Job Search Mistakes | Quality Life Resources

Job Search Mistakes

Don?t make these common job search mistakes.

Searching for a new job, especially if you?re unemployed, takes time and patience. However, not everyone devotes the time and energy needed to land that new job. Here are the top mistakes people make when looking for a new job.

Not Putting in the Time Necessary

Looking for a job, particularly if you?re not working, is a job in itself. You should be spending several hours a day, most days of the week, looking for your job. The reason for this is that you need to get your resume out there to get called for interviews. If you aren?t applying, you?re not being considered for openings. I?m always amazed when I see interviews with people who have been unemployed for a very long time and they have only applied for a small number of jobs. Unless your skills are highly specialized, the average person can apply for several jobs a day.

According to a 2011 study by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median length of unemployment is about ten weeks before employment is found. So, that means that half of people are unemployed for longer than ten weeks and half of people are unemployed for less. If you worked a 40 hour work week, this means that you?ll have about 400 extra hours to devote to your job search. That?s a lot of time. Make sure you?re using this time to send out resumes, update your skills, and gear your resume/cover letter to each job listing so you can increase your chances of getting an interview.

Not Networking

People often say things like ?Getting a job is about who you know.? Well, in many cases, this is true. So, you should be out trying to meet people in your field.

If you?re new to networking, it can be hard to know where to start. For this, the internet is a valuable tool. You can look up meetings for professional organizations, your local chamber of commerce, organizations for young (or not so young) professionals, and your university?s alumni association. Attending meetings like this help you to meet a variety of people who may have connections all over your area.

In addition to business and networking events, you can try other events that are likely to attract a professional crowd. This could be things like lectures at a museum or at a library. The people who attend these events may not be in your specific field but, it?s important to cast a wide net when looking for a job.

When networking, make sure you are nicely dressed. You don?t have to wear a suit if it?s not a suit occasion but, make sure you are neat, clean and dressed similarly to everyone else at the event. Also, it?s important to bring simple business cards with your name, phone number, and email address so you can quickly and easily give a potential contact your information.

Not Following Up

Once you do get an interview, make sure that you follow up within a day or two. According to my research, experts seem to be pretty evenly split as to whether a snail mail thank you card or an email thank you is the best way to go. However, all agree that you have to do something.

So, when you are at an interview, make sure you get the name of the person who interviewed you. If possible, get one of their business cards too. This is likely to have their direct contact information on it. Then, use your preferred method to follow up with your interviewer. This technique is simple but, it makes the interviewer think of you again after the interview and, hopefully, all of the wonderful things the two of you discussed.

When searching for a job, it?s important to use all the tools available to you. You never know when one of these things will lead to your next job.

What mistakes do you think job seekers should avoid?

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Photo Credit: www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Source: http://www.qualityliferesources.com/career/job-search-mistakes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=job-search-mistakes

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French get revenge for 2008 relay loss to US

LONDON (AP) ? Ryan Lochte grabbed at the edge of the pool, head down, staring at the water. Michael Phelps glared at the scoreboard, trying to digest the first silver medal of his Olympic career.

Right beside them, the French celebrated.

It was just like 2008 but with the roles reversed.

This time, it was France chasing down the United States ? and Lochte, no less ? to win another riveting relay at the Olympics.

"We got our revenge," French swimmer Clement Lefert said.

With Phelps looking much stronger than he did the night before, the Americans built a commanding lead over the first three legs of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay Sunday and never really had to worry about the defending world champions from Australia.

When Lochte dove into the water on the anchor leg, he was a half-body length ahead of the field and looking to add another gold to his dominating victory Saturday in the 400 individual medley.

Not so fast.

Or, should we say, not fast enough.

Yannick Agnel, playing the chaser role that Jason Lezak did for the Americans four years ago in this same event, sliced through the water and was right on Lochte's shoulder as they made the flip at the far end of the pool. With about 25 meters to go, they were stroke for stroke. But Lochte, who had already competed in 1,200 meters of racing over the first two days, simply didn't have enough left to hold off the towering, 20-year-old Frenchman, one of the sport's real rising stars.

"I gave everything in the last 50 until he cracked," Agnel said. "In the last 10 meters, I saw that he was really cracking."

Agnel touched in 3 minutes, 9.93 seconds, having gone exactly 1 second faster than Lochte over the last two laps. Lochte and the Americans dropped to silver in 3:10.38, while Australia ? the favorite ? didn't even get a medal. Russia took the bronze in 3:11.41, edging the team from Down Under by 0.22.

Phelps settled for his 17th career medal and completed his collection of Olympic colors, adding a silver to his 14 golds and two bronzes. He also moved a step closer to becoming the most decorated Olympian ever, just one away from tying the mark for most career medals held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, and has five events to go.

"At least I'm in a medal today," Phelps said ruefully, referring to a fourth-place finish in his first race of the London Games.

But silver was a bitter disappointment for the Americans, who know how the French felt four years ago.

France had the lead in Beijing and its best sprinter, Alain Bernard, going out on the final leg. But Lezak swam the fastest relay leg in history, drafting Bernard along the lane rope and beating him by a scant 0.08 seconds to keep Phelps on track for his record eight gold medals.

That was one of the greatest races in Olympic history.

This one wasn't too shabby, either.

"I was just really excited and I think I overswam the first 50 and it hurt me for the last 50," Lochte said. "But we were able to get a medal, so I guess that's good."

Lochte's reaction was much different than the one he had the night before, when he finished more than 3 seconds ahead of the other medalists and more than 4 seconds ahead of Phelps in the 400 IM.

Even though Phelps got a medal this time, he didn't look much happier. He lingered at the edge of the pool right above Lochte, before going over to congratulate the French.

Phelps put up the fastest time among the American swimmers, covering the second 100 in 47.15 and showing he still intends to be a force at these games after his disappointing start. Nathan Adrian swam the leadoff leg in 47.89, going out faster than Australian star James "The Missile" Magnussen to give the U.S. an early lead. Cullen Jones was solid, too, in the third spot (47.60).

Lochte was handed a lead of more than a half-second, but he couldn't hold it. Agnel covered the final leg in 46.74, while Lochte labored home in 47.74.

Agnel's anchor wasn't quite as spectacular as Lezak's 46.06 at Beijing, but the French had no complaints.

"It's magical, simply magical," Agnel said. "We didn't have too much pressure. We did what we know how to do. Now, Olympic champions. It's brilliant."

They climbed to top step of the podium to receive their medals, looking down at the Americans.

"It's tough," Phelps said. "We'd like to be on top, but Yannick has been swimming well all year and those guys put together a great relay. We tried to get ourselves into as much open water as we could. We had four great guys to get up there and swam as fast as we could. We were the ones that the coaches thought were going to have the best shot. We went out there and raced. That's all you can ask."

The U.S. coaches will surely come under scrutiny for going with Lochte, who had little experience in the 100 free and had never competed on this relay at the Olympics. But, coming off his dominant showing the first night, it's hard to argue about going with a swimmer who appeared to have the hottest hand of all.

"The 100 free, I don't really swim it. I haven't swum it in a long time," Lochte said. "You would think doing distance events, I wouldn't get tired. But sprinting takes a lot out of you."

In an interesting twist, Bernard will get a gold medal even though he didn't swim the final. Amaury Leveaux and Fabien Gilot took the first two legs, but Bernard will be rewarded, too, for taking part in the morning prelims. Maybe that will soothe some bitter feelings from four years ago.

Two more world records fell earlier in the evening.

American Dana Vollmer took down the mark in the 100 butterfly, then Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa broke another in the 100 breaststroke ? denying Japan's Kosuke Kitajima an Olympic threepeat.

Not even through the second night of the London Games, three world records had already been set.

So much for those dire predictions of marks standing for decades after high-tech bodysuits were banned.

This was quite a night for France, and not just because of the relay. Camille Muffat won a riveting 400 freestyle duel with American Allison Schmitt, the two virtually stroke for stroke the entire way. Muffat held on to win by about half a stroke with an Olympic-record time, while Schmitt settled for silver ? a sign of things to come.

Britain's Rebecca Adlington brought out the biggest cheer when she touched third, the home country's first swimming medal of the games.

Vollmer was third at the turn but powered to the wall for a time of 55.98, beating the record of 56.06 set by Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom at the 2009 world championships. Not bad for someone who didn't even qualify for the last Olympics, her career sidetracked by injuries and illness.

"I kept telling myself that my strength is my second 50," Vollmer said. "I kept really calm."

She dropped back her head when saw the time, then broke into a huge smile, slapped the water and pumped her fists.

"I'm on top of the world right now," said Vollmer, who qualified for Athens as a 16-year-old but was a disappointment in 2008. "I still know I can go faster."

Kitajima was trying to become the first male swimmer to win the same race at three straight Olympics. But, like Phelps the night before in the 400 IM, the Japanese star didn't come close.

Van der Burgh made sure of that, dominating the race almost as soon as his head popped out of the water for the first time. He was comfortably ahead at the turn and blew away the field on the return lap to touch in 58.46, knocking off another of the marks set at the 2009 world championships.

Brenton Rickard's time of 58.58 was among the astonishing 43 world records established at that meet in Rome, when rubberized suits took the sport to times that bordered on absurd. The suits have since been banned, with some predicting that it might take decades to go faster in textile suits.

Only two records fell at last year's worlds in Shanghai, but the Olympic meet has already beaten that number with three over the first two days.

Australia's Christian Sprenger took the silver in 58.93, and American Brendan Hansen claimed bronze in 59.49, providing a bit of salve for past Olympic disappointments. Hansen was so disgusted with his performance in Beijing that he retired from the sport, saying he was totally burned out. After giving triathlons a try, he returned to the pool and got back up to speed.

"That's as fast as I can go right now, and I'm really pleased with the outcome," Hansen said.

Kitajima didn't find the speed he needed, struggling home in fifth at 59.79. The night before, Phelps failed in his bid to win a third straight 400 IM title, fading to fourth while Lochte took gold with a dominating performance.

Van der Burgh propped himself on the lane rope, his chest heaving up and down, his hands cupped behind his head, a big smile on his face. He looked up toward the roof and pointed, a nod to his good friend, Alex Dale Oen, the world champion in this event who died suddenly in April from cardiac arrest.

"I just have to pay tribute to Alex Oen," van der Burgh said. "I know that he's been with me this year and helped me to finish the race in such a strong manner. If there is such a thing as a perfect race for me, I definitely think that I submitted it tonight. I don't even care about the world record. Once you become an Olympic champion, you join the club."

Lu Ying gave China another medal, taking silver behind Vollmer in 56.87. Australia's Alicia Coutts grabbed the bronze in 56.94. It was a tough night for Sjostrom, who not only lost her world record but didn't even get a medal, touching fourth in 57.17.

Muffat and Schmitt raced side by side the whole way in the 400 free, with Muffat clinging tenaciously to the lead while the American tried desperately to reel her in. She couldn't pull it off, as Muffat touched in 4 minutes, 1.45 seconds to win by a scant 0.32. Adlington was looking to defend her Olympic title in the event, but the big crowd seemed pleased that she rallied from a sluggish start to at least make the podium.

"I saw them guys. They were off. I just couldn't keep with them," Adlington said. "To be honest, I am so happy I managed to sneak that medal. ... Another Olympic medal is just unbelievable, and there is not an ounce of disappointment in me."

The same couldn't be said for the American men's relay team.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-revenge-2008-relay-loss-us-210108603--oly.html

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Musician Athletes: 22 Artists Who Also Excelled in Sports

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With the London Olympics kicking off, there's going to be plenty of hubbub about who's performing what at the opening and closing ceremonies. While that's all well and good, we thought it was more interesting to look at which musicians could hold their own in an athletic event.

It turns out that there are quite a few artists who can run, throw, hit, kick and, yes, fence just as well as some of the best in the sport. Some were captains of high school teams, others set records and a few might have gone pro if their lives shook out a little differently. So, with that in mind, check out our gallery of musicians with athletic pasts. Some might even surprise you.

22 Athletic Musicians

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Source: http://www.spinner.com/2012/07/27/musician-athletes/

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Graphene re-knits its holes

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2012) ? Scientists at The University of Manchester and the SuperSTEM facility at STFC's Daresbury Laboratory have discovered that the 'miracle material', graphene, undergoes a self repairing process to mend holes.

This research, published in Nano Letters, could hold the key in the quest to realise graphene's huge potential for use in fields from electronics to medicine.

Graphene, which is made of sheets of carbon just one atom thick, is a promising material for a wide range of future applications due, for instance, to its exceptional electronic properties.

The team, led by Professor Kostya Novoselov, who shared a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for exploiting the remarkable properties of graphene's, was originally looking to gain a deeper understanding into how metals interact with graphene, essential if it is to be integrated into practical electronic devices in the future.

The researchers were using a powerful electron microscope at the SuperSTEM Laboratory at Daresbury, which allows scientists to study the properties of materials one atom at a time. They recently demonstrated that metals can initiate the formation of holes in the graphene sheet, which could be hugely detrimental to the properties of any graphene-based device.

Surprise results then showed that some of the holes that had been created during this process were actually mending themselves spontaneously using nearby loose carbon atoms to re-knit the graphene structure.

Dr Quentin Ramasse, Scientific Director at SuperSTEM said: "This was a very exciting and unexpected result. The fact that graphene can heal itself under the right conditions may be the difference between a working device and a proof of concept without any real application. We may now have a way of not only drilling through graphene in a controlled fashion to sculpt it at the atomic level, but also to grow it back in new shapes. This adds a lot of flexibility to our nanotechnology toolbox and could pave the way to future technological applications."

SuperSTEM (link opens in a new window) is the EPSRC National Facility for Aberration Corrected STEM and is run by a consortium of universities, consisting of Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Oxford. Other collaboration agreements with the external partner universities Cambridge, Sheffield, Warwick and York will be commencing shortly and the facility has received ?4.5M funding from EPSRC.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Manchester.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Recep Zan, Quentin M. Ramasse, Ursel Bangert, Konstantin S. Novoselov. Graphene Reknits Its Holes. Nano Letters, 2012; : 120710092055001 DOI: 10.1021/nl300985q

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/x728aOfHvP4/120729150055.htm

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Functional Health And Fitness Guidelines That Offer Rapid ...

Generally, folks take actions as they are looking to professionally profit from these somehow. That is so true when you think about it, and beginning a new fitness program is something else you do for yourself. You want to look and feel better, and that?s nothing you need to apologize for! Fitness can also be a smart investment inside your future, because it is great to be healthy along with mobile while you age group. At a certain time, we have to decide on a course of action (or inaction, as the case may be). This is the time when we make the choice to either do what it takes to succeed or forget about it and quit.

Those who make last option choice are really simple to discover. Yet everyone makes this decision personally. If you wish to become determined, the following a few conditioning ideas will help you. A simple, nevertheless, verified strategy to develop achievement is always to establish particular targets. If you?re like lots of people, you?ve been told this before, but you still don?t make use of it. You must set goals the right way if you hope to be successful with them.

You should, first of all, make your goals ones you can realistically achieve. Then, do not try to overcome the globe in an evening or one few days. You don?t have to try to be a world conqueror. What works much better is having realistic goals that you can tackle at a plausible pace. Create both short and long term goals for yourself. Daily, target one distinct aim, and you will find that your precise accomplishments accumulate.. You might try your pal technique, because a great deal of people that motivate them greatly.

You need to hire a roofer which has a compatible schedule which you can easily work out with. It can help to be accountable to someone else when you do your workouts with a home exercise bike. You only need to work with a roofing contractor who includes a suitable timetable which you can readily work out with. Whether you?re exercising or in combat, the first principle is sticking by your buddy. This is a simple way to find motivation for working out if you need it. If other ways to keep you motivated haven?t work, this approach is highly recommended.

Try to enhance your common perspective in direction of living, making it more positive and upbeat. As we all know, life can be difficult, and staying positive can be a challenge. No matter how challenging it is, although, it is worth it, because of that which you must obtain by such an perspective. The reason we mention this is that if you are more positive in your outlook, then you will have an easier time with motivation and fitness programs. That is a fact known for many decades in many areas of endeavor. Also, you will find that everything tends to affect everything else. The more an individual stick to your exercise routine, better you may sense. By improving in one area, such as working out, you will create good feelings that contribute to your basic positive outlook on life. Do it. You can use the fitness tips discussed here for motivation or many others as well. In all likelihood, you have some favorites of your own. Whatever you need to get you moving in the first place, and then keep you motivated, is just what you need and you should make sure you get it.

Talking about biking exercises, Jonathan Trumbull is an expert with this and can share us more comforting ideas pertaining with the usage of the recumbent exercise bikes as well as his straightforward approach on fast body building strategy that includes an upright exercise bike workout.

Source: http://www.loseweight-howto.com/2012/07/28/functional-health-and-fitness-guidelines-that-offer-rapid-determination/

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Top Venezuelan embassy official killed in Kenya

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The head of Venezuela's embassy in Kenya was strangled to death at her official residence in the capital Nairobi, police said on Friday.

Nairobi police said they believed the charge d'affaires and acting ambassador, Olga Fonseca, was killed at the mansion, which is surrounded by an electric fence and located in the exclusive Runda neighborhood.

"We received reports that she was found dead in the house on her bed. What we have seen is that she has been strangled," Anthony Kibuchi, Nairobi area police commander, told reporters outside the home.

Fonseca started her job on July 15, Kenya's ministry of foreign affairs said. Officials in Caracas said she was also Venezuela's representative to U.N. agencies based in Nairobi, and had responsibility for Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.

Venezuela's government expressed its deepest regret at the "deplorable" and "violent" killing and said it was confident the Kenyan authorities would catch the perpetrators.

"The government offers all the collaboration that may be needed," Venezuela's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Fonseca had a brilliant diplomatic career ... she was recognized for her impeccable personal and professional life, and for her services to just causes."

The motive for the killing was not immediately clear.

(Reporting by Drazen Jorgic and James Macharia in Nairobi and Brian Ellsworth and Daniel Wallis in Caracas; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Louise Ireland and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/top-venezuelan-embassy-official-killed-kenya-201821718.html

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Romney can expect warm Israeli reception

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Mitt Romney's support for Israel will likely earn the presumptive Republican presidential nominee a warm welcome from Israeli leaders when he visits on Sunday - and a frosty reception from Palestinians, who fear he would do little to advance their stalled statehood dreams.

Romney is visiting Israel as part of a three-nation foreign tour that includes Britain and Poland. He hopes it will boost his credentials to direct U.S. national security and diplomacy.

The visit to Israel comes at a time when its leaders are weighing a military attack on Iran, the neighboring regime in Syria is looking increasingly shaky and Mideast peace talks are going nowhere.

Romney, a longtime friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to play up his critique of President Barack Obama's posture toward the Jewish state and his handling of Iran's suspected nuclear weapons ambitions.

Israeli political scientist Abraham Diskin says Romney can expect an "enthusiastic" reception, both because of his solid record of pro-Israel comments - and because he's not Obama.

"What interests Israelis is Israel," Diskin said. "Romney has a very pro-Israel stance. He is very suspicious of the Arab world. (Israelis) are very suspicious of Obama."

In an effort to upstage Romney a day before he landed in Israel, the White House announced it was signing legislation expanding military and civilian cooperation with Israel.

Still, with polls showing a close race, Romney hopes this showcase for his pro-Israel stance will help him to woo votes from traditionally Democratic Jewish voters and evangelical Christians who zealously defend Israeli government policy. Obama has not visited Israel since he became president.

Romney already has stumbled in his first international swing as presidential contender by suggesting that British officials might not be prepared to pull off a successful Olympics. In an interview with NBC News, he called London's problems with games preparation "disconcerting," and the remark sparked sharp responses from Britain's top officials. Romney attended swimming events in London on Saturday morning ahead of his planned flight to Tel Aviv.

In Israel, Romney will be meeting with Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, President Shimon Peres and Israeli opposition leaders.

He will not see Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas aide Nimr Hamad said, though he will be sitting down with the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, in Jerusalem. The Romney campaign said the likely GOP nominee only had time in his schedule to meet with one Palestinian leader and that Fayyad has an existing relationship with Romney. The Abbas camp did not offer an explanation for why no meeting was planned.

Romney's relationship with the U.S.-educated Netanyahu dates back decades, when they briefly overlapped in the 1970s at Boston Consulting Group, and the two men share conservative outlooks. A Romney bankroller, Sheldon Adelson, is financing a free Israeli newspaper that reflects Netanyahu's views.

Netanyahu has refused to endorse either presidential candidate, although his ties with Obama have been fraught.

"I will receive Mitt Romney with the same openness that I received another presidential candidate, then-Senator Barack Obama, when he came almost four years ago, almost the same time in the campaign, to Israel," he said when asked about the visit last Sunday on Fox News. "We extend bipartisan hospitality to both Democrats and Republicans."

Romney ? like most politicians who make the trek to Israel ? is likely to face questions such as whether he would endorse calls by some fellow Republicans to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and his stance on Israeli calls for Washington to release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

Romney has consistently accused Obama of putting too much pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians and of being too weak on Iran. He says he wants to present a clearer military threat to the Islamic Republic, with a stronger naval presence in the Gulf. Tehran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.

At a war veterans' convention in Nevada this week, Romney accused Obama of being "fond of lecturing Israel's leaders."

"He has undermined their position, which was tough enough as it was," Romney said. The "people of Israel deserve better than what they have received from the leader of the free world."

Obama rejects the criticism and points to unprecedented security cooperation with the Jewish state.

Three years after he came into office with Israeli-Palestinian peace at the top of his foreign policy priorities, Obama recently acknowledged that his efforts there have failed. Peace talks have been deadlocked more than three years.

Obama, who tried to persuade the Arab world that he was an honest broker, lost the Palestinians' trust by refusing to follow up tough talk with action when Israel defied his call to halt settlement construction on occupied land Palestinians seek for a future state.

The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank has refused to resume negotiations without a settlement construction freeze and went ahead with a statehood campaign at the United Nations, over the president's objections.

Palestinians fear Romney would be softer on Israel than Obama. Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi said that would doom any chance for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in the 1967 war.

"American foreign policy in the region is shaped by Israel and determined by what's good for Israel, and not even what's good for the U.S.," Ashrawi complained.

Romney "will probably try to take it a notch higher," she said, and if the U.S. refuses to put any pressure on Israel, "then there's no chance for peace."

Obama's tense relations with Netanyahu have created the perception that U.S.-Israeli relations have deteriorated. During one of Netanyahu's White House visits, Obama extended none of the trappings, like a joint news conference, usually accorded to an important ally.

__

Associated Press writer Kasie Hunt in London contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-expect-warm-israeli-reception-061716113.html

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PFT: Vilma hearing ends without a ruling

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To no surprise, Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has pleaded not guilty to DUI charges in Oakland, California.? To even less surprise, his lawyer believes that it?s going to take time to resolve the case.

?We will prove that Marshawn was not under the influence when he was pulled over on the evening in question,? lawyer Ivan Golde said, via the San Francisco Chronicle.? ?There is much investigation that needs to be done in this case in that there are many questions about what occurred that are unanswered at this time.? It is going to take some time to unravel everything and, when we do, I am very confident that Marshawn will be exonerated?completely.?

Regardless of whether such an extensive and detailed investigation is needed in order to determine whether Lynch?s blood-alcohol concentration equaled or exceeded the legal limit of 0.08 percent, a delayed resolution ensures that Lynch can?t be suspended in 2012, because he can?t be suspended until the case is resolved.

Even then, Lynch may not be suspended, despite a prior history of two off-field incidents.? As we?ve previously explained, DUIs fall under the substance-abuse policy, not the personal-conduct policy.? For a first-offense DUI (and Lynch is a first-time DUI offender), the penalty ordinarily is a fine in the amount of two game checks.

That said, if Lynch?s camp is confident there won?t be a suspension, he?d be wise to take his alcohol-free medicine in 2012, not 2013.? With a base salary of $4 million this year and $7 million next year, the two-game-check fine would cost $352,941.17 more next year than it would cost this year.

(That said, the Seahawks can always renegotiate his deal and slash his base salary, a fairly easy way to reduce the impact of fines tied to game checks.)

Regardless, even though Golde has created the impression that he wants to move quickly by moving the arraignment from August 15 to Thursday, look for Golde to deftly tap the breaks whenever and however he can.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/26/vilma-hearing-ends-without-a-ruling/related

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RolePlayGateway?


This thread is a compilation of the races, factions, and locations important to Kirkwall, and to the RP, and will hopefully serve as somewhat of a beginner?s guide to Dragon Age lore for those not very familiar. I will add to it by request. Most of this information comes from the Dragon Age Wiki, and of course if you?re curious about anything, the wiki will have the information you need, as well as probably a whole lot more you won?t care about. These tidbits I?m providing are just to get a general sense of the important things to Kirkwall. I highly recommending reading the respective wiki entries of whatever group you are planning on creating a character of, if you aren?t already familiar with the lore.

Please do not post in this thread unless I?ve given you permission. Thanks!

Here is a map of Thedas, for those who are curious, though the RP will be taking place exclusively in and around Kirkwall. Still, it helps to know where everything is.



Humans

The most numerous of the races in Thedas, but also the most divided. Rarely have the humans united under a single banner, and the last it happened was centuries ago. Humans have created drastically different societies across the world, powerful nations such as Ferelden, Orlais, and the Tevinter Imperium. They are also responsible for the creation of the Chantry, the most common religion in human society. They are the most versatile of the races, and will typically adapt to any given situation if given enough time. The greatest threat to human dominance in Thedas is their lack of unity. Centuries old hatreds divide some nations, and it would take a truly massive threat to get them all to cooperate.

There is also great difference among the classes of humans. The nobility often live in great luxury, while the unfortunate poor are looked down upon and left to fight amongst themselves for survival. In Kirkwall, this problem is particularly acute, and has even led to violence in the past.


Elves

The elves of Thedas are typically slightly shorter than humans, and have more slender, lithe builds. Their life spans are no longer than that of humans, though it is speculated that this was not always the case. They believe they were once an immortal and immensely magically talented race that lived in harmony with the natural world, but that the arrival of humans ?quickened? them, causing them to begin aging and dying. Humans were also responsible for the eventual destruction of their empire, so it?s no surprise the two races don?t often get along well.

Most elves in the present live as second class citizens in human cities, and racism between humans and elves is a common occurrence, in both directions. They are typically confined to alienages in the poorer districts of a city, where they try to keep some small amount of their culture alive. Some elves, however, refuse to submit to any human rule, and wander the wild in clans known as the Dalish, who dedicate themselves to preserving their culture, and not allowing it to be destroyed by the humans. Though it may no longer be possible, the elves wish for a return to their former splendor, before all of their culture is lost to the ages.


Dwarves

The dwarves, like the elves, were once a far greater people than they are currently, though the cause of their downfall has been the darkspawn, not the humans. The large majority of these short, powerful, hardy folk dwell in underground cities carved from the stone. The darkspawn also originating from underground, it was no surprise that the Dwarven kingdoms were the first to suffer from their arrival. All but one of their cities have fallen, the last being Orzammar, underneath the Frostback Mountains in Ferelden.

Several major differences separate dwarves from the other races. They do not enter the Fade, the realm of spirits and demons, as elves and humans do, when they dream, and thus they lack magical talent utterly, although they gain a resistance to all magical forms, and lyrium exposure, in return. They place a large emphasis upon strength and martial prowess instead. Their religion, too, is different. They do not worship the Maker as the humans do, but rather the Stone from which they were born, as well as Paragons of their society, individuals who distinguish themselves in their lifetimes enough to become essentially living gods.


Qunari

The Qunari, for the most part, are a mystery to the races of the mainland. They hail from an unknown eastern land across the Northern Ocean, a land which they since lost contact with more than a century ago. Their territory in the known world consists of the islands Par Vollen and Seheron, in the north, although their armies once threatened to conquer the entirety of the known world, and were one of the few things that could unite humans together. They currently have a firm grip on Par Vollen, and battle with the Tevinter Imperium for control of Seheron, a war which has lasted over eighty years.

The word ?Qunari? does not actually refer to the horned species that one thinks of, but rather any being who adheres to the teachings of the Qun, the strict religion which the Qunari follow, meaning that elves, humans, and dwarves could become Qunari if they wished. The horned people are actually called kossith, though they are almost always referred to as Qunari. Few understand their duty-centric beliefs, and the vast majority of people simply fear them for their ways, which seem brutal and unforgiving by human standards.



The Chantry

The Chantry is the dominant religious organization across Thedas, the philosophy of which is based upon the life and teachings of the prophetess Andraste. The teachings were written in the form of the Chant of Light, and are supposedly the words of the Maker, the holy being which has since abandoned mankind for their transgression, specifically those of the first magisters in the old Tevinter Imperium, who sought to use blood magic to enter the Maker?s golden city, but instead ended up destroying it. The faithful believe if the Chant can be spread to the four corners of the world, that the Maker will hear it, and return to His children.

In practice, the Chantry holds a great deal of power in all human lands save for the Tevinter Imperium, where the Magisters still effectively rule. The entirely female priesthood of the Chantry is headed by the Divine, who leads from the Grand Cathedral in Val Royeaux, in Orlais. But the Chant has indeed spread far. In Kirkwall, the Chantry is prominent enough to have a Grand Cleric, and the opinions of her and her fellow sisters and mothers are highly respected throughout the city.


The Templar Order

The Templars are a military order of the Chantry with the primary duty of watching over the mages within the various Circles of Magi throughout Thedas, as well as hunting down mages living outside of the Circle, known as apostates, specifically those that resort to blood magic, known as maleficarum. Officially, they are a force for defense, established to protect the faithful from threats of magical origin. In truth however, they are an army; well-equipped, extremely disciplined through training, and highly devoted to the Maker. They are specifically trained to combat mages, and possess abilities to both shield themselves from magic, and nullify a mage?s ability to cast spells in the first place.

Those that believe the Viscount is the one ruling Kirkwall are fools; the real power rests with the Templar Order in the city, and their driven Knight-Commander. The Order has a very strong presence within the city, strong enough to the point where the Viscount is forced to listen to the Knight-Commander?s counsel, especially in matters relating to the local Circle of Magi. Very little happens in Kirkwall without the Templar Order?s knowledge.


The Circle of Magi

There are some things one must understand about magic in Thedas to understand why the mages are treated as they are. Magic originates from the Fade, the realm of spirits and demons, the place where people dream. Malevolent spirits, the demons, wish little more than to experience mortality, and incessantly try to possess mages. Use of magic can draw the attention of demons on the other side of the Veil, and increase the risk of demonic possession. A mage who becomes possessed by a demon becomes an abomination, an immensely powerful creature of nightmare. It is for this reason that the Templar Order watches over mages, confines them into easily defended areas. Mages are dangerous, whether they intend to be or not. It is often a mage with the best intentions that causes the most damage.

And of course, some mages do not have good intentions. Some willingly make dealings with demons, acquiring the knowledge they possess often in exchange for something the demon wants, which rarely is beneficial for others. Demons alone fully understand the intricacies of blood magic, the forbidden school which is feared above all others for its incredible potential for power through dark rituals. Put all this together, and it?s no wonder the mages are oppressed in the current age.

The Circle was established by the Chantry, and it is enforced by the Templars. Children that show magical potential are taken by the Circle usually between 6 and 12 years of age, regardless of their social status. They are trained under by older mages, and watched closely by the Templars, until they are young adults, at which point they undergo a trial called the Harrowing, meant to prove that they are capable of defending themselves against the lure of demons. Should they fail, the Templars kill them on the spot. Even after passing, mages are confined to their Circles unless given explicit permission by the Templars that they may leave for some purpose, in which case the Templars will still follow them, to ensure nothing goes wrong.

It is undoubtedly a harsh system, but the dangers mages have posed upon the world in the past seem to indicate that it is necessary. How far the Templars should be allowed to go, however, remains up for debate.


Dalish Elves

All the lands of Thedas are ruled by humans, and so the Dalish, a people who wish to live under no rule but their own, are generally not welcome in most places. They are an extremely proud people. Their clans date back to the time when elves once had an empire, and as such, they believe they have the purest blood of all elvenkind. They are also extremely distrusting of outsiders, particularly shemlen, the humans, although they are also known to not even really respect their city dwelling cousins, those who have given up the old ways to live under the heels of humans. They are peerless hunters, and each clan has a pair of mages, the Keeper, who leads the clan, and the Keeper?s First, an apprentice who will lead the clan when the current Keeper passes on.

Members of the nomadic Dalish clans are marked with vallaslin, or blood writing, in intricate facial tattoos upon reaching adulthood, with different designs representing the different gods in the Elven Pantheon. A Dalish elf within the city would not be mistaken for just another city dweller by the elves within, and would likely be treated with respect, if not reverence. They represent the greatness that was once the elven race.


Surface Dwarves

While they aren?t necessarily a faction, there are certain differences that surface dwarves typically have from those that remain in the underground city of Orzammar. Living upon the surface is a fate that many dwarves fear; the very sky seems a danger. And with their reverence of the Stone, dwarves who voluntarily leave the city to live upon the surface are largely looked down upon. Should they attempt to return to the city, they would likely be casteless, and not have a place in dwarven society any longer.

It is typically dwarves from the lower castes that end up on the surface, as leaving Orzammar can be an escape from the caste system that holds them down. On the surface, they can make their own fortunes, both for themselves, and for their children. The lower caste background also means they are more likely to be criminals, considering that often the only profession available for casteless dwarves involves crime.

Some of them don?t even have beards.



General descriptions of the locations in and around Kirkwall. These are the locations your characters can travel to during the RP.



Hightown

Everyone who is anyone in Kirkwall lives in Hightown. In their bird?s nest overlooking the rest of the city, the people of Hightown have little to complain about other than the occasional stench that wafts up from Lowtown. The people here feel safe, if only because an invader would have to scale the many steps upon the stairs up to Hightown. In several wars, Hightown has held out for months after Lowtown was more or less destroyed. It is the only wealthy district of the city, and those who live in Hightown are the envy of all in Kirkwall.

Notable Places in Hightown
The Viscount?s Keep: The center of power in Kirkwall, symbolically. It towers above the other manors in Hightown, and is only rivaled by the Chantry in terms of splendor. Home to the Viscount and his family, as well as the guard barracks.
The Chantry: The home of the Grand Cleric, a towering structure that dwarfs the other mansions. It is as much a symbol of the Chantry?s powerful hold over Kirkwall as it is a place of worship.
The Blooming Rose: A luxurious brothel in Hightown?s Red Lantern District. They provide "the royal treatment" for 2 sovereigns, "standard services" for 1 sovereign and for 50 silver "someone may briefly touch you for an hour."


Lowtown

Lowtown is literally a pit where slaves once lived, back in the days when Kirkwall was a frontier city for the Tevinter Imperium. Here the city?s common folk carved a living out of the rock face, while their overlords rested in luxury at the top of the city?s narrow stairs. In the present, it is the most colorful and lively part of Kirkwall, though certainly not the safest. It?s a melting pot of human, dwarven, and elven residents, none of which have much coin to speak of. A newcomer would find Lowtown a vast maze, filled with shantytowns and unorganized corridors, clustered around markets and stalls.

Notable Places in Lowtown
The Elven Alienage: The elves of Kirkwall live in a rather secluded corner of Lowtown, around the vhenadahl, the massive tree that all alienages have. It?s possibly the only greenery in the district. Though the elves are poor, there are worse places to be in Kirkwall.
The Hanged Man: One of the more popular destinations in Kirkwall, despite its seedy reputation. It?s a tavern where the ale tastes like piss and the stew has meat of unknown origin, but many people, both travelers and locals, will pass through it, and share their stories among questionably good company.


Darktown

Those in Lowtown can take comfort in the knowledge that as bad as they have it, others have it worse. Darktown is a den of inequity, a place where only the most pitiful of people dwell. It?s built in the underground and sewers of the city, and is typically polluted, the streets covered in a kind of toxic fog, making it no surprise that disease has become widespread throughout the district. It is a hive of crime, and numerous criminal bases, such as the dwarven Carta, make their home here. Even the Templars tend to keep their distance from Darktown, viewing the place as simply a lost cause. If someone needed a place to hide, Darktown would be their best bet. The arrival of the Blight refugees from Ferelden only made the problems of the district worse, as many of them were forced into Darktown, having no other place to go.


The Docks

Kirkwall?s docks are located across a small channel from the towering Gallows, at the base of Lowtown, just outside of the city?s massive walls. Like Lowtown, it was carved out of the quarry rock by slaves from the time when Kirkwall belonged to the Imperium. Currently, this is where the majority of the trade performed within the city is done, and anyone with a ship will be visiting this area frequently. Supposedly one must have a permit in order to dock in Kirkwall, but the city guard rarely enforces this.

Notable Place in the Docks
Qunari Compound: After the Arishok and his fleet were shipwrecked off the Wounded Coast, the Viscount ?gifted? them with a section of the docks for them to temporarily stay in, until a ship comes to take them home. The Qunari have since heavily fortified this compound, and it now appears more like a fort than a temporary home. The thick wooden gate they built opens only for those whom the Arishok has business with.


The Gallows

Anyone seeking entry to Kirkwall by sea must first pass through the Gallows, a towering castle on an island across a narrow channel from the Docks. This place was designed by the magisters of the Tevinter Imperium, meant to break the spirits of the slaves who once passed through on their way to the quarries. Statues of tortured slaves fill the courtyard, mementos of the city?s history. Its current use is to be the home of the Circle of Magi in Kirkwall, as well as the army of Templars that keep watch over them. The city guard also has a presence in the castle, operating and maintaining the city?s dungeons, underneath the surface.

Notable Locations in the Gallows
Templar Hall: The home of the Templars in Kirkwall. It is here that they are trained, housed, and supplied, and is the home of the Knight-Commander and her highest officers.
The Circle of Magi: On the opposite end of the castle, in considerably smaller quarters, are the mages of the Circle, and their First Enchanter. The Gallows could easily be seen as more of a prison than a home for them.


Sundermount

Kirkwall is guarded by the Vimmark Mountains to the north, the largest of which is also the nearest to the city. Sundermount has a dark reputation, with legends stating that it was the site of a vicious battle between the Tevinter Imperium and the elves of Arlathan. Great horrors were supposedly unleashed during the battle, and to this day unholy beings prowl the mountain?s heights.

Notable Places at Sundermount
Dalish Encampment: The Sabrae Clan of Dalish elves were forced to settle at the mountain?s foot after losing their herd of halla, the noble creatures that pull the elven landships which carry their kind. Their Keeper supposedly has business in the area as well.


The Wounded Coast

One of the roads that travel into Kirkwall, the Wounded Coast is typically avoided if possible, due to its reputation for housing bandits that hide among the rocky cliffs, as well as the predators that make their home in the area. There is little vegetation here apart from the occasional palm tree, and storms frequently lash the area. One such storm caused the Qunari fleet in the area to crash upon the rocks, killing many of their warriors, and leaving the rest stranded in the city.


The Bone Pit

Due to Kirkwall?s dark history, there are few places surrounding it that have good reputations. If you couldn?t tell from the name, the Bone Pit is not one of these places. It was once known as the Maharian Quarry, and was once of the mines controlled by the Tevinter Imperium. As always, the magisters used slave labor to work the mines, and the Bone Pit got its name from the high number of workers that died within the mines. Stories are told of one overseer who supposedly fed the occasional slave to his dragonling pets, presumably as punishment. Some believe the number of deaths actually weakened the Veil in the area, effectively cursing the mine. It is currently owned by an Orlesian Hightown merchant, who is employing mostly Ferelden refugees, the cheapest available labor.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Draghi sends strong signal that ECB will act

LONDON (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Mario Draghi pledged on Thursday to do whatever was necessary to protect the euro zone from collapse, sending a strong signal that inflated Spanish and Italian borrowing costs were in his sights.

Fears about the euro zone's future are intensifying with Spain and Italy facing frenzied pressure on financial markets and Greece holding crunch meetings with its international lenders having failed to keep its repair plans on track, raising fresh questions about its place in the currency bloc.

With the need for urgent action becoming increasingly apparent, the ECB appears to be gearing up to flex its muscles, something Madrid and Rome have been seeking for months.

"Within our mandate, the ECB is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro. And believe me, it will be enough," Draghi told an investment conference in London to mark the beginning of the Olympics.

"To the extent that the size of the sovereign premia (borrowing costs) hamper the functioning of the monetary policy transmission channels, they come within our mandate," he said.

The ECB has cut interest rates to record lows and offered banks unlimited liquidity without any meaningful boost to the euro zone economy or bank lending resulting.

The comments are Draghi's boldest to date and suggest the central bank is ready to defend Italy and Spain whose borrowing costs have hit unsustainable levels.

Winding up his remarks to an audience of business leaders, he said: "I think I will stop here. I think my assessment was candid and frank enough."

The euro jumped above $1.23 for the first time in two weeks after his remarks, Spanish and Italian bond yields fell sharply and the index of leading European shares jumped more than two percent.

After defending Italy last year, the ECB has kept its sovereign bond-buying program mothballed for months. Internal opposition to reviving it is stiff so focus will turn to what else the ECB could do following Draghi's remarks.

Economists think despite the reservations it could be forced to buy bonds again, or support struggling euro zone countries via the back door.

On Wednesday, ECB policymaker Ewald Nowotny broke ranks with his colleagues, saying that giving Europe's permanent rescue fund a banking license so that it could drawn on central bank funds had merits. Draghi and others have previously rejected that option.

Alternatively, the bank could act as the Federal Reserve and Bank of England have, and opt for straight quantitative easing -- money-printing by another name.

"The comments about high government bond yields disrupting ECB monetary policy transmission are interesting, in so far as they hint at a possible attempt to circumvent the restrictions on outright government bond purchases," said Marc Ostwald, Strategist at Monument Securities.

"Of course it remains to be see whether Herr Weidmann, Herr Asmussen, Frau Merkel and Herr Schaeuble would agree with his assessment," he said, referring to the senior members of the German government and its representatives at the ECB.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said Draghi's remarks on government bond yields were "very positive", adding that the euro zone should also not ignore the option to use its EFSF bailout fund to buy bonds.

The IMF also gave its approval. "Draghi's remarks are a welcome reiteration of the ECB's well-known commitment to do what is necessary," a spokesman for the fund told a news briefing.

WORDS OR DEEDS

The ECB rode to the rescue at a previous moment of acute stress in December, launching a program that eventually created more than 1 trillion euros of three-year liquidity for the currency area's cash-strapped banks. That bought three months of market calm which now seems a distant memory.

Its members have been steadily upping their rhetoric in recent weeks as delays in getting the euro zone's bailout fund up and running and Spanish banks recapitalized has pushed the euro zone crisis back to boiling point.

Euro zone powerhouse Germany was put on a rating downgrade warning this week along with fellow AAA members the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Draghi said at the weekend that the ECB had "no taboos" over what it could or could not do. His fears about the failing transmission of record low interest rates and uber-cheap loans into the real economy chime with similar warnings from Bank of France head Christian Noyer.

Draghi's remarks "suggest that he has either convinced the German members of the ECB that it is time to intervene verbally, and if necessary follow through with actual intervention, or he is willing to risk a showdown knowing that a vast majority of the Council will support him," said Riccardo Barbieri, chief European economist at Mizuho International.

A crucial issue for the euro zone is that its bailout fund would not be able to cope with supporting a country as large as Spain or Italy without a major injection of firepower. In the absence of that, the ECB is the only line of defense.

Draghi stressed that the ECB did not want to do things that should be done by governments. He refused to speculate on the chance of a country leaving the euro but said that the single currency was "irreversible".

"Our job is to maintain price stability in the medium-term. Our job is to cope with financial fragmentation, when it falls within our mandate," he added.

(Additional reporting by Olesya Dmitracova and Venetia Rainey writing by Marc Jones in Frankfurt. Editing by Mike Peacock)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecbs-draghi-pledges-whatever-needed-save-euro-103327862--finance.html

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