Thursday, February 28, 2013

Conservatives on Supreme Court cast doubt on voting law (reuters)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287823725?client_source=feed&format=rss

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185K spyware images sent to Aaron's computers

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Court documents in a class-action lawsuit against furniture rental company Aaron's Inc. allege spyware installed on rented computers secretly sent more than 185,000 emails back to the company, including some capturing webcam images of naked children and people having sex.

The documents filed Wednesday in federal court in western Pennsylvania say the Atlanta-based rental company hasn't informed at least 800 customers whom plaintiffs say were targeted by spyware made by a Pennsylvania company.

Attorneys say the emails sometimes contained pictures secretly taken by the computers' webcams or other sensitive information including Social Security numbers.

Aaron's says it disagrees with the claims in the lawsuit and will defend the case vigorously. The company also says that certain independent franchisees used the spyware, not stores operated by Aaron's, Inc.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/185k-spyware-images-sent-aarons-234000284.html

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

?Angry Birds Toons?, Rovio?s New Cartoon Series, Is Coming To A Browser Near You March 16

angry birdsThey're cute. They're bouncy. And they're angry. Introducing "Angry Birds Toons". Seriously. Rovio has long teased the existence of Angry Birds cartoon series but held most of the details secret. Well, all will be revealed come March 16th, when the first episode premieres.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/j3hZOYqtKq0/

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Woman accused of Arizona lover's murder attended his memorial

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A woman on trial for capital murder in Arizona testified on Tuesday that she attended her lover's memorial service days after she killed him, writing in a remembrance book that he was "beautiful inside and out."

Jodi Arias, 32, could face the death penalty if convicted of murdering 30-year-old Travis Alexander, whose body was found in the shower of his Phoenix valley home in June 2008. He was shot in the face, stabbed 27 times and had his throat slit.

Arias, in frequently explicit testimony about her relationship with Alexander, has admitted to killing him but said it was in self defense after he attacked her when she dropped his camera while taking pictures of him in the shower. The prosecution has said she killed him in a jealous rage.

In a combative third day of cross examination, prosecutor Juan Martinez confronted Arias with positive comments she wrote about Alexander at a memorial service days after the killing, in which she described him as "beautiful on the inside and out."

"You also write, ?You always told me that I have never stopped believing in you, and I know that you always believed in me,' right?" Martinez asked of the remarks which were seemingly at odds with Arias' assertions that Alexander was abusive.

"Yes I did," Arias replied.

"Even though, according to you, he would get this mean look on his face and come charging after you down the hallway, you still believed in him, right?" Arias agreed that she did, after he rephrased the question.

Seeking to point out further inconsistencies in her testimony, Martinez questioned Arias about a text message she had sent Alexander less than two months before she killed him, in which she called him "a rock, a light and an inspiration," and noted that she "loved him dearly."

"You've been telling us that in addition to being mean, he physically abused you ... and that he would raise his voice to you. ... Yet once you are free of him, and after the fog has lifted, you are thanking him and telling him what an inspiration he is," Martinez said.

Arias and Alexander met in the fall of 2006 and dated for several months. They split up the following summer, although their sexual relationship continued until his death.

Martinez also sought on Tuesday to paint Arias as having a history of jealousy and a readiness to confront lovers and perceived romantic rivals when she felt slighted.

The court heard how she accessed the email account of a previous boyfriend of whom she had become suspicious. After discovering letters to him from another woman, Arias showed them to him before moving out of their shared accommodation.

Martinez then questioned Arias about an incident in a subsequent relationship in which she drove to meet with a woman she apparently perceived as a rival, after finding a photograph of the woman with her then boyfriend.

"When you feel something is not right ... you are going to confront that person?" Martinez asked, to which Arias replied: "Not necessarily."

The trial is set to continue on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/woman-accused-arizona-lovers-murder-attended-memorial-005622484.html

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Razer Edge pre-orders begin March 1st, price starts at $999

If you were intrigued by the Razer Edge's impressive ability to transform from a tablet, to a laptop, to a gaming console and you have a spare $1k lying around, it might be time to reach for your wallet. Razer has just announced its versatile Windows 8 device will be available for pre-order from its online store starting March 1st at 12:01am PST, with units shipping later that month. You can opt for the base Razer Edge with its Intel i5 processor and 64GB SSD or the higher-end Edge Pro with its Intel i7 processor and the option of either a 128GB or 256GB SSD. Accessories like the gamepad controller, home console dock and extended battery packs will be available for pre-order as well. However, those yearning for the optional keyboard dock will have to wait until "later this year in Q3" according to the press release. Pricing starts at $999 for the base model and may climb upwards of $1,500 if you decide to go for a maxed out Pro.

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Source: Razer Zone

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ZoRaEfk1WV4/

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Instagram Hits 100 Million Monthly Users 28 Months After Launch

Instagram 100 millionFrom just two guys at rented desk to a $715 million sale to Facebook, a second wind on Android and a mess of privacy scares, Instagram today announced 100 million people use it every month to share the way they see the world. The startup hedged its bets by being acquired just as it expanded beyond iOS, but despite what it could have sold for now, there's no disputing Instagram's success.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/udK75gaptgw/

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

9 H.K. people, 4 Japanese feared dead in Egypt balloon crash ...

HONG KONG, Feb 26, 2013 (AFP) -

Nine Hong Kong people are feared to be among the 19 killed after a hot air balloon exploded over Egypt?s ancient temple city of Luxor on Tuesday, a tour operator said.

Four Japanese tourists were also said to have died. ?We believe that there is a high possibility that nine of our customers have died,? said Raymond Ng, general manager of travel agency Kuoni, which organised the Hong Kongers? tour.

The five women and four men were aged between 33 and 62, Ng told a news conference. Their relatives were to fly to Cairo later on Tuesday via Qatar, accompanied by three staff from Kuoni, he added.

The nine were among a group of 15 Hong Kongers who had left for Egypt on February 22. Ng said that according to local employees, the balloon caught fire about an hour after it had set off, plummeting to the ground two minutes later.

The news will fuel jitters among Hong Kongers about their safety on foreign holidays, after eight residents of the southern Chinese territory were killed during a hostage crisis in the Philippine capital Manila in August 2010.

Ng said Kuoni had a good working relationship with the balloon operator and had done business with it for several years. He added that he had not heard any official confirmation of the deaths from Egyptian authorities.

Reacting to news of the feared deaths, Hong Kong?s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said: ?I feel very sad about this event and extend my condolences to
the relatives of the casualties.?

Footage on Hong Kong?s Cable TV news channel showed emergency service vehicles rushing to the scene of what appeared to be scorched earth where the balloon had landed.

In Japan tour company JTB said four Japanese tourists involved in the accident were all confirmed dead. The foreign ministry said it was still seeking further information.

The Japanese victims were two pairs of married couples in their 60s who travelled from Tokyo, according to local media.

The balloon was carrying 21 people at an altitude of 300 metres (1,000 feet) during a sunrise flight when it caught fire, a security official in Egypt said.

An employee at the company operating the balloon, Sky Cruise, said the pilot and one tourist survived by jumping out of the basket before it plunged to the ground.

The balloon had been floating over the west bank of Luxor, one of Egypt?s most renowned archaeological sites and home to the famous Valley of the Kings and the grand Temple of Hatshepsut.

In 2009, 13 foreign tourists were injured when their hot air balloon hit a phone mast and crashed at Luxor. Sources at the time said the balloon was overcrowded.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/80129/9-h-k-people-4-japanese-feared-dead-in-egypt-balloon-crash/

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Prevent Collapse Deck | Home Improvement Design

Deck is not developed or maintained properely safe and now is a great time to get out and inspect your deck for signs of failure that can lead to collapse. According to experts at the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA), the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and Simpson Strong Tie, nearly 85 percent of U.S. homes have a deck, balcony or terrace. It is estimated that 20 million of the national deck in need of repair or reconstruction.

Checking your decks can help prevent injury or worse. In the past ten years, there are more than 800 reported injuries and 20 deaths from the deck collapsed. In many cases failed deck built one, are not properly maintained or more of their lifespan of about 10-15 years.

To evaluate the safety of the deck, experts say homeowners should look for warning signs five decks are not safe: no loose connections (for example, wobbly fence), the connection is lost (eg, the deck just crucified, rather than bolted or screwed, to the side of the house), corrosion, Rot and broken. The two critical areas that typically contribute to the collapse of the deck railing and deck connection at home.

To assist homeowners in evaluating the safety of their deck, Simpson Strong-Tie has developed its edition deck ?5 Steps to a Home Safe and Strong? and ?Deck Framing Connection Guide.? Five steps including checking for the warning signs of a deck is unsafe, knowing how weight and other forces that affect the safety of the deck, make sure the deck is built with a continuous load path, resistance to corrosion and know how to maintain a deck. This guide is designed to help people who are building a deck understand the critical areas of deck construction. For more information, or to download the Deck Guide and ?5 Steps to a safer and stronger Home,? visit the Web site Simpson Strong-Tie.

Reaching Tom: For more tips, sign up for free e-newsletter here Tom. If you have a home improvement question or comment about this topic, please post below. For answers to other questions on home improvement, please email Tom tomsmoneypit@aol.com to your question beused in future blog entries, or search Tom?s home improvement articles moneypit.com

Tags: deck, deck safety, wood deck, deck erosion, Tom kraeutler, money pit

Source: http://redevelopks.org/2013/02/prevent-collapse-deck.html

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Treats to pamper pets or pet lovers this Valentine's Day | MNN ...

I could eat a garlic sandwich and my dog Lulu would still be happy to see me, covering my face with kisses if I let her. My friends and loved ones aren?t quite so generous with their affection. Perhaps that's why pet spending has steadily increased over the past decade, particularly during the sweetest month of the year. Valentine?s Day spending will reach an estimated $18.5 billion this year, according to a National Retail Federation survey. Even in this sluggish economy, that figure is up slightly from 2012, when consumers said they planned to spend $17.6 billion. In addition to candy hearts and flowers, expect to see plenty of carob-coated dog biscuits and heart-shaped catnip toys in the mix. Pet owners will spend an estimated $815 million on their furry friends this year.

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?No matter what kind of difficulty people are going through ? whether it?s a natural disaster or what have you ? they cling to the people they love,? said pet lifestyle expert Kristen Levine, who offers advice on her Radio Beastro petcast. ?In today?s digital age, I communicate with my husband via text throughout the day, I talk to people by phone or email. Pets are the creatures we only communicate with face to face. It?s the only tangible physical relationship we have. You can?t cut corners with technology. We need that tangible connection.?

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To celebrate that unconditional love, Levine offers a few fun suggestions to pamper pets and the people who love them.

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1. Get pets moving.

Obesity applies to people as well as pets, so she recommends gifts that promote exercise. To facilitate lengthy walks and playtime in the park, Levine suggests the Sleash line for dog owners. Touted as an ?all-in-one dog outing system,? the sport pack ($44.95) includes a carrier that holds keys ? or poop bags ? as well as a slinger dog toy for hands-free fetch, a leash and two slotted rubber balls.

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?It?s Chilly?s favorite ball by far and he has every toy imaginable,? said Levine of her 3-year-old Lab-Dalmatian mix. ?There are so many benefits to spending time with pets and helping them exercise. That?s what they want most from us is our time. Do it with exercise.?

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To keep feline friends moving, she opts for modular Kitty?scape structures from Solvit. Interchangeable kits can be reconfigured to challenge frisky kitties. The basic kit ($74.95 at Amazon.com) contains a sea grass scratching column, three platforms and a teaser toy.

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2. Tap into technology.

For the person who loves pets and gadgets, Levine strongly recommends the Tagg pet Tracker GPS system ($99.95) made especially for dogs. If pets go beyond a designated border, Tagg notifies owners via text messages or email. Levine and her husband put Tagg to the test last year when Chilly spent time with her sister.

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?My husband I and were on an anniversary ski trip and we get a text that says, ?Chilly has left the property,?? Levine said. She immediately called her sister, who was providing baby-sitting duties along with her three young boys. ?I called her and said, ?Did you know my dog?s missing?? They found him six doors down at the neighbor?s house. I can?t imagine what I would do if my dog disappeared and I never found him.?

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Cats also can pounce on the tech bandwagon with fun apps such as the popular ?Cat Fishing? game from Friskies. For those who feel particularly brave, check out the ?You vs. Cat? app and see who has the best reaction time. (The YouTube video?below is so hilarious that I?m almost tempted to get a cat and try this app myself.) And yes, there is a Friskies YouTube channel.

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3. Spread the love.

For those of us who don?t own pocket pooches, Levine shares a way to show your puppy love on the go. iPhone cases ($30) and temporary tattoos ($10) from Steadfast Friends feature silhouettes of various dog breeds, ranging from Airedale terriers to Yorkies. Shipping is free and 10 percent of each purchase goes to a pet charity. She also is partial to the fun and funky apparel line called Dog is Good. As a former foster mom to active puppies, I have found myself living the message on one T-shirt from the company: ?It?s all fun and games until someone ends up in a cone.? Dog is Good has expanded to include gear for cat- and horse-lovers. The company also donates a percentage of profits to animal welfare organizations so pet love pays it forward.

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4. Protect those chompers.

Since February is Pet Dental Health Month, Levine offers a Valentine?s Day gift idea that helps fight plaque buildup as well as boredom. Bristle Bones ($5.89 to $16.89 at Doctors Foster and Smith) combine the features of a chew toy, rubber ball and rawhide treat in one fun package that clean a dog?s teeth. When the sections get worn out, simply purchase replacements. Don't be offended if your four-legged Valentine rewards your generosity by dashing off in the opposite direction. It happens to me every year.

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? Morieka Johnson

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Related stories on MNN:

Source: http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/treats-to-pamper-pets-or-pet-lovers-this-valentines-day

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It's official: Samsung's got a new 8-inch Note tablet

The rumors you might've heard are true: Samsung's got a new 8-inch tablet, appropriately named the Galaxy Note 8.0, on the way.

The new tablet will sit between the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 smartphone and the 10.1-inch Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. It competes with Apple's 7.9-inch iPad Mini and Google's 7-inch Nexus 7.

Like the other devices in Samsung's Galaxy Note line, the Galaxy Note 8.0 will include the S Pen, which Samsung emphasizes is not merely a stylus. You can use the pressure-sensitive digital pen ? which is powered by technology created by Wacom, the company behind professional-grade digital drawing tablets ? to add notes, manipulate content on the screen, and even preview videos and emails by simply hovering it close to the Galaxy Note 8.0's screen.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 will run Android 4.1.2 (better known as Jellybean). Under the hood, it has a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, a 5 megapixel camera in the back, a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front, 2GB of RAM, and a microSD slot. The tablet's 8-inch display offers 1280x800 pixels, which breaks down to 189 pixels per inch (ppi). (In comparison, the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 have 163 ppi and 216 ppi displays, respectively.)

Those who were intrigued by the Galaxy Note 10.1's multi-app split-screen feature will likely jump for joy when they hear that it is included on the Galaxy Note 8.0 and that it now supports nearly any app ? not just Samsung's included suite of tools. (This means that you can take notes while watching a video, type out emails while editing a spreadsheet on the side, scribble over a photo while checking out instructions in a document, and so on.)

The Galaxy Note 8.0 will come in 16GB and 32GB versions. No word yet on pricing details, but since we should see the tablet hit shelves in the second quarter of this year, it won't be too long before we find out how much Samsung wants for its latest gadget.

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/its-official-samsungs-got-new-8-inch-note-tablet-1C8516290

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

White House Previews Local Impacts of Sequester

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Governors Association's winter meeting is under way in the nation's capital, and while President Obama hosted the state executives for their annual black-tie dinner in the White House today, his administration is pushing a new angle over the partisan bickering around the sequester: how it relates to individual states.

READ: What's a Sequester?

Five days remain for Congress to agree to a deficit-reduction deal that would avoid triggering the $85 billion package of automatic cuts that would be split among the federal government over seven months, half from the Defense Department. There has been little public indication that lawmakers are in serious negotiations to avoid the deadline.

Tables released by the White House today indicate each state would receive penalties to mostly similar programs, including meal assistance for seniors and law enforcement grants. But the release is tailored to outline the individual impact to each state in the union.

In a sample from military-heavy Virginia, "90,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $648.4 million in total."

The document also says maintenance on 11 Navy vessels serviced in Old Dominion would be cancelled under the cuts.

Three-hundred disadvantaged children in Colorado could lose access to child care. Meanwhile in Louisiana, "1,730 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $118,000," it reads.

READ: The full list of alleged consequences from the sequester

That state's governor, Bobby Jindal, is the head of the Republican Governors Association and was one of the state executives present at the White House dinner. Earlier that morning he accused the administration of fear mongering, rather than focusing on the issue at hand.

"It's time to stop campaigning," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Stop sending out your cabinet secretaries to scare the American people. Roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of governing."

The governor, a fierce opponent of the president's healthcare agenda, suggested tweaks to the Affordable Care Act would be a good starting point to meet the debt goal.

"Just delay the Medicaid expansions, delay the health care exchanges so they can work with states on waivers, on flexibility. You could save tens of billions of dollars there by - and you're not even cutting a program that's started yet. Just delay it for a few years," he said.

With few exceptions, the sequestration law makes across-the-board cuts to all government departments, with each individual program taking a hit of between 5 percent and 7 percent. But as written, it does not allow those departments to reallocate funding between individual programs.

For example the Federal Aviation Administration says it stands to furlough the bulk of its 47,000 employees, including large numbers of air traffic controllers. Yet the FAA would not be able to take money from another program and dump it into the one that manages those air traffic controllers to offset the slashed budget.

READ: Devastating sequester spending cuts? Give me a break!

That may not mean the resulting cuts aren't salvageable. Economist Doug Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, says that at the end of the day sound management could minimize the impact.

"Take defense for example. We're going to have to, at the present plan, furlough defense workers for roughly 22 days over the next six months roughly one day a week. You could do that by giving everybody Friday off, but Fridays would be a bad day for producing defense services. Or you could spread that out and have some people on Mondays, some on Tuesdays, some on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday," he told ABC News. "Manage the workflow to try to deliver what you need in terms of running the Pentagon and the effects would be a lot smaller.

Holtz-Eakin, who also advised Sen. John McCain during his 2008 presidential run, said the impacts would be "real" but may not be immediately recognizable for months.

"They're going to be slow," he said. "They're going to have the ability to manage the impacts and where possible states can pick up the slack."

ABC's David Kerley contributed to this report.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-previews-local-impacts-sequester-022731280--abc-news-politics.html

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'US troops to fuel tensions across Africa'

A political analyst says that the recent developments will increase tensions and destabilization not just in Mali and Niger but throughout the entire region of West Africa and the northern regions of the continent as well.

This is while the US has set up a new drone base in Niger reportedly aimed at fighting al-Qaeda and its affiliates in Africa and helping French troops in their war on Mali. A report by The New York Times said on Friday that the US deployed a number of Predator drones to Niger, suggesting a shift in Washington's anti-terrorism efforts towards Africa

Press TV has conducted an interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of Pan-African News Wire, to further discuss the issue.

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Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_813epb1Oc&feature=youtube_gdata

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Jewell and Keats in for London Welsh

Jewell and Keats in for London Welsh


February 22, 2013

London Welsh head to Exeter Chiefs on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) with head coach Lyn Jones making three changes for the trip.
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Two of those changes come in the backs with Seb Jewell and Tyson Keats replacing Sonny Parker and Alex Davies respectively. Parker moves to the bench.
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In the forwards, Greg Bateman is named at tight head in place of Paulica Ion.
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Dan George, Martin Purdy and Rob Lewis are all added to the bench.
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The Exiles will be hoping to bounce back from their 26-25 defeat to Sale Sharks last Sunday at the Kassam Stadium.
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The last time Welsh and the Chiefs met, the Exiles secured their first-ever Aviva Premiership win with a 25-24 victory at the Kassam in September - Seb Jewell converting Ed Jackson?s late try.
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But Sandy Park hasn?t been the happiest of hunting grounds for Welsh in the past, with the Exiles without a win in their previous five visits.
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London Welsh: 15. Tom Arscott, 14. Phil MacKenzie, 13. Gonzalo Tiesi, 12. Seb Jewell, 11. Nick Scott, 10. Gavin Henson, 9. Tyson Keats, 1. Franck Montanella, 2. Neil Briggs, 3. Greg Bateman, 4. Jonathan Mills (C), 5. Matt Corker, 6. Adam Balding, 7. Julio Cabello Farias, 8. Ed Jackson.

Replacements: 16. Dan George, 17. Tom Bristow, 18. James Tideswell, 19. Martin Purdy, 20. Michael Hills, 21. Rob Lewis, 22. Gordon Ross, 23. Sonny Parker.

Source: http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/sport/rugby/s/2129608_jewell_and_keats_in_for_london_welsh

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Montreal police union head denies threatening mayor

The president of Montreal's police union is demanding an apology from Mayor Michael Applebaum, who said earlier today that he was threatened by the union's top man.

The mayor said he spoke on the phone Friday morning with Yves Francoeur, who told him if he didn't change his mind about police scheduling by 6 p.m. today, he would launch personal attacks against him.

Applebaum said Francoeur gave him an ultimatum to extend a police-scheduling pilot project to next year.

The project, which involves 3,000 police officers, allows them to work three days a week with extended hours.

Francoeur said it allows the police department to extend coverage on peak hours and does not overwork officers, unlike the shift rotations they are usually subject to.

"The objective was to avoid having police officers alternate shifts on days, evenings and nights. All recent studies show it, it's not good for your health," he said. "The new schedule is a benefit for everyone and I told the mayor this morning that it's a benefit for citizens too."

The mayor said it was decided not to continue with the program after consultations with police officials and the director of the city's human resources department.

Francoeur said he suggested the city keep the project going until January 2014. He said eight of the 13 months the pilot project was running were overshadowed by student protests in Montreal.

"I told him I want an answer before 6 p.m. this afternoon because if you don't tell them at the City of Montreal ... you wait for weeks and weeks," he said.

Francoeur said he has talked to his lawyers and wants Applebaum to retract the comments he made about being threatened.

Applebaum said Francoeur's ultimatum took things too far.

"He clearly stated that as a result of my decision, the police brotherhood would be on my back," he said.

Applebaum said he will not give in to threats and ultimatums.

"It's deplorable that a police officer openly threatens the mayor of Montreal."

Francoeur admitted that he told Applebaum that the union has a plan to respond if the pilot project is not extended, and that Applebaum will be held accountable.

In an interview with CBC Radio's Homerun, Applebaum said he would not bend to Francoeur's request.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/02/22/montreal-police-threaten-mayor-applebaum.html?cmp=rss

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Bushnell Golf Pinseeker 1500 Tournament Edition Laser Rangefinder

Your Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 is an advanced premium laser rangefinder comprised of digital technology that allows range readings from 5 to 1,500 yards. Measuring 1.7 by 5.1 by 3.7 inches, the 10-ounce Pinseeker 1500 delivers superb and accurate range performance to +/- one yard. The Pinseeker 1500 features Selective Targeting Modes, superb optical quality, 100% waterproof construction, and Bushnell's RainGuard coating.

The Pinseeker 1500 emits invisible, eye-safe, infrared energy pulses. Its Advanced Digital microprocessor and ASIC chip (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) results in instantaneous and accurate readings every time. Sophisticated digital technology instantaneously calculates distances by measuring the time it takes for each pulse to travel from the rangefinder to the target and back.

The ranging accuracy of the Pinseeker 1500 is plus or minus one yard under most circumstances. The maximum range of the instrument depends on the reflectivity of the target. The maximum distance for most objects is 1,000 yards, while for highly reflective objects the maximum is 1,500 yards.

The Pinseeker 1500 features a powerful 7x magnification monocular for viewing your target. Optics are fully multi-coated, allowing maximum light transmission for optimum brightness, superb resolution, and contrast for a clear vivid image even in low-light conditions such as dusk or dawn. A liquid crystal display (LCD) is mounted within the optical system and, when activated, displays a reticle for targeting, yards and meters, and Mode indicators.

Laser Rangefinder Features

Standard with Automatic Scan
Scan across the course while viewing a continuously updated LCD display of the distance between you and your target.

Meters/Yards
You can quickly choose between these standard measuring units with a simple press of a button.

Reticle
The distance to objects targeted in these crosshairs will be displayed on the Distance Readout with the press of a button.

Battery Indictor
Flashes when battery power is low.

Target Quality Gauge
Gauge indicating amount of energy pulses being received back from the target.

Pinseeker 1500 Targeting Modes

BullsEye
Geared for close-range use, this mode acquires the distances of small targets and game without inadvertently measuring background target distances. When more than one object is acquired, the closer of the two objects is shown on the LCD display.

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Brush
Ignores the foreground, such as brush, boulders and tree branches, and provides distances on the LCD display to background objects only.

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PinSeeker
Designed exclusively with the bottom of the cup in mind, this mode allows easy acquisition of the flag without inadvertently capturing background target distances. When more than one object is acquired, the closer of the two objects is shown on the LCD display.

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Laser Rangefinder Tech Talk

A laser rangefinder is a distance-measuring instrument that uses laser technology to calculate the distance to targeted objects. Accuracy is +/- 1 yard, and the distance is displayed instantaneously on a built-in, through-the-lens Liquid Crystal Display.

How a Laser Rangefinder Works
Bushnell's Yardage Pro rangefinders use an invisible, eye-safe Class 1 Laser beam (as classified by the FDA) which is "bounced" off distant objects with the press of a button. Then, the rangefinder's high-speed digital clock measures the time it took for a laser beam to reach a target and return to the unit. Next, using advanced digital electronics, the rangefinder instantly calculates the distance within +/- 1 yard and shows the range in either yards or meters on a through-the-lens LCD Display. The entire process is so fast that less than a second elapses between the time you press the button to generate a laser beam to the time the exact range to your target is displayed.

Reflectivity of Target Types
Because rangefinders "bounce" a laser beam off the target in order to take a measurement, their range is partially determined by the reflectivity of the target. In other words, hard or "reflective" targets -- like a rock cliff or semi-truck -- can be measured at greater distances than soft surface targets, like a deer. Ranges for moderately reflective targets, like trees, fall somewhere in the middle. Most experienced hunters will use their rangefinder to frequently estimate ranges to near and distant landmarks before they actually encounter a game animal. By "pre-measuring" ranges to spots where a trophy is likely to appear, they can concentrate on making an accurate shot when the moment of truth arrives.

Source: http://www.golfballdriver.com/bushnell-golf-pinseeker-1500-tournament-edition-laser-rangefinder/

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Dog Rescued On Lake Michigan By Kayaker, Will Be Reunited With Owner Saturday (VIDEO)

A Rogers Park man came to the rescue of a 3-year-old Golden Retriever mix who was trapped on the ice of Lake Michigan late Friday afternoon.

According to Fox Chicago, Dave Kehnast, 37, saw the dog hoping from one piece of ice to another, seemingly trapped, from his apartment building's fire escape near Touhy Beach on the city's Far North Side.

Kehnast sprang into action by grabbing his kayak, putting on a wetsuit and heading to the dog's rescue. Emergency officials had also been alerted to the pup in peril.

"I don't know if he realized what kind of danger he was actually in," Kehnast told ABC Chicago.

He proceeded to try and coax the dog back to dry land, at which point the scared dog took off. He ended up at Animal Care & Control where the dog's owner, Nerijus Stepenovicius, will be reunited with the pup, whose name is Pifas, Saturday. According to WGN, the dog had gotten loose when his owner's landlord had been doing some maintenance work on Stepenovicius' apartment.

According to ABC, Pifas had gone missing on Feb. 13. Stepenovicius told CBS Chicago he was grateful for Kehnast's efforts and added that he owes the Good Samaritan a dinner.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/23/dog-rescued-on-lake-michi_n_2749564.html

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No Weddings for Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson

Sometimes it's easy to forget that a ring can just be a nice present and not mean an impending marriage. Both Katy Perry and Scarlett Johansson were spotted wearing new bling on their left-hand ring fingers, and both are said to not be planning weddings to their respective beaus.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/do-rings-mean-marriage-not-katy-perry-and-scarlett-johansson/1-a-522545?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ado-rings-mean-marriage-not-katy-perry-and-scarlett-johansson-522545

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Friday, February 22, 2013

"Identity Thief" could swipe box-office from openers "Snitch," "Dark Skies"

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It's clear that Hollywood will be more focused on the Oscars than the box office this weekend.

The studios have for the most part steered clear of the theaters. Neither of this week's two wide openers - the Weinstein Company's low-budget horror thriller "Dark Skies" and Summit's Dwayne Johnson action film "Snitch" - are expected to crack $13 million.

The battle for the top spot will likely be between last week's runner-up, "Identity Thief," and last week's No. 1 movie, "Good Day to Die Hard." Only with a lot of luck could "Snitch" sneak in for a surprise win.

"Identity Thief," the R-rated comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman appears to have the most momentum. It has already claimed 2013's biggest opening, more than doubled its $35 million production budget in box-office grosses and will be the year's first $100 million movie.

Universal still has it in roughly 3,000 locations, and it looks likely to claim the top spot with around $13.5 million.

"Good Day to Die Hard" remains in more than 3,000 theaters for Fox and will compete directly for male action fans with the PG-13 rated "Snitch. A 50 percent drop from last weekend would put it at $12 million for the three days. The fifth film in the "Die Hard" franchise, and the first since 2007, "Good Day" has already taken in $40 million domestically since its Valentine's Day debut, and double that figure overseas.

In "Snitch," Johnson stars as a father who goes undercover for the DEA to free his son whowas imprisoned after being set up in a drug deal. Susan Sarandon, Benjamin Bratt and Barry Pepper co-star in the film, directed by Rick Roman Waughm who co-wrote with Justin Haythe.

Johnson is coming off two box-office hits, "Fast and Furious 5" and "Journey 2," the latter of which opened to $27 million about this time last year and went on to make $325 million worldwide. This is the first of five movies he'll be in this year, including next month's "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "Fast and Furious 6" in May.

But this year has been a tricky for action heroes. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "The Last Stand" and Sly Stallone's "Bullet to the Head" both tanked in January, before "Good Day to Die Hard" opened to a solid $28.6 million last week.

"Snitch" will be in 2,511 theaters for Summit and is expected to finish the weekend with between $10 million and $12 million.

Weinstein is handling P&A costs in return for distributing.

Weinstein has it in roughly 2,313 theaters and a three-day total of around $9 million seems likely.

"We're very excited about being in the Jason Blum business," the Weinstein Company's head of distribution Erik Lomis told TheWrap Thursday.

Two other films that over-achieved last week will be factors again this week. Relativity still has the Nicholas Sparks adaptation "Safe Haven" in roughly 3,000 locations, on the heels of its surprising $24.6 million haul last weekend. A roughly $10 million second week is a good bet.

"Escape From Planet Earth," the Weinstein Company's computer animated kids film, overachieved with nearly $16 million over its debut weekend. For the second week in a row, it will be the only real family fare in the market, and Weinstein has added about 75 screens to take the location count to 3,350, so a three-day total north of $10 million appears likely.

The studios will be back with four wide releases on March 1. That's when Relativity unveils its teen comedy "21 and Over," New Line debuts adventure film "Jack the Giant Slayer," CBS Films is back with "The Last Exorcism Part II" and RCR Distribution's thriller "Phantom" rolls out.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/identity-thief-could-swipe-box-office-openers-snitch-234401112.html

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Tim Tebow Dodges Controversy, Cancels Appearance at Dallas Mega-Church

159212964 Former Florida Gator and New York Jet Tim Tebow attends the Allstate Sugar Bowl between the Florida Gators and the Louisville Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Famous evangelical Christians, like other public figures, have to choose their friends a bit more carefully than the rest of us plebs. In New York Jets' quarterback Tim Tebow's case, this apparently means bowing out of a speaking engagement at a controversial Dallas mega-church where the pastor has, among other things, stated that he believes homosexuality is? a "perverse ... degradation of a person?s mind."?

After the church's high-profile booking raised eyebrows and some media ire, Tebow called First Baptist Church pastor Robert Jeffress on last night to cancel the scheduled April appearance at the church, telling the pastor he "needed to avoid controversy right now for personal and professional reasons," according to Jefferss's interview with the Associated Press. Tebow also tweeted about his change of heart, noting that he'd canceled the appearance "due to new information that has been brought to my attention."

Tebow, arguably more famous at this point for his outspoken faithfulness than for his football prowess, isn't a stranger to the Christian right by any means, though he usually tries to avoid hot-button social issues when he talks about his beliefs. It doesn't look like he's trying to cut ties with other conservative, evangelical institutions that might want to hear him speak (like this sold-out "men's impact weekend" at Liberty University this March).

Notably, the athlete hasn't said whether he disagrees with Jeffress's theology or not. If Jeffress is to be believed, Tebow might not be looking to wash himself of an association with the pastor altogether ? the reverend told the AP that Tebow would like to reschedule an appearance for a future date. On the other hand, the disappointed tweets fired back at Tebow's cancellation announcement from his Christian fanbase indicate that the quarterback needs to stay diplomatic about his retreat from Jeffress. In any case, Tebow is clearly getting the message that an appearance in Dallas right now wouldn't go under the radar.

Jeffress, who has said that Obama's presidency is ?paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist,? previously made headlines in 2011 when he called Mormonism a "cult" at the Values Voter Summit. He later endorsed Romney for president.

Source: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/02/21/tim_tebow_cancels_robert_jeffress_church_appearance_citing_new_information.html

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Best Picture contenders produce $2 billion box office bounty

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The movie studios behind this year's Best Picture nominees already have brought home a treasured prize: big box-office sales that placed the Oscar contenders among the most-watched films of 2012.

The nine competitors for Hollywood's top film award sold a combined $2 billion in tickets worldwide heading into Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. Six of them, including frontrunners "Argo" and "Lincoln," hauled in at least $100 million apiece at U.S. and Canadian theaters.

"You've got pictures that are resonating with the public," said Keith Simanton, managing editor of movie website IMDb.com. "These are the happy confluence of commerce and art."

A year ago only one nominee, civil rights drama "The Help," reached the $100-million domestic sales mark, according to the Box Office Mojo website. The winning "The Artist," a mostly silent, black-and-white film, earned just $45 million in the North American (U.S. and Canadian) market during its entire theatrical run.

Global sales for last year's nine nominees topped out at $1.2 billion even after the Oscars and related publicity.

The inclusion of more commercially successful movies is partly by design. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that awards the Oscars, took criticism for seeming to favor adult-oriented, art house films that few people had seen, creating a disconnect with teen and young adult movie fans who flock to action-packed blockbusters.

Complaints escalated after the snub of 2008 release "The Dark Knight," a critically acclaimed Batman thriller with $1 billion in worldwide sales.

In 2009, the academy decided to allow 10 instead of five Best Picture nominees, a change that opened the field to more films with bigger audiences.

Domestic sales for this year's nominees averaged $103 million, according to IMDb, compared with $70 million for last year's lesser-seen movies.

The popularity of this year's crop reflects studios' ability to make better films with smaller budgets, said Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson.

In prior years, he said, a film with the Oscar-worthy scope and A-list stars of Universal's nominee "Les Miserables" would have cost so much that executives wouldn't have greenlit it. Universal kept the musical's cost to $60 million through judicious cost-control and the contracts with Anne Hathaway and its other stars.

"Some of the nominated films were only made because they could be made for a price," he said.

Hollywood hopes the bigger box office sales translate to more viewers of the Oscars telecast on Walt Disney Co's ABC network. Last year's U.S. audience totaled 39 million, down from 55 million in 1998 when mega-hit "Titanic" swept the awards, according to Nielsen data provided by Horizon Media.

"We have gotten calls from past Oscar producers saying they are jealous, because we just lucked out and had this fantastic year in film," said Neil Meron, one of the producers of this year's show. "We are very grateful to the movie gods."

"Lincoln," Steven Spielberg's story of the 16th U.S. president's fight to end slavery, leads this year's nominees with $177 million domestically. The movie won praise for humanizing the revered president, and ranks 14th among 2012 North American releases. Six fellow nominees fall in the top 35.

Globally, shipwreck drama "Life of Pi" towers above the lot with $577 million in ticket sales, overcoming skepticism of how the book adaptation about a boy stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger could work on the big screen.

Ben Affleck's "Argo," based on the real-life rescue of U.S. diplomats from Iran, earned glowing reviews and saw domestic grosses climb to $127 million as it collected other awards.

The remaining $100-million-plus films locked in the Best Picture battle are "Les Miserables," Quentin Tarantino's slave revenge tale "Django Unchained," and romantic drama "Silver Linings Playbook."

"Zero Dark Thirty," the controversial account of the CIA's pursuit of Osama bin Laden, is close with $89 million.

Social media buzz helped "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Silver Linings" record the biggest sales bumps after the January 10 Oscar nominations, said Phil Contrino, editor of Boxoffice.com, which tracks film mentions on Facebook and Twitter.

The two smaller nominees are French language drama "Amour," with just $4 million from a limited domestic run, and mythological "Beasts of the Southern Wild" with $12 million.

The Best Picture field showcases the diversity of films that propelled 2012 domestic ticket sales to a record $10.8 billion, said Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox.

"'Les Mis' and 'Django' probably couldn't be more on the opposite end of the spectrum," Aronson said. "It's a very balanced marketplace where there was something for everyone, and that's what makes a very healthy business."

(Reporting By Lisa Richwine and Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles; Editing by Ronald Grover and Elaine Lies)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/best-picture-contenders-produce-2-billion-box-office-120547995--finance.html

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A Shimmering, Tweet-Based Langauge Map of NYC

If you've ever wondered which languages are spoken where in NYC, here's the map for you. This visualization shows exactly which languages are used in tweets across the city. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Z2zYytOvLOI/a-shimmering-tweet+based-langauge-map-of-nyc

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The Union Kitchen Restaurants Now Accepting Applications

The Union Kitchen Restaurants are Now Accepting Applications for All Front of the House Positions. Our Business keeps growing and growing and we need to add some great folks to help us. If you have full service restaurant experience as a Server, Bartender or at the Front Desk and want to join a growing and stable restaurant company please stop by either of our locations Monday through Thursday between 2 and 4:30 p.m. and complete an application. The ideal candidate will have a couple of years full service experience, a great attitude, a desire to deliver exceptional service, and believes in teamwork. We offer flexible schedules, employee 50% meal discounts and a safe and enjoyable work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Please no phone calls or email responses.
Applications will only be accepted in person.
Find us on Facebook Pages or at Our Website: www.theunionkitchen.com

TUK1
4057 Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77025

TUK2
12538 Memorial Drive
Houston, Texas 77024

Education: Hiighschool
Status: Full-time, Part-time
Shift: Days, Nights, Weekends

Source: http://houston.bigcity.com/RestaurantRetailJobs/the-union-kitchen-restaurants-now-accepting-applications/16726615

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Google's Nexus 7 not as popular as iPad, Kindle Fire Mountain View's Google-bra...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/tgdaily/posts/10151331031772620

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Step-By-Step Landing Page Copywriting | Nathan Barry

Let me start by warning you: This is a long post. I want to take you through the process of writing and designing the ConvertKit sales page. As you?ll see, I had a huge amount of help from Amy Hoy. Throughout the process she gave great advice on copywriting that I?d like to share here. Besides, what?s better than an actual example?

The short version

The short version is a series of takeaways I learned throughout this process.

  • Make your headlines speak to a pain your visitors have. A good headline should catch their attention and get them reading.
  • Multi-column explanation graphics can be hard to read. Be careful of anything that breaks up the reading flow too much.
  • Don?t be accusatory with your headlines or copy. How would you feel if a random website said you are doing everything wrong?
  • Show, don?t tell.
  • Write your copy first, then design it. It?s hard to write and design at the same time. Definitely don?t design first, then write copy to fill in the blanks. That?s really bad.
  • Try this formula: First write out the pains, then write out the reversal of those pains (dreams).

Read through the post for the details on any of those points. Also, Amy just released her talk on copywriting and selling products. It?s awesome. You can watch it (or read the transcript) here:

From the beginning

To start I opened Photoshop and started writing and designing at the same time. Here is my first draft. There are a few filler elements like the planet icon.

?

Initial feedback

I sent that draft to Amy and received some great feedback. Here?s what she said:

  • The most effective way to?convert your visitors into customers. ?Generally, when people hit a landing page, they?re not already looking for a solution. Let?s say they just clicked a link in an email and they?re sitting at their desk sipping their coffee, not thinking of anything particular. Will this headline grab them by the nose and make them sit up straighter??
  • With most visitors you will never get another chance to engage with them since you don?t have a method to contact them. Plus, you didn?t deliver any value, so why should they return?

    ?This is a great pain point. But it?s hiding in the corner!?
  • (Regarding the process illustration)

    ?I love the way these sketchy things look, but they are focused on the app and not the customer (before the customer is tempted to care), and they?re hard to read. I & my students have all had bad results with the multi-column ?explanation? layouts. They are simply hard to read; and unless people are incredibly motivated, their eyes will just kinda drift around until they decide it?s not worth the investment, and stop reading.?
  • The ConvertKit process helps you build trust with your visitors. Best of all, ConvertKit automates everything for you.

    ?Are people going ?OMG I GOTTA BUILD TRUST? or ?OMG I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE SALES?? I?d say trust is a byproduct, but not the one they?re immediately looking for. You have to sell them on trust, too.?

With that feedback in mind I redesigned and partially rewrote the page. The main changes were that I worked on a new headline, changed the order of the elements on the page, and redid the illustrations so that they fit into a single column. Here?s the updated design.

Round Two

The next round of feedback came in the form of a Skype chat. Here?s the transcript.

Amy:?So about your new landing page.?So much better.

Nathan: Excellent.

It does still feels a bit forced.?So I love questions as headlines and the one you have is very painful.

Good. I wrote out half a dozen headlines trying to get at the core pain.

How would you feel, though, if a stranger came up to you and said ?You?re losing hundreds of sales.??

Who the hell are you to tell me what?s wrong with my business?

Right, me too.?Not because you?re not interested in getting extra sales, but because it SOUNDS like you?re being attacked.

Good point.

I tell my students to be very careful with statements that might sound accusatory.

So how would you pull it back while still catching attention?

The pain itself ? brilliant. just needs to be dealt with a little more obliquely.?how about ?How many sales are you losing??or???Windowshoppers who never come back???not that exact headline but the idea that they lose POTENTIAL customers.??What if you could double your sales?? is something you could use when you have statistics for a case study.

Right.

?Are you frustrated by the potential sales you are losing??

I?m a fan of using emotion words but sometimes they can just be redundant.

?Does your conversion rate keep you up at night??

I like that.

Generally show, don?t tell? don?t say ?you?re frustrated?? SHOW the results of being frustrated. You can have it :)

Is it better to focus on conversion rate or sales?

Now that I don?t know. Depends on a lot of factors. A good target for an a/b test when you have traffic. You?re aiming this at self-described marketers/growth hackers etc. And they are probably used to using the term ?conversion rate? instead of ?sales?.?That?s my guess. But I could be wrong.

Yep, that?s true.

I do know that accusatory-sounding copywriting doesn?t go down well, without having to test. :) Buying involves letting down some defenses so if you get people freaked out first thing, not gonna happen.

Yeah, I hadn?t read it from that perspective, but as soon as you brought it up I knew what you meant.

Yeah, everybody needs extra eyeballs on their copy :)

So running with the title: ?Does your conversion rate keep you up at night????Does it need a subheadline?

Which brings us to the next bit of feedback I have! That?s a question you can?t answer without knowing what you?re trying to say & what the customer needs to hear to make a decision. You designed (or repurposed) this page layout before you did the copywriting, right?

I did them at the same time.?But the copy has changed a lot, and the layout not so much.

Did you have more of your design hat on, or your copywriting hat?

Design.

I can tell :)?which is the major mistake I made on http://letsfreckle.com ?s redesign.?but the content is what will sell your product, not the layout. The question isn?t, does it need a subheadline? but rather? what does the customer need to hear?

Agreed. Though that is a lesson I am still learning.

It?s tough.?Clearly I am not immune to it.?A very famous copywriter once said that the job of the headline is to get you to read the first sentence. And the job of the first sentence is to get you to read the second sentence.?So the job of your headline is to get them to read the next sentence? or the subhead. Whatever makes sense, given the ?conversation? you?re having with the customer in your copy.

Okay. So would you always write copy as a letter, then design from there?

Imagine if your sales page is a conversation, as it stands, and not a collection of design elements and copy bits.?I would now, yes. And that?s the approach that works fabulously for my students, and the one I?ll be using to redo the freckle page as part of a 30?500 project. :)

And I would start with bullet points:

Pains:

What it?d be like without the pains:

(which I call dream)

Fix: how this product will take the pains and turn them into dreams.

It?s a 3-act narrative structure and it works beautifully for sales, too.

The more immediate the pains are ? the more vivid, and recently experienced, and detailed, and urgent ? the stronger your persuasion is.

This won?t persuade somebody who doesn?t already experience that pain, however. That?s the beauty of it. They simply will go ?Huh. Okay? Not for me.?

Is ?I need to build trust? a burning pain? :)

No. At least not yet.

Example: ?Does your conversion rate keep you up at night? Me too. After all, what?s the point of driving more traffic if you can?t turn that into sales??

So the surface pain is poor conversion rates, so we need to get to what is driving that.?I think two main issues that prevent sales are not understanding the product and not trusting the seller.

1 sec, I gotta taste the tomato sauce.?Agreed, those are major reasons why people don?t buy. Also, they just get distracted and forget.?Or you don?t immediately grab them? although that?s not something you can EASILY solve with software. I?think those two things (in reverse order) are much bigger reasons.

ConvertKit helps with distraction and forgetting as well.

Yes it does :)??ConvertKit can?t write your sales page for you, BUT???the question is, are you in the biz of selling them facts about sales, or persuading them?

Persuasion is better.

Pain:

Poor conversion rates

  • lack of trust from visitors
  • not understanding the product
  • getting distracted and forgetting

Dream:

  • Ability to gradually explain product
  • Build trust over time
  • Regular followup to stay top of mind

Is something like that what you are thinking?

Getting there!?Sorry, then my friends arrived early.?So under poor conversion rates, you switch immediately to THEIR *customer?s* reasons? not YOUR customer?s pains.

No worries. I?ll take another pass at it with these ideas.

From my perspective, as a serious potential customer, my pain points are??I know what I ought to be doing (capturing emails when people don?t immediately buy). I?m not doing it because the software is so irritating. Have you set up autoresponders? They?re a bitch.

I hate setting up autoresponders. That?s why I?m building this product.

Right.?So what?s your potential customer more likely thinking???****ing auto-responders,??or ?Gee, I really need to build trust? :)

?You know what you should be doing, but you don?t because IT?S SUCH A ****ING PAIN!?

That?s how I feel.

Yep.?Not ?I need to build trust,??which is TRUE??but nobody is going around thinking that. Therefore it?s a weak sales proposition. The best way to gain trust, btw, is to show the customer you really understand them.?Something I hear a lot is, ?It?s like you wrote this just for me.? ?It?s like you?ve been spying on me.? That == persuasion gold.

So should I explain the process at all? Or just focus on the people who understand drip marketing and don?t do it because of the pain?

Education is great, if you focus on the customer?s immediate pain.?which is A) sales and/or B) software frustration. You could be like, ?A lot of customers aren?t ready to buy right away. What happens to them? You lose them forever.? The key is to keep the focus on the pain until they?re like, ?YEAH, that really IS a problem!?

And you still teach them to build trust?but you kinda sneak it into something they REALLY care about. Like how I don?t pitch 30?500 as a big long research project. :)

I guess I?m still not sure which is more important, teaching them how to improve conversion rates through this process, or showing them how this process (which they already understand) is made easier with ConvertKit.

Though there has to be a way to do both, but I?m not seeing it.

They?re not two different things. :) If you go with??They?re not ready to buy right away? you lose them? what if you didn?t???in a broader outline,?you could easily pivot.

Got it.

The pivot could look something like this:??Now I bet many of you already know this process works. So why don?t you use it? I know the reason I didn?t was because it is such a pain to setup.?

Exactly.

That leads beautifully into talking about a few features that make life easy.?Easy landing pages, autoresponders, etc.?Now I see it. (Also, I don?t want to keep you from your friends?)

Yup, no problem!?I?m ALSO talking about furniture with my friend Ilya.

So if I were gonna give you homework, it?d be to work on an outline, vivid pain points, and that pivot in an outline? and then just write pure copy. Then let that show you how the page should be laid out.

Copy and furniture. Two of your favorite things.

TRUTH I?m in hog heaven. And they brought guac!

Happy to help you when you get that outline ready. You don?t need to go through the whole process before asking for more feedback.?But, again, I?d just like to say that you did make huge improvements from the first design you showed me, to the second.

Perfect. I?ll write that and send it to you. Thank you very much.

I think to really make it perfect, you?ll just need to step back some.

You?re welcome! It really is a pleasure to help somebody who helps himself.

:)?Have a good evening!

You too! ciao

Time for a rewrite

That was a long conversation. I learned a lot, but the major takeaway was that it was time to rewrite from scratch. Or at least, try a new format. This time I turned to Google Docs and wrote in plain text. By getting design out of the way I was left to focus on convincing the visitor with content, rather than getting caught up in the design.

Here is the version I wrote:

Does your conversion rate keep you up at night?

Me too.

I constantly worry about the hundreds of visitors who come to my site and don?t make a purchase. Especially because most of these visitors will never come back.

If you don?t capture their attention on that first visit, you lose them. But what if you didn?t?

Your current sales process

I?m guessing your current sales process looks something like this:

1. Visitor comes to landing page and is asked to purchase a product.
2. A few are convinced and purchase, but most hit the back button and never return.

Ouch. That?s not good. Remember all those hours you spent writing blog posts and building traffic? Most of that?s wasted by poor conversion rates.

Luckily, there?s a better way.

Sales pages are like an awkward conversation

Imagine you and I met for the first time on the street. After a quick introduction I ask, ?Do you by chance work with software??

?Yes, I?m a developer.? you respond.

?Perfect! I just wrote a book about designing better web applications. Would you like to buy it??

That?s awkward. Right then you are probably thinking that we just met 30 seconds earlier and you have no reason to trust me. What indications do you have that I even know anything about designing software? It?s probably a good time to say something noncommittal like, ?I?ll check it out,? and find a way to exit the conversation.

This scenario seems completely ridiculous when described in person, but it actually matches the sales process I described above.

When selling products visitors often come straight to the product sales page. This could be from a link on Twitter, an ad, or something else where they have never heard of you before. So why are you asking them to buy right away?

A better way

Instead, let?s teach this random stranger something. Provide them value, help them accomplish their goals, and build trust before asking for anything from them. Here?s how it works online:

    1. Visitor comes to landing page and is offered a free eBook.
    2. The eBook is emailed to them. Clicking the link to the book confirms their email address.
    3. While subscribing they were also given an opportunity to opt-into a free 30 day email course.
    4. As you deliver more valuable content for free over email, your subscriber?s trust in you increases.
    5. Only after the subscriber has gotten to know you and understands the value of your product do you ask for the sale.


Using this process you capture more leads up front, have more time to talk to the visitor about your product, and only ask for the sale after they have a reason to trust you. Best of all, if they forget about your product, which is likely, you have the opportunity to remind them in a future conversation.

Now, I wouldn?t be surprised if you read through that saying, ?I already knew that.? If so, I?ve got one quick question: Why don?t you use it?

If you?re like me, it?s because it is really painful to set up, between designing the landing page, coding a way to gather subscribers? information, automating the delivery of an incentive, and then finally creating and delivering a course. You can code your own solution or combine a bunch of different web applications to get it done.

No matter how you do it, the process is time consuming and very frustrating. What if it could be easy?

That?s why I made ConvertKit, to take this proven marketing process and automate it with a single tool.

    1. Start by creating a new landing page in seconds. We take care of the design and layout, so you can focus on writing compelling content.
    2. Once the page is in place, upload an incentive, like a guide or training video, to give your visitors for subscribing.
    3. Set up an email course that will teach your subscribers. Our interface makes it easier to write a course as a series of lessons. Easily refer back to what you said in the previous email, and move ahead to write the next one. Auto-responders and email sequences have never been this easy.


With all the technical challenges taken care of, you are free to focus on delivering value to your readers. This will increase your readership, build trust, and ultimately increase sales.

Bad News

Unfortunately, I?ve got some bad news for you. ConvertKit isn?t quite ready for you to use it yet. But trust me, I?m sick of implementing this process with clunky software, so I?m just as eager as you for ConvertKit to be ready.

In the meantime, I?d like to teach you other ways to improve your conversion rates.

I want you to be able to fall asleep at night thinking about happy customers and money in the bank, not crummy conversion rates. So I put together this short guide on 10 ways to improve your conversion rate. Download it now, and I promise I?ll let you know when ConvertKit is ready.

[Download form]

Want to be first?

If you?d love what I just shared and want to be very first to use ConvertKit, you can preorder it today. When you preorder your first 3 months I?ll also give you one month free. Plus you?ll get a 25% discount for life. Not bad, right?

[Preorder pricing]

[Followed by an FAQ]

?

Reworking the rewrite

I sent that off to Amy and she made quite a few more changes. She kept a lot of my ideas, but often changed out my plain words for something more meaningful. Watch for words like ?sabotaged? and ?drove.? Also note that she cut a lot of content. Mine was far too long and she got rid of the extra fluff.

Does your conversion rate keep you up at night?

Like you, I run a product business (with two ebooks and counting!). I?m always on the lookout for ways to improve my conversion rates. I?ve spent a lot of time thinking and researching.

Here?s what I see as the fundamental problem:

Your funnel has a hole in it

Imagine you and I met for the first time on the street. After a quick introduction I ask, ?Do you by chance work with software??

?Yes, I?m a developer,? you respond.

?Perfect! I just wrote a book about designing better web applications. Would you like to buy it for $39??

How many sales do you think I could make this way?

This scenario seems completely ridiculous? but isn?t it exactly how we expect things to happen with our web-based sales pages?

We expect a stranger to buy from us the very first time we ?meet.? Usually, they don?t. ?And that?s it. Then? you lose them forever.

Ouch. All those hours you spent writing blog posts and building traffic and tuning your landing page, sabotaged.

A way to fix a leaky funnel? and capture sales from wary visitors

But what if you didn?t lose them forever? What if you had the opportunity to persuade them over and over again, over a period of weeks? To build trust and demonstrate why your product is right for them?

Imagine if your sales process looked more like this:

  1. Your would-be customer hits your landing page. She?s not ready to buy, but look, what?s that? A free ebook? A set of tips? A recorded interview? Unsubscribe at any time? That?s not much of a commitment, she doesn?t lose a thing, and hey, free stuff.
  2. She receives your free goodie (ebook, report, tip #1). Clicking the link to the freebie confirms her email address.
  3. She enjoys the freebie. And so you email her a few more useful tips, here and there. Every email shows her that your advice is good, and you know what you?re talking about.
  4. Once she?s tried your free advice for herself, and she?s seen the quality of what you create ? you ask for the sale. You?re not a stranger anymore, you?re an advisor. She is five to 10 times more likely to buy.

Do this, and you?ll have managed to turn a potentially creepy sales scenario into a valuable, trust-building conversation. This also means your would-be customer won?t simply forget about you (which I believe is a major reason for low conversion rates!).

?I already know that.?
You probably do already know this is what you ?should? be doing. You also know that this kind of process can be a pain in the butt to implement.

You?ve got to design your landing page, code a way to gather your would-be customer?s information, automate the delivery of your first incentive, then finally write (or record) and deliver a set of follow-up tips, lessons, or sales pitches.

Whether you custom-roll a solution or try to integrate with existing tools (which don?t handle email courses very well), you?re going to spend a lot of time and annoyance on setting this all up.

So you haven?t. Yet.

What if it all you had to do was supply great content?

All of the above drove me to design ConvertKit.

I knew I should be using that sales process. But setting it up was a major pain.

I wanted to make it as easy as writing the content, to implement this proven marketing process.

When you use ConvertKit, all you have to do is?

    1. Create a new landing page in seconds. We take care of the design and layout, so you can focus on writing compelling content.
    2. Upload an incentive, like a guide or training video to tease your visitors into subscribing.
    3. Write a few helpful emails that?ll teach your subscribers (and one or two that ask for the sale!). Our interface makes it extremely fast to set up a sequence of emails to deliver an email course, or set of tips, in order. Auto-responders and email sequences have never been this easy.

With ConvertKit taking care of the technical challenges, you can focus on delivering value to your readers. Capture drive-by visitors. Build trust. Create sales. Double or triple (or more!) your total conversion rate.

Be the First to Fix Your Funnel with ConvertKit

ConvertKit is currently under heavy development (not quite ready for you yet!). I?m just as eager as you for ConvertKit to be ready? and sick of the tedious work of setting up this sales process with other generalized tools.

While you wait, I?d like to teach you 10 other ways to improve your conversion rates.

I put together this quick guide to help you get started making more sales today. It?s free. All you need to do is enter your email address and it?ll pop straight to your inbox:

[Download form]

There?s no obligation, cancel at any time, never spam you ever, etc.

(And you?ll be among the first to know when ConvertKit is ready!)

And? a special opportunity for a lifetime discount.

First; try my free conversion rate optimization guide. See what I?m up to.

If you love the the idea of making your sales funnel leak-proof with ConvertKit, and if you want to be very first to use ConvertKit, you can preorder it today.

Preorder just your first three months and you?ll get one month free. Plus, as a thank-you for your support, you?ll receive a 25% discount for life. (Starting at $x per month, forever!) Making more money and saving money? Not too shabby, right?

[Preorder pricing]

[Followed by an FAQ]

As I read through Amy?s changes I found myself nodding my head with each change. The new order made a lot more sense, the sentences she removed were redundant, and the length was perfect. I recommend reading through them both side-by-side to compare!

With a few minor changes that is the version we went with. You can see it live on ConvertKit.com. If for some reason the page has changed when you are reading this you can find a version of the design below.

?

Looking at this page now it still has a few issues, but in the interest of shipping software, I decided to go live with it anyway. Amy pointed out that my design of this page breaks up the reading flow. So even though I wrote it first as a letter, people may not read it that way. The solution would be to add fewer lines, font changes, and other designy elements. I mostly agree?

So far 6,397 people have visited the page and 228 people have subscribed to the email list. So a 3.6% conversion rate. Not as high as I would have liked, but a lot of that traffic was from Hacker News, which always converts a bit lower.

I hope you enjoyed reading through this process. Since you made it all the way to the bottom of this post you obviously care about marketing and copywriting (or you?re just obsessed with me? which is weird), so you should sign up for the mailing list on ConvertKit.com. I?ll be sending out a lot of great related content.

If this resonated with you and you want to improve your marketing, preorder ConvertKit. Seriously, you?ll love it!

Source: http://nathanbarry.com/step-by-step-landing-page-copywriting/

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