UPDATE 4-Spain debt rises on aid to banks, regions

Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:22pm BST

* Spain details cuts to health, education

* Debt-to-GDP ratio to rise to 90.5 percent by end-2013

* Budget deficit rises to 7.4 percent including bank aid

* Gross debt issuance rises to 207.2 billion euros in 2013

By Andr?s Gonz?lez

MADRID, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Spain's debt levels are set to rise next year, piling pressure on the government to apply for aid as it pours funds in to cash-strapped regions, an ailing banking system and rising refinancing costs, its budget showed on Saturday.

Spain's debt as a ratio of gross domestic product will reach 90.5 percent by end 2013, according to the document presented to parliament for approval, almost three times that registered before the property bubble burst in 2008.

The budget aims to make savings of around 13 billion euros ($16.7 billion) next year, largely by deepening already unpopular cuts in public sector wages, education, health and social services, fuelling anti-austerity protests.

"This is an austerity budget, but will serve to help us get over this long economic crisis and once again show that Spain is a trustworthy partner within Europe," Treasury Minister Cristobal Montoro told journalists after delivering the budget.

Spain is at the centre of the euro zone debt crisis as nervous investors demand ever higher premiums to hold Spanish debt on concerns the government cannot control its finances in the midst of a deepening recession.

Calls by wealthy northeastern region Catalonia for independence and the rising number of demonstrations on the streets of major cities have stoked doubts Spain can fix its problems without help.

Thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday in Madrid's Neptune plaza, between the Prado Museum and Parliament, for a third time this week to vent anger at politicians they accuse of pillaging the welfare state to bail out badly-run banks.

"This has to change. We have to show them we are not an anti-system minority but represent Spain's discontent and we are many. You only have to see the unemployment rate to see that," said state school teacher, Montse, 44, who was at the march with her unemployed husband and 11-year-old daughter.

Unemployment in Spain is more than double the European Union average, with half of all working-age under-26s unable to find jobs and shattered businesses laying off employees they cannot afford to pay.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has delayed any plea for aid, which would kick-start a European Central Bank plan to buy debt and ease financing costs, though this week has passed reforms and the budget plan in what many see is an effort to pre-empt the likely terms of a bailout.

Rajoy, who said he is considering the conditions behind any aid request, is widely expected to wait until after regional elections in Galicia and the Basque Country before taking any decision.

RISING BORROWING NEEDS

The budget details spending cuts of 3.1 percent in health, 14.4 percent in education and 6.3 percent in unemployment benefits, as the recession, which began in the first quarter, drags on.

Spain will also slash state funding to commerce, tourism and small, and medium-sized companies by 18.8 percent and infrastructure by 13.5 percent.

The government will increase its reliance on international markets for funding next year, with gross debt issuance requirements of 207.2 billion euros, after budgeting in 2012 for gross issuance of 186.1 billion euros.

The cost of financing its debt, as benchmark 10-year bond yields rise to near unsustainable levels of above 6 percent, is expected to increase to 38.6 billion euros, or 3.6 percent of GDP, in 2013, the budget showed.

The Treasury must pay debt redemptions of 159.2 billion euros in 2013, up slightly from 153.2 billion euros in 2012.

The increase in the debt-to-GDP ratio was due the economic crisis and the effect of state instruments on public accounts, the Treasury said in the document.

The instruments include the power deficit bond programme, FADE, the service provider fund for regional governments, Spain's part in aid granted to Ireland, Greece and Portugal and the recapitalisation loan for the country's banks, it said.

Brussels on Thursday said the budget was a large step in the right direction. But many economists expressed doubt Spain's conservatives would be able to raise the cash the budget demanded as pension and debt-servicing costs rise.

"My general view is that this is an optimistic budget, in the sense that predictions for the contraction in 2013 are very optimistic," said Xavier Vives, economist at business school IESE, adding he expected the plans to be revised as with every other budget over the last four years.

The budget is based on the assumption GDP will shrink by 0.5 percent in 2013 year-on-year, though most economists expect a deeper slump.

DEFICIT JUMP

Spain will meet its 2012 public deficit target as dictated by European guidelines, Montoro said, but the shortfall will jump by more than one percentage point if aid to its struggling banks were taken in to account.

The Spanish deficit this year would be 6.3 percent of GDP, not including these payments to its banks, he said, but would rise to 9.4 percent of GDP last year and 7.4 percent of GDP this year if the aid was considered.

"Everything within the deficit derived from financial operations aren't included ... they're considered one-offs," Montoro said.

Spain has asked for up to 100 billion euros for its crisis-hit banks, though the debate among Spain's European partners rages over whether that money would go directly to its lenders or first via public coffers.

On Friday, an independent report showed Spanish banks will need up to 59.3 billion euros in extra capital to ride out the economic downturn.

The budget details on Saturday showed Spain's debt ratio included 30 billion euros of the planned 100-billion-euro aid request for the country's banks.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/29/spain-budget-idUKL5E8KT0NM20120929?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews

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AP Interview: Iran opposition chief see rebirth

AUVERS-SUR-OISE, France (AP) ? The leader of an Iranian militant group that was taken off the U.S. terror list on Friday says the move will change her group's "balance of power" with the world ? predicting a higher profile in politics, fundraising and diplomacy as well as increased anti-regime activity in Iran.

The U.S. State Department said the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) hasn't committed terror for more than a decade. The decision means that effective immediately, any assets the group has in the United States are unblocked and Americans are permitted to do business with the organization.

Maryam Rajavi, the Paris-based head of the exiled opposition group, said in a rare interview that she hopes the organization can now have the ear of the world's diplomats to help bolster its bid to overthrow Iran's clerical regime. She stressed that its goal was to replace the Islamic Republic with a democratic government.

Rajavi praised the "courage" of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for what MEK believes was a long overdue decision. A court order had given Clinton until Oct. 1 to act. The group was removed from the European Union's terrorist list in 2009.

"It now has become evident for everyone that these (terror) allegations were untrue," she said. "This is a movement for freedom and democracy in Iran."

The Iranian regime is likely to be furious at the U.S. decision to delist MEK ? for years the only armed exile opposition group. The group, which began as a guerrilla movement fighting Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, helped overthrow the monarch in 1979 then quickly fell out with the Islamic Republic's first leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

MEK later teamed up with Iraq to battle Iran in an eight-year war in the 1980s, then from its Iraqi base continued military action against neighboring Iran.

A senior State Department official said Washington does not view the group as an opposition movement that can promote democratic values in Iran. The official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

"They are not part of our picture in terms of the future of Iran," the official said.

Still, the U.S. credited the group's 3,000-plus members at a paramilitary base near Iraq's border with Iran with a peaceful departure to another camp, a major step in their eventual departure from Iraq.

The United States contends the group was responsible for the killing of several American military officials and defense contractors in the 1970s, carrying out attacks on Iran from its base in Iraq.

Rajavi, 58, wore what has become a trademark headscarf among MEK women during the interview Friday at MEK's headquarters in the leafy town of Auvers-Sur-Oise north of Paris. She denied claims by critics that MEK has all the earmarks of a cult, blaming Iran for such allegations.

"All the energy and potential of our movement were chained" during the 15 years that MEK was listed by the United States as a terrorist organization, she said, speaking in French as well as the Iranian language of Farsi through a translator.

At its headquarters, the group was preparing for a jubilant fete on Saturday, plastering walls on the street with red drapes and photographs of "martyrs," as it refers to members who have been killed.

"The diplomatic scene will be completely different" because the group's status as a pariah will evaporate, Rajavi said, reiterating MEK's long-standing denial of terrorism.

But, she said, "the most important impact ... will be seen inside Iran."

"The balance of power, the balance of power is going to change. For example, the first message for the Iranian people will be they won't fear increasing their activity and increasing their demonstrations," she said. The fear "will evaporate ... and that will lead to the expansion of anti-regime activities within Iran."

With a clean bill of health in the West, the Iranian regime "will no longer have the excuse" of acting against an organization deemed terrorist by the United States.

Mujahedeen, protected in Iraq under dictator Saddam Hussein, were disarmed after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and are disliked by the new Iraqi government, dominated by Shiite Muslims like those in Iran.

The United States had insisted the MEK's members leave Camp Ashraf, their home in Iraq, as a condition for removal from the terrorist list. All but several hundred militants are now located in Camp Liberty, a former U.S. base outside Baghdad, looking for placement in third countries.

Among those transferred to Camp Liberty were Rajavi's 30-year-old daughter and her 32-year-old son, she said.

A veil of mystery has long surrounded the group, not the least over the whereabouts of its main founder, Massoud Rajavi, who married Maryam and, though not seen since at least 2003, continues as its co-leader.

There has been speculation that he is dead. Rajavi said Friday he is alive but would not say where he is living.

___

Bradley Klapper contributed to this story from New York.

___

Follow Elaine Ganley at ?www.twitter.com/Elaine_Ganley.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-iran-opposition-chief-see-rebirth-224144444.html

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Fit 50-somethings face less chronic disease

Fit 50-year-olds are less likely to get chronic diseases as they age, according to a U.S. study that sheds new light on the link between exercise and healthy aging.

?It has been known for decades that if you are more fit, you live longer,? Dr. Jarett Berry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, told Reuters Health. ?But it has not been clear that you have a higher quality of life, that you age better.?

It?s possible that fit people just delay the onset of chronic illness, for instance, and end up being sick just as long as their weaker peers. But that doesn?t appear to be the case, according to the new research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday.

?We see truly reduced chronic disease, rather than just delaying the inevitable,? said Berry, who led the study.

He and his colleagues studied more than 18,600 healthy men and women who had undergone a treadmill test sometime around age 50 to measure their cardiorespiratory fitness.

Using Medicare claims data spanning an average of 26 years, the researchers then linked the treadmill results to the rate of eight chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer?s disease and colon cancer.

Among men in the lowest fifth of fitness scores, the rate of chronic disease was 28 per cent per year. By contrast, the rate was only 16 per cent per year among the top fifth.

For women, the numbers were 20 per cent per year versus 11 per cent, respectively.

The findings don?t prove that exercising more cuts the risk of chronic disease, because it could be that people with a lot of physical activity also eat healthier foods ? something the researchers didn?t take into account. They did account for smoking, alcohol use, obesity, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In a commentary, Dr. Diane Bild of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, notes that there could also be genetic factors that predispose people to both fitness and health.

But she added that ?physical activity has a host of well-proven benefits, including effects on weight, cardiovascular disease risk factors, bone health and mental health.?

Berry said even if genetics are at work, it doesn?t mean exercise can?t make a difference. He said national guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise every week.

The new study would seem to argue for more-vigorous activities such as jogging, cycling or playing basketball.

?We know from prior literature that higher-intensity exercise tends to translate into more fitness,? Berry said. ?Walking is clearly better than doing nothing, but if you can make the choice between walking and jogging, then jogging is probably better for you.?

Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/somethings+face+less+chronic+disease/7316309/story.html

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With Friends Like These: What Republicans Really Feel About ...

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More Taxes? UN Now Wants More of the Action | Avid Investor Group

A?1 percent tax on billionaires around the world. ?A tax on all currency trading in the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound sterling.? ?Another? ?tiny?? tax on all financial transactions, including stock and bond trading, and trading in financial derivatives. ?New taxes on carbon emissions and on airline tickets. ?A royalty on all undersea mineral resources extracted more than 100 miles offshore of any nation?s territory.

The United Nations is at it again:? finding new and ?innovative? ways to create global taxes that would transfer hundreds of billions, and even trillions, of dollars from the rich nations of the world ? especially the U.S. ? to poorer ones, in line with U.N.-directed economic, social and environmental development.

These latest global tax proposals have received various forms of endorsement at U.N. meetings over the spring and summer, and will be entered into the record during the 67^th? U.N. General Assembly session, which began this week. The agenda for the entire session, lasting through December, is scheduled to be finalized on Friday.

How to convince developed countries wracked by economic recession and spiraling levels of government debt ? especially the U.S. ? is another issue, which the world organization may well end up trying to finesse.?

As the U.N. itself notes, in a major report on the taxation topic titled, ?In Search of New Development Finance? ? the main topic at a high-level international meeting of the U.N.?s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) this summer ? ?These proposals are subject to political controversy. For instance, many countries are not willing to support international forms of taxation, as these are said to undermine national sovereignty.?

The world organization, and its constellation of funds, agencies and programs, has been pushing ?innovative financing? for nearly a decade.

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The U.N. clearly hopes it can find a way to move ahead. ? Politically, tapping revenue from global resources and raising taxes internationally to address global problems are much more difficult than taxing for purely domestic purposes,? admits an ECOSOC document produced last April. But, it summarizes, ??the time has come to confront the challenge.?

Shortly thereafter, the tax proposals ? known in U.N.-speak as ?innovative methods of financing?? got a limited endorsement from a group of government ministers and other heads of national delegations who attended a major ECOSOC meeting in New York City in July.

The global taxation idea was echoed this week by Jeffrey Sachs, head of Columbia University?s Earth Institute and also a U.N. Assistant Secretary General. Sachs was recently named by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to head a new intellectual lobbying group of experts called the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.? It ?will work closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions and other international organizations,? according to the Earth Institute website.

On Monday, the controversial economist, a vociferous supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, called on President Obama to implement a carbon tax that in turn could be used to finance bonds, paying for investments to combat ?climate change? ? one of the major focuses of the new solutions network.

Sachs was quoted by Bloomberg News as declaring that, ?I?m happy to have the future pay for a lot of this. It doesn?t have to be current financed.?

In the midst of a heated U.S. national election campaign, any official endorsement of those views is unlikely.

Nonetheless, the U.N. is taking a longer view. The world organization, and its constellation of funds, agencies and programs, has been pushing ?innovative financing? for nearly a decade, since the topic was discussed in depth at an international conference in 2002.? The topic was endorsed again at the failed Rio + 20 conference last summer, without much detail attached.

But the need for new revenue is becoming more urgent as the world?s rich countries, gripped in recession, no longer hand out foreign aid with the same generosity as before ? though the total reached $133 billion annually last year?while the demands for huge additional amounts of money for social and climate issues continues to grow.

Earlier this year, for example, the overseers of a new, U.N.-sponsored? Green Climate Fund held their first meeting in Bonn to contemplate the spending of some $30 billion annually ? rising to $100 billion by 2020 ? to meet climate change needs in developing countries.? Where all that money will come from is still not clear.

The U.N.?s latest roster of tax possibilities certainly has what the New Development Finance Report calls ?large fundraising potential.? Or, at least some of them do. An around-the-world tax of $25 per ton on carbon dioxide emissions in rich countries, the report says, could raise some $250 billion a year. That new billionaire?s tax would raise anywhere from $40 billion to $50 billion per year, the report estimates, though it adds that the idea ?is not yet in any international agenda.?

CLICK HERE FOR A TAX LIST

The U.N. places the same estimated value on the proposed currency tax ($40 billion), and roughly the same thing on its proposed financial tax ($15 billion to $75 billion).

Even more innovative is a notion to, in effect, borrow the lines of credit allocated to rich countries themselves at the International Monetary Fund, and? ?leverage? them to create new investment funds for the world?s poor. How to do this while preserving those credit lines as a reserve asset that rich countries could draw on when required, the report admits, remains to be seen.

Another ?innovative? idea that may have trouble staying afloat is the notion of charging royalties on undersea minerals more than 100 miles offshore, within what are called ?exclusive economic zones? ? in effect, inside some country?s sovereign economic territory.

The sensitive issue here is that the world?s current ?exclusive economic zones? extend 200 miles offshore ? meaning that the U.N. is suggesting that it collect royalties on mineral wealth on half the ?exclusive? territory, which it refers to in the report as part of the ?global commons.??

For most nations, excluding the U.S., those 200 mile zones were established by the U.N.-sponsored Law of the Sea Treaty, known as LOST, which came into force in 1994 after it was signed and ratified by 162 countries. (The U.S. signed but has not ratified LOST; its 200-mile ?exclusive economic zone? was established by presidential decree.)

The new, 100-mile royalty proposal in the U.N.?s financing report would require a new agreement to hand over proceeds from half of that territory to the U.N.-sponsored International Seabed Authority.

George Russell is executive editor of Fox News and can be found on Twitter @GeorgeRussell

Click for more stories by George Russell.

Source: http://avidinvestorgroup.com/2012/09/more-taxes-un-now-wants-more-of-the-action/

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The Dark Knight Rises Blu-ray officially set for December 4th, limited edition Bat Cowl revealed

After false starting a couple of weeks ago, the Blu-ray trailer for The Dark Knight Rises is back, and Entertainment Weekly has heard from Warner Bros. that December 4th is the official release date. Also on display from EW is this limited edition Bat Cowl packaging which will be available at launch. While there's not a full spec list, extras will include a Batmobile-focused documentary and more than a dozen featurettes about going behind the scenes of the movie with Christopher Nolan and his team. We expect to see more details soon, for now just check out the trailer embedded after the break.

Continue reading The Dark Knight Rises Blu-ray officially set for December 4th, limited edition Bat Cowl revealed

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Netanyahu brings fears about Iran to UN

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PFT: Fox laughs off qustions about Peyton's arm

AP

The NFL?s adroitly-drafted statement regarding the Monday night debacle in Seattle glosses over the most important question presented by the play.

What if Packers safety M.D. Jenning gained control of the ball before Golden Tate?? As we address that question, keep in mind the difference between ?control? and ?possession.?

?When the players hit the ground in the end zone, the officials determined that both [Seahawks receiver Golden] Tate and Jennings had possession of the ball,? the league?s statement explains.? ?Under the rule for simultaneous catch, the ball belongs to Tate, the offensive player.? The result of the play was a touchdown.?

In reality, the outcome was determined before the players hit the ground.? That?s when Jennings first gained ?control? of the ball, regardless of whether Tate eventually secured simultaneous ?possession? of it.

The relevant portion of the official 2012 rules comes from Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5:? ?It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control.?? (Emphasis added.)? Thus, it doesn?t matter whether the officials determined that Tate and Jennings jointly had ?possession? when they landed; the question is whether Jennings ?gained control? first.

The NFL?s statement likely omitted that fact because the video shows Jennings ?gained control? first.? This video shows the best angle; Jennings caught the ball with both hands while Tate had only one hand (his left) on the ball.? Tate eventually got his right hand on the ball, but after Jennings ?gained control? of it.

The league?s most recent casebook, which is posted at NFL.com, specifically addresses this situation at A.R. 8.29, under the all-caps title NOT A SIMULTANEOUS CATCH:? ?First-and-10 on A20. B3 controls a pass in the air at the A40 before A2, who then also controls the ball before they land. As they land, A2 and B3 fall down to the ground.? Ruling: B?s ball, first-and-10 on A40. Not a simultaneous catch as B3 gains control first and retains control.?? (Emphasis added.)

Some Seahawks fans defend the indefensible claim that the catch isn?t complete until the players land on the ground, citing the ever-confusing ?Calvin Johnson rule,? which makes a catch not a catch until the player maintains possession through the act of going to the ground.? They cling to that principle for a very good reason; the league?s statement specifically quotes the rule, blurring the line between ?control? and ?possession.?

Consider the plain language of the rule regarding a completed pass:? ?A forward pass is complete (by the offense) or intercepted (by the defense) if a player, who is inbounds: (a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and (b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and (c) maintains control of the ball long enough, after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled, to enable him to perform any act common to the game (i.e., maintaining control long enough to pitch it, pass it, advance with it, or avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.).?

This isn?t about maintaining control through the act of going to the ground; it?s about who first secured control, whether the players were in the air or on the ground.? Jennings first secured control, while he and Tate were in the air.

Here?s A.R. 8.29, with the names of the player?s included:? ?Jennings controls a pass in the air before Tate, who then also controls the ball before they land. As they land, Tate and Jennings fall down to the ground.? Ruling:? Green Bay?s ball.? Not a simultaneous catch as Jennings gains control first and retains control.?

Though it gets complicated, it?s actually pretty simple.? Jennings gained control first.? Tate, at best, secured joint control later.? That?s not a simultaneous catch.

Then there?s the faction of Seahawks fans who believe that there was insufficient visual evidence to overturn the ruling on the field, regardless of whether the ruling was touchdown or interception.? But that?s where the league?s statement also is wrong.? It?s indisputable that Jennings gained control first, as evidenced by Jennings having two arms at the ball when Tate has only one.

As a result, we reject the league?s statement as the predictable sort of wagon-circling in which the league has been engaged ever since it put third-rate-at-best officials into the costume and pawned them off as sufficiently competent to rise to the challenge of officiating an NFL game.? The very complexity of this rule proves that these officials lack the ability to remember, interpret, and apply these principles in real time.

Of course, the non-replacement replay official and the non-replacement league supervisor screwed this one up, too.? Which perhaps highlights the importance of having non-replacement officials who know these rules and can apply these rules on the field at all times.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/26/john-fox-laughs-off-questions-about-peyton-mannings-arm/related

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Reach Your Customers With These Internet Promotion Ideas

Many businesses have seen a dramatic increase in customers and profits because of Internet promotion. For many companies, this method of advertising has proven extremely successful. The tips contained within this article will help you enjoy the many benefits of Internet marketing.

Try to make your ads look unique, instead of traditional and common banner ads. Try to create an interesting and unique banner ad to entice potential visitors.

When you are an successful Internet marketer, you will be a genius at what you are selling. This will give you credibility and a good reputation.

When you take time and learn the fundamentals of web designing you will succeed. A tremendous source of information is available online where you can find excellent tutorials on learning HTML, CSS and everything else that goes into designing web pages. Take 30 minutes out of the day to work on your site and you will gain knowledge.

Be certain you have a secure ordering system. Use free and safe methods of payment such as Paypal as a means to collect money from customers. Personal user accounts should also be password protected to make sure their personal and payment information is secure.

When you use Social Media Marketing it is essential that you update it often! Profiles that have no consistent updates are often seen as no better than spam.

Run creative competitions and offer prizes. One simple contest idea is to hide an image or word in various places throughout your website, and then ask your customers to locate them. Offer a special discount or prize for solving the word puzzle. Customers will be more comfortable buying from you if they see that you listen to their suggestions.

Consider using positive words such as ?guarantee? whenever you are writing ad descriptions. The word ?guaranteed? implies that you stand behind your products, and this inspires confidence in new customers. A guarantee makes people more comfortable about risking their hard-earned cash since their level of trust in you has risen with the inclusion of the offer.

A lot of readers will approach any claims you make with a healthy grain of salt. This is not surprising, given that they?ve been dealing with deceptive advertising for years or even decades now. To counteract this, you need to back up anything that you publish online with provable facts. Employ customer reviews, informative articles, links to reputable websites and images to help legitimize your website. Do not make false statements. Your customers should be treated like they?re smart and are informed. You should ensure that all customers are treated with honesty and respect. You will get a great reputation and gain customers to do business with for a long time.

You have already learned how the method of Internet promotion can allow you to reach new customers. If you have a good source of information and a healthy work ethic, you can easily devise a plan of attack to draw in traffic. It creates a new way for customers and businesses to interact. Use the helpful methods in the article above to get the most out of what the Internet has to offer your business

Tags: internet promotion

Source: http://joemcvoy.com/reach-your-customers-with-these-internet-promotion-ideas?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reach-your-customers-with-these-internet-promotion-ideas

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Grossman brings property management expertise to CB - Pomerado ...

When you think of property management, Josh Grossman is a name you should know. Josh is a new addition to the Coldwell Banker team in Rancho Bernardo. He specializes in working with owners and tenants to find just the right scenario for both.

Josh Grossman

Josh has had hands on property management experience for more than 10 years, beginning with his own investment houses and apartments, then branching off into building a successful property management firm. He has owned properties in several different states and has a knack for problem solving and superior client service. Josh?s background and training comes from top investment firms including Morgan Stanley and Brandes Investment Partners, L.P. in San Diego. Josh has a degree in business management and finance, holds a Certified Mutual Fund Specialist designation from the Boston Institute of Finance, is currently working on his JD through Northwestern California School of Law, and holds a California real estate brokers license. He is a native San Diegan and lives in the Rancho Bernardo area.

Josh attributes much of his professional real estate success to hard work, motivation, a passion for what he does, and his training and background in client service and relationship management.

?I manage properties because I love it, not because I have to,? says Josh.

Property management can be a tricky business; Josh believes he is the guy to handle it the best way possible. Josh brings a new energy and excitement to this business. His knowledge of finance, technology, marketing, and management experience combined, allow him to be a tremendous asset to both owners and tenants alike.

?Everyone wins when all sides of a transaction are handled properly,? Josh said. ?Tenants have a great experience finding just the property they wanted, owners have a tenant who love their property as much as they do and in return they treat it nicely and maintain it, and as a property manager I get to see a smile on everyone?s face.?.

A current tenant of Josh?s commented, ?You are the best, my last landlord didn?t even call me after signing our lease. You have become a friend and someone I have a great respect for.? To Josh, this is one of the highest compliments paid as when a person says this, you know you?re doing something right.

According to Josh, one of the most important virtues of the real estate business is operating with trust and integrity.

?Property management sometimes generates situations that can be challenging at times, being up front, ethical, trustworthy, and ensuring that there is a lot of communication is one key to being highly successful,? said Josh.

Josh?s specific focus for Coldwell Banker is on property management, he will not be selling real estate. Realtors should feel comfortable in contacting him, as he will ensure that when a client is ready to buy or sell, the Realtor who referred the client will be referred back.

Josh is very active in the community all throughout San Diego as volunteer board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego for the past five years, teaching several middle and high school classes on behalf of Junior Achievement, and is a co-founder and managing director for the Stephen?s Soldiers Foundation, a nonprofit fighting for a cure for cancer.

To contact Josh Grossman or to learn more about the skills and experience he has to offer property owners, real estate investors and tenants, call 858-676-6132 or email josh.grossman@coldwellbanker.com.

Related posts:

1. Realtor of the Week: Jolyn Stoffel
2. Diana Webber strives for client satisfaction
3. Toni Currier offers clients service to rely on
4. Todd Fortney offers ?million dollar service?
5. Keith Mayes has proven experience

Short URL: http://www.pomeradonews.com/?p=28976

Source: http://www.pomeradonews.com/2012/09/26/grossman-brings-property-management-expertise-to-cb/

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Appliance Repair and maintenance at home

When you are experiencing difficulties with your main appliances, you need to have them fixed immediately. As with anything, you want to approach appliance repair the correct way. Before hurrying into anything, take a few moments to take into account the steps you need to take.
Initially, make certain you go through the guide for your product. The problem might be something as basic as connections or cables. The majority of us do not take the time to actually comprehend how our appliances function, and we hurry into calling someone for the required repair. To prevent an embarrassing scenario and unwanted cost, make certain you have everything attached appropriately and plugged in. It may seem silly, but it takes place.
After that, determine if you possess a warranty on the appliance. If that's the case, make sure you go through the warranty cautiously. Before getting your repair carried out, understand what may or may not be covered under your plan. Numerous warranties come with fine prints and conditions, for example whom you can get in touch with for appliance maintenance. You paid the premium to possess the warranty, make certain you do not waste the coverage by attempting to deal with the task yourself or by getting in touch with an unapproved repair specialist.

If you are useful and would like to try to deal with the repair yourself (and may do so without compromising any warranty coverage) make certain you obtain all the details you can regarding the job. There is a wealth of data on the internet, such as guides and manuals for easy appliance repair. Some sites even provide a live appliance technician to speak with online, although this is generally a paid service.

Do not dig into (or disassemble) anything until you are certain you know the entire issue and fix. Even though "do it yourself" is a terrific approach to take, things could possibly go haywire very swiftly. The more knowledge you have got of the device you are doing work on, the better likelihood of becoming successful with your home appliance repair.

If you decide (or if warranty dictates) to have your repair performed by professionals, ensure that you find your company properly. Status tells a great deal. On many occasions, the store you acquired your appliance from will also do appliance repair or advise a company for you to employ. If you possess a warranty that requires a specific firm, make certain to work with them. Just as before, you should never void your service contract. If you are in a position to opt for your private repair specialist, look around. Examine online reviews, check with your friends or officemates, uncover what organization commercial businesses work with. You really want to be extremely sure as possible that your appliance repair is completed properly the initial time and with as bit of personal charge as possible. Take into account, though, that most economical truly does not often mean most effective. Affordable rate is critical to most of us, but dependable and credibleness is quite significant, as well.

Surely, protective maintenance will enable you to keep away from appliance repair. When you receive your appliance, remember to acquire all the information of it as possible. Undertake the tiny measures of frequent maintenance to stay clear of serious, high priced repairs. You'll be delighted you did!

Author is a professional who writes on vast variety of home improvement topics. Visit to find more articles by him on href="http://mywriteup.hubpages.com/hub/History-of-Air-Conditioners/">appliance care and repair.

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Source: http://whydir.com/articles/14536/1/Appliance-Repair-and-maintenance-at-home/Page1.html

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Classifieds category: Health & Fitness

Source: http://www.adjingo.com/fitness-equipment/free-ads-120684.html

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Nintendo confirms Wii U to feature region lock restrictions | Expert ...

Posted on 25 Sep 2012 at 11:28

Nintendo has confirmed that its upcoming next-generation Wii U games console will feature a region locking system that prevents imported games from working.

A common feature across most Nintendo consoles throughout the years has been a region-lock system that prevents consoles from one country playing games from another. If you bought a UK Nintendo Entertainment System, for example, you would find that Japanese Famicom games physically wouldn't fit in the cartridge slot. GameCube owners had no fitting the tiny optical discs used by that console, but a software-based protection system would reject games designed for a different market.

With the Wii U, Nintendo is hoping to capture a bigger slice of the so-called 'hardcore' gaming market than its previous console which was more popular with 'casual' gamers. However, the company could be hurting its chances by sticking with a region-locking policy its competitors have all-but abandoned.

Nintendo's competitors have similar systems in place, but typically leave the decision on whether a game should feature region locking to the developers themselves. As a result, it's possible to buy many Japanese or US Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games and use them on a UK console. For its PlayStation Vita, Sony has even gone so far as to make it completely region-free for all games.

Nintendo has confirmed to gaming news site CVG that the Wii U won't be so lucky: all games published on the platform will be region-locked and only playable on a console from the same country. With Nintendo consoles often attracting Japanese publishers that release games only in their native country, it's a move which could leave the hardcore - who often import such games - looking at the company's competitors for their next games console.

The Wii U, Nintendo's successor to the innovative motion-controlled Wii console, is due for release in November in the UK. Although it brings the same Wiimote motion-sensing control system as the original Wii, the Wii U also bundles a touch-sensitive tablet-style controller that Nintendo promises will be used to extend the gaming experience above and beyond what was possible with the Wii.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

Source: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/home-entertainment/1294852/nintendo-confirms-wii-u-to-feature-region-lock-restrictions

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First two James Webb Space Telescope flight mirrors delivered to NASA

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2012) ? The first two of the 18 primary mirrors to fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The mirrors are going through receiving and inspection and will then be stored in the Goddard cleanroom until engineers are ready to assemble them onto the telescope's backplane structure that will support them.

Ball Aerospace, Boulder, Colo., under contract to Northrop Grumman, is responsible for the Webb's optical technology and lightweight mirror system. On September 17, 2012, Ball Aerospace shipped the first two mirrors in custom containers designed specifically for the multiple trips the mirrors made through eight U.S. states while completing their manufacturing. The remaining 16 mirrors will make their way from Ball Aerospace to Goddard over the next 12 months as they await telescope integration in 2015.

"These first two completed flight mirror assemblies arriving at Goddard are an important first step leading towards the integration of the mirrors onto the flight structure," said Lee Feinberg, NASA Optical Telescope Element Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "These delivered flight mirrors meet their requirements, which is great news for Webb telescope being able to fulfill its scientific potential."

One of the Webb's science goals is to look back through time to when galaxies were young. To see such far-off and faint objects, Webb needs a large mirror. A telescope's sensitivity, or how much detail it can see, is directly related to the size of the mirror area that collects light from the objects being observed. A larger area collects more light, just like a larger bucket collects more water in a rain shower than a small one.

Webb's scientists and engineers determined that a primary mirror 6.5 meters (21 feet 4 inches) across is what was needed to measure the light from these distant galaxies. Each of the 18 hexagonal-shaped mirror assemblies that make up the primary mirror measures more than 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) across, and weighs approximately 40 kilograms, or 88 pounds.

The Webb will be the first space astronomy observatory to use an actively-controlled, segmented mirror. The Webb is critical for future infrared observations. The Webb will be the premier observatory of the next decade. It will study every phase in the history of our universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of stellar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System. It is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/U-yVKQov8mc/120924175227.htm

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Braves clinch playoff berth; Tigers tie White Sox

Here's how the pennant races look with eight days to go:

? REDEMPTION: Chipper Jones and the Braves are back in the playoffs after missing out last season following a massive September collapse. Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning that lifted Atlanta over Miami 4-3 on Tuesday night, clinching at least an NL wild-card berth for the Braves. The 40-year-old Jones, who plans to retire after the season, started the winning rally with a double.

? ALL SQUARE: After chasing the White Sox for more than three weeks, Detroit finally forged a tie atop the AL Central when Anibal Sanchez threw a three-hitter in a 2-0 win over Kansas City. Hours earlier, Chicago lost 4-3 to Cleveland for its sixth defeat in seven games. The Tigers have made up three games in a week on the White Sox, who had been alone in first place since Sept. 3.

? NEXT UP: Texas and Oakland resume their pivotal series Wednesday night after splitting a pair of one-run decisions. The A's trail the first-place Rangers by four games in the AL West but hold a two-game lead over the Angels for the league's second wild card. Los Angeles faces Mariners ace Felix Hernandez in a late game.

? ON THE MEND: Cincinnati will be without manager Dusty Baker for the rest of the week. Baker met with Reds players and revealed he suffered a mini-stroke in addition to being treated for an irregular heartbeat last week. The 63-year-old skipper hopes to return to the dugout next week as the NL Central champions try to earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

? CLOSING IN: With seven games to play, St. Louis has a 4?-game cushion over the Brewers and Dodgers in the race for the second NL wild card. Jaime Garcia pitched the defending champion Cardinals to a 4-0 victory at Houston. Milwaukee and Los Angeles both lost.

? CHASE CHATTER: "There was never any doubt. We knew that last year was somewhat of a fluke." ? Atlanta slugger Chipper Jones after the Braves, who blew a huge wild-card lead last September, punched their postseason ticket.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/braves-clinch-playoff-berth-tigers-tie-white-sox-084843990--mlb.html

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Hiring plans show retailers are confident about holidays

Gerald Storch, Toys R Us chairman & CEO, discusses his company's plans to hire more than 45,000 seasonal workers this holiday season.

By Roland Jones, NBC News

Toys R Us is joining Wal-Mart and other major retailers making bets that they?ll need extra staff for the holiday shopping season.

The toy retailer -- which hired about 40,000 seasonal workers last year and retained about 15 percent of that number after the holidays ended -- said Tuesday it will take on 45,000 seasonal employees in the U.S. this year to deal with the upcoming holiday season.

Last week, Wal-Mart Stores said it plans to hire roughly 50,000 seasonal workers during the holiday season, slightly higher than the number of employees it hired last year. Other retailers, such as Kohl?s and Target, have also announced plans for holiday-season hiring this year.

A rise in holiday hiring is seen as an indication of the retail sector?s expectations for holiday shopping season sales, which are vital to retailers because they account for around a quarter of annual retail sales in a typical year.

This week, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said it expects holiday hiring to be up this season from last year?s levels. The retail industry hired just over 660,000 seasonal jobs last year. This year, Challenger expects retailers could add almost 700,000 workers. But that level of seasonal hiring is still below pre-recession levels.

While 57 percent of retailers plan to hire seasonal workers at the same level as 2011, 36 percent say they will be hiring more workers this year -- up from 10 percent in 2011, according to a survey by Hay Group. The management consultancy polled 14 major U.S. retailers in order to gauge retailers? plans for the 2012 holiday season.

Retailers? holiday sales projections and hiring plans show they are more confident in economy, Hay Group said. Seventy-five percent of retailers expect an increase in holiday sales this year, according the survey.

?Retailers are betting big on the 2012 holiday season,? and they are ?calm and cool, rather than concerned,? heading in, said Craig Rowley, who is head of Hay Group?s Retail Practice. After four years of economic turbulence, retailers have figured out how to operate in an uncertain business environment, he added.

However, with the economy still in the doldrums and unemployment stubbornly high, forecasts for holiday shopping this year are cautiously optimistic.

Retail sales in the fourth quarter of the year, which includes the holiday sales period, are expected to grow at a 4 percent annual rate, down from a 6 percent rate last year, according to a report from retail consultancy Kantar Retail.

The past two holiday shopping periods benefitted from a pickup in job growth in October that largely continued through the end of the year, but that sort of boost to the economy isn?t likely to take place in 2012, noted Frank Badillo, Kantar?s senior economist.

This fall, consumers are likely to feel more worried about the future, which will be fed by uncertainty surrounding the U.S. elections, unsettled U.S. tax and spending policies, and no clear resolution to the ongoing European debt crisis.

One area of strength will be e-commerce, Badillo added. He expects online sales to grow 14 percent in the fourth quarter, down slightly from the 15.8 percent page seen in the final quarter of 2011. That?s still robust growth, even though online sales only represent about 5 percent of all retail sales, he added. By contrast, brick-and-mortar retailers will see sales growth of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter, down from 4.7 percent in 2011.

One retailer who will benefit the most from this trend will be Amazon.com, according to Badillo, who said Kantar expects the web-based retailer to become the most shopped retailer for the 2012 holiday season, surpassing the current leader Wal-Mart.

?Amazon is on a trajectory in terms of online sales that should see it surpass Wal-Mart this year,? Badillo said.

?Online is still very strong and far and away the strongest retail channel in terms of growth,? he continued. ?It?s driving much of the price pressure for big-box retailers; sales growth has been flattening out here for them, or in some cases going negative.?

Indeed, e-commerce tracking firm eMarketer predicts 2012 will see a fourth consecutive year where online holiday sales (defined as sales in November and December) will grow in the mid-to-high teens, after plummeting 8.2 percent in 2008 during the depths of the Great Recession.

eMarketer also estimates that online holiday sales will account for 24.3 percent of the $224.2 billion in U.S. retail e-commerce sales forecast for all of 2012.

Source: http://marketday.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14095451-hiring-plans-show-retailers-are-confident-about-the-holidays?lite

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10 Ways Ironman Triathletes Can Avoid Chronic Cardio - Robb Wolf

Friday, September 21st, 2012

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Written by Ben Greenfield

At the recent Ancestral Health Symposium, Dr. James O?Keefe, a cardiologist from the Mid America Heart Institute at St. Luke?s Hospital reported on findings that exercise can be harmful, especially when performed as chronic cardio training and racing for extreme endurance events such as Ironman triathlon.

O?Keefe reviewed studies of physically active people, including those who trained for and raced in endurance events, such as marathons, triathlons, ultramarathons or long cycling events. The people who exercised regularly experienced significant benefits, including the ability to live seven years longer than those who were not physically active.

Why This Stuff Is Important

But when the data of extreme endurance athletes was isolated, it was found that the health effects of regular physical activity became less pronounced, and were instead replaced by significant risk of heart damage.

Specifically, completion of an event such as an Ironman triathlon (or even a relatively shorter marathon) was shown to cause structural heart changes and elevations of cardiac inflammatory biomarkers. Although most of these health issues return to normal within one week, an individual who is frequently competing in such events (as most triathletes and runners do) can experience months and years of repetitive cardiac injury, and this can lead to development of atrial fibrosis, myocardial scarring, interventricular septum, and increased susceptibility to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.

For example, earlier this year, distance-running legend Micah True- better known for his role as Caballo Blanco in the book ?Born To Run? ? died while on a trail run from cardiomyopathy due to an enlarged heart. True was just one example of seasoned endurance athletes who have experienced sudden cardiac events during exercise. Marathoner Ryan Shay and Ironman triathlete Steve Larsen are others, and most recently professional Ironman triathlete Torbjorn Sindalle was forced into unexpected retirement due to premature wearing of his bicuspid valve.

Based on the data from O? Keefe, it appears that the cardiac remodeling induced by excessive exercise can lead to rhythm abnormalities, and in extreme endurance sports, this has been associated with as much as a 5-fold increase in the prevalence of serious heart problems ? especially when the cardiac damage is repeated year-after-year as a habitual occurrence.

For those of us wanting to be around to see our grandkids, this is important information to consider.

How Much Do Ironman Triathletes Normally Train?

Don?t get me wrong ? this article isn?t meant to scare you from endurance exercise altogether. As a multiple Ironman triathlon and marathon finisher, I?ll be among the first to acknowledge that in order to ?climb your personal Mt. Everest?, build self-esteem or self-realization through completing a grueling event, or achieving your dream of crossing the Ironman finish line, you may need to exercise slightly more than Dr. O?Keefe?s recommendation of 30-60 minutes per day (after which it is suggested that you may reach a point of diminishing health returns).

But most Ironman triathletes overdo exercise, big time. Based on the research at Ironman.com:

?Triathletes train an average of seven months for the Ford Ironman World Championship. The average hours per week devoted to training for the World Championship generally fall between 18 and 22. Average training distances for the three events are: Miles per week swimming: 7 (11.3 km), miles per week biking: 232 (373.3 km), miles per week running: 48 (77.2 km).?

That?s right: the majority of Ironman triathletes training for Kona are averaging close to 3 hours per day, and as an Ironman coach and competitor, I can tell you that the training programs of other Ironman triathletes aren?t far behind ? and professional triathletes train up to 4-6 hours per day with chronic cardio!

What this all means is that an Ironman triathlete falls quite perfectly into Dr. O? Keefe?s category of high potential for cardiac abnormalities.

Exceptions To The Rule

But there are exceptions to the rule.

Take Sami Inkinen for instance.

Sami is just coming off an amateur Ironman winning time of 8:24 at Ironman Sweden a couple weeks ago, and last year, his finishes included:

• Overall amateur champion at Wildflower Triathlon Long Course
• Overall amateur champion at Hawaii 70.3. Ironman
• Age group world champion at Ironman 70.3. distance in Las Vegas
• Age group world champion runner up at Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, with an 8:58:59 Kona performance

Here?s the kicker: despite kicking the butts of the 20-30 hour per week athletes, and beating many of the professional Ironman triathletes, Sami trains a maximum of about 12 hours per week using many of the methods you?re about to learn in this article.

At that same Ironman Hawaii last year, I was about a half hour behind Sami, completing the race in 9:36 ? but on a training schedule of strictly 10 hours per week (which I detailed in a LAVA magazine article entitled ?Unconventional Triathlon Training?).

So what kind of Ironman triathlon training strategies are guys like Sami and I doing to avoid (or at least mitigate) the heart damaging effects of chronic cardio, overtraining, and extreme hours spent performing endurance exercise? Here are 10?

10 Minimalist Ironman Training Strategies

1. Do Short Swims

Swimming requires much more efficiency, economy, and ?feel for the water? than it requires pure fitness (which is why a 12 year old girl can easily beat me in a 100 meter pool sprint). For this reason, frequency and consistency in swimming is more important than marathon-esque swim workouts of 60-90 minutes, such as a typical Master?s swim class.

So for your Ironman swim training, you only need to swim ?long? once per week, and that swim shouldn?t be longer than 60 minutes. Rather than a steady, slow swim, you should structure this workout to include hard, race pace intervals with short rests. Then pepper other brief 15-30 minute swims, such as 20?50 or 10?100 throughout the week, preferably before a strength training session, swim or bike so that you minimize? prep time.

2. Mostly Bike Indoors

Cycling can involve dressing, prepping tires, getting gloves or toe warmers, filling water bottles, meeting with a group and other activities that can take 15-20 minutes before you?re even on the road training. And once you?re finally out there, traffic lights and stop signs can significantly detract from the efficacy of your workout.

So if you want to maximize your cycling bang for your buck, find a room in the house to be your ?pain cave?, set up an indoor trainer, and do 1-2 short, intense indoor bike trainer sessions per week. You?ll stay focused and structured with this approach. For these, I like indoor workouts like 40-60 minute Sufferfest, Spinervals or Computrainer sessions.

4. No Early Season Long Bikes

With a minimalist approach, you only need to ride long (or ride outdoors) a maximum of once per week. This one ride can take anywhere from 2-5 hours, depending on how close you are to your race. In contrast to their peers, who are disappearing into the basement during the winter to do 3 hour indoor trainer sessions, and heading outside on 4-5 hour bike rides several months before the actual Ironman, most of my athletes do just two or three such long rides, and only in the final 8 weeks before Ironman.

5. Bike Alone

For both your indoor training session and your outdoor rides, you should try to ride alone as much as possible, and here?s why: group rides not only require lots of time investment to get a group together and head out for the session, but these rides also include lots of drafting, socializing and pace fluctuations ? all of which won?t be happening during your actual Ironman. So ride solo and avoid groups during your cycling workouts and you?ll get much more bang for your training buck.

6. No Long Runs

You heard me right. No long runs. While a long bike ride is a session from which you can recover relatively quickly, a long run (2+ hours) can significantly impact your joints and literally keep you inflamed and beat up for up to 2 weeks.

In the same way that anaerobic high intensity interval sessions have been shown to significantly enhance aerobic fitness, short and intense runs of 80-90 minutes are all you really need to get you ready for the Ironman marathon ? and some of my best Ironman performance has come from running only once per week for 90 minutes (with elliptical training, basketball or tennis for the other ?run? sessions). The trick is that you need to make these 80-90 minute runs high-quality, not long slow death marches like most Ironman athletes treat their long run. Do this session on fresh legs, after a good day?s rest, and you?ll maximize the intensity and efficiency of your one key run training session.

7. Run On Short Courses

If you do opt to run more than once per week, you should stay away from long courses, like 3+ mile loops or lengthy trails, because the longer the course, the more likely it is that you?ll take your time and run it slow. Instead, choose to run on tracks, neighborhood blocks, or short loops, which are far more conducive to brief, high-quality and intense intervals.

For example, if I am running more than once per week, one of my key Ironman training sessions is 12x200m repeats ? literally in the cul-de-sac outside my house. Including full recovery between repeats, this workout takes a maximum of 30 minutes, but if it?s performed at maximum intensity, you?ll feel as though you?ve run 2 hours by the time you finish.

8. Lift

Multiple research studies have shown that strength training can improve endurance performance by increasing neuromuscular recruitment, efficiency and economy ? especially for cyclists and runners. Anecdotal evidence, particularly from many older endurance athletes, suggest that strength training also plays a significant role in injury prevention.

Compared to short distance triathletes, you?ll notice that the best Ironman triathletes tend to be slightly ?beefier? (just do a Google image search for Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander and compare it to Olympic distance World Champion Alistair Brownlee). This added strength and muscle, which you can realistically achieve with 1-2 full body weight training sessions each week, can significantly enhance joint stability, cushioning, and impact during the relatively long and rigorous Ironman event.

9. Recover

If you can do your high intensity interval training sessions and key run workouts on fresh legs, you?re going to get way more bang for your training buck, and this is where recovery logging software can come in handy.

To track my recovery and nail my workouts when I?m most recovered, I personally use A) Restwise software, which tracks resting heart rate, body mass, sleep, oxygen saturation, hydration, appetite, muscle soreness, energy level, mood state, well being and previous day?s performance and B) heart rate variability tracking with a combination of HeartMath emWave2 and Azumio Stress Doctor app.

You?ll find that with minimalist training, you not only recover much more quickly, but you also require a minimal taper for Ironman. Rather than spending 3-5 weeks of ?healing? and tapering prior to a race, you can literally begin backing off just a week prior to Ironman.

10. Diet

You may find that you have more difficulty maintaining your racing weight when you aren?t training for an insane number of hours each day, especially if you?ve grown accustomed to eating anything you want, then training your ass off with chronic cardio to burn those calories.

The ?Carbohydrate Loading Conundrum? article does a fantastic job teaching you how to maximize glycogen stores while also increasing the body?s reliance on fat for energy. The strategies outlined in that article highlight the importance of choosing slow burning fuel for the majority of your energy needs. To fuel my minimalist training, I personally eat a high fat diet, and use a combination of coconut oil, high molecular weight starches and amino acid capsules during my actual training and racing, rather than the traditional gel and sports drink combo.

Wrapping It Up

Hopefully, these 10 tips give you a very good starting point for minimalist Ironman triathlon training, and help you to avoid chronic cardio self-destruction by training dozens of hours per week.

If you are already an Ironman triathlete, marathoner, or other extreme endurance exerciser who has been doing chronic cardio, I?d recommend you give your adrenal glands a break before jumping into the type of program described above. Check out this previous RobbWolf.com article on adrenal fatigue to get you started?

?and feel free leave any questions, comments or feedback about minimalist Ironman triathlon training below.

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Ben Greenfield, MS, CSCS, C-ISSN, is a coach, author and speaker. He runs the popular fitness and nutrition blog and podcast at http://www.BenGreenfieldFitness.com, coaches triathletes via http://www.Pacificfit.net, and mentors personal trainers and fitness business owners via http://www.SuperhumanCoach.com.

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Source: http://robbwolf.com/2012/09/21/10-ways-ironman-triathletes-avoid-chronic-cardio-self-destruction/

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Space shuttle Endeavour home in Los Angeles after final flight

By Dana Feldman and Eric Kelsey

LOS ANGELES | Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:38pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The space shuttle Endeavour touched down in Los Angeles on Friday on the back of a jumbo jet, greeted by cheering crowds as it ended a celebratory final flight en route to its retirement home at a Southern California science museum.

The 75-ton winged spaceship, ferried by a modified Boeing 747, landed at Los Angeles International Airport shortly before 1:00 p.m. after hop-scotching across the country from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and flying a victory lap over California.

Hundreds of office workers stood atop downtown skyscrapers, cheering as the shuttle banked low around the city as it arrived from its last stopover at Edwards Air Force Base, about 100 miles north of the city in the Mojave desert.

"Let me be the first to say, welcome to Los Angeles, Endeavour," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said during a ceremony on the tarmac.

The shuttle's arrival brought two major freeways leading to the Los Angeles airport to a standstill as drivers got out of their cars to watch the spacecraft make its final approach.

Tens of thousands more spectators, armed with photo and video cameras, had jammed into Griffith Park and Observatory and the surrounding area to catch a glimpse of Endeavour as it soared over the landmark Hollywood sign.

"It's the end of an era," said John Norman, 45, a technical manager from Los Angeles, who visited Kennedy Space Center in Florida to see Endeavour's final launch. "It's just one of those boyhood dreams."

Applause and cheers rolled through the hills when the orbiter and its escort roared past three times, each pass closer than the one before.

In San Francisco, people crowded the city's waterfront to catch a glimpse of the shuttle as it flew over the bay.

"There's a lot of nostalgia," said Anthony Falzone, a 40-year-old lawyer. "When I was a kid, Apollo was long gone, and this was the space program, this was my experience with manned spaceflight."

LAST FERRY FLIGHT

Endeavour's flight from Edwards to Los Angeles marked the shuttle's last ferry flight and the final airborne journey for any of NASA's three surviving shuttles.

NASA retired Endeavour and the rest of its shuttle fleet last year after completing the U.S. portion of the $100 billion International Space Station, a permanently staffed research complex orbiting 250 miles above Earth.

The arrival at Edwards was a homecoming of sorts for the California-made shuttle, built as a replacement for Challenger, which was lost in a 1986 accident that killed seven astronauts.

Endeavour went on to fly 25 missions, including 12 to help build and outfit the space station, and logged nearly 123 million miles (198 million km) in flight during 4,671 orbits.

"(Endeavour) was my first ride to space and it was in 2008. It was very special being a rookie with her and I look forward to seeing her when she's finally settled into her new home," former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman said.

"Though I do have a bone to pick with her. She had a few malfunctions and the alarms went off twice. But at the end of the day I'm here, she kept me safe. I forgive her," he said.

Endeavour is the second of NASA's three surviving shuttles to be sent to a museum. The oldest one surviving, Discovery, is on display at the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center outside Washington.

Endeavour will next undergo preparations to be moved through city streets to the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles, where it will be put on display starting October 30.

To make way for the mammoth orbiter along its 12-mile (19-km) route, crews are cutting down nearly 400 trees, raising overhead utility wires and temporarily removing hundreds of utility poles, street lights and traffic signals. The center has agreed to plant 1,000 new trees to replace those scheduled for removal.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Weber in San Francisco and Alex Dobuzinskis, Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Writing by Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/1jbqzg9CjwQ/us-space-shuttle-idUSBRE88F0C520120921

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