stevealu

শুক্রবার, ২ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

LinkedIn 3Q results sail past expectations

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9 Iranian female prisoners begin hunger strike

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2006, file photo, Iranian film director Jafar Panahi as he attends the 56th Berlin Film Festival 'Berlinale' in Berlin. Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, announced Friday Oct. 26, 2012 that the 2012 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be won by Iranian dissidents Jafar Panahi and Nasrin Sotoudeh. (AP Photo/Jan Bauer, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? An Iranian opposition website says at least nine female political prisoners have begun a hunger strike in protest of snap body searches and abuse by prison guards.

The kaleme.org late Wednesday said the women prisoners started the strike after female guards at Evin prison in northern Tehran carried out unannounced inspections that included body searches, beating and verbal insults of the prisoners.

Internationally renowned human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been on hunger strike in the same prison since last week. She is protesting mistreatment by authorities.

A delegation from the European Union last week cancelled a visit to Tehran after Iranian authorities rejected its request to meet Sotoudeh and dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

The European Parliament awarded the 2012 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to both in October.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-01-Iran-Hunger%20Strike/id-c96561379bb74e879fc8584e8e152c8a

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Renovated Home Theater Packs Powerful Audio Punch - CE Pro ...

Big, beefy surround sound systems are usually reserved for dedicated home theaters. But in this multifunctional, lower-level entertainment area, the owners decided to go all-out by equipping it with nine Triad speakers and two subwoofers, creating a 9.2-channel surround-sound system that could blow their socks off.

Nine speakers and two subwoofers do a nice job of wrapping theatergoers in amazing sound, so you?d think they?d be a huge design element of the space. Not so. Stone Glidden in King of Prussia, Pa., mounted all of the speakers between the wall studs as the 2,000-square-foot lower level was being renovated.

The studs were then covered with fabric paneling from Novawall. The fabric is designed specifically for home theaters, allowing sound from the speakers to travel through the weave - while providing an additional 2 inches behind for foam core insulation that helps optimize the room acoustics.

Placing the speakers behind offered yet another advantage for the homeowners: It would protect the gear from the hands of their two young children. ?They really wanted a place where they could have fun but not worry about accidentally knocking over a speaker or spilling something on it,? says Tom Stone, president of Stone Glidden.

It takes a large speaker - and lots of them - to fill a space as large as this remodeled lower level. That?s one of the reasons Stone Glidden recommended a 9.2-channel surround-sound arrangement for the theater portion of the 2,000-square-foot rec room. You?d never know there were that many speakers, though ? until you hear the audio. The sound seemingly emanates from the walls.

The speakers - InWall Bronze/4 LCR models from Triad - were mounted between the wall studs during the construction of the room and covered completely with acoustical fabric. Designed specifically for in-wall installation, the InWall Bronze/4 LCRs feature a rigid, braced enclosure to prevent sound waves from bleeding into adjacent rooms.

The Control4 system selected as the room?s mode of control is just as kid-friendly. Glidden and his team programmed the system so the entire theater could be revved up by just touching one button on a wireless Wi-Fi-enabled Control4 touchpanel. The command activates the Integra surround-sound receiver and Blu-ray player, while firing up the Runco video projector. In seconds, the movie is displayed on a 119-inch Da-Lite screen.

The touchpanel does other tricks, too. The family can use it to have audio and video signals travel from an A/V rack inside a specially constructed closet to the 37-inch Samsung displays in the exercise room and bar - as well as a TV in the kids? play area. Each ancillary entertainment space is equipped with in-ceiling speakers from Niles Audio.

These speakers can also broadcast music, as selected by the family from the Control4 touchpanel, from an iPod dock or the Rhapsody music service available through the Control4 processor. The result is entertainment that flows evenly and seamlessly from space to space and technology that helps the family get what they want where they want it, with nothing more than a touch of a button.

Source: http://www.cepro.com/article/renovated_home_theater_packs_powerful_audio_punch/

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ১ নভেম্বর, ২০১২

Merrimack High School Class of 1955 honors teacher - Cabinet.com

Reader Submitted

Friday, November 2, 2012

Members of the Merrimack High School Class of 1955 met for a luncheon at the Back Room recently to honor one of their teachers ? Mrs. Alice Dickinson.

A bouquet of roses, a cake made by Joyce Soucy, and a commendation from Gov. John Lynch were presented by Barbara (Worster) Vaughn, of Texas, to Dickinson. Historical facts researched by Joyce (Nesrnith) Bishop were at each place setting.

Dickinson had each person within the class of 1955 in one or more of her English classes during 1951-55.

She taught English at McGaw Institute and the then- new high school, while enabling her students to learn the rules of grammar and practical uses of language. Students remembered her effective discipline of raising one eyebrow when a class started to get noisy.

Dickinson?s influence reached beyond the classroom into the personal lives of her students. She stepped in when a student was not going to graduate and designed a makeup schedule for the student. She also sponsored more than one student for leadership training. And she coached students in writing and speaking projects both locally and statewide. She paid attention to details by making sure students knew how to sit properly, stand and walk to the podium, as well as ensuring they had rides to and from presentations.

Each year, she
produced the prize speaking program and directed the senior play after school. She managed to have students learn lines without strain.

Each week she would have students read their parts for one act. At the end of the week, students had to perform their speaking parts without scripts. Much to everyone?s surprise, they had the parts all learned without a struggle.

Since 1955 when this class graduated, Dickinson and her husband Richard have attended every reunion this class has celebrated. It is little wonder that the class (through Larry and Judy Decato) went to the governor to obtain a commendation for this outstanding person who made such a difference in so many lives.

Jane Bastille Dwyer, Rod Cyr, Bill Footer, Charlie Hall, Barbara (Maker) Patterson, Bruce Tucker, Joyce (Nesrnith) Bishop, Joyce Soucy, Barbara (Worster) Vaughn, and Larry and Judy Decato extend a thank you, Mrs. Dickinson. Thank you for being you.

? Submitted by
Jane E. Dwyer

Source: http://www.cabinet.com/merrimackjournal/merrimackreadersubmitted/981940-308/merrimack-high-school-class-of-1955-honors.html

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IVR Process Can Challenge Sex Life | Psych Central News

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 31, 2012

IVR Process Can Challenge Sex Life A new study discovers that infertility treatment can negatively impact a women?s sex life. Despite the importance of sex in conceiving a child, little attention has been given to the sexual dynamics of couples as they work to overcome infertility challenges.

?Sex is for pleasure and for reproduction, but attention to pleasure often goes by the wayside for people struggling to conceive,? said Nicole Smith, a doctoral student with Indiana University?s Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

Smith is conducting the study in collaboration with Jody Lyne? Madeira, Ph.D.

?With assisted reproductive technologies (ART), couples often report that they feel like a science experiment, as hormones are administered and sex has to be planned and timed. It can become stressful and is often very unromantic and regimented; relationships are known to suffer during the process.?

Researchers say the study is one of the first in the United States to examine women?s sexual experiences while undergoing assisted reproductive technologies. Investigators used a Sexual Functioning Questionnaire to assess the impact of IVF treatment on couples? sexual experiences.

Compared to a sample of healthy women, women undergoing IVF reported significantly less sexual desire, interest in sexual activity and satisfaction with their sexual relationship. They had more difficulty with orgasm and were more likely to report sexual problems such as vaginal pain and dryness.

Experts have recognized that emotional and relationship challenges intensify as a couple?s use of ART proceeded. Attention to challenges in having sex has somehow escaped the purview of key parties.

When couples meet with their physicians, their sex life might not top the list of issues they want to discuss, either because of unease talking about the subject or simply because they have so many other important issues to discuss.

Still, Smith and Madeira say, the doctor-patient relationship is key, and couples can be told up front about the potential sexual side effects and resources that can help.

If they have issues with dryness, for example, they could be counseled on remedies such as purchasing lubricant or other sexual enhancement products. In addition to referring couples to mental health counselors, reproductive endocrinologists could also refer them to sex therapists.

?There?s just a dearth of knowledge on how infertility affects sexual behavior,? Madeira said. ?The focus is more likely to be on the social and support dimensions of the relationship, but sex is a big part of that. Just letting patients know they aren?t alone in this would be helpful.?

If more information about sexual challenges becomes available, couples might find it on their own.

?Women interested in ART are generally well-educated and tend to spend time researching these issues,? Madeira said. ?They would be very responsive to this information, and proactive.?

The study involved 270 women who completed an online questionnaire; interviews with 127 men and women using IVF to try to conceive; and interviews with 70 professionals, including physicians, nurses, mental health experts and other providers who work directly with patients.

IVF is a procedure in which mature eggs are retrieved from a woman?s ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab, forming embryos. The embryo(s) are then implanted in the woman?s uterus. It is considered an effective procedure but one that is used after couples try several other less invasive procedures.

By the time couples begin IVF, they might have been trying to conceive for many years. Nine percent of the women in their study had been through five IVF cycles, which could take at least a year.

Here are some of their other findings:

Women who reported being sexually active with a partner in the past month also were more likely to engage in masturbation and report fewer sexual problems;
The women reported similar problems with sexual function regardless of the type or source of infertility involved: male factor, female factor, or both male and female factor;
Hormonal treatments used in assisted reproductive technologies likely affect women?s sexual experiences and pain, but these effects are not as well understood and receive less priority than other conditions, such as heart disease and cancer.

Source: Indiana University

APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2012). IVR Process Can Challenge Sex Life. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 31, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/31/ivr-process-can-challenge-sex-life/46923.html

Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/10/31/ivr-process-can-challenge-sex-life/46923.html

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How to drive holiday sales with direct marketing techniques ...

We're here - the 2012 holiday sales season. Are you ready for it?

The National Retail Federation is predicting holiday sales this year will grow 4.1 percent to $586.1 billion. That's compared to the 5.6 percent growth in 2011's actual holiday sales.

Actual 2012 holiday sales are determined by total retail industry sales generated in the past 61 days in November and December. That includes three more days in between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, because of a quirk in the calendar, and the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

So as a business manager, how will you use various marketing techniques to reach customers and drive sales during this ever-important holiday sales cycle? Your choices are more wide-ranging in 2012 than in past years. You can drive marketing messages through traditional marketing channels that have worked well in the past for your business. This could include direct mail, radio and/or TV ads, email marketing and display advertising.

Or you could try many of the new marketing avenues brought forth via social media. Sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and others offer tantalizing opportunities for marketers to offer deep discounted items, timely sales, special promotions and more to a finely-tuned, online audience. Working in this new arena involves a good understanding of SEO, online practice, social media tone and more.

Americans are still quite open to in-the-mailbox pitches, so expect to still see your usual overload of printed catalogs, fliers, brochures and sale cards in the mail over the next 60 days.

By now, your marketing team likely has a plan to offer holiday promotions for your products and services to your existing customers, as well as potential buyers. Remember these certain dates and sales conversion percentages to gain the most bang for your buck.

Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving): 23 percent
November 28: 17 percent
November 30: 17 percent
December 6: 17 percent
Cyber Monday (Monday after Thanksgiving): 16 percent

Let's take a run through some of the top types of direct marketing techniques and their overall levels of effectiveness.

Direct Mail

Direct mail marketing is a well-tested, well-researched medium that shows results. It's called direct for a good reason - it's targeted directly to an addressee because of location, buying habits or income levels.

Plus it works: ExactTarget's 2012 Channel Preference Survey showed 65 percent of people who receive direct mail made a purchase. That ranked it right behind email (66 %) in provoking a response to buy. Also, 50 percent of U.S. consumers preferred direct mail to email, according to a Epsilon study from Dec. 2011, and half of those surveyed felt direct mail was more trustworthy than email marketing.

There are ways to make your company's direct mail marketing stand out from all the rest. Make a great eye-catching direct mail piece, offer compelling benefits to the recipient and ask for a clear action step in return.

You may also choose to have a bit of fun this holiday season with a direct mail piece. Maybe you can use holiday photo cards for customers with a discounted sales pitch to 'come on in and say hi to the team' or something that engages them on a similar level. Have fun with your direct mail!

Some businesses are happy to use direct mail for their holiday catalog or seasonal promotion needs. It depends on the type of business you're in, but direct mail still shows its proven success with customers. According to a Target Marketing survey, direct mail (34%) beat out email (25%), SEM (10%), and affiliate marketing (8%) for which marketing channels work best to get new customers. The survey also showed higher rates of customer retention using direct mail (37%), ahead of email (31%), phone calls, (7%) and social media engagement (6%).

Email Marketing

Email marketing isn't dead! In fact, it's more plentiful than ever. Hubspot.com notes that while there might be 1 billion Facebook users out there, more than 3.1 billion still use email regularly. It's still a powerful medium.

Forbes offers up some great email marketing tips for businesses to get newsletter subscribers - among these include:

- Make it easy to subscribe: use a simple form to gather name and email address and Facebook integration where possible.
- Tell subscribers what to expect: let subscribers know what's in store for them. Give them information in their confirmation form, or earlier.
- Design newsletters to fit your brand: Combine the look and feel of your newsletter with a brand and site. It helps keep subscribers closer with your overall brand.

Social Media

As I mentioned above, many marketers are expected to expand their use of social media outlets for increasing holiday sales. Using images of products on Pinterest, offering 12 hour sales discounts on Facebook and Twitter, creating promotional clips on YouTube - all of these are terrific methods to experiment with when using social media for the holidays.

If you're looking for promotional insights using social media for holiday marketing, try this handy checklist of ideas.

Mobile Marketing

Businesses who use email marketing have to acknowledge the role that mobile marketing and usage is having on open rates and click-through rates.

Email services company Return Path surveyed 500 different clients and found that open rates on mobile devices increased 82 percent between March 2011 and March 2012. While that's a small sample, it does indicate that emails are increasingly being viewed and opened on mobile devices, and that trend is expected to rise in 2013.

As your holiday marketing plans get underway, look to these solid tips above to create higher sales and more satisfied customers. You'll find that combining new marketing tools with your tested and true marketing platforms from previous years will provide a great way to achieve higher sales this holiday season.

Source: http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2012/10/31/how-to-drive-holiday-sales-with-direct-marketing-techniques/

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