... are an affront to the court and a disservice to the community," he said.

Police gunned down 17-year-old James Brissette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison, who were both unarmed, and wounded four others on Sept. 4, 2005, less than a week after the storm devastated New Orleans. To cover it up, the officers planted a gun, fabricated witnesses and falsified reports. Defense attorneys have indicated they will appeal.

Engelhardt also criticized prosecutors for the different ways they charged those who didn't cooperate with a Justice Department civil rights investigation and those who did. The charges were filed in such a way that they left judges with little discretion in handing out sentences in each set of cases, Engelhardt said.

Faulcon received the stiffest sentence of 65 years. Bowen and Gisevius each got 40 years while Villavaso was sentenced to 38. All four were convicted of federal firearms charges that carried mandatory minimum sentences ranging from 35 to 60 years in prison. Faulcon was convicted in both deadly shootings.

"The court imposes them purely as a matter of statutory mandate," Engelhardt said.

Retired Sgt. Arthur "Archie" Kaufman, who was assigned to investigate the shootings, received six years in prison ? a sentence below the federal guidelines. Kaufman wasn't charged in the shootings but was convicted of helping orchestrate the cover-up.

During a scathing lecture that lasted roughly two hours, Engelhardt questioned the credibility of officers who cut deals and testified against the defendants during last year's trial.

"Citing witnesses for perjury at this trial would be like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500," Engelhardt said.

Justice Department attorney Bobbi Bernstein defended prosecutors' tactics, saying the officers who cooperated with the probe gave them the breakthrough they needed to reveal the cover-up.

"Those deals are the reason that the whole world now knows what happened on the Danziger Bridge," she said.

The sentences were significantly lower than what prosecutors had recommended. They had asked the judge to sentence the four shooters to prison terms ranging from nearly 60 years for Villavaso to 87 years for Faulcon.

Engelhardt questioned why prosecutors sought a 20-year prison sentence for Kaufman when Michael Lohman, who was the highest-ranking officer at the scene of the shooting and assigned Kaufman to investigate, got just four years after pleading guilty to participating in the cover-up. Engelhardt said Lohman had the authority to quash the cover-up and didn't.

"The buck started and stopped with him," the judge said.

He also questioned why prosecutors allowed a former detective, Jeffrey Lehrmann, to receive a sentence of three years in prison when his role in the conspiracy was similar to Kaufman's.

"These sentences are, in the court's opinion, blind," Engelhardt said.

Steve London, one of Kaufman's attorneys, said his client was pleased that the judge gave him a sentence below the guidelines, which had called for a sentence ranging from a little over eight years to a little over 10.

"This judge recognized that the government put liars on the stand to testify and convict other people," London said.

Lindsay Larson, one of Faulcon's attorneys, said the judge "laid out the blueprint" for how defense attorneys will challenge the firearms convictions and sentences.

"We have only just begun to fight," he said.

Tom Perez, head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, said federal investigators transformed a cold case into the "most significant police case since Rodney King."

"We didn't have a case in 2008 when we inherited this. We had nothing. And hindsight is 20/20. It is easy to look back in hindsight and say why did you do this, why did you do that," he said. "You don't go to the witness store to pick out your witnesses. You take what is dealt."

Engelhardt heard hours of arguments and testimony earlier Wednesday from prosecutors, defense attorneys, relatives of shooting victims and the officers.

"This has been a long and painful six-and-a-half years," said Lance Madison, whose mentally disabled brother, Ronald, was killed. "The people of New Orleans and my family are ready for justice."

He addressed each defendant individually, including Faulcon, who shot his brother: "When I look at you, my pain becomes unbearable. You took the life of an angel and basically ripped my heart out."

Madison also said he was horrified by Kaufman's actions and role in the cover-up: "You tried to frame me, a man you knew was innocent, and send me to prison for the rest of my life." Lance Madison was arrested on attempted murder charges after police falsely accused him of shooting at the officers on the bridge. He was jailed for three weeks before a judge freed him.

The Rev. Robert Faulcon Sr. told the judge his son "didn't go looking for trouble."

"He was on duty and he was called to do a job, and that's what he did to the best of his ability," the elder Faulcon said.

Twenty current or former New Orleans police officers have been charged in a series of Justice Department probes, most of which center on actions during the aftermath of Katrina. Eleven of those officers were charged in the Danziger Bridge case, which stunned a city with a long history of police corruption.

Katrina struck on Aug. 29, 2005, leading to the collapse of levees and flooding an estimated 80 percent of the city. New Orleans was plunged into chaos as residents who hadn't evacuated were driven from their homes to whatever high places they could find.

Officers who worked in the city at the time but were not charged in the bridge case on Wednesday told Engelhardt of the lawlessness that followed the flood, and that they feared for their lives.

On the morning of Sept. 4, one group of residents was crossing the Danziger Bridge in the city's Gentilly area to what they perceived as safety when police arrived.

The officers had received calls that shots were being fired. Gunfire reports were common after Katrina.

Faulcon was convicted of fatally shooting Madison, but the jury decided the killing didn't amount to murder. He, Gisevius, Bowen and Villavaso were convicted in Brissette's killing, but jurors didn't hold any of them individually responsible for causing his death.

All five were convicted of participating in a cover-up.

Wednesday's sentencing isn't the final chapter in the case. The convicted officers are expected to appeal, and Gerard Dugue, a retired sergeant, is scheduled to be retried in May on charges stemming from his alleged role in the cover-up.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Sayre in New Orleans contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Attempting to recreate Big Bang conditions, CERN scientists break energy record

Scientists at CERN may be getting closer to Higgs boson the particle that could help explain the birth of the universe billions of years ago.

Scientists came closer than ever to witnessing "Big Bang"-style conditions on Thursday after revving up the Large Hadron Collider at the CERN research centre to smash sub-atomic particles together faster and harder than ever before.

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Physicists in the control rooms punched the air as multi-coloured arcs flashed across their screens, debris thrown up by the collisions of some of the millions of protons flung around the vast underground circuit at close to the speed of light.

"This is a great start to the 2012 run. It promises to be an amazing year for particle physics," said Oliver Buchmueller, a member of the CMS team that is conducting one of the two main experiments at CERN, which lies on the French-Swiss border.

The proton-smashers' big prize is the Higgs boson, the particle which - if it exists - explains why things have had mass since the birth of the universe 13.7 billion years ago.

Ramping the collider up to 8 Tera electron-volts, 15 percent more energy than last year, should produce up to 10 times more data than the previous two years of work on trying to replicate the conditions of the birth of energy and matter at the dawn of the universe.

More data means more certainty about whether the Higgs lies within the last narrow band of energy yet to be fully explored, or if its existence can be conclusively ruled out, which would entail a rethink of textbook physics and mainstream science.

But the new high speeds also mean more background noise and static for Higgs-hunters around the world to overcome.

The first tantalising glimpses of what might be the Higgs, postulated by British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs in 1964, were spotted in the Large Hadron Collider last year and revealed by researchers in December. CERN is now zeroing in.

"It really is a very small window, which has got smaller and smaller," said CERN director-general Rolf Heuer.

After discovering the mystery boson - often dubbed the "God particle" to the strong disapproval of most scientists and of Higgs himself - CERN could turn to more "science fiction" targets such as extra dimensions and the "dark matter" believed to make up around 25 per cent of the cosmos.

(Reporting by Robert Evans; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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Resentment lingers in Penn. after Santorum's loss (The Arizona Republic)

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Hey everybody

Hey there, Gohon! I've seen Asper around here; just joined not too long ago as well. My name is Sato, and I'm a longtime member of the forums here. Welcome to RolePlayGateway!

The usual questions are in order, I suppose. Where did you and Asper meet, how did you get into writing, what sort of stories do you like to tell, that sort of thing.

If you have any questions on anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask Asper, or myself!

Hope to get to know you more.

-VV

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NSF Announces New Expeditions in Computing Awards | OnOrbit

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) today announced four new Expeditions in Computing awards. Each award will provide $10 million in funding over five years, representing the single largest investments in computer science research NSF makes.

"Computer science research drives advances in science, engineering and education with significant positive impact on the economy, the achievement of national priorities and improvements in quality of life. The U.S. government has an essential role to play in ensuring that investments in this field are sustained over the long-term," said NSF Director Subra Suresh. "With these Expeditions awards, NSF continues its tradition of investing in ambitious, bold ideas. Our economic future and competitiveness depend on them."

The first Expeditions awards were made in 2008. As of today, there are fourteen in total, covering foundational research in computing hardware, software and verification to research in sustainable energy, health information technology, robotics and wireless computing.

The four awards announced today contribute to this rich intellectual portfolio by adding two projects in robotics and smart systems, one project focused on new techniques and tools for Big Data, and one on augmenting program design and verification.

"These Expeditions awards promise to catalyze far-reaching research explorations motivated by deep scientific questions," said Farnam Jahanian, assistant director for CISE. "The creativity and imagination that our community brings to this program is truly remarkable. We look forward to many exciting discoveries and innovations, stimulating technological progress for years to come."

Each award features a top-notch team working on one of the most challenging computing and information science and engineering issues today.

An Expedition in Computing for Compiling Functional Physical Machines
Lead PI: Daniela Rus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Collaborators: University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University

This project envisions a future where 3-D robotic systems can be produced and designed using 2-D desktop technology fabrication methods. If this feat is achieved, it would be possible for the average person to design, customize and print a specialized robot in a matter of hours. Currently, it takes years and many resources to produce, program and design a functioning robot. This new project would completely automate the process, from sketches on-demand, anywhere, and with the skill of a team of professional engineers, leading to potential transformations in advanced manufacturing.

The project addresses broad classes of constructible cyber-physical systems:

- the development of tools for functional specification and automated co-design of the mechanical, electrical, computing, and software aspects of the device;
- the design of planning and control algorithms for the assembly of the device and for delivering the desired function of behavior, and tools for the analysis of these algorithms that take into account all the necessary resources, including actuators, sensors and data streams from the world;
- the methodology to generate device-specific and task-specific programming environments that provide safeguards for programs written by non-expert users to enable them to operate the machines safely; and
- the development of novel approaches to the automated production of new devices which may be based on the synthesis of programmable materials with customizable electrical or mechanical properties. This research is highly multidisciplinary, primarily leveraging the disciplines of computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering, materials and manufacturing science.

This project will create a community of interest in this new research area, reach out to young people in grades K-12, engage the national and international community through professional society meetings and establish new interdisciplinary programs among the participating academic institutions.

Making Sense at Scale with Algorithms, Machines and People (AMP)
Lead PI: Michael Franklin, University of California (UC) Berkeley

AMP will tackle the challenge known as the Big Data problem, in which current data analytics fall short in making sense of the volume, diversity and complexity of data being generated by computers, sensors and scientific instruments; media such as images and video; and free-form tweets, text messages, blogs and documents. AMP seeks to turn this knowledge into insight, to uncover the keys to solving huge societal problems, from improving productivity and efficiency and creating new economic opportunities, to unlocking discoveries in medicine, science and the humanities. The team will focus on key societal applications, including: cancer genomics and personalized medicine; large-scale sensing for traffic prediction, environmental monitoring, and urban planning; and network security. The AMP team is working together to create a new data analytics paradigm, integrating three different types of computational resources:

- Algorithms: new machine-learning and analysis methods that can operate at large scale and can give flexible tradeoffs between timeliness, accuracy and cost.
- Machines: systems infrastructure that allows programmers to easily harness the power of scalable cloud and cluster computing for making sense of data.
- People: crowd sourcing human activity and intelligence to create hybrid human/computer solutions to problems not solvable by today's automated data analysis technologies alone.

Advances pioneered by this project will be made widely available through the development of the Berkeley Data Analysis System, an open source software platform that seamlessly blends AMP resources to solve big data problems.

ExCAPE: Expeditions in Computer Augmented Program Engineering
Lead PI: Rajeev Alur, University of Pennsylvania
Collaborators: Cornell, MIT, University of California Los Angeles, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, Rice University

ExCAPE aims to change computer programming from the tedious, error-prone, purely manual task it has always been to one in which a programmer and an "automated program synthesis tool" collaborate to generate software that meets its specifications. Computers have revolutionized daily life, and yet the way computers are programmed has changed little in the last several decades. The ExCAPE team brings together expertise in theoretical foundations (computer-aided verification, control theory, program analysis), design methodology (human-computer interaction, model-based design, programming environments), and applications (concurrent programming, network protocols, robotics, system architecture) to pursue research focused on developing new computational engines for transformation and integration of synthesis artifacts, and effective methods for programmer interaction and feedback.

The technology developed by ExCAPE also has the potential to revolutionize the way computing concepts are taught with plans to develop smart tutoring software that can analyze students' answers for conceptual errors and generate additional problems tailored to that student. Tutoring software will be developed for representative high-school and undergraduate courses and will be made widely available. Outreach is aimed at attracting more students to computing disciplines and nurturing an inter-disciplinary community of researchers in computer-augmented programming via an annual workshop, a biannual summer school and a competition for synthesis tools.

Making Socially Assistive Robots
Lead PI: Brian Scassellati, Yale University
Collaborators: MIT, University of Southern California, Stanford University

This Expedition will develop the fundamental computational techniques that will enable the design, implementation and evaluation of robots that encourage social, emotional and cognitive growth in children. Critical societal problems require sustained, personalized support that supplements the efforts of educators, parents and clinicians. For example, clinicians and families struggle to provide individualized educational services to children with social and cognitive deficits, whose numbers have quadrupled in the U.S. in the last decade alone. In many schools, educators struggle to provide language instruction for children raised in homes where a language other than English is spoken, the fastest-growing segment of the school-age population. This Expedition aims to support the individual needs of these children with socially assistive robots that help to guide the children toward long-term behavioral goals that are customized to the particular needs of each child and that develop and change as the child does.

Socially assistive robots have the potential to substantially impact the effectiveness of education and healthcare for children. This Expedition includes strong education and training elements, especially for K-12 students in this target population, and for undergraduates via an annual training summit.

"Past Expeditions awards are beginning to show exciting results in a variety of applications and fields," said Mitra Basu, program director for the Expeditions program. "We're confident that this latest group of projects will continue to push the frontiers of computing."

Media Contacts

Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF (703) 292-8311 lisajoy@nsf.gov

Abby Abazorius, MIT (617) 324-9135 abbya@csail.mit.edu

Sarah Yang, UC Berkeley (510) 643-7741 scyang@berkeley.edu

Jade Boyd, Rice University (713) 348-6778 jadeboyd@rice.edu

Wileen Kromhout, UCLA (310) 206-0540 wwkromhout@support.ucla.edu

Eric Gershon, Yale University (203) 432-8555 eric.gershon@yale.edu

Dawn S. McWilliams, Cornell University (607) 255-3981 dsm263@cornell.edu

Evan Lerner, University of Pennsylvania (215) 573-6604 elerner@upenn.edu

Nicole Casal Moore, University of Michigan (734) 647-7087 ncmoore@umich.edu

Jennifer La Montagne, University of Illinois (217) 333-4049 jsandone@illinois.edu

Program Contacts

Mitra Basu, NSF (703) 292-8910 mbasu@nsf.gov

Related Websites
MIT's Printable Robots: http://www.youtube.com/mitcsail
Yale's Socially Assistive Robots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8m65cawkMc
Yale's Press Release announcing receipt of Expeditions Award for socially assistive robots: http://www.yale.edu/SAR
MIT's Press Release announcing receipt of the Expeditions Award for Printable Robots: http://www.csail.mit.edu/node/1717
Berkeley's Press Release announcing Expeditions Award for AMP: http://amplab.cs.berkeley.edu/news/amp-awarded-10m-nsf-expeditions-grant/
UPenn's Press Release announcing receipt of the Expeditions Award for computer-assisted-programming: http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/penn-lead-10-million-project-computer-assisted-programming

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The Relationship Fallacies that Females Have to ... - ABC Marriage

How come all kid?s fairy tales seem to lead to exactly the same way? The royal prince marries his princess they usually stay happily ever after. The majority of us have grown up with this concept. But in every day life, issues won?t generally end like that. Relationships will usually undertake plenty of work. Happily ever after is simply a myth and a dangerous one at that. I suggest saving yourself the agony and getting authentic.

We have listed down several of the fallacies of what a relationship is.

1. ?All marriages lead to a happy ever after.? Regrettably, actual life is not like that and there won?t continually be a royal prince and a white horse. The severe romance is only going to last during that honeymoon period ? 12 months or two perhaps. Marriage isn?t just in relation to romance and unbelievable sex. It will be about two people who are learning how to live together and that?s gonna take plenty of getting used to. It will be hard work and you could even face some struggles on the way.

Marriage problems are normal, but they are not impossible to handle. You can still keep your marriage, even when you are suffering from difficulties with little or no sex in marriage.

2. ?If He Enjoys Me, He Would Really Know What I?d Prefer.? This can be a popular myth with girls, wedded or otherwise. You need to take into account that men and women won?t be the same, they believe differently. If you do not let them know what you want, you may not have the ability to know what you are thinking. In the event you don?t let them know what you want, you might have to spend years looking forward to them to figure things out.

3. ?Two imperfect men and women are likely to result in a happy marriage.? This is perhaps the most important false impression about marriages. Nobody is perfect, you should believe that. In that sense, no marriage is 100% perfect as well. Each may have its concerns and you?ll find certain difficulties that you have to work on ? you may even have to make positive changes to notion of what is perfect.

4. ?I can alter him.? This is another big problem. In case you settle for somebody who is less than your ideal man, you might think it?s Fine because you can always modify him. Well, it is not going to happen this way. You?ll not be able to mold somebody in whatever you desire. If you want to prevent unhappy marriage signs, you should know that you simply can?t alter someone so that you can have them match your values.

Obviously, this does not mean that men and women are never going to change. People do change, often without you noticing it initially. They grow and you need to grow together.

5. ?Our intimacy will stay as strong as it is these days.? Well, if you choose to work on it, then yeah, it maybe will be this way. Certainly, some fall out or decrease is expected and you might find yourself fighting to do it.

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Cancer Diagnosis May Raise Odds for Suicide, Heart Attack Death

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