Beliefs drive investors more than preferences

ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2012) ? If experts thought they knew anything about individual investors, it was this: their emotions lead them to sell winning stocks too soon and hold on to losers too long.

But new research casts doubt on this widely held theory that individual investors' decisions are driven mainly by their feelings toward losses and gains. In an innovative study, researchers found evidence that individual investors' decisions are primarily motivated by their beliefs about a stock's future.

"The story is not about whether an investor hates losing or loves gains -- it's not primarily a story about preferences," said Itzhak Ben-David, co-author of the study and assistant professor of finance at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business.

"It is a story about information and speculation. The investor has a belief about where a stock is headed and that's what he acts on. Investors act more on their beliefs than their preferences."

Ben-David conducted the study with David Hirshleifer of the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. Their results appear in the August 2012 issue of the journal Review of Financial Studies.

The researchers studied stock transactions from more than 77,000 accounts at a large discount broker from 1990 through 1996 and did a variety of analyses that had never been done before. They examined when investors bought individual stocks, when they sold them, and how much they earned or lost with each sale.

The result was a radical rethinking of why individual investors sell winning stocks and hold on to losers.

The findings don't mean that investors don't have an aversion to losses and a desire to sell winners, Ben-David said. But the trading data suggests that these feelings aren't dominating their decisions.

"People have a variety of reasons for trading stocks, which may include tax issues, margin calls, and an aversion to losses. These all may play a role, but what we show that beliefs are dominant for the trading of retail investors."

The tendency to sell winners too early and to keep losers too long has been called the "disposition effect" by economists.

"The disposition effect has been well-documented. The question is what we make of it. A lot of people look at the data and interpret it as meaning that the typical retail investor is irrational, simply reacting to their feelings about gains and losses," he said.

"But what we find is that, looking at the data, we can't really learn about their preferences. We don't learn about what they like or don't like. Surely, they don't like to lose money -- but their reasons for selling stocks are more complex than that."

The simplest test was to see what investors do when a stock is trading just slightly higher or lower than the price they paid -- in other words a small winner or a small loser.

If investors really did make stock trades based simply on their pleasure in making money and their aversion to realizing losses, a small winner should lead to more sales than a small loser.

But this study found that investors were not clearly more likely to sell when it was a small winner than when it was a small loser.

Another piece of evidence against the theory that investors' decisions are driven by their aversion to realizing losses was the fact that, the more a stock lost value, the more likely investors were to sell it.

"If investors had an aversion to realizing losses, larger losses should reduce the probability they would sell, but we found the opposite -- larger losses were associated with a higher probability of selling," Ben-David said.

Interestingly, the stocks that investors sell the least are those that did not have a price change since purchase.

Another clue is the fact that men and frequent traders were more likely than others to sell winning stocks quickly to reap their profits and sell losers quickly to cut their losses.

"Past research has shown that overconfidence in investing is associated with men and frequent traders," Ben-David said. "They have a belief in their superior knowledge and so you would expect them to buy and sell more quickly than others as they speculate on stock prices. That's exactly what we found. They are engaged in belief-based trading."

The researchers also examined when investors were more likely to buy additional shares of a stock that they had previously purchased. They found that the probability of buying additional shares is greater for shares that lost value than it was for shares that gained value.

That shouldn't happen if investors are really acting on emotions rather than beliefs, Ben-David said.

"If you buy additional shares of a stock that has lost value, that suggests you are acting on your beliefs that the stock is really a winner and other people have just not realized it yet," he said.

"You wouldn't buy additional shares of a losing stock if your biggest motivation was to avoid realizing losses."

However, Ben-David noted that just because investors act on beliefs rather than feelings doesn't mean they are acting rationally.

"They may be overconfident in their own abilities. It is a different kind of irrationality from being averse to selling losers," Ben-David said.

This study's suggestion that investors act more on beliefs than preferences is likely to make waves in the economics profession, he said.

"In economics, these two stories are very different. Beliefs and preferences are very different concepts, and it is important to distinguish them and how they affect investors. Many economists had thought that an irrational aversion to selling losers was crucial for the trading decisions of retail investors."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University, via Newswise.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. I. Ben-David, D. Hirshleifer. Are Investors Really Reluctant to Realize Their Losses? Trading Responses to Past Returns and the Disposition Effect. Review of Financial Studies, 2012; 25 (8): 2485 DOI: 10.1093/rfs/hhs077

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/uVVtXEWlixg/120828163011.htm

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In Arctic, Greenpeace picks new fight with old foe

Greenpeace activists including Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Kumi Naidoo, board energy giant Gazprom's Arctic oil platform Prirazlomnaya off the North-eastern coast of Russia in the Pechora Sea on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012. Greenpeace activists have stormed a floating oil rig in Russia?s Pechora Sea to protest oil drilling in the Arctic, the environmental organization said on Friday. (AP Photo/ Denis Sinyakov, Greenpeace)

Greenpeace activists including Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Kumi Naidoo, board energy giant Gazprom's Arctic oil platform Prirazlomnaya off the North-eastern coast of Russia in the Pechora Sea on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012. Greenpeace activists have stormed a floating oil rig in Russia?s Pechora Sea to protest oil drilling in the Arctic, the environmental organization said on Friday. (AP Photo/ Denis Sinyakov, Greenpeace)

Greenpeace activists are in a boat in front of energy giant Gazprom's Arctic oil platform Prirazlomnaya in the Pechora Sea on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012. Greenpeace activists have stormed a floating oil rig in Russia's Pechora Sea, hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the nearest port, to protest oil drilling in the Arctic, the environmental organization said Friday. (AP Photo/Denis Sinyakov, Greenpeace)

This image made available by environmental organization Greenpeace shows Greenpeace activists chained to the anchor chain of the Anna Akhmatova, the vessel which was carrying Gazprom's workers to the Prirazlomnaya platform, in the Pechora Sea about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the nearest port, Murmansk, a city on the extreme northwestern edge of the Russian mainland, Monday Aug. 27, 2012. Gazprom is pioneering Russia's oil drilling in the Arctic. The state-owned company installed the platform there last year and is preparing to drill the first well. Environmentalists have warned that drilling in the Russian Arctic could have disastrous consequences because of a lack of technology to deal with a possible spill in this remote region. (AP Photo/Denis Sinyakov/Greenpeace, HO)

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Global warming has ignited a rush to exploit Arctic resources ? and Greenpeace is determined to thwart that stampede.

Employing the same daredevil tactics it has used against nuclear testing or commercial whaling, the environmental group is now dead-set on preventing oil companies from profiting from global warming by drilling for oil near the Arctic's shrinking ice cap.

The campaign took off in May 2010, when oil was still gushing from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico. At the time, Greenpeace was startled by reports that a small Scottish energy firm was proceeding with plans to drill for oil and gas in iceberg-laden waters off western Greenland.

"It felt slightly surreal," recalled Ben Ayliffe, now the head of Greenpeace's campaign against oil drilling the Arctic. "After what happened in the Gulf of Mexico, how can anyone respond to that by going to drill in similar depths in a place called Iceberg Alley?"

Greenpeace quickly arranged to get a ship to Greenland, where four activists attached themselves to a drilling rig for two days until a storm forced them to abandon the protest.

That stunt, a similar one in 2011 off Greenland and protests this month at an oil rig off northwest Russia are at the core of what Greenpeace calls "one of the defining environmental battles of our age."

"Polar work feels like it's going back to the early campaigns: simple message, people get it and the lines are very clearly drawn," Ayliffe said.

From a publicity standpoint, the campaign has been successful: Greenpeace officials say since June, 1.6 million people have signed the group's online petition urging world leaders to declare the Arctic a global sanctuary, off limits to oil exploration and industrial fishing. Dozens of celebrities, including Robert Redford, Paul McCartney and Penelope Cruz have announced their support, according to Greenpeace activist Sarah North.

"I have never experienced engaging famous people at this kind of rate and with such ease in a campaign issue," said North, a 15-year veteran at Greenpeace.

The impact on the oil industry, however, is unclear. The Arctic is believed to hold up to a quarter of the world's undiscovered oil and gas reserves. Despite difficult operating conditions and high costs, the payback for Shell, Gazprom, Statoil and other companies searching for commercial quantities of hydrocarbons could be huge.

"It probably sounds a bit cynical, but if they invest billions of dollars it's not likely they will give it up just because somebody is attacking their oil rig," said Mikhail Babenko, an oil and gas expert at the World Wildlife Fund's Global Arctic Program.

Unlike Greenpeace, WWF isn't seeking a complete ban on drilling in the Arctic but wants to make sure the most vulnerable areas are protected.

"We want to be part of this discussion," Babenko said. "We don't want to stimulate oil and gas development, but if we follow (Greenpeace's) approach we will be simply out of the game."

Greenpeace and other environmental groups say an oil spill in the Arctic could cause irreparable damage to wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Fears that the oil industry is ill-prepared to operate in the hostile conditions of the high north were reinforced last December when a floating oil rig capsized off eastern Russia, killing more than 50 workers. While that accident happened outside the Arctic region, it underscored the challenges of drilling further north, where ice ridges are meters (yards) deep and storms are frequent.

Oil industry officials say they are taking the necessary precautions to conduct safe operations in the Arctic.

Cairn Energy, the Scottish company whose platforms off Greenland were targeted by Greenpeace protests in 2010 and 2011, isn't drilling there this year. By all accounts, that has nothing to do with Greenpeace but to the fact that the initial drilling was unsuccessful.

Asked what, if any, impact the Greenpeace actions had on the company's future plans for Greenland, Cairn spokeswoman Linda Bain referred to its second-quarter report, which doesn't say anything about Greenpeace.

Shell, which has also come into Greenpeace's cross-hairs for plans to drill off Alaska, also refused to discuss the group. Still, there's no doubt that Shell takes Greenpeace's Arctic campaign seriously.

In March, Shell won an injunction by a U.S. judge ordering Greenpeace to stay 1 kilometer (.6 miles) away from its drilling rigs in U.S. territorial waters.

A month earlier, New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless of the TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess" and six other Greenpeace activists had climbed aboard one of the drilling rigs before it left for Alaska. They later pleaded guilty to trespass charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Greenpeace activists also climbed aboard icebreakers contracted by Shell as they left the Baltic Sea. And the Greenpeace ship "Esperanza" is now shadowing Shell's drilling vessels as they head north to bore exploratory wells in Alaska's Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

"We will follow the oil industry into the Arctic," Ayliffe said. "This is such an important campaign. We're not going to let them off the hook that easily."

Founded in 1971, Greenpeace initially focused on nuclear testing. Its first Rainbow Warrior ship was sunk in New Zealand's Auckland harbor before it set out to protest French nuclear testing at Muroroa Atoll. Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira drowned.

The group claims its actions helped bring about the nuclear test ban treaty as well as a ban on dumping toxic chemicals into the ocean. It also takes credit for forcing Apple and other major companies to become more ecologically responsible.

In the 1990s, Greenpeace campaigned for years to persuade oil companies to bring disused offshore installations to land for recycling, instead of dumping them in the ocean.

The Arctic campaign is part of the group's overarching focus on climate change.

On Friday, six Greenpeace activists, including executive director Kumi Naidoo, spent several hours hanging off the side of the Prirazlomnaya platform in Russia's Pechora Sea, attached to the rig's mooring lines. Three days later, more than a dozen activists intercepted a ship carrying Russian oil workers to the platform and chained themselves to its anchor.

While Greenpeace is sometimes accused of being "alarmist," environment and climate activists in general applaud the group for calling attention to global warming issues. Their activities don't always resonate well, however, with some of the indigenous communities in the Arctic.

The Inuit seal hunters of Greenland, for example, blame Greenpeace campaigns against seal hunting for nearly wiping out the demand for seal skins, a key part of their income.

Ove Karl Berthelsen, Greenland's minister for oil and minerals, said he was skeptical of Greenpeace's claims to be acting in defense of indigenous communities.

"People here see through it," Berthelsen said. "Their star is not very high up here."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-08-29-Greenpeace-Arctic%20Battlefield/id-158c00d8b6364969aee67c91d892718d

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Early career distinction: Prestigious award recognizes physicist's work in electron dynamics

Public release date: 29-Aug-2012
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Contact: Matthias Kling
kling@k-state.edu
785-532-1615
Kansas State University

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A Kansas State University professor has received a prestigious award for his research that could lead to faster electronics and affect communication technology.

Matthias Kling, assistant professor of physics, recently received the Early Career Research Program Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Kling will receive $750,000 to support his research titled "Electron Dynamics in Nanostructures in Strong Laser Fields."

The award is very competitive -- only 68 out of 850 applicants were chosen this year, according to the Department of Energy.

Kling will perform his research in a new laboratory space being built in the university's James R. Macdonald Laboratory. His work will focus on two aspects: studying how electron motion and nanomaterials can be controlled and developing ways to build devices that control electrons with the electric field of light waves.

For the first part of the project, Kling will explore the controlling of electrons in nanosystems -- the first step to improving electronics. If he can do so, it may speed up electrons by a factor of 100,000, which can greatly improve communication technology.

Currently, communication technology across oceans is transferred by optical fibers that can transmit information at the speed of light. This information must be coded and decoded by computers, which can slow down the technology. Kling's research may build the basis to remove this bottleneck.

"What we dream about is having optical devices where electrons are really controlled by the light waves themselves and we can use that to replace conventional electronics," Kling said.

For the second part of the project, Kling wants to not only control the electrons, but see them in action as well.

To observe the motion of electrons, Kling and his research team use attosecond time flashes to take "pictures" of electrons. An attosecond is one-billionth of a billionth of a second.

"By the light flash being there for only a short time, you can freeze the motion of the electrons and get a very sharp picture of the electron at the time the light illuminates it," Kling said. "By putting lots of these pictures together, we obtain a movie of electron motion across the nanostructure."

Kling has spent a research leave at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, where he performed preliminary research on this project. He helped to record correlated electron motion with light waves and studied how to use short laser pulses to control electron motion -- all fundamental to what Kling will apply to nanosystems in the Macdonald Laboratory.

A new laser, a new laboratory space

For his research, Kling will use ultrafast laser sources from the Macdonald Laboratory and he will work in a new laboratory space being built at the lab. The space will be completed this summer.

The new space will include a new $1.3 million laser system funded by the Department of Energy. The university is providing more than $500,000 to fund the laboratory space.

"The new lab space is a state-of-the-art ultrafast laser lab," said Itzik Ben-Itzhak, university distinguished professor of physics and director of the Macdonald Laboratory. "It accommodates a high repetition rate, intense laser system that will serve a multitude of experiments mainly focused on attosecond physics. These experiments and the laser system require a high level of environmental control, which the new lab provides."

In addition to Kling, other researchers with the Macdonald Laboratory group will use the space to study the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with matter.

"This lab and laser system will put the Macdonald Laboratory group among the leading laboratories in the world of attosecond science research," Ben-Itzhak said.

###

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-Aug-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matthias Kling
kling@k-state.edu
785-532-1615
Kansas State University

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- A Kansas State University professor has received a prestigious award for his research that could lead to faster electronics and affect communication technology.

Matthias Kling, assistant professor of physics, recently received the Early Career Research Program Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Kling will receive $750,000 to support his research titled "Electron Dynamics in Nanostructures in Strong Laser Fields."

The award is very competitive -- only 68 out of 850 applicants were chosen this year, according to the Department of Energy.

Kling will perform his research in a new laboratory space being built in the university's James R. Macdonald Laboratory. His work will focus on two aspects: studying how electron motion and nanomaterials can be controlled and developing ways to build devices that control electrons with the electric field of light waves.

For the first part of the project, Kling will explore the controlling of electrons in nanosystems -- the first step to improving electronics. If he can do so, it may speed up electrons by a factor of 100,000, which can greatly improve communication technology.

Currently, communication technology across oceans is transferred by optical fibers that can transmit information at the speed of light. This information must be coded and decoded by computers, which can slow down the technology. Kling's research may build the basis to remove this bottleneck.

"What we dream about is having optical devices where electrons are really controlled by the light waves themselves and we can use that to replace conventional electronics," Kling said.

For the second part of the project, Kling wants to not only control the electrons, but see them in action as well.

To observe the motion of electrons, Kling and his research team use attosecond time flashes to take "pictures" of electrons. An attosecond is one-billionth of a billionth of a second.

"By the light flash being there for only a short time, you can freeze the motion of the electrons and get a very sharp picture of the electron at the time the light illuminates it," Kling said. "By putting lots of these pictures together, we obtain a movie of electron motion across the nanostructure."

Kling has spent a research leave at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, where he performed preliminary research on this project. He helped to record correlated electron motion with light waves and studied how to use short laser pulses to control electron motion -- all fundamental to what Kling will apply to nanosystems in the Macdonald Laboratory.

A new laser, a new laboratory space

For his research, Kling will use ultrafast laser sources from the Macdonald Laboratory and he will work in a new laboratory space being built at the lab. The space will be completed this summer.

The new space will include a new $1.3 million laser system funded by the Department of Energy. The university is providing more than $500,000 to fund the laboratory space.

"The new lab space is a state-of-the-art ultrafast laser lab," said Itzik Ben-Itzhak, university distinguished professor of physics and director of the Macdonald Laboratory. "It accommodates a high repetition rate, intense laser system that will serve a multitude of experiments mainly focused on attosecond physics. These experiments and the laser system require a high level of environmental control, which the new lab provides."

In addition to Kling, other researchers with the Macdonald Laboratory group will use the space to study the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with matter.

"This lab and laser system will put the Macdonald Laboratory group among the leading laboratories in the world of attosecond science research," Ben-Itzhak said.

###

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-08/ksu-ecd082912.php

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Father of Wanderlei Silva killed in car crash

Sad news from Curitiba, Brazil. Holando Piniero da Silva, the father of MMA veteran and all-around good guy Wanderlei Silva, died in a head-on car collision. Silva left his camp in Las Vegas to head to Brazil for his father's funeral services.

Silva recently released video from a visit with his family in Brazil. His father talked about how his son is the pride of Brazil, and beamed as he introduced his entire family to the camera.

"I learned a lot from my dad, even with our hectic life. My father worked three jobs. My parents lived for us," Wanderlei said. "The biggest lesson is that we can achieve anything through hard work and honesty."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/father-wanderlei-silva-killed-car-crash-143602548--mma.html

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Smoking after stroke increases death risk by 3-fold

Public release date: 28-Aug-2012
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Contact: European Society of Cardiology
press@escardio.org
33-049-294-8627
European Society of Cardiology

Munich, Germany August 28 2012: Patients who resume smoking after a stroke increase their risk of death by three-fold, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Professor Furio Colivicchi from San Filippo Neri Hospital. The researchers also found that the earlier patients resume smoking, the greater their risk of death with one year.

"It is well established that smoking increases the risk of having a stroke," said Professor Colivicchi. "Quitting smoking after an acute ischemic stroke may be more effective than any medication in reducing the risk of further adverse events. However, on the other hand, our study shows that stroke patients resuming active smoking after leaving the hospital can raise their risk of dying by as much as three-fold."

The purpose of the study was to gauge the effects of resuming smoking after a stroke, and to see how many patients are likely to relapse. Cardiologists from S. Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome, in collaboration with neurologists from the Santa Lucia Foundation of Rome, tracked 921 patients (584 men and 337 women, mean age 67 16 years) who reported being regular smokers before they were hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke.

All patients ceased smoking while in the hospital and declared themselves motivated to continue abstaining once they were discharged. In addition, all patients attended brief smoking cessation counseling sessions while in the hospital, but no nicotine replacement or other smoking cessation help was provided after they left the hospital.

Patients were interviewed about their smoking status at one, six, and 12 months after their release from the hospital and by the end of the first year 493 (53%) had resumed regular smoking. Older patients and women were more likely to relapse.

Within a year 89 patients died, which equates to a one-year probability of death of 9.6%. After adjusting for patient ages and other clinical variables such as stroke severity, presence of diabetes, hypertension or coronary artery disease, the researchers found that resuming smoking raised a person's risk of death by about three-fold compared to patients who didn't relapse. Moreover, the earlier a patient relapsed, the more likely he or she was to die within a year. "In fact, those who resumed smoking within 10 days of leaving the hospital were five times more likely to die within a year than those who continued to abstain," said Professor Colivicchi.

He added: "The results of this study suggest that healthcare providers should take smoking cessation interventions more seriously, as recommended treatments are not making their way into practice. A successful programme to help stroke patients quit smoking should take a comprehensive long-term approach, including individual counseling, post-discharge support and pharmacological treatment."

###

Notes to editors

Please note that picture and CV from the author, abstract, picture and CV from spokesperson can be found here.

About the European Society of Cardiology www.escardio.org

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 75,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

About ESC Congress 2012

The ESC Congress is currently the world's premier conference on the science, management and prevention of cardiovascular disease. ESC Congress 2012 takes place 25-29 August at the Messe Mnchen in Munich. The scientific programme is available at: http://spo.escardio.org/Welcome.aspx?eevtid=54

More information is available from the ESC Press Office at press@escardio.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Aug-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: European Society of Cardiology
press@escardio.org
33-049-294-8627
European Society of Cardiology

Munich, Germany August 28 2012: Patients who resume smoking after a stroke increase their risk of death by three-fold, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2012 by Professor Furio Colivicchi from San Filippo Neri Hospital. The researchers also found that the earlier patients resume smoking, the greater their risk of death with one year.

"It is well established that smoking increases the risk of having a stroke," said Professor Colivicchi. "Quitting smoking after an acute ischemic stroke may be more effective than any medication in reducing the risk of further adverse events. However, on the other hand, our study shows that stroke patients resuming active smoking after leaving the hospital can raise their risk of dying by as much as three-fold."

The purpose of the study was to gauge the effects of resuming smoking after a stroke, and to see how many patients are likely to relapse. Cardiologists from S. Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome, in collaboration with neurologists from the Santa Lucia Foundation of Rome, tracked 921 patients (584 men and 337 women, mean age 67 16 years) who reported being regular smokers before they were hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke.

All patients ceased smoking while in the hospital and declared themselves motivated to continue abstaining once they were discharged. In addition, all patients attended brief smoking cessation counseling sessions while in the hospital, but no nicotine replacement or other smoking cessation help was provided after they left the hospital.

Patients were interviewed about their smoking status at one, six, and 12 months after their release from the hospital and by the end of the first year 493 (53%) had resumed regular smoking. Older patients and women were more likely to relapse.

Within a year 89 patients died, which equates to a one-year probability of death of 9.6%. After adjusting for patient ages and other clinical variables such as stroke severity, presence of diabetes, hypertension or coronary artery disease, the researchers found that resuming smoking raised a person's risk of death by about three-fold compared to patients who didn't relapse. Moreover, the earlier a patient relapsed, the more likely he or she was to die within a year. "In fact, those who resumed smoking within 10 days of leaving the hospital were five times more likely to die within a year than those who continued to abstain," said Professor Colivicchi.

He added: "The results of this study suggest that healthcare providers should take smoking cessation interventions more seriously, as recommended treatments are not making their way into practice. A successful programme to help stroke patients quit smoking should take a comprehensive long-term approach, including individual counseling, post-discharge support and pharmacological treatment."

###

Notes to editors

Please note that picture and CV from the author, abstract, picture and CV from spokesperson can be found here.

About the European Society of Cardiology www.escardio.org

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 75,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

About ESC Congress 2012

The ESC Congress is currently the world's premier conference on the science, management and prevention of cardiovascular disease. ESC Congress 2012 takes place 25-29 August at the Messe Mnchen in Munich. The scientific programme is available at: http://spo.escardio.org/Welcome.aspx?eevtid=54

More information is available from the ESC Press Office at press@escardio.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-08/esoc-sas082812.php

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Outsourcing Tips ? Develop Good Relationship - MyHomeBizNet

?

There are many working Internet marketing concepts and systems, all of which centered around one critical aspects; leverage! ?Are you aware of the fact that most if not all successful online marketers use this method to get greater profits and greater satisfaction out of every penny spent and every efforts expended?

Outsourcing is one of the most powerful leverage you have at your disposal.??The technology is available for you to pay or hire others to get many of the jobs done. Put it simply, engaging the professional services of third party experts?has to be part of your business, if not you are losing big time.

There hundreds of service providers to choose from, particularly outsourcing work pertaining to online marketing such as graphic design, sales copy writing, programming, digital product creation and etc. ?Here is a list of companies that you may approach to contract out some of the tasks.

www.elance.com, www.getafreelancer.com,www.vworker.com, www.freelancer.com, www.guru.com, www.ifreelance.com, www.scriptlance.com, www.getacoder.com,www.superlancers.com and many more.

Establish Close Rapport With Your Outsourcer

One common oversights that many people make is the inability to recognize the true value of relationship a business owner has with his or her outsourcer, particularly those whom they deal with on frequent basis to get projects done.?Properly utilizing this overlooked asset can mean thousands, and often tens of thousands of dollars increased revenue and goodwill.

Developing ?a good relation ship with those you rely on to deliver good products and services is very important, in fact it is everything that defines how well you do in your business. Here are few tips you need to pay attention, these are valuable and important advice that will save you tons of trouble down the road.

1) Be friendly, be helpful and courteous but not too much unless they become?a friend beyond business. Strictly speaking, it is okay being nice but not too much in regards to work, ?in other words be professional so that the other party knows as much as being nice, you are serious about the quality and timeline of the work.

2) Be understanding and considerate, most programmers and workers are in third world countries where?electricity and internet services might not be available round the clock. Some of the?amenities we take for granted??are luxury for these contractors.

3)At times they might not live up to your expectations. Do give them the benefit of the doubt, they will appreciate your understanding, don?t be too ruthless because you have to remember they are paid well below what you might otherwise have spend to get the job done elsewhere.

4)If there is a delay, address the issue head-on by being nice and at the same time quoting deadline.

5)You are encourage to treat them as a ?friend? rather than a business partner. However, it is vital that you should not under any?circumstances tell or ?explain to them how much money you are making or how your entire business model ever works.

6)Be on top of things, knows what is happening, keep asking for updates, email them every alternate day so. You got nothing to loose by keeping track of things closely.

7) Always give specific instructions, you are essentially the visionary, show them how the concept will be and I can tell you that they will make that concept happen. For instance, you may tell them; ??I want to get traffic to this site, this is what I want you to do??

Always use pictorial approach to depict and explain concepts and requirements. ?For instance, you can make use of program such as Snagit ?or standard ?print screen? to grab a picture or screenshots for discussion and walk through.

9)Have fun, posting a project and getting bids is exciting. Stay relax and and get yourself excited like a ?kid in a candy store.?Enjoy the outsourcing process and within no time you will start making profit as well.

Final thoughts

It is important to establish and maintain good working relationship to those you hire or engage to help out in various aspect of your online?business. ?At the same time, you need to be vigilant on the quality of the deliverable,the timeline and the investment that goes into outsourcing.

Source: http://www.myhomebiznet.com/internet-marketing-blogging/developing-relationship-outsourcer

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Proceeds From Writing and PR Services Benefit I Love To Write Day ...

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug 28, 2012 -
Proceeds From Writing and PR Services Benefit I Love To Write Day

John Riddle, an author and ghostwriter from Delaware, is offering his writing and PR services at a big discount. ?Proceeds will benefit the 10th anniversary of I Love To Write Day.

Riddle is the author of 34 books, including 6 business titles, and has worked as a ghostwriter for numerous consultants, physicians and business leaders. ?His byline has appeared in major publications all across the U.S., and he has written articles for over 200 Websites.

I Love To Write Day is a grassroots campaign to have people of all ages practice writing every November 15. ?Last year over 28,000 schools throughout the U.S. held special ILTWD events and activities. ?Bookstores, libraries, writing groups, community centers and even a few malls joined in the fun. ?Learn more about I Love To Write Day at www.ilovetowriteday.org

?Many business owners cannot afford to have a writer and PR specialist on staff,? said Riddle, ?so I am here to assist them.?

If you need assistance with press releases, including distribution, articles, white papers, and even book proposals, contact Riddle at johnriddle@sprintmail.com

Source: http://www.prlog.org/11960607-proceeds-from-writing-and-pr-services-benefit-love-to-write-day.html

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9 Marines punished for urinating on Taliban corpses

?

By Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube, NBC News

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military on Monday dealt out punishment to nine Marines for their roles in urinating on Taliban corpses, and were?expected to announce penalties against six soldiers in the Quran burning incident at Bagram Air Base that ignited deadly protests in Afghanistan.

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The Marine Corps announced that two officers will be charged with creating a command climate that led to acts of bad behavior as they relate to the urinating on Taliban corpses in Afghanistan.?In addition, seven enlisted men received punishment for taking part in the episode, which was videotaped.

A statement from the Marine Corps said they received the punishment for "violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for their role in the desecration and filming of deceased Taliban that became public in January 2012."

As part of a plea deal, three Marines pleaded guilty and will receive a permanent mark on their records that will impact any future promotions and re-enlistments.

It was unclear what disciplinary action the four other non-commissioned officers will face in the urinating incident, and what resolution, if any was in charging the officers.

The three Marines were all members of the Third Battalion, Second Marine Regiment or in units that were attached to the "3/2" during their deployment. Their names were not released.?

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One non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to a general order by?wrongfully posing for an unofficial photograph with human casualties and urinating on the body of a deceased Taliban soldier, which conduct was prejudicial to good order and discipline.

Another non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to?wrongfully posing for an unofficial photograph with human casualties and?wrongfully video recording the incident.?

A staff non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to?failing to report the mistreatment of human casualties by other Marines and?making a false official statement to a Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigator about the his knowledge of the video.

The incident took place during a counter-insurgency operation near Sandala, Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan around July 27, 2011.?

The investigation into the Quran burning reportedly found no ill intent on the part of the soldiers so none of the six will face criminal charges. ?The administrative punishment, however, will likely result in the end of their military careers.?

Report: 5 soldiers involved in Quran burning

The investigation against one sailor was dropped when it was determined he was simply ordered to drive the truck with the material to the burn site at the base.

The burning of the Muslim holy books in February sparked weeks of protests that led to 30 Afghan deaths. U.S. officials said at the time the books were mistakenly sent along with garbage for disposal after detainees had written messages in them.

According to The Wall Street Journal, officials in Afghanistan were bracing for public demonstration over what might be viewed as lenient punishment of the troops.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/27/13506306-marines-punish-three-for-urinating-on-taliban-corpses-punishment-due-soon-in-quran-burning?lite

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Top donors, lobbyists to schmooze with RNC guests

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Away from the televised political speeches and Mitt Romney's nomination at the Republican National Convention, energy, technology, transportation companies and others are hosting lavish parties for Republican leaders, politicians and Romney's top donors.

The behind-the-scenes parties, receptions and other exclusive events allow the Republican elite to mingle with donors and special interests in a way that's unusual even for the nation's capital. Dozens of events and scores of donors, lobbyists and corporate heads are all under one roof this week ? and under a loosely regulated setting distant from Washington.

That's as voters, who have long bristled at how special interests influence policymakers, will see only scripted, primetime speeches and Romney's acceptance remarks from their living rooms.

The influence of money in politics has received heightened scrutiny this election, as independent political groups have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support their favored candidates. This is the first convention that will highlight the impact of these groups, including the presence of top GOP strategist Karl Rove of the "super" political committee American Crossroads.

The parties begin anew next week in Charlotte, N.C., home to the Democrats' national convention. The DNC said its gathering would be the first not to rely on special-interest money, although its organizers quietly set up a nonprofit entity to collect corporate cash.

Democratic donors complained early in President Barack Obama's administration that they were kept at arm's length. Since then, the president has opened his White House to contributors for events like state dinners and meetings with policy advisers.

Republican delegates this week will be starting their days with muffins, fresh fruit and egg sandwiches at receptions with company sponsorships. At one event Monday afternoon, delegates raved about hors d'oeuvres like truffles and caviar, along with champagne.

Attendees had a wide swatch of events to choose from: a Kid Rock concert on Wednesday, a "Back to the Reagan '80s" reception on Thursday by the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation or a "Wheels Up" party on Friday hosted in part by the National Energy Institute and Citizens United, the conservative organization behind the namesake 2010 Supreme Court case that loosened restrictions on money in politics.

As well, corporations with business before the federal government ? including those with major financial interests at stake ? are throwing their own events for delegates and attendees. In some cases, the parties blend the agendas of both corporate and media hosts that have some symbiotic interests in Washington's halls of power.

Among those sponsoring events in Tampa are Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based producer of Budweiser and other beer brands; pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. and the Lifetime Television Network. Elliott Management Corp. hedge fund co-founder Paul Singer, who gave $1 million to a super PAC backing Romney, is also co-sponsoring an event aimed at gay Republicans.

Another host is the Personal Care Products Council, sponsor of a "Cocktail and Cosmetics" reception. One of the council's members is Utah-based Nu Skin Enterprises, a personal care and dietary supplements firm whose vice chairman, Steven J. Lund, was linked to $2 million in donations to the same Romney-leaning super PAC, Restore Our Future.

A "Nightly Lounge" scheduled all week in Tampa is hosted by Politico, the Washington-focused web news operation. The events, which will also be held at the Democratic convention next week, are co-sponsored by defense industry giant BAE Systems, technology designer Intel Corp., liquor seller Diageo and the Coca-Cola Co.

Politico is trying to deepen its news and politics coverage and win more customers for its specialized subscription services. Politico's executive director of events, Beth Lester Sidhu, said the parties were conceived as a "live extension of our journalistic mission."

BAE Systems Inc. was ranked by the General Services Administration as the 10th largest defense contractor in 2011 with $6.8 billion in awards ? a rank undiminished even after its British parent firm agreed to pay $79 million in fines that same year for civil arms export violations. Just last week, the firm won back nearly the same amount ? $78 million? for a new government contract to produce platforms for U.S. ship-based vertical launching missile systems.

Intel, the multinational semiconductor chip firm based in Silicon Valley, has spent $1.7 million already this year on lobbying in the Senate and House in favor of lowering the corporate tax rate and backing the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade agreement and for removing caps on foreign workers' visas.

"The policy debates that go on are really important to American businesses," Intel spokeswoman Lisa Malloy said. "These are important issues and they really impact our business and we really wanted to be in the middle of it."

British-based Diageo, owner of Captain Morgan rum and other liquor items, spent $1.07 million this year lobbying ? partly to keep in place tax breaks for spirits shipped to the U.S. from the U.S. Virgin Islands. And Coca-Cola has spent more than $2.8 million in lobbying this year, pressing for soft drinks to be kept at school cafeterias and to lower corporate tax rates, and opposing laws that would tax beverages to pay for waste water treatment.

A Coca Cola spokeswoman, Nancy Carlson Bailey, said the firm's role was "primarily focused on supporting the respective host committees."

Elsewhere at the convention, the Arkansas GOP delegation was feted to a welcome dinner at a renowned Cuban restaurant in nearby Ybor City. Former Arkansas governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee stopped by, as did representatives of retail giant Wal-Mart, headquartered in the state. Chevron was behind a Mississippi delegation event Monday, where members of Congress and former Gov. Haley Barbour made appearances.

Tropical Storm Isaac, which led Republicans to cancel their Monday convention session, prompted changes in some events but not others. Tuesday's planned panel discussion on "The Millennial Impact on the Youth Vote" was cancelled while a related cocktail reception went on as planned.

Since touching down in Tampa, Wisconsin delegate Jeff Johns has had a full plate of social events. There have been country club luncheons, a welcome event organized by the convention host committee and gatherings featuring prominent officials and staged by companies with hometown connections like Miller-Coors.

"All the VIPS are in the room. You get to mingle with them," Johns said Monday. "Here it's like going out with your college friends to a tavern ? except there's a lot of free Miller beer."

___

Bakst reported from Tampa, and Gillum and Braun from Washington.

___

Follow Jack Gillum on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jackgillum

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-08-27-Republican%20Parties/id-6667c34e9bfe4cfe935edf99d9b640d3

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Frank Ocean, Rihanna Join 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Lineup

The Wanted, 2 Chainz, Ke$ha added as presenters.
By Gil Kaufman

Rihanna
Photo: Christie Goodwin/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1692605/rihanna-frank-ocean-vma-2012-performers.jhtml

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Search Engine Marketing Recommendations That Anyone Can ...

A lot of new online marketers and business owners be dependent solely on content and paid out adverts as a way to increase their awareness on the web. This might work with some companies, however it is an unfinished strategy that will enable other companies to rob your thunder. Use these tips to enhance the search positions of your web site. The preferred search engine marketing software package is actually this Senuke XCR and you need to acquire it right away.

Be patient when you?re attempting to boost your site?s SEO. You will not see any big modifications or even an influx in traffic over night. If your website is rather new, it will require some time for you to see any effects. It requires time for an internet business to build a name, the same as conventional companies. People have to have a lot of backlinks pointing to your website or blog to enhance serps.

If you want a substantial standing, help the internet crawlers be successful in their quest. You will always find spiders going through your articles, looking for various keywords, and they need to learn how to be able to each of the webpages in your web site. Help them to out by having a site road map. This shows what is important in your website, and it affords the spiders a solid idea of how you will site functions.

Your web server needs to be configured that it is scenario delicate in regards to URLs. Malfunction to achieve this could see your site becoming respidered with all reduce situation words that can damage the effectiveness of your back links.

Publish your content close to a number of search phrases to assist with search engine optimisation. Employing keywords and phrases that happen to be highly relevant to the niche inside the published creating will permit online crawlers to directory it easily. It will likewise make it simpler for your personal readers to discover your articles through search engines like google. The search term you wish to center on should appear several times inside your article?s text message, along with its name and summing up.

Explore how much expertise they may have. In order to make a thoroughly explored and well informed selection, you need to be aware of the possible risks involved with your option.

Search engines like yahoo are known to be enticed with a internet site road map. Creating a web site road map could help Search engine optimisation, plus assist site visitors find their way about your web site once they arrive. A web site road map will hyperlink your pages to one another. Visitors can use the web page chart to browse through your internet site. The more navigable your website is, the greater number of traffic you will get.

Do your very best to take benefit of all of the professional expertise that already exists on Search engine optimization (search engine optimisation). Search engine optimization involves optimizing your web site in order that it will show up increased in the search engine rankings. There are several businesses that give this specific service in a very inexpensive price.

Composing a blog or leaving comments on one more person?s blog site is a good SEO strategy. Considering that search engines like extremely-organised websites and new articles, blog sites frequently rank highly to them. The greater number of back-links you need to your web site, the bigger you?ll rank on the major search engines final results page.

You might in fact be capable of getting some visitors to your site although your website is positioned on the rear internet pages, however, your traffic would dramatically raise the instant you begun to put into practice the right Search engine marketing tactics. By utilizing the tips you?ve just read in the following paragraphs, you can begin to improve the information of your

Source: http://www.yytoon.com/43-search-engine-marketing-recommendations-that-anyone-can-comply-with

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FAA to study use of electronics on planes

It's going to be a while before airline passengers can use iPads and other electronic devices during the whole flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it's forming a committee to study the issue. But its plan suggests the committee's work won't be done until March at the earliest.

The committee will give a recommendation to the FAA, which will make the final decision about any changes. The FAA says allowing cell phone use during flights isn't under consideration.

Airlines currently ban electronic devices until the plane reaches 10,000 feet. They have to be put away before landing, too.

In March, the FAA raised hopes that it might loosen rules for electronic devices by saying it would study ways to test them.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/faa-study-electronics-planes-194606800--finance.html

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florentino - Affordable & Effective Home Staging? Services | Forgie ...

Fri24

Posted on Aug 24, 2012 in e-Home Staging, Home Staging, Realtors

Forgie Home Staging & Redesign provides?Realtors, home sellers, builders and investors with affordable and effective home staging? services!

Our teams national average days on market after home staging is just 21!

?In today?s real estate market, that?s a hard number to beat! Best of all? It doesn?t matter whether you?re across the street or across the country, we have a home staging plan that will work for you!

• Home Staging - making the home appeal to the largest number of buyers! ?Assuring that it sells fast and for the most money possible!
• Ready for Resale? ? Preparing the home for maximum marketability during those critical first 30 days on the market!
• Vacant Home Staging ? We can turn the vacant home into a buyers dream! Affordable and effective!
• e-Home Staging? ? For the home seller that lives out of the area, our e-Home Staging? services are the perfect solution.

Copyright? 2012. Forgie Home Staging & Redesign, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://forgiehomestaging.com/2012/08/affordable-effective-home-staging/

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Source: http://pymomo.livejournal.com/91186.html

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Clear, Unvarnished Tips For Home Improvement Projects | Home ...

Every successful home improvement begins with the information to make the right choices and get the job done the right way. Below, you will find helpful information to assist you in your future home improvements.

Lots of home builders use only wood in their cabinets to save on costs and neglect to include hardware. Fortunately, you are able to get knobs, pulls for the drawers and handles at a hardware store or online. You can purchase new knobs, among other things, and easily install them in a short amount of time.

If you?re unhappy with the work that your contractor has done, you need to be vocal. Talk to the contractor directly and spell out your grievances. When he doesn?t give you satisfaction, send a registered letter to him. From there, contact a consumer protection office to get more help.

Think about your surroundings and perform improvements that are sensible. Having nonsensical improvements such as a sun room without insulation in Michigan, or an uncovered deck in Arizona would make your potential buyer wonder what other odd choices you might have made with the house upkeep. Keep the local climate in mind when beginning a project.

If you wish to create a stenciled design on the walls that?s fun, pick out one that you enjoy by making one yourself, or by printing one off the Internet. Laminate some copies of your pattern at the copy store, and then cut them out with a craft knife. Use painter?s tape to attach a copy to the wall, roll your paint on, and put a new one before the old one, changing them up as you move about the room.

As you interview home improvement contractors, be sure to take the time to research their backgrounds and completed projects. Have these contractors done renovations in the past on homes similar to the one you own? Also, ask if they have experience with projects in the same price range and scope. Ask to see a portfolio of their work, and see if it is along the lines of what you?re looking for.

It?s smart to determine the amount of paint you will need before you start painting no matter how large or small your project may be. Never simply look at a job and guess. You can waste a lot of money this way. Figuring out how much paint you will need can save you time and money.

Many home owners are choosing to improve their home with a vinyl deck. It?s crucial that you wash your deck twice yearly to help it remain in good condition so that you can enjoy it for many years to come. The best time to clean your deck is in the spring or the fall.

Most people who own their homes will make improvements to it. The only real issue is whether they are successful projects. It?s not uncommon for something to be done wrong because someone didn?t take the time to learn to do it the correctly. Avoid joining the latter group. Take the information you learned here and use it to greatly improve upon your home

Source: http://mommyscraps.com/home-improvement/clear-unvarnished-tips-for-home-improvement-projects.html

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zeitgeistblog: CNN Top Story: 'Linsanity' arrives in Hong Kong - Jeremy Lin, the undrafted Cinderella of the last NBA season, got p... http://t.co/ZSAfctYB

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azdesertswarm: RT @ArizonaBaseball: Come watch the Arizona baseball team get honored tomorrow at the Arizona Diamondbacks game! First pitch thrown by c ...

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Jetpack Wedding! [Video]

Amanda Volf and Grant Engler had a touching marriage ceremony yesterday, where they flew around like lovebirds, hoisted into the air by water jetpacks.

Only one kayaker was capsized during the first dance.

Jetpack wedding! The future is now!

(Hat tip to $kaycog)

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/jalopnik/full/~3/DFos0HcysvE/jetpack-wedding

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Recovery and Continuity The Difference

Recovery and Continuity: The Difference

March 10th, 2012

In the past couple of years there have been a big number of natural disasters causing untold amounts of damage, setting several businesses back years if not decades. There is not a lot we can do to avoid these disasters, but we can be ready for them. Is your business ready?

Most firms have at least basic protection from emergencies and disasters in spot. The most common types of protection are insurance, server and personal computer backup, and fundamental preparations as required by law. While these protective measures are regarded as adequate for most firms, there is still a likelihood a disaster will strike, leaving your firm in the lurch.

In the current months and years an increasing number of occurrences, such as the earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand, have brought on widespread disruption to corporations. To counter this, two organization initiatives have risen to the forefront: Disaster Recovery (DR) and Organization Continuity Planning (BCP). In fact, these two terms have grow to be widespread buzzwords, a fast world wide web search returns over 53 million hits on organization continuity alone. The difficulty is that numerous specialists are unclear on what each and every truly is. It is crucial to be clear on every topic and the fundamental actions to take to be prepared for any disaster.

What is a Business Continuity Strategy (BCP)? BCP, 1st noticed throughout the Y2K scare of the late 90s, is a program that covers the way an organization prepares for and maintains all critical business functions. BC organizing is comprised of activities that make sure upkeep, stability, and recoverability of service prior to, throughout, and right after a disaster. The program is usually set up on a day-to-day basis, and covers the entire organization.

It is essential to have a BCP for your organization because if one thing happens and you cannot deliver to your customers, they will go to yet another company.

What is Disaster Recovery? Disaster Recovery is deemed a component of the overall continuity program that focuses on the technical side of the company, such as components such as information backup and recovery. Feel of BCP as an umbrella and DR is under the umbrella if you do not have a disaster recovery strategy, the overall umbrella is far more or much less useless.

What Should be in Your DR and BCP Plans? These plans both share a quantity of similarities, generally following the identical steps involving the exact same elements. Each plans must contain:

An operational program for a number of disasters that could happen in your geographical area. The plans really should cover occurrences as modest as laptop or computer hardware errors and as significant as enormous natural disasters.
A succession strategy for you or your leading management.
Education for substitute employees on essential tasks.
Cross coaching of your personnel on the fundamentals of diverse roles so they will be in a position to take over if require be.
A communication strategy focused on different crises, such as approaches of communicating if networks are down.
Off-site meeting areas for staff and managers.
A concentrate on safety. Foster partnerships and communication with local and emergency response services: Fire, Police, National Guard, Search and Rescue. Ideally, all personnel really should at least know standard initial aid. If you have personnel who are volunteer members of local Emergency Response Services, ask them to be responsible for teams.
Every day plans to backup your Enterprise systems, along with instruction and testing of recovery of systems.
Training and testing of all personnel to practice recovery activities in scenarios as realistic as possible.

It is crucial that you conduct standard tests of your systems and processes, and make adjustments as needed. Be conscious that your business is constantly changing and so should your Business Continuity and Disaster Recover Plans. With a cautiously ready and practiced program, your business should be ready to face an assortment of disasters with minimal downtime. If you would like to know a lot more about Company Continuity and Disaster Recovery please get in touch with us at www.lgnetworksinc.com.

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Source: http://twpresent.com/2012/08/25/recovery-and-continuity-the-difference-2/

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Two teenagers from London join rebel unit fighting in Syria

to

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/two-teenagers-from-london-join-rebel-unit-fighting-in-syria-8076098.html

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Canadian among six Greenpeace activists who stormed Russian oil rig

MOSCOW - Greenpeace activists, including a Canadian, stormed a floating Russian oil platform early Friday and erected climbing tents on the side of the rig to protest drilling in the Arctic.

The six activists spent several hours hanging off the side of the Prirazlomnaya platform in the Pechora Sea attached to the rig's mooring lines. They prepared for a long occupation by bringing up supplies, including the tents, but planned to evacuate after rig workers threw pieces of metal at them.

In a YouTube video posted online by Greenpeace, Terry Christenson, of Parry Sound, Ont., says he's taking part in the action for his grandchildren and "the grandchildren of the planet."

"I think it is a catastrophe waiting to happen," said Christenson, who's been a climber for almost 20 years.

At first, the six activists, who include Greenpeace executive director Kumi Naidoo, were offered hot soup, then were showered with blasts of icy water.

"Not just hosed water, but now metal being thrown by Gazprom crew at our activists," Naidoo said in a tweet, referring to the workers of a subsidiary of Russian energy company Gazprom that owns and operates the rig. "We're coming down."

Two helicopters arrived at the platform, but left without disturbing the protesters. The activists managed to put a banner on the rig saying "Don't kill the Arctic."

"We're here peacefully and we will continue to draw the attention of Russian people and people around the world to what's happening there," Naidoo told The Associated Press by telephone from the platform. "It's bad for Russia, it's bad for the planet."

Gazprom is pioneering Russia's oil drilling in the Arctic. The state-owned company installed the platform there last year and is preparing to drill the first well.

Gazprom said in an emailed statement that the activists "have been invited to scale up to the platform for a constructive dialogue," but said that they refused. The company said that "all work on the platform proceeds as normal."

Naidoo, a South African, said the other activists with him include Christenson, two from Germany, and one each from the United States and Finland.

The platform is about 1,000 kilometres from the nearest port, Murmansk, a city on the extreme northwestern edge of the Russian mainland.

Greenpeace said that its activists have supplies to last "for an extended stay."

Russian and international environmentalists have warned that drilling in the Russian Arctic could have disastrous consequences because of a lack of technology and infrastructure to deal with a possible spill in a remote region known for huge icebergs and severe storms.

An AP investigation last year found that at least one per cent of Russia's annual oil production, or five million tons, is spilled every year.

A report by Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund, issued last week, said that a spill from Prirazlomnaya could contaminate protected areas and nature reserves on the shore and islands within 20 hours, while emergency teams would take at least three days to reach the area.

_ With files from The Canadian Press.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canadian-among-six-greenpeace-activists-stormed-russian-oil-171321595.html

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