StatCounter finds 1366 x 768 to be most popular screen resolution for the first time

It's had quite a run, but it looks like the old standby resolution of web designers everywhere, 1024 x 768, has finally been eclipsed by a newer, wider rival. According to web analytics firm StatCounter, use of 1024 x 768 fell from 41.8 percent in March of 2009 to 18.6 percent this March, while 1366 x 768 (common to many laptops) shot up from just 0.68 percent to 19.28 percent during the same time period, making it the most popular screen resolution worldwide. 1280 x 800 sits in third place at 13 percent, while all other resolutions remain in the single digits. Those interested can break down those stats further at the second source link below.

StatCounter finds 1366 x 768 to be most popular screen resolution for the first time originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Syrians fire across 2 borders as conflict deepens

In this citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria taken on Sunday, April 8, 2012, A Syrian man holding a microphone attends a demonstration in Damascus, Syria. A leading international human rights group says Syrian forces have summarily executed several people, most of them civilians. Monday's report by Human Rights Watch says this includes several mass executions in the restive provinces of Homs and Idlib. Arabic writing on the wall reads, "Happy Easter." (AP Photo/Local Coordination Committees in Syria) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO

In this citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria taken on Sunday, April 8, 2012, A Syrian man holding a microphone attends a demonstration in Damascus, Syria. A leading international human rights group says Syrian forces have summarily executed several people, most of them civilians. Monday's report by Human Rights Watch says this includes several mass executions in the restive provinces of Homs and Idlib. Arabic writing on the wall reads, "Happy Easter." (AP Photo/Local Coordination Committees in Syria) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO

In this citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria and taken on Friday, April 6, 2012, Syrians chant slogans during a demonstration in Idlib, north Syria. A U.N.-brokered peace deal for Syria appeared to collapse Sunday April 8, 2012 as the government made a new demand that its opponents provide "written guarantees" to lay down their weapons before regime forces withdraw from cities, a call swiftly rejected by the country's main rebel group. The banner with the Syrian revolutionary flag on it and Arabic writing reads, "dignity revolution in Syria." (AP Photo/Local Coordination Committees in Syria) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO

In this citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria and taken on Friday, April 6, 2012, Syrians chant slogans during a demonstration in Idlib, north Syria. A U.N.-brokered peace deal for Syria appeared to collapse Sunday April 8,2012 as the government made a new demand that its opponents provide "written guarantees" to lay down their weapons before regime forces withdraw from cities, a call swiftly rejected by the country's main rebel group. The flags on the children's shirt are Syrian revolutionary flags. (AP Photo/Local Coordination Committees in Syria) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO

In this citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria and taken on Saturday, April 7, 2012, Syrians chant slogans and wave Syrian revolutionary flags during a demonstration in Daraa, Syria. A U.N.-brokered peace deal for Syria appeared to collapse Sunday April 8, 2012 as the government made a new demand that its opponents provide "written guarantees" to lay down their weapons before regime forces withdraw from cities, a call swiftly rejected by the country's main rebel group. (AP Photo/Local Coordination Committees in Syria) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS HANDOUT PHOTO

In this Friday, April 6, 2012 photo, Free Syrian Army fighters gather on a corner during fighting with Syrian troops in a suburb of Damascus, Syria. Syrian government shelling and offensives against rebel-held towns killed dozens of people across the country on Saturday, activists said, as the U.S. posted online satellite images of troop deployments that cast further doubt on whether the regime intends to comply with an internationally sponsored peace plan. (AP Photo)

KILIS, Turkey (AP) ? The bloody conflict in Syria spilled across two borders Monday, killing a cameraman in Lebanon and wounding at least five people in a refugee camp in Turkey as gunfire flew across the tense frontiers, authorities said.

The violence came as a U.N.-brokered peace plan all but collapsed and bolstered fears that the uprising could spark a broader conflagration by sucking in neighboring countries.

Ali Shaaban, a cameraman for the Al Jadeed television station, was filming in Lebanon's northern Wadi Khaled area when a bullet pierced his chest, Lebanese security officials said. The gunfire came from the nearby Syrian village of Armouta, the officials said.

Shaaban, who was born in 1980, died on the way to the hospital, the officials said on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

His colleague, reporter Hussein Khreis, said the team heard heavy gunfire around them from all sides, "falling like rain." Shaaban was inside a car when he was struck, Khreis said.

"If you see the car you would think it was in a war zone," Khreis said on Al Jadeed TV. "It is completely destroyed from the bullets."

He said they waited for more than two hours for the army and some residents to come and pull them out to safety.

"I ask forgiveness from Ali's family because I couldn't do anything for him," he said, breaking into tears.

Earlier Monday, Syrian forces fired across the border into a refugee camp in Turkey, wounding at least five people, authorities said.

The Syrian soldiers were believed to be firing at rebels who tried to escape to the refugee camp after ambushing a military checkpoint, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing a network of sources on the ground.

Turkey shelters thousands of refugees who have fled Syria as President Bashar Assad tries to crush a revolt against his regime. The U.N. estimates some 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011, when the uprising began.

The Syrian revolt began with mostly peaceful protests against Assad's regime, a family dynasty that has ruled the country for four decades. But in the face of a relentless military assault on protests, the opposition has become increasingly militarized.

Now, the uprising resembles an armed insurgency, and there are fears the country is spiraling toward civil war. International envoy Kofi Annan brokered a cease-fire that was supposed to begin Tuesday, but the plan is in tatters.

Syrian troops were meant to pull out of population centers by Tuesday morning, but the government on Sunday introduced a new demand ? saying it cannot withdraw without written guarantees from opposition fighters that they will lay down their arms. Syria's main rebel group rejected the government's demands.

The Syrian opposition and Western leaders had been skeptical all along that Assad would live up to his commitment to a truce because he broke similar promises in the past and escalated attacks on opposition strongholds in the days leading up to the cease-fire deadline.

Turkey hosts some 24,000 Syrian refugees, including hundreds of army defectors, and has floated the idea of setting up a buffer zone inside Syria if the flow of displaced people across its border becomes overwhelming.

The two countries share a 911-kilometer (566-mile) border, and parts of southern Turkey near Syria are informal logistics bases for rebels, who collect food and other supplies in Turkey and smuggle them to comrades across the border.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighting along the Turkish border began before dawn Monday when rebel fighters attacked Syrian soldiers manning a checkpoint near the Turkish border, killing six soldiers.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, a spokesman for the Observatory, said the troops then kept firing as they pursued eight wounded rebels who escaped to the camp just across the border in Turkey, sending bullets whizzing across the frontier.

According to the Observatory, the shooting wounded five people in the camp, which is next to the Oncupinar border post near the town of Kilis in Gaziantep province.

The Observatory reported that two people later died of their injuries, but that could not be immediately confirmed.

The provincial governor, Yusuf Odabas, said five people were wounded: three Syrians, one Turkish translator and one Turkish policeman. The translator had entered the camp to try to help calm an anti-Assad protest, he said. The governor said Turkish military forces did not return fire.

Ankara, which has been among Assad's harshest critics, summoned the Syrian charge d'affaires in response to the shooting and called for an immediate halt to the gunfire.

Annan is scheduled to visit to one of the refugee camps in Hatay province, bordering Syria, on Tuesday afternoon, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said.

"Annan's one-hour visit to Hatay tomorrow is critical, he will see the situation himself," Naci Koru, Turkey's deputy foreign minister, said, according to state-run TRT television.

Koru also said the deadline for the troop withdrawal has become "void at this stage."

Annan has been on a diplomatic push to rally support for his cease-fire deal. The international community, which so far is unwilling to contemplate military intervention, has had little leverage over Syria.

But Iran, Russia and China have been Assad's strongest supporters. Annan already has traveled to Moscow and Beijing, and he was expected in Tehran on Tuesday.

On Monday, Russia was hosting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.

It is not clear whether Moscow will try to pressure Syria to comply with the cease-fire plan, though Russia said Monday it may send its observers to Syria as part of a potential U.N. monitoring mission.

Also Monday, Human Rights Watch said it has documented the killings by Syrian forces of 85 civilians, including women and children, and the summary executions of at least 16 wounded or captured opposition fighters.

"In a desperate attempt to crush the uprising, Syrian forces have executed people in cold blood, civilians and opposition fighters alike," said Ole Solvang, a researcher for the group. "They are doing it in broad daylight and in front of witnesses, evidently not concerned about any accountability for their crimes."

The New York-based group said it only included cases corroborated by witnesses, but has received many more reports of similar incidents.

___

Karam reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Selcan Hacaoglu and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Karin Laub in Beirut contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Content Primer #1: Like a Little Black Dress | Business 2 Community

This recent post by Carolyn Cohn about content creation being more than blogging got me thinking. Generally this is a dangerous pastime, but after having being employed as a blogger ? whoops! I mean a ?content writer? ? for some years, I?ve come to a conclusion on the subject. No matter what a writer calls him or herself, the main issue at hand is providing appropriate and timely content for clients. Often miscommunications occur between client and writer ? but is the problem that the writer calls himself a ?blogger? rather than a ?content provider??

In my opinion, no. There are many different kinds of content that are part of a comprehensive content marketing campaign ? blogs, articles, white papers, site content, social media pieces, press releases, and the beat goes on. What?d I?d like to do here is offer a little primer on the many different kinds of content and how they are used to enhance content marketing endeavors. One of the biggest communications issues that I?ve noticed between clients and writers is a different understanding about what sort of information should go with what content. Of course, at the end of the day the customer is always right, but having the perspective of a content writer in mind when speaking with professional writers can help you get what you want faster. In sum: before you go, know the lingo.

Without further ado, welcome to Content Primer #1. In this edition, I explain the mystery behind static site content and how it works for your business. In future editions, I?ll be touching on other cornerstones of content marketing ? blogs, articles, white papers, and social media.

Static Site Content

Static site content is the content that you see when you land on a page. It?s generally not updated too often, and therefore needs to pack enough information and sales pitch in order to show the visitor that you know what you?re talking about ? and that there?s more where that came from. If you?re looking for some great tips and tricks when it comes to writing static site content that counts, check out this post at Digital Landscape for a great primer on the subject.

Static site content is much more general in scope than many other kinds of content. When working for clients, sometimes the observation comes up that this particular content isn?t as information-rich as they thought it would be. There is a definite method behind this madness ? your site content needs to appeal to the broadest cut of the surfing population. There is something to be said about site content that informs ? but the information should direct the visitor to a blog, or an article bank, or send them searching for more information about the product for maximum impact.

Get the consumer interested ? get them wanting more. Static site content, in essence, is a tease. It?s a professional tease, a responsible tease, but a tease. You want the consumer to want more. I remember an idiom my grade-school teacher used to tell me about writing in general in comparison to a woman?s skirt: it should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting. This is static site content in a nutshell. Or, rather, in a cocktail dress.

So, static site content might not change often ? but it shouldn?t need to. The little black dress is iconic for a reason. Your site content should be as intriguing, and it should stimulate a desire to learn more, just like the woman in the cocktail dress.

Who said that conversion writing had to be boring?

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Event honors cancer victim ? Region ? Traverse City Record-Eagle

TRAVERSE CITY ? Nikki Schweitzer remembers her aunt's zest for life, distinctive laugh and loving heart.

The Traverse City Central High School senior created Hair for Hope to honor Lori Stabile, who died June 3, 2011, after a four-year battle with cancer. Stabile, 43, lived in Grand Rapids with her husband, Paul, and three children.

Schweitzer and 40 other Central High students ? and counting ? will have their hair cut Thursday during school lunch hours. Volunteers from area styling salons will harvest the locks for donation to the Panteen Beautiful Lengths program, which creates wigs for women with cancer.

Her aunt, a great inspiration to Schweitzer, wore wigs during treatments.

"I am planning on donating my hair so that people like her, people with cancer raging on the inside of their bodies, can feel beautiful on the outside as well," Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer said her aunt did not let a breast cancer diagnosis in 2006 or bone and liver cancer found in 2010 get her down. Stabile kept her positive attitude even when cancer returned two years after she was medically declared in remission. She lived by the quote: "Not live like you are dying but die like you are living."

"She was a very happy person, to this day I can still hear her laugh," Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer received support from school administration to arrange Hair for Hope. She spread the word to students by talking with friends, putting up posters and making a Facebook page.

Hair for Hope dovetails with Central High School's emphasis on service learning, said Jay Larner, a school principal who worked with Schweitzer on the event.

"We want our students to look beyond themselves and give back to their community," he said "The Hair for Hope event is a great way for students to be part of a great cause."

Schweitzer, a high-energy, upbeat person who is co-president of the school's National Honor Society, exemplifies leadership at the school.

"She is striving to lead change," Larner said. "She wants to make a difference, not just at our school, but in our community and the world."

The idea of a personal makeover after Schweitzer's braces came off in December sparked Hair for Hope. After deciding to cut and donate her hair as part of the transformation, she went online to determine the exact requirements. The Panteen Beautiful Lengths website included information on creating a hair donation event.

Schweitzer, whose graduation date falls on the first anniversary of her aunt's death, decided to go for it.

"This is just a passion that grew into a program," she said.

Schweitzer's hair stylist was already booked, but contacting area salons netted Hair for Hope volunteers.

"Stylists were really very accepting ? quite excited to help," Schweitzer said.

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Home for the holidays? An expat looks at loneliness and isolation ...

?This past Christmas Amber and I didn?t fly home to visit friends and family back in America, and none of our friends or family from America flew out visit us. Instead, they all celebrated the holidays together and put the photos on Facebook for Amber and I to see later.

Some people couldn?t imagine spending a holiday like that. I knew people in the military who would to mainland America from Europe or Hawaii every Christmas regardless of the unfair ticket prices, the hassle of holiday travel or the fact that they would burn four days of leave in transit. They didn?t factor those problems into deciding whether or not the trip would be worth it because there was never a question whether or not they would go.

At the time I saw those people as weak. The only reason some of them were in Europe was because the military forced them to go, and they were too codependent on their traditional support structures to leave the nest completely and experience the amazing opportunities life had presented them with. So they went home every chance they got and winched about it whenever they couldn?t. And while they were back home in Po Dunk, Arkansas I was getting lost in the back streets of Venice and making impromptu stops at castles I saw from the Autobahn.

There was some validity to my vain perspective, but there was a downside to my sense of geographical liberation as well. Case in point, I spent my last Christmas in Germany with 4 other guys about the same age as me buying a keg, putting it in the snow on the balcony and drinking and playing video games all night. As awesome as that was I felt like we were all a little bummed that we didn?t have a warm, clean, well lighted place to spend the holidays where everybody knows your name?and that wasn?t a bar.

If you?re going to leave your foreign country only to end up spending your holidays drinking and reminiscing about where you came from then you?d probably be better off staying where you?re at. If you do do that then that?s ultimately you?re fault, because holidays can be a great opportunity to make the most of your expat experience?as I?ve come to learn.

The first Christmas Amber and I spent in New Zealand we celebrated with a large Fijian family. Our first Thanksgiving in New Zealand (which they don?t celebrate here) we found an American expat meetup group on the internet that was throwing a huge, free dinner and social mixer event.

This past Christmas Amber and I took a month and a half long road trip to the bottom of New Zealand and back up to Auckland. Amber worked with a teacher whose parents lived on the South Island, and we all met up there for Christmas. The family we stayed with took us in, gave us a tour of the local area and showed us a good time all around.

One night we were all sitting around the dining room table drinking wine or scotch or beer, and the mother leaned over the table and asked Amber and I with a meaningful tone of voice, ?So where do you call home?? ?with extra emphasis on the word, ?home.?

The thing about that is, I?ve never lived in the same town for more than three consecutive years?in my entire life. Amber bounced around quite a bit as well. We met in Hawaii, thousands of miles from where either of us were raised. It?s not that we were orphans. We have families, and it?s not that we hate everyone in our families, though there are a few members we didn?t talk to anymore, and each of them typically has someone else who they don?t talk to. Amber and I have a few tight bonds with a few family members, but there?s too much bad blood between the rest of them for either of our families to be able to have big family reunions without somebody stabbing someone else with BBQ utensil.

Since we hadn?t been raised with deep roots it wasn?t out of character for us to be spending our holidays in a foreign country with strangers. ?Nor was it out of character for Amber?s teaching friend to be spending her holiday with her parents in her home town.

I explained all that in so many words to our dinner hosts, and they asked the next logical question, ?So do you consider New Zealand your home now?? The thing about that is, a place becomes your home slowly over time. Personally, for me, I?ve moved so many times and had so many two-year-friends in the military that I don?t get attached to places or even people very quickly anymore. I love it in New Zealand just like I loved a lot of places I?ve lived, but after two years I still don?t feel completely rooted. Of course, a lot of people wouldn?t feel too emotionally invested in a place after only two years, but some people would?especially the kind of people who form strong social bonds quickly.

In time I?ll come to feel like New Zealand is my home, and I?ll come to value friendships I?ve made here as important as family, and I?m looking forward to it because it?s going to be awesome, but there?s another long term down-side to the great adventure I?m taking. My nieces are growing up in photographs. Every time I talk to my brothers I have less and less in common with them to talk about. Every year it becomes more and more the case that the only thing I have in common with my original friends and family is the past.

That?s just how long distance relationships go. You don?t want to admit it to yourself, much less them, and for a while you pretend like it isn?t happening. You keep in touch on Skype and by E-mail. Maybe you even write a blog to help maintain a connection, but at the end of the day you may as well be living on different planets. And on each planet life goes on. If you?re the type to spend Christmas drinking alone listening to emo music the thought might occur to you that as far as your old life is concerned you might as well be dead.

And without being dramatic, there?s a little truth to that. Your old family and friends are getting on with their lives without you just as surely as you get on with your life any time one of your relatives dies.

But that doesn?t mean expatriating has to be a form of suicide nor does it mean you?re abandoning anyone. Life is meant to be lived. Nests are meant to be left. How much does it honour the people who raised you if you spend your life hiding from life?s challenges and never step out of your comfort zone? If you want to play devil?s advocate you could ask how much you owe it to the people who care about you to maintain an active role their lives. We could argue all day about that, and if you become an expat you?ll probably end up arguing with yourself about it eventually.

In the end this is an issue every expat has to work out for themselves. If you think you might have trouble bringing closure to that issue then you might consider finding a therapist to talk after you immigrate. That doesn?t make you weak. That makes you resourceful. I?d probably do it myself if I could afford to. ?Short of that, I recommend lots of introspection and socialization to keep away the existential blues. And remember that expatriating is like anything else in life; it?s what you make of it.

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Filed under: philosophy Tagged: | isolation immigration, expat alone, moving to a foreign country and being alone, alone in a foreign country, coping with long distance relationships

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Video: GOP has 'cold feet' for Romney?

Breach affects 25,000 Social Security numbers

Utah health officials said Friday that hackers who broke into state computers last weekend stole far more medical records than originally thought, and the data likely includes Social Security numbers of children who have received public assistance.

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Software and Programming ? Post Topic ? 9 Productive Ways To ...

Article by Manfred Grundhoefer

Perhaps you have long wanted to establish your business focusing internet in the hopes of greater profit.

Well, this article aims to give you solid suggetsions. Below are 9 easy steps to increase your revenue in the online enterprise and to maintain this steady pace of productivity.

First step is to evaluate your offered product. Before anything else, you have to accomplish this in your business focusing internet.

Target a particular portion of the larger market and have the capability of addressing their needs with your product or service.

In so doing you are already well on your way to developing your business focusing internet. When you provide effective solutions, people will certainly remember you and your product.

The second step is to develop a promotional guide through e-courses. You can mail them to your client list and aim at keeping them interested in your online business. Customers appreciate being remembered and they will certainly return the favor many times over.

Third, you can take the undeniable advantage of squeeze pages, or that small window on your home page where your visitors can leave their complete names, e-mail address, and other particulars.

By doing this you are helping your business focusing internet in gaining more clients, and subsequently more website traffic.

Fourth, you should never underestimate the power of installing an autoresponder for your online business. This saves on significant effort and time, which you can use in devoting more time for your business focusing internet. A good autoresponder will correspond with your clients in the most effective means.

Fifth, choose an excellent hosting account from an equally excellent hosting provider. There are many hosting companies online with different offerings at various prices. Make sure that you are certainly getting what you are paying for through exceptional management and maintenance services.

Your business focusing internet website needs a host in top of a domain name that you need to register for exclusivity. With a good hosting account you will be able to manage multiple websites in the event that your business already requires such changes in the near future.

Sixth, you need to be able to check and assess effectively if quality incoming links are gained by your website. Quality traffic must be the goal at all times. Doing so will allow you to make a good evaluation, and take necessary traffic-inducing measures if possible.

Being aware of the level and quality of traffic to your site will benefit your business focusing internet in the long run. Make sure that traffic actually converts to sales, and sales to profits.

Seventh, drive as much traffic as you possibly can to your online business.

Highly competitive ways are now available for you to propel traffic to your site such as submission of articles, PPC advertising, and blogging. Consistency is essential, and keeping up with the competition will keep you updated and attentive at all times.

Knowing which works best for your site will help you develop your business focusing internet.

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Finally, you need to be informed and concerned about the latest updates in web based enterprises. This will provide you with the basis and further insights in the development of your business focusing internet.

About the Author

Do you want to learn how I do it? Watch this ?FREE Video? and Discover How to Create a Killer Money-Making Website in 9 Simple Steps? ==> FREE business focusing internet Video. ?Manfred Grundhoefer? has helped hundreds of newbies to start their internet business, now you can do it too? ==> http://www.7days2profits.com

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Serena routs Stosur, reaches Family Circle final

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? Serena Williams even impressed herself with her powerful showing at the Family Circle Cup on Saturday.

Williams needed less than an hour to dispatch second-seeded Samantha Stosur 6-1, 6-1 and advance to the clay-court final.

"You know, I think it was just one of those days that I could have done anything against anybody," Williams said.

There aren't many people in the world who could've withstood Williams' performance at the Family Circle Tennis Center. The 10th-ranked player was on her game from the start, winning the match's first eight points and rarely letting Stosur catch a breath.

On Sunday, Williams will face Lucie Safarova, a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Polona Hercog.

Stosur held serve to cut Williams' lead to 2-1, then lost the next nine games. Stosur, who defeated Williams to win the U.S. Open title last September, got a loud cheer from the crowd when she prevented Williams from shutting her out in the second set.

Williams hit a forehand winner to end the match moments later, and eliminated Stosur from a tournament for the second straight week. Williams beat Stosur 7-5, 6-3 last week at the Sony Ericsson Open, serving 20 aces ? tying per personal best ? in the hard-court win.

Williams only had seven aces in this one, but was in command of nearly every shot she hit.

"I have to say this is probably the best match I've played in my career, either in a long time or it's up there in the top five," Williams said.

Safarova has lost all four times she's played Williams. The 25-year-old from the Czech Republic watched the opening semifinal and said she'll have a plan to slow down Williams' attack. After all, Safarova didn't lose a game in her semi, something she joked about with Serena.

"'Yeah, I got you,'" Safarova told Williams when they saw each other after the match.

If Williams matches her Saturday effort in the finals, Safarova will have her hands full. "It's a great challenge. She's a great player," Safarova said, "and you see what she's done today."

And that's running over one of the world's top players in Stosur.

Stosur, the skilled 28-year-old ranked fifth, combines a powerful serve with the fitness to chase down about any shot. She rallied on Friday to defeat Serena's older sister, Venus, and was seeking to become just the eighth player to beat both Williams sisters in the same tournament.

Serena quickly made sure that didn't happen.

She cracked serves over 100 mph, landed returns in both corners and frustrated Stosur at every turn.

Stosur moved up on Williams' serve, varied her own serves ? anything to slow down Williams' relentless march. Stosur hoped to regroup in the second set, yet Williams' powerful serves and ground strokes kept coming.

Already down 30-love in the second set's opening game, Williams sent a rocket shot into the right corner. Stosur tried to chase, realized she couldn't and slowed her movement, looking to the sky in frustration.

"She was way too good today," Stosur said. "I think she was pretty happy with the way she played."

Who wouldn't be?

The hole in Williams' Hall-of-Fame resume is clearly on clay. She owns 13 Grand Slam titles, but just one coming at the French Open. Williams beat sister Venus in 2002 for the championship at Roland Garros. Serena reached the semifinals there the next year and has not made it past the quarterfinals in five appearances since.

Williams has gotten only one day's practice on clay since the Sony Ericsson event ended. Still, she believes she's sliding better than she has in recent years and excited about her prospects on the surface this year.

The Family Circle Cup is a good start to her season on clay, she said. But that's all it is, a start.

"I'm trying to play like this at the end of the clay-court season," she said. "So we'll see."

Her only mistake in the match, at least in her eyes ? a full-blown 360-degree, pirouette after a winning forehand that had her laughing as she moved ahead 2-0 in the second set.

"I didn't mean to spin," Williams said. "I was on clay and I kept spinning and I was like, 'God, this is so embarrassing right now. I hope nobody remembers this.'"

They'll remember just about every Williams did in this one, that's for sure.

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14/52 ? Home ? Jessica Gwozdz Photography ? Chicago maternity ...

We get an amazing cookie care package at almost every holiday from my Auntie Karen, and the other day an Easter package arrived at our house. ?My aunt has been making fancy cookies ever since my cousins and I were all little kids celebrating holidays at my mom?s house. ? Today my cousins and I are grown up and living spread all over the country. ?Auntie Karen is now a grandma, baking cookies for her grandkids and great-nieces and great-nephews, packing them up and shipping them to everyone in the family. ?Even though my parents and I still live in the same town, these cookie care packages from Auntie Karen make me think of childhood holidays at home.

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Police: Explosion strikes central Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) ? An explosion struck a city Sunday in central Nigeria that has seen hundreds killed in religious and ethnic violence in recent years, causing unknown injuries as diplomats had warned of possible terrorist attacks over the Easter holiday, police said.

The blast struck Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna state, as churchgoers prepared to celebrate the holiday. Kaduna state police spokesman Aminu Lawan confirmed the blast, but said authorities were yet to make it to the scene.

There was initial confusion over the location of the blast. A witness said the blast occurred near All Nation Christ Assembly Church in the city. Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press that the blast happened in a local market where many eat in the city.

"There are definitely injuries," Shuaib said.

It was not immediately clear if the explosion occurred from a bomb blast or an accident.

The blast happened as the United Kingdom and the United States had warned its citizens living in the oil-rich nation that violence was likely over the Easter holiday. Nigeria's weak central government is under increasing attack from a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the Hausa language of Nigeria's north, is waging an increasingly bloody fight with security agencies and the public. More than 380 people have been killed in violence blamed on the sect this year alone, according to an AP count.

The sect, employing suicide bombers and assault-rifle shootouts, has attacked both Christians and Muslims, as well as the United Nations' headquarters in Nigeria.

The sect has rejected efforts to begin indirect peace talks with Nigeria's government. Its demands include the introduction of strict Shariah law across the country, even in Christian areas, and the release of all imprisoned followers.

Kaduna, on Nigeria's dividing line between its largely Christian south and Muslim north, was at the heart of postelection violence in April 2011. Mobs armed with machetes and poison-tipped arrows took over streets of Kaduna and the state's rural countryside after election officials declared President Goodluck Jonathan the winner. Followers of his main opponent, former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim, quickly alleged the vote had been rigged, though observers largely declared the vote fair.

Across the nation, at least 800 people died in that rioting, Human Rights Watch said. In the time since, heavily armed soldiers remain on guard on roadways throughout Kaduna. In December, an explosion at an auto parts market in Kaduna killed at least seven people. Though authorities said it came from a leaking gas cylinder, the Nigerian Red Cross later said in an internal report the blast came from a bomb.

In February, bombs exploded at two major military bases near the city, injuring an unknown number of people.

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap.

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AUSTIN ? 15hr TREC MCE Package ? April 10th ... - Real Estate ? US

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Jeff Messer is a National known Motivational Speaker, Sales Trainer, Real Estate Educator, Consultant, Coach, Broker & Professional Auctioneer and has been a Real Estate Practitioner for over 25 years. Jeff has taught thousands Real Estate on a College level since 1986. He has served with great firms like Ebby Halliday, C21, Remax, Keller Williams and is the Broker in Charge and principal Auctioneer of Great Western Auction & Appraisal Services with offices in Asheville, NC & Dallas,Tx specializing in marketing Real Estate through Auction . Jeff holds multiple designations and licenses in multiple states and is a regular speaker at national, state, and local conventions. His Passionate, Enthusiastic, Inspirational, Educational style has been his trademark since he began his Motivational Speaking career at age 15 and has delighted audiences everywhere.
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Dr. Wayne Etter, professor emeritus of finance and former director of real estate programs at Mays, is honored during the MRE Career Day Luncheon.

[Photo: Nicholas Roznovsky/Mays Communications]

Date Taken: 2011-10-07 12:00:26
Owner: Mays Business School

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Realistic and Measureable Weight Loss Goals ... - Her Fitness Hut

If you want frustration and probable failure, set unrealistic weight loss and fitness goals.

For instance, if you need to lose 80 pounds, how will you get that accomplished? Some things you may need to consider:

1. Have you really ever exercised for an extended period of time? If you have no experience to draw from, you will need to take baby steps, like starting with walking.

2. How long have you been inactive? If its been awhile since you exercised, you won?t be able to do an intense circuit training workout right away.

3. How quickly do you want to lose 80 pounds? Although you may lose pounds quickly at the beginning of your exercise program (like 10 pounds the first week), it will be tougher to burn fat and lose weight in the weeks and months ahead. For example, losing 2 pounds and burning .5% body fat will be good progress during many weeks. So, it may take a year or longer to lose 80 pounds the right way.

4. You may have health problems that slow your progress. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you will need your doctor?s clearance before beginning an exercise program. You will have to start out slower than someone who is more healthy. The good news is that these two conditions can be reversed with exercise and healthy, managed nutrition.

So, you may need to change your attitude about weight loss in general. You have to burn fat if you want to drop pant and dress sizes for good. If you just lose weight, you will probably regain the weight because you haven?t changed your body?s composition (burn fat, build muscle) to lean and toned. You can have normal body weight and still be fat. Its called normal weight obesity and your health will suffer.

Quality of life is what really matters. Make your long-term fitness commitment based on quality of life and you have a great chance of succeeding with your fat loss and weight loss goals!

In a Prevention magazine article, researchers found that 34% of women ages 40 to 60 were more likely to stay with an exercise program if the goal was ?overall well-being.?

And, I have always said that fat loss is more important than weight loss. Fat loss takes longer to achieve and permanently changes your body?s composition with a regular strength and interval cardio exercise program.

Eating to Succeed with Fat Loss and Weight Loss

You have to work to get a healthy eating plan that works for you. You may need guidance from a nutrition expert. You must burn more calories than you consume on most days in order to lose weight and burn body fat. This is the law of thermodynamics.

Even if you are a ?workout warrior,? the law of thermodynamics still applies. You cannot eat as much as you want (or maintain daily calorie surpluses) and still burn fat and lose weight. On the opposite end, you can?t starve yourself and expect to succeed long-term with weight loss and fat loss.

Find out your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of daily calories your body needs to maintain itself in a resting state. You will use this amount, your daily activity level and goals to set your daily menu.

If you use severe calorie restriction (i.e., don?t eat enough), your body will store fat because it will think you are starving. And, you don?t want to lose muscle, you want to lose fat!

Exercise Tips to Help you Burn Fat and Lose Weight

1. Short, intense weight training workouts help you burn more calories and fat during and after your workout. Thirty minute sessions, three days a week will shape your lean body.

On some days, it helps to split up workouts into 2 separate workouts?such as doing two 15-minute strength training workouts (morning and evening) instead of one 30-minute workout.

Similarly, short interval cardio sessions of 20 minutes will burn major fat and spare muscle mass loss. Aim for 2-3 sessions a week. Mix it up with exercises such as sprints, incline stepping and jumping.

2. Since exercise is something you will continue to do for life, it helps to change it up:

?exercising outdoors can be a refreshing change from exercising indoors.

?doing something fun and different works too?such as playing soccer, basketball or tennis (these are 3 of the best natural interval cardio exercises).

?exercising in a totally different place works sometimes?such as running on the trails at the lake.

Be sure to take a day off from working out each week?sometimes even on a scheduled workout day. Its always important to listen to your body to avoid over-training injuries.

Also, don?t make the mistake of laying around as much as possible until your workout. Research proves that your fat-burning enzymes shut down when you sit down. Keep your metabolism ramped up all day and burn more calories. Walking helps you lose the weight and keep it off because it helps you maintain an active lifestyle. Walk at least 30 minutes every day.

In a Mayo Clinic article, ?Fitness programs: 7 tips for staying motivated,? these tips are recommended to help you reach your goals:

1. Set short-term goals and progress to long-term goals. Goals should be realistic and achievable.

Start with simple goals and then progress to longer range goals. Remember to make your goals realistic and achievable. It?s easy to get frustrated and give up if your goals are too ambitious. For example, if you haven?t exercised in a while, a short-term goal might be to walk five minutes once or twice a day. An intermediate goal might be to walk 20 minutes three or four times a week. A long-term goal might be to complete a 5K walk.

2. Make it fun

Find sports or activities that you enjoy, then vary the routine to keep you on your toes. If you?re not enjoying your workouts, try something different. Join a volleyball or softball league.

3. Make physical activity part of your daily routine

If it?s hard to find time for exercise, don?t fall back on excuses. Schedule workouts as you would any other important activity. You can also slip in physical activity throughout the day. Be creative! Take a walk during your child?s music lesson.

4. Put it on paper

Are you hoping to lose weight? Boost your energy? Sleep better? Manage a chronic condition? Write it down! Seeing the benefits of regular exercise on paper may help you stay motivated. It may also help to keep an exercise diary.

5. Join forces with friends, neighbors or others

You?re not in this alone. Invite friends or co-workers to join you when you exercise. Work out with your partner or other loved ones. Play soccer with your kids. Organize a group of neighbors to take fitness classes at a local health club.

6. Reward yourself

After each exercise session, take a few minutes to savor the good feelings that exercise gives you. This type of internal reward can help you make a long-term commitment to regular exercise. External rewards can help, too. When you reach a longer range goal, treat yourself to a new pair of walking shoes or new tunes to enjoy while you exercise.

7. Be flexible

If you?re too busy to work out or simply don?t feel up to it, take a day or two off. Be gentle with yourself if you need a break. The important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can.

Set your attitude and sharpen your focus to reach realistic and measurable goals! Train hard and smart!

Be sure and download my FREE 14-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program and get started changing your body!

?Exercise is not my life?..exercise makes my life better!?

Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Check out my other great blogs:

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named one of the 50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody?including athletes!

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Currency Markets At Risk Of Sharp Volatility Burst On US Jobs Data ...

Currency Markets At Risk Of Sharp Volatility Burst On US Jobs Data
TheStreet.com
By DailyFX 04/06/12 - 02:30 AM EDT By Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist Currency markets were little changed in overnight trade as a lackluster economic calendar and thin liquidity conditions left the majors to drift in narrow ranges.

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Gleason upset over release of Williams recording

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? A recording of then-New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams urging players to deliver punishing hits on specific San Francisco players was released without approval from retired special teams standout Steve Gleason, who had helped a documentary film maker gain behind-the-scenes access to the Saints.

"I feel deflated and disappointed. I feel frustrated and distracted," Gleason said in a statement on his website.

Gleason has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and has allowed film maker Sean Pamphilon to capture his struggle with the incurable disease. He played for the Saints from 2000 to 2007 and maintains a strong relationship with the club, which has backed his efforts to improve the lives of those living with the debilitating symptoms of ALS.

Gleason's connections to the team and to Pamphilon allowed the documentarian to be in the room with the Saints defense ahead of New Orleans' 36-32 playoff loss to San Francisco in January.

"The Saints have been incredibly open and supportive of me and my family during my disease progression," Gleason wrote. "From my perspective, the Saints have helped begin to shift the paradigm of how an NFL team should treat its players after retirement.

"I included Sean Pamphilon in some of these activities, because I felt my relationship with the Saints was an integral part of my overall journey," Gleason said in the statement posted Friday. "The Saints trusted me and gave us unlimited access in filming, and I, in turn, trusted Sean Pamphilon."

Gleason said there was an agreement that he and his family would own the rights to any recordings made of his interaction with the Saints and that "nothing can be released without my explicit approval."

"I did not authorize the public release of any recordings," Gleason continued.

Williams is suspended indefinitely for his admitted role overseeing a bounty system that rewarded Saints defenders with cash for painful hits during his tenure with the team from 2009 to 2011. The assistant coach left New Orleans after the playoff loss and was hired as defensive coordinator by the St. Louis Rams.

The recording, which Pamphilon posted one of his promotional websites, purports to capture Williams telling players to "put a lick" on 49ers receiver Kyle Williams to see if he had lingering effects from a concussion.

Williams also tells his players to "beat (running back) Frank Gore's head," and "lay out" quarterback Alex Smith. He also reminds his players that receiver Michael Crabtree "becomes human when we ... take out that outside ACL," a reference to the anterior cruciate ligament in the receiver's knee.

Pamphilon did not respond to messages left by The Associated Press. He said in an email to The Times-Picayune that while some may accused him of orchestrating a publicity grab, he felt compelled to release the audio because he believes deeply that "parents of children playing football MUST pay attention to the influence of men who will sacrifice their kids for W's."

The NFL's bounty probe has led to unprecedented punishment for the Saints, including a suspension of head coach Sean Payton for the entire 2012 season. Commissioner Roger Goodell also handed down suspensions of eight games for general manager Mickey Loomis and six games for assistant head coach Joe Vitt. The team was fined $500,000 and docked second-round draft picks this year and next.

The Saints met with Goodell in New York to appeal all of those sanctions on Thursday, and the commissioner is expected to either affirm or modify his initial ruling in the coming days.

The NFL's report on the bounty program also found between 22 and 27 Saints defenders participated, but a couple of those who have played in New Orleans during the period in question told the AP they take issue with how the system has been portrayed.

The players spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not decided how to punish players connected to the improper bonus program.

"I don't feel like anything was ever literal," one of the players said, referring to the way coaches like Williams and teammates spoke of brutalizing opponents.

"There's a pretty good sense of fraternity around the league, and players generally understand and respect the bounds of the game. But it takes a lot of passion to play football, and the tough talk was more about getting players in the right mind-frame to go out and do their job."

The players also said it's common around the league to participate in incentive pools and to discuss testing an opposing player's threshold for pain, particularly when he has a known injury.

"When it was spoken about ? and it was spoken about on every team ? it's more along the lines of: 'Tom Brady has sore ribs, so let's test him out. Let's test out his ribs,'" the second player said.

"You're just trying to win the game," the player continued. "It's a business and we want to attack our competing business' weakness."

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Magic coach says Howard has asked that he be fired

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy talks with referee James Capers (19) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., Tuesday, April 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy talks with referee James Capers (19) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich., Tuesday, April 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard (12) reacts to a call during the first half on an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in New York. The Knicks won 108-86. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Thursday he has been told by high-ranking team officials that star center Dwight Howard has previously asked that he be fired.

"I know he has," Van Gundy told reporters after the team's morning shootaround ahead of Thursday night's matchup with the New York Knicks. "That's just the way it is. Again, I've been dealing with that all year. It's not anything real bothersome. You go out and do your job."

Sounds simple ? something that's become rare in Orlando.

The stay-or-go drama surrounding Howard has haunted the Magic all season. After securing Howard's services for at least another season at the trade deadline last month, Thursday brought the latest wrinkle to the saga.

Howard has denied reports that he has asked for Van Gundy's dismissal. He again denied it Thursday.

"Whatever happens at the end of the season is not under my control," Howard told reporters. "I am a player for the Magic. I am not the GM. I am not (owner) Rich DeVos I am not (Magic CEO) Alex Martins. So that's not my job. So you guys should stop ... every other week ... trying to find something, because there's nothing.

"I haven't said anything to anybody about anything. Our main concern is winning. So all the other stuff should stop."

Asked how he was sure of a report that has been circulated and repeatedly denied by Howard and other team officials throughout the season, the 52-year-old Van Gundy said he had been told by "people right in our management, right from the top."

Van Gundy's normal pregame media availability was canceled Thursday night.

Howard was in the locker room before the game, but didn't address the issue any further.

Magic reserve guard Ish Smith said he didn't hear about the morning's comments by Van Gundy until he arrived in the locker room to get dressed for the game. He said he doesn't think any internal issues have played into the Magic's recent losses.

"My mom loves soap operas, so for me to be a part of one is pretty special," Smith joked. "From the outside I think it looks like (a soap opera), but when you're on the inside I think it's no effect on us. I think defensively the last three or four games has been what's been hurting us. I don't think anything off the court is causing us to lose these games."

The whole episode was a definite change in approach by Van Gundy, who is usually mum when it comes to issues dealing with his job status.

The day before the trade deadline last month, Van Gundy himself sidestepped questions about reports that Howard had asked management to jettison both himself and general manager Otis Smith as a condition for him signing a long-term contract extension.

"If they want to fire me to please somebody, fire me," Van Gundy said at the time.

Van Gundy's current contract runs through the end of the season. He has guided the Magic to at least 50 wins in each of his four previous seasons and led Orlando to the NBA Finals in 2009.

Howard and Van Gundy have seemingly always been on cordial terms, though he's sometimes been critical of Van Gundy's direct and vocal coaching style, which he has previously said can be counterproductive to team morale.

Smith and Van Gundy met during the offseason. The coach left the meeting pledging to tone down some of his intensity during games with both officials and players. So far this season he has yet to receive a technical foul.

Asked this week to address the status of Van Gundy and Smith, Martins said only that both he and Smith will undergo end-of-the-season evaluations, as do all Magic employees.

Associated Press

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