B2B PPC Guide: Tips for Business-to-Business PPC Campaigns ...

Quick: What do ground-penetrating radar, hydraulic tie-rod cylinders, and third-party PPC software platforms have in common? Not much, really?but all three are examples of B2B (business-to-business) products that B2B companies can sell via PPC advertising.

PPC is a system that offers B2B companies the ability to capture leads fast and efficiently. Your target market is basically raising its hand and saying it?s interested in your product or service, and it does so by typing in search keywords on Google or Bing. The beauty of it is, they?re looking for you ? instead of you standing around a trade-show booth for ten hours at a time asking people what their biggest business challenges are and hoping their needs match up with what you offer. That?s what makes PPC a form of inbound marketing. If you ask me, PPC is much more appealing than a trade show, dealing with people who are schlepping around bags of swag and smelling like last night?s rager went a bit too long. It can also be far more cost-effective.?

In this guide, we?ll touch on B2B market characteristics and how they relate to PPC, and then we?ll review some real-world PPC tips to help you crush it in your own B2B paid-search campaigns. I?ll refer to my own experiences with ground-penetrating radar, hydraulic cylinders, and software along the way to add some context.

(Full disclosure: there are, of course, exceptions to some of the examples I use because PPC is not just a science?it?s an art.)

B2B Market Characteristics to Remember for PPC

B2B professionals already know their audience is smaller than the B2C audience. This is because they?re targeting other businesses, not the mass population. As a result, you?ll see keyword search volumes are lower in B2B than in the B2C space.

For example, there are more searches for ?shoes? in a day (shoot, probably in an hour) than there are for ?ground-penetrating radar? in a year. This means that in B2B, you?re targeting a unique subset of the overall population?this is market segmentation within market segmentation, several times over.

Your B2B buyer could be one of many people from various departments at a company. It may be the end-user, the CEO, someone from IT, or a company accountant?and you have to design your PPC campaigns (keywords, ad copy, landing pages, etc.) with this in mind.

B2B buyers tend to do a lot of comparison shopping too, especially if we?re talking about expensive purchases, long-term contracts, and possible ongoing relationships. Thus, you need to provide a lot of buyer-oriented information, like case studies and white papers, in your PPC campaigns, as opposed to the ?hot deals? that drive immediate transactions in the B2C world.

Finally, the sales cycle is generally longer in B2B?in fact, it?s often three to six months or more. So your PPC return on investment will often come months down the road. Just tell your boss PPC is an investment in the future?because it is!

PPC Tips for B2B Businesses

At its core, a B2B PPC campaign is just like a B2C one. You have campaigns, ad groups, keywords, and so on, just like B2C?but you?ve got to keep the market characteristics in mind.

1. Research

The previously mentioned examples?ground-penetrating radar and hydraulic tie-rod cylinders?are actual clients I?ve worked with. My reaction when I got the accounts was probably similar to yours: What the what?

For those types of clients, and really any B2B PPC situation, you?ll have to dig in and conduct some serious research to run a top-notch B2B campaign. Why is this? Because even though you might understand your market, applying it to the PPC channel is a different matter, one that?s full of pitfalls.

An example of this is my client in the hydraulic cylinders business. Through the course of my research, I learned there are tie-rod cylinders and there are welded-body cylinders. My client sells only tie-rod cylinders, but when I looked in the account he set up (and had been running for a few months, spending thousands of dollars), I noticed he was getting clicks for welded cylinders, too.

Had I not bothered to do some research, I would have assumed ?a hydraulic cylinder is a hydraulic cylinder? and not caught this wasteful spend. As a result, I made sure to add ?welded? as a negative keyword and called out ?tie-rod cylinders? in the ad copy to avoid the shoppers looking for welded-body cylinders, pre-qualifying clicks and saving the client some dough along the way.

The takeaway is this: Even though you understand your market, be aware that Google and Bing do not, and they?ll try to match you to as many types of keywords as possible. So stay on top of your search query report.

Research takes some time, so if you?re looking for a way to outline your strategy, check out an article I wrote last year for more tips on researching a new client.

2. Keywords

Now that you understand the market and who your buyers are (right?), you can address the keywords themselves.

Keyword research and match type strategies are essentially the same for B2B as they are for B2C. One caveat, however, is the preponderance of acronym searches in B2B. The acronym ?GPR,? for example, gets four times the search volume of ?ground penetrating radar.? Whatever your industry, find out what words the customers are using.

On that note, B2B tends to have part and model numbers that sell frequently and get lots of searches. Going back to the tie-rod example, business searchers will use a model number, like ?TX-2500 cylinder,? which comes in handy when bidding on exact-search terms and crafting ads.

You can also tie in the specific application for your B2B product or service when conducting research. Append the target market, like the construction industry or farming, to find valuable long-tail terms like ?GPR for construction? or ?farming hydraulic tie-rods.?

When it comes to bidding and CPCs, they can be all over the board, just as in B2C. Without a doubt, though, there?s more room for ?loose? bidding when you?re talking about high-dollar items and services. In other words, B2B typically has higher profit margins, so last month?s dollar increase in CPC isn?t a big deal.

Because we?re talking B2B, think also from the viewpoint of the company who?s looking for you. Their internal nomenclature includes words like ?vendor? and ?supplier,? so make sure you explore those, along with ?companies,? ?providers,? and ?tools,? in your keyword combinations, e.g., ?PPC software vendors? or ?GPR suppliers.?

As in B2C, negative keywords for B2B will typically include words like ?reviews,? ?jobs,? and ?free.?

3. Campaigns & Ad Groups

Due to the research-heavy nature of B2B, it?s a good idea to put your keywords in campaigns and ad groups that address the various stages of the purchase funnel?and follow the same strategy with landing pages. At the top of the funnel you have research, followed by consideration, then the commitment (purchase) decision at the bottom of the funnel.

Think in terms of the research stage all the way down to the commit stage, and build your campaigns and ad groups around this. So you might have a research campaign/ad groups, consideration campaign/ad groups, and conversion campaign/ad groups.

The benefits of this are invaluable: You?ll know your campaign and/or ad groups with ?vendor? in them are the folks who are at the research phase of the purchase process. Knowing this, in your ad copy it might be best to tout your recent awards or a white paper. Over time, you?ll be able to measure your ROI at the various stages of the purchase funnel and plan your budgets accordingly.

4. Ad Copy

Ad copy presents a major difference in the B2B market when compared to B2C, though best practices are still to be followed. Because of the multiple stakeholders and various stages of purchase, when you craft your ad copy, be cognizant of appropriate calls-to-action (CTA?s) and offers.

For example, in the B2B PPC world, you rarely, if ever, would use the CTAs ?buy now? or ?order today??more likely you?ll say ?get more information,? or ?contact us today,? or ?download our free white paper.? The reason behind this is you?re dealing with buyers who need a lot of time (remember that long sales cycle), are just conducting research, and wouldn?t be able to ?buy now? even if they wanted to due to their internal processes and the potentially hefty price of your product or service. In addition, they?ll often want to speak to someone at your company, rather than just clicking at ?Add to Cart? button as in the B2C world.

Are there exceptions to this? You bet there are?it just depends on the product or service.

If you don?t know who your typical buyer is (is it the CEO? the accountant? the marketer?) then write ads targeted to these groups and measure their performance. Use phrases like ?cost-effective,? ?easy to use,? ?easy to integrate,? ?ranked best in class,? and so on to see what resonates with your potential buyer.

Additional ad copy tips:

• Specificity is key ? for example, you don?t just sell hydraulic cylinders, you sell hydraulic tie-rod cylinders.
• Use your ad copy to prequalify customers. Mention price points so you can avoid the people who are looking for cheap tools. For example, ?Starting at $500 per month?? will quickly disqualify the people who can?t afford your product or service.
• Buyers are looking for suppliers for possible long-term relationships. You need to make sure your copy speaks to the buyer?s pain points in a clear, compelling way. You feel their pain, you have the solution, and you can walk them through all phases of the purchase funnel.
• Use social proof ? show off your Google plus-ones in your sitelinks. If you don?t have that set up, get started on it.
• Use credibility examples whenever you have them ? phrases like ?top-rated,? ?award-winning,? and ?voted best-in-class.?
• Show prospects how easy it is to do business with your company. Do this in your ads by calling out GSA (government) pricing if you offer it, the fact you accept POs (purchase orders) if you do, or that you offer financing terms, if that?s the case.
• Be the trusted source for information ? use your sitelinks to share white papers, e-books, case studies, downloadable forms, financing calculators, and anything else someone might need in the research phase.

5. Measurement

With the longer sales cycle, it?s imperative that you track your site?s visitors closely with Google Analytics or another analytics software package.

Over that three- to six-month sales cycle, your prospects might come back repeatedly to get more information?so hopefully you?re adding more information to your site regularly. Or, you can try remarketing to make sure you?re regularly stalking, err, I mean, are in front of your prospects on a consistent basis.

What this really means is today?s click costs may not actually be conversions for 180 days or more?so hang on for the long haul.

Conclusion

By now you realize the B2B PPC world requires a long view, especially when compared to the wham-bam world of B2C PPC. It is, however, a highly effective way to get your B2B organization in front of new prospects?and without pulling trade-show duty.

About the Author

This is a guest post by Brad McMillen,?an internet marketing consultant and freelance copywriter at Mac Strat in Redondo Beach, California. He manages pay-per-click campaigns, performs SEO audits, and writes web copy. He rarely has a case of the Mondays, and he enjoys watching people surf while he works.

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Source: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2013/07/18/b2b-ppc-guide

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10 Movies Surprisingly Based on True Stories

By Brian Boone - July, 16th 2013

This week the ?found footage?-style horror movie fades briefly and unexpectedly into oblivion like a spooky ghost girl in favor of The Conjuring, a horror movie with a traditional narrative form. Those found footage movies work so well because they introduce an extra, meta level of fear ? this shit isn?t a movie?it?s real! And it looks real, because it looks like home video footage. The Conjuring, while a regular narrative-style film with a high budget and known actors like Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor, also boasts that real-life fear factor, as it is based on the accounts of the Peron family, who hired paranormal investigators to check out their supposedly haunted Rhode Island farmhouse.

Believe of that what you will. But here are 10 other movies that, believe it or not, are also based on true stories?extensive artistic license notwithstanding.

Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, of all people, wrote the screenplay, using as their source the book Golden Girl, the sad and salacious biography of NBC News anchor Jessica Savitch, best known for once flubbing her lines on air due to drugs and dying at the age of 36 in a car accident. But what a bummer! The movie actually made is a romantic drama about news anchors underscored with a Celine Dion song.

Sure, it looked like Blair Witch in the water, but this terrifying, highly cinematic movie about two swimmers left behind by their ship to their inevitable deaths is based on the story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, two scuba divers left behind to their inevitable deaths.

In adapting a true story for film, liberties must be taken, such as heightening the drama or compositing characters. Or, in the case of Cool Runnings, changing all the names of the actual Jamaican bobsled team participants for some reason, completely inventing a crusty old coach character with something to prove, and making the other bobsled teams that were in real life supportive into vaguely racist villains.

Robin Williams found the perfect mix of his zany comic stylings and dramatic acting gifts as Armed Forces Radio disc jockey Adrian Cronauer. In between zany bits, he delivers vehement anti-war dispatches that get him kicked out of the Army. Except that in real life, Cronauer didn?t do any political material because he?s a pro-war, life-long Republican who didn?t want to get court-martialed, and who left Vietnam when his tour of duty concluded.

Will Smith plays a homeless guy who gets into the training program of a brokerage?all while living on the streets with his son. Yeah, it?s dramatic and inspirational, and yes, the real-life Chris Gardner did rise through the ranks of a brokerage while homeless, but he didn?t have his son with him. He was home, safe and sound with his mother. And that big climactic scene where Gardner almost misses his big interview because of tickets from illegally parking the car he lives in? Yeah, in real life he was detained for domestic abuse.

Even writing about Mask suddenly makes it all dusty in here, but here goes. Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz) was a real teenager who had an overlarge and misshapen head and face because of an eventually fatal genetic disorder. The film is a low-key, largely non-manipulative account of Dennis?s short life, culminating in his stint as a counselor at a camp for blind children, where he falls in love with a blind teenager. Having done the greatest thing in life, to fall in love, Dennis can and then does die. Ready for Mask to be sadder? Because Rocky Dennis never worked at a camp for blind kids. He never fell in love with a blind girl. And he himself went blind, as a result of his condition, at age 6.

Capote is a great movie, and Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a routinely stellar performance. But the gist of the movie is that writing about that murder in Kansas, and befriending the murderer who is executed for his crimes, leaves Capote so dead inside that he never writes again. Yes. Capote never wrote anything again, except for a bunch of short stories, newspaper columns, some nonfiction anthologies, and a few novellas. But other than that, he never wrote again.

This is a cute Disney family film about adorable sled dogs lost in Antarctica and the researcher who finds them. Of the eight adorable dogs, six happily and adorably survive to discovery. It?s based on the story of an ill-fated expedition in Antarctica by Japanese explorers in 1958. When the 15 Huskies were found, two were still alive. Not exactly the movie your five-year-old would be clamoring to see.

Despite the chants of ?Rudy? from the crowd, mean old coach Dan Devine won?t let Rudy play in the big game! But then the rest of the Fighting Irish won?t play unless Rudy gets to play, so Rudy gets to play! The real story is a bit less dramatic. The team was super supportive of Rudy and wanted the little guy to play in the last game of the season. And so did the coach. So he let Rudy play. And Rudy played.

Basically The Conjuring, but oozing with James Brolin and widely debunked as a hoax.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927885/news/1927885/

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Ohio State Football: Why Urban Meyer Has Gotten the Full Attention of the SEC

Urban Meyer has only been at Ohio State for one season, and he already has the attention of several coaches from the SEC, namely Will Muschamp and Nick Saban.

OSU has not officially beaten an SEC team in a bowl game after its 2011 Sugar Bowl win was vacated.

But Meyer knows the SEC, has won SEC championships and knows what it takes to beat a top-flight SEC team.

The two coaches who have made mention of Meyer, albeit in equally condescending fashion, have intimate ties with Meyer's work in the past few years. Muschamp, of course, replaced Meyer after he resigned at Florida, and Saban coached against Meyer in consecutive SEC Championship Games.

Muschamp opened SEC Media Days with a jab at Meyer's Buckeyes after Meyer turned in the Gators for two secondary recruiting violations:

"In both situations, we were turned in by Ohio. We didn't do anything wrong. The University of Florida didn't do anything wrong. And so we appreciated our friends from Ohio making sure we're compliant with NCAA rules. They certainly know a little bit about that subject."

This comes months after Saban made comments about Ohio State's weak conference opposition and how the 2012 Buckeyes would have struggled playing the Crimson Tide's schedule.

A lot of this seems like unprovoked banter, which means more eyes, especially from the South, will be on Meyer at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago on July 24-25.

But it's clear that Meyer is a threat to the dominance of the SEC in college football.

Ironically enough, Meyer started the run by blasting Ohio State 41-14 in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game. He has won a second title in a streak which now stands at seven straight titles.

He seems like the most capable candidate at the moment of ending the streak.

It may not happen this year, even though the Buckeyes are among the favorites to bring home the final BCS Championship before college football institutes the four-team playoff.?But if anyone is going to end the streak, however, Meyer and the Buckeyes are among the favorites to do so.

And the SEC seems to recognize it.

College football has been a coach-dominated sport, with the men wearing headsets being the personalities and faces of their respective programs.

Meyer's personality is very SEC-like. He's an in-your-face type of coach with an aggressive attitude and brutal honesty at times.

It can rub a lot of coaches the wrong way and it's spread outside of the conference, namely to his biggest coaching rival and his successor.

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Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim for the latest college football news and updates.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1706633-ohio-state-football-why-urban-meyer-has-gotten-the-full-attention-of-the-sec

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Best Online Packages to Buy Backlinks for Improving Serp Ranking ...

Sherman Oaks, CA; July 16, 2013:?Any website owner or webmaster will be well aware of the importance of high quality backlinks that can help optimize a website?s online performance. Backlinks can improve the reputation of a website and can also better its search engine ranking. This is the way to bring the targeted audience from other websites and add to the online traffic of a particular website. In order to address such performance related optimization needs of websites and a variety of other web based platforms, Marketing1on1 now introduces their buy backlink services that are affordable as well as result-oriented.?

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However, he maintains that backlinking is not as easy task and hence it must be left with a professional firm only. If one tries it oneself and things gone wrong, it can invite the Google?s wrath. Google has started penalizing websites that have been discovered using the techniques of unnatural link farming. Moreover, the link building packages available at http://www.marketing1on1.com/buy-backlinks/ are very affordable option to get the professional help of a qualified and experienced SEO team.?

The professionals of Marketing1on1 maintain that they don?t just believe in link exchange with any site. At first, they study the website, its niche, its target audience and keep note of their online goals. After a thorough and careful analysis, a detailed plan is prepared to accomplish the link building task in a phased manner. According to them, a client starts witnessing important changes in their search engine ranking and also starts receiving huge traffic after just a few weeks? time. One can check their backlink building packages by following the link http://www.marketing1on1.com/buy-backlinks/ .?

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Source: http://www.101pressrelease.com/?p=7898

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Transmitter subject of London 787 fire probe

British authorities say there's no evidence that the fire at Heathrow was related to the previous battery problems on 787 Dreamliners.

A transmitter at the rear of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing Co. 787 that caught fire last week in London is the subject of the fire's investigation.

The New York Times reports the emergency locator transmitter, made by Honeywell Aerospace, is the focus of the investigation.

If it's determined that the Honeywell device indeed sparked the blaze, that would be a relief to Boeing (NYSE: BA), which would be able to trace the problem to a specific item on the plane, rather than something in the plane's unique electrical and battery systems.

British aviation investigators said Saturday that evidence from Friday's fire at Heathrow Airport suggests the fire did not result from the aircraft's lithium-ion batteries.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vertical_64/~3/ZK4xncxdPYs/transmitter-subject-of-london-787-fire.html

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Best Deals for Property in Bangalore | Real Estate

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In this present era in India, Bangalore, a well established business hub of India now and it has become the center of attraction to earn money easily. Most of the people who had established their career in this metropolitan city, plan to buy their own house in this city. As Bangalore is one of those cities where you can find all the modern facilities like shopping malls, multiplexes, hospitals, hotels etc. There are many small, medium and large enterprises running in this city, as the commercial properties in Bangalore are always in demand beside the residential properties. So the property developer in Bangalore can help to establish businesses in acquiring the best commercial property as well as the residential personal property in Bangalore which is appropriate as well as reasonably priced.

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Thus the business of Bangalore real estate is now increases day by day and always committed to their duty to help people to get their desire information about all the aspects of real estate in India. To be secure from such false deals it is essential to efficient actions to establish the genuineness of the dealer and the property that you are going to buy. On that demand real estate websites can be your right guide where you can get all the latest and relevant listing of this field of real estate.

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There are several reasons for the high turnover in real estate in Bangalore. The excessive demand makes the craze for properties in Bangalore. As the demand is very high, so several established business houses are turns toward the inside into this zone to gain much more profit. Bangalore real estate also make possible to the other people who are trying to get their residence with the proper legal way.

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So availing the real estate services make your deals regarding the property in Bangalore very smooth and in legal way. Not only that but also you can get the brief information about so many home deals in Bangalore and exclusive facilities to having a good deal as per your need with these services. Again we can advice you that before buying or selling of any property, you should know the every detail about that property dealing. On that demand a real estate guide have to be needed for anyone to choose or search the perfect property. Are you looking properties for sale in bangalore, apartments in bangalore, properties for sale in whitefield, sarjapur road, electronic city in and around areas.? Common Floor can help you to take the right move and find a property then.

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Source: http://ravichauhanweb.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/best-deals-for-property-in-bangalore/

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Even healthy-looking smokers have early cell damage which destroys necessary genetic programming

Public release date: 16-Jul-2013
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Contact: John Rodgers
pr@med.cornell.edu
646-317-7401
Weill Cornell Medical College

Study shows that even if X-rays and other exams are normal, airway cells show early damage by activating genes seen in embryos and aggressive lung cancer

NEW YORK (July 16, 2013) -- Smokers who've received a clean bill of health from their doctor may believe cigarettes haven't harmed their lungs. However, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have found that even smokers who seem healthy have damaged airway cells, with characteristics similar to cells found in aggressive lung cancer.

The study, published today in the journal Stem Cell, compared cells that line the airway from healthy nonsmokers with those from smokers with no detectable lung disease. The smokers' cells showed early signs of impairment, similar to that found in lung cancer -- providing evidence that smoking causes harm, even when there is no clinical evidence that anything is wrong.

"The study doesn't say these people have cancer, but that the cells are already starting to lose control and become disordered," says the study's senior investigator, Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "The smoker thinks they are normal, and their doctor's exam is normal, but we know at the biologic level that all cigarette smokers' lungs are abnormal to some degree."

The researchers found that in the cells lining the airways of the smokers's lungs, human embryonic stem cell genes had been turned on. These are genes that are normally expressed in developing embryos -- soon after eggs are fertilized -- before cells are programmed with their specific assignment. This gene is also "on" in the most aggressive, hard-to-treat lung cancers.

"We were surprised to see that the smokers were expressing these very primitive human embryonic stem cell genes," Dr. Crystal says. "These genes are not normally functioning in the healthy lung."

Healthy lung cells, like all of the body's cells, have very specific assignments. Although all of the body's cells contain the same genes, genes are only "turned on" for each cell's defined task. Therefore, healthy lung cells only express genes related to lung function, while brain cells express brain-specific genes. "Healthy cells are very tightly controlled. Normal cells have rules and only do certain things," says Dr. Crystal. "In cancer, that control is lost."

This loss of control allows cancerous cells to multiply without restraint and enables them to migrate to other organs because the genetic programming that keeps them on task is in disarray. The study found that smokers' cells were in the very early stages of losing this control.

"When you smoke a cigarette, some of the genetic programming of your lung cells is lost," says Dr. Crystal. "Your cells take on the appearance of a more primitive cell. It doesn't necessarily mean you will develop cancer, but that the soil is fertile to develop cancer."

In the study, 21 healthy nonsmokers were compared to 31 smokers who had no lung disease symptoms and had normal X-rays as well as normal chest examinations. All individuals were evaluated at Weill Cornell's Clinical and Translational Science Center and Department of Genetic Medicine Clinical Research Facility. By sending a thin tube called a bronchoscope and a fine brush into the lungs, investigators gently brushed the inside of the airways to collect cells from the airway's lining. Researchers examined these cells, called the airway epithelium, which come into contact with cigarette smoke and are where cancer begins, Dr. Crystal says.

Routine checkups can mislead smokers into thinking cigarettes aren't hurting their bodies. However, these results paint a different picture. "Physical examinations, lung function tests and chest x-rays are not sensitive enough to pick up these very early changes," Dr. Crystal warns doctors and smokers. "The take-home message is: Don't smoke. Smoking is bad and if you smoke, you're at risk."

Additional studies are needed to determine why exposure to smoke causes these changes, so that researchers can pinpoint particular areas for designing treatments. "This study gives us clues about how cells look on the way to developing lung cancer, which can help us develop therapies," Dr. Crystal says.

Beyond treatments, Dr. Crystal also hopes the research can lay the foundation for lung cancer prevention. Smoking is an addiction, he says, and despite high taxes and ads describing the dangers, 20 percent of the population continues to smoke. "Eventually, the goal is to develop therapies to protect the airways from cigarettes and other pollutants," Dr. Crystal says. "Understanding these very early events will give us clues and help us develop ways to protect the lungs."

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Co-authors of the study include Dr. Renat Shaykhiev, Dr. Rui Wang, Rachel K. Zwick, Dr. Neil R. Hackett, Dr. Roland Leung, Dr. Malcolm A. S. Moore, Dr. Camelia S. Sima, IonWa Chao, Yael Strulovici-Barel and Jacqueline Salit from Weill Cornell Medical College; and Dr. Robert J. Downey from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing news treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances -- including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with the Methodist Hospital in Houston. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

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Public release date: 16-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Rodgers
pr@med.cornell.edu
646-317-7401
Weill Cornell Medical College

Study shows that even if X-rays and other exams are normal, airway cells show early damage by activating genes seen in embryos and aggressive lung cancer

NEW YORK (July 16, 2013) -- Smokers who've received a clean bill of health from their doctor may believe cigarettes haven't harmed their lungs. However, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have found that even smokers who seem healthy have damaged airway cells, with characteristics similar to cells found in aggressive lung cancer.

The study, published today in the journal Stem Cell, compared cells that line the airway from healthy nonsmokers with those from smokers with no detectable lung disease. The smokers' cells showed early signs of impairment, similar to that found in lung cancer -- providing evidence that smoking causes harm, even when there is no clinical evidence that anything is wrong.

"The study doesn't say these people have cancer, but that the cells are already starting to lose control and become disordered," says the study's senior investigator, Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "The smoker thinks they are normal, and their doctor's exam is normal, but we know at the biologic level that all cigarette smokers' lungs are abnormal to some degree."

The researchers found that in the cells lining the airways of the smokers's lungs, human embryonic stem cell genes had been turned on. These are genes that are normally expressed in developing embryos -- soon after eggs are fertilized -- before cells are programmed with their specific assignment. This gene is also "on" in the most aggressive, hard-to-treat lung cancers.

"We were surprised to see that the smokers were expressing these very primitive human embryonic stem cell genes," Dr. Crystal says. "These genes are not normally functioning in the healthy lung."

Healthy lung cells, like all of the body's cells, have very specific assignments. Although all of the body's cells contain the same genes, genes are only "turned on" for each cell's defined task. Therefore, healthy lung cells only express genes related to lung function, while brain cells express brain-specific genes. "Healthy cells are very tightly controlled. Normal cells have rules and only do certain things," says Dr. Crystal. "In cancer, that control is lost."

This loss of control allows cancerous cells to multiply without restraint and enables them to migrate to other organs because the genetic programming that keeps them on task is in disarray. The study found that smokers' cells were in the very early stages of losing this control.

"When you smoke a cigarette, some of the genetic programming of your lung cells is lost," says Dr. Crystal. "Your cells take on the appearance of a more primitive cell. It doesn't necessarily mean you will develop cancer, but that the soil is fertile to develop cancer."

In the study, 21 healthy nonsmokers were compared to 31 smokers who had no lung disease symptoms and had normal X-rays as well as normal chest examinations. All individuals were evaluated at Weill Cornell's Clinical and Translational Science Center and Department of Genetic Medicine Clinical Research Facility. By sending a thin tube called a bronchoscope and a fine brush into the lungs, investigators gently brushed the inside of the airways to collect cells from the airway's lining. Researchers examined these cells, called the airway epithelium, which come into contact with cigarette smoke and are where cancer begins, Dr. Crystal says.

Routine checkups can mislead smokers into thinking cigarettes aren't hurting their bodies. However, these results paint a different picture. "Physical examinations, lung function tests and chest x-rays are not sensitive enough to pick up these very early changes," Dr. Crystal warns doctors and smokers. "The take-home message is: Don't smoke. Smoking is bad and if you smoke, you're at risk."

Additional studies are needed to determine why exposure to smoke causes these changes, so that researchers can pinpoint particular areas for designing treatments. "This study gives us clues about how cells look on the way to developing lung cancer, which can help us develop therapies," Dr. Crystal says.

Beyond treatments, Dr. Crystal also hopes the research can lay the foundation for lung cancer prevention. Smoking is an addiction, he says, and despite high taxes and ads describing the dangers, 20 percent of the population continues to smoke. "Eventually, the goal is to develop therapies to protect the airways from cigarettes and other pollutants," Dr. Crystal says. "Understanding these very early events will give us clues and help us develop ways to protect the lungs."

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Co-authors of the study include Dr. Renat Shaykhiev, Dr. Rui Wang, Rachel K. Zwick, Dr. Neil R. Hackett, Dr. Roland Leung, Dr. Malcolm A. S. Moore, Dr. Camelia S. Sima, IonWa Chao, Yael Strulovici-Barel and Jacqueline Salit from Weill Cornell Medical College; and Dr. Robert J. Downey from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing news treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances -- including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with the Methodist Hospital in Houston. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/wcmc-ehs071513.php

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When using temps, make sure temp agency retains control of ...

Using temporary workers can be an effective way to stretch your labor budget without making a long-term staffing commitment. But if a temp sues over alleged discrimination, you may not have saved much money.

To prevent surprises, make sure you treat the temp as a guest?leave the employment details to the agency that supplies the temp. That way, he can?t later claim he was really your employee.

Recent case: Jason worked for Kelly Services and was assigned to a UPS location where he handled billing and collection. Kelly Services managed all payroll matters, including vacation and sick leave. UPS didn?t even provide Jason with a key or swipe card as it did other employees. Instead, every day he reported for duty, he had to be buzzed in after ringing a bell.

When UPS discovered that it was paying Jason for hours not worked and that he might have been altering his time sheets, it told Kelly to find another temp.

Jason sued, alleging that he was a UPS employee and had been fired because of his sexual orientation.

UPS won the case after the court concluded Jason was Kelly?s em??ployee, not UPS?. It looked at factors like workplace access to determine that Jason was a temp and not an employee who could sue UPS. (Scott v. UPS, No. 12-2886, 3rd Cir., 2013)

Final note: The biggest determining factor for whether a worker is an employee or a temp or independent contractor is control.

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Moto X Phone vs. Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5, 5S for price

The next few months will see a battle between popular smartphone brands intensify. We will see the Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Moto X Phone when the latter handset reveals full specs in detail, and both of these phones will take on the Apple iPhone 5S or 6 when it launches within the next 2 months.

We could also see the Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5 in a new cheap version, which would be a twist on the previous comparisons, especially where the price is concerned. The cost is also going to be a major point for some people and this is exactly what an article on Forbes has touched on.

Now that we are in the second half of 2013 and moving towards the busy shopping season, it seems that price will be a vital point along with the competition between brands increasing in the fight for your custom.

The Moto X Phone has already been in the hands of Google?s chairman and a number of photos revealing the Moto X in Eric Schmidt?s hands made some people a little jealous. You can see all the hands-on photos with Google?s Moto X Phone in their article.

Back to Forbes, you can see in their article that they feel strongly about the Samsung Galaxy S4 reducing its price to compete with the upcoming iPhone 5S and Moto X Phone. The author makes it clear that a price war is coming, but in our opinion the plastic iPhone 5 with a cheaper price point is almost certain considering the range of leaks.

It will be interesting to see how this cheap iPhone 5 competes with the range of Galaxy S4 models and their price points, although Apple will need to get the specs up to scratch even with a cheaper price.

With Google investing hundreds of millions into the Moto X Phone, this will have an impact on Apple?s launch plans and Samsung?s aim for smartphone feature dominance, but we highly doubt any phone could stop Apple?s iPhone 5S if it launches with some vital changes. This is especially true for the extremely loyal Apple fans, and there are millions of them in many countries.

For those of our readers considering to purchase a new smartphone this year: will you be leaning towards the Moto X Phone, a version of the Galaxy S4, the new iPhone 5S or even a cheaper iPhone 5 potentially featuring a plastic back cover?

Source: http://www.product-reviews.net/2013/07/14/moto-x-phone-vs-galaxy-s4-and-iphone-5-5s-for-price/

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Common autism supplement affects endocrine system

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Plant-based diets are healthy. Plants are high in flavonoids. So flavonoids are healthy. At least that's the reasoning of many manufacturers of flavonoid-based nutritional supplements. But a new study shows that may not be the case. Flavonoids tested in the study affected the endocrine system in ways that in one case promoted cancer and in another repressed it.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/Q8OQfzBnflc/130715151158.htm

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Chinese police probe GSK deals

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Source: www.ft.com --- Sunday, July 14, 2013
The chief investigator said the police were probing Rmb3bn in transactions involving GSK and 700 other companies, some of which were allegedly used to facilitate bribery ...

Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8af49966-ed04-11e2-8096-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=published_links/rss/home_us/feed//product

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What To Do About Sohu - Seeking Alpha

Sohu.com (SOHU) is one of the leading portals and online game companies in the Chinese Internet market. Its businesses consist of brand advertising, search business where it owns ''Sogou.com'', and online gaming business. Under the online gaming business segment, Changyou.com is another subsidiary it owns. Sohu, along with its subsidiaries, competes in China's internet market among fierce competition. Baidu (BIDU) and SINA are the biggest players in the market for the search engine and Internet information.

Total Returns Comparison
(click to enlarge)

Source: Ychart.com

The chart above compares Sohu's total annual to the S&P 500 index and its peers including Baidu and SINA. When compared to its competitors, the total returns offered by Sohu are impressive. Taking the total returns from the past year into consideration, Sohu provided around 58.57% of returns on every dollar invested by the investors. In this same year, its competitors were miles away from Sohu in terms of providing returns to their investors. In fact, Baidu, the market leader in the search engine business in China, provided negative returns in the past year. This was due to increased investment activities and operating cost. Moreover, Sohu posted more than twice the returns posted by S&P 500 index in the past year. This compelling performance was possible due to strength in the online gaming business and increase in brand ads revenue during the year.

Future performance of the company is not drawn by looking at returns in the past, current business activities also have weightage. Let's find out what activities the company is engaged in currently to generate revenue in the future.

Brand advertising will ramp up

According to Analysys International, Sohu ranked second in advertising sales among online video players in China with 10.3% market share. Its strong financial strength and synergies created from its other online services supports the company's place amongst the leaders. Online video advertising revenue will reach $16.3 billion in 2013 compared to $12.2 billion in 2012. Increased expenditure on online advertisement will drive growth. The tightening TV advertising policies by the Chinese government may help accelerate the shift of marketing budgets to the online video platform.

Going forward, Sohu plans to take advantage of this situation and start monetizing this opportunity in the mobile video platform. The mobile video platform contributes approximately 30% of its total video traffic and has crossed the 100 million customer mark. The company has an excellent opportunity with the airing of the most popular reality TV show ''Voice of China 2'' during the second half of this year. Sohu plans to make this TV show available on its mobile video platform. The pre-selling of ad-slots is observing strong demand from advertisers. It is working with Samsung (SSNLF.PK) for pre-installation of its customized Sohu video application in Galaxy S4 for this event. The management expects Samsung will sell more than 100 million mobile devices including phones and tablets in China over the next three years. In addition, it has a strategic cooperation agreement with China Unicom (CHU) to provide special data packages to promote this application.

This monetization opportunity will result in a revenue boost from advertisements. Sohu reported $80 million of revenue in the first quarter of 2013 for its brand advertisement segment, primarily due to advertisement from the FMCG and Real Estate sectors. The company will observe a rise in advertisers from Hotel, Financial, and Telecom sectors this year. Sohu will route advertisements from these sectors to the mobile video platform. The mobile monetization will aid the company to generate an impressive $397 million of revenue in the fiscal year 2013 for this segment.

Search engine business on its way to growth

Sogou.com, a search engine subsidiary of Sohu, continues to progress based on monetization of its search and web directory traffic. According to the company, paid search sales surged by 67%, year-over-year, to $27.1 million in first quarter of 2013, contributing 69% of total Sogou.com's revenue. The reason for the upsurge was escalation of Sogou's market share to 7.85% in the search engine market in China. This year, Sogou plans to continue to enhance the functionality of its core products including Sogou Pinyin.

Sogou recently launched the second version, Sogou Pinyin 2.0, a typing tool with new set of features. The new features will offer a user, that searches for a keyword in the input bar, with corresponding search results, automatically displaying below the typing input bar. For example, when a user types in the name of a movie using Sogou Pinyin, the feature will display internet links, which will direct the user to the content without going through the search functionality. This feature converts Pinyin from a pure typing tool to a search tool. In the first quarter of 2013, Sogou Pinyin added 11 million new users, from the previous quarter, and reached a penetration level of more than 88% in the market.

In March, Sogou.com's monthly active users grew by 34% to 123 million from December last year. A major contributor was its core product Pinyin. The new upgrade will help the company attract more users, which will influence the revenue it generates from advertisements on the application. Sogou.com posted $39 million of revenue in the first quarter of 2013, which was down 4% from the earlier quarter. However, looking at Pinyin's increased penetration, the management projected that the subsidiary will experience an increase of 22% - 27% sequential growth. I assume that Sogou.com will perform as per this projection and continue at this pace for the remaining year.

Constant growth in the gaming arm

Changyou.com, another subisdiary of Sohu, is currently engaged in developing and operating massively multiplayer online games, or MMORG. Changyou.com is responsible for approximately 54% of Sohu's online gaming revenue. The subsidiary's more than 50% contribution is due to strong average revenue per user, or ARPU. The ARPU for Changyou.com comes from a massive 77% year-over-year growth to $64.97 in the first quarter of 2013. The reason for this massive growth was the company's player segmentation strategy for its flagship game Tian Long Ba Bu, or TLBB. Under this strategy, it provided different game features for advanced high paying users and low paying casual users. Looking at this performance, the company launched an expansion pack for TLBB on April 25, 2013 and expects to launch its annual expansion pack in the second half of this year.

Additionally, the product pipeline for Changyou.com has more launches this year as it is eyeing the mobile gaming space in China. Changyou.com plans to launch Xuanyuan Sword 6 and two licensed games including Grand Chase, a Japanese anime-style MMORG, in the second half of this year. Focusing on mobile gaming space, iResearch China stated that the Chinese mobile game enterprises generated revenue of $1.43 billion in 2012. The strong growth rate of 53.1% will guide the revenue generated from the same to $2.18 billion in this year. In line with this growth, the company is planning to launch two mobile games this year. Changyou.com's team of over 200 gaming engineers, including both internal employees and outside mobile industry professionals, is developing free-to-play mobile games. These mobile games will cater to the rising number of mobile gamers in China, which will reach 360 million in 2014 from 215 million users in 2012. The company has an excellent opportunity to generate revenue from the rising number of mobile users. This will help the online gaming segment to produce $709 million in the fiscal year 2013 compared to $575 million in the previous fiscal year.

Sohu's comparison to its peers for total past returns to investors and its revenue generating business segments are representing a potential upside in the performance. However, is this enough to form a positive view of the company? The answer is definitely ''NO''. I have analyzed some of the factors that can act as a speed bump on its road to success.

Sustained cost pressure

This year will be an investment year for Sohu. Online video content prices have stabilized 20% - 30% since 2012, where per episode cost was around $81,000. Inversely, Sohu will continue to ramp up the investment of video content. The increase in content investment is due to the free TV dramas that are still the most powerful source to attract higher rates of online viewers. The investment activities will most likely offset the decline in prices of video content. I also expect a spike in content costs in the third quarter of 2013 due to the beginning of the new season of Voice of China 2.

Furthermore, Sogou.com will have to hike investments to compete with Qihoo 360 Technology, which is Sogou.com's competitor in the search engine business. However, the investment strategy may not work for Sogou.com as it has a market share of 7.85%, as discussed earlier, compared to Qihoo's second postion of 12.36%. It will also increase its investment activities in the marketing of its recently launched core product, Pinyin.

In addition, mobile usage in China has surged significantly over the past six to 12 months for Sohu, especially in online video. The reason for this is a rise in the number of mobile subscriptions in China, reaching 1.17 billion subscribers in May 2013, a 12% year-over-year growth. Because of this, the company will likely see higher bandwidth costs from increased traffic in 2013 that will have a negative impact on its bottom-line. Sohu will start monetizing its online videos with mobile advertisements in the second half of this year. Despite lower-quality video on mobile versus desktop, mobile video compression technology is not yet as advanced as that of desktop, resulting in higher bandwidth costs.

All of these activities will negatively affect the operating margin for the company. I assume the operating expenses for this year will rise to $586 million, compared to $474 in the prior year. This will directly affect the operating margin for the company, which was 21% for the fiscal year 2012. Based on increased expenses in various business segments, the operating margin will drop by more than 9% to 19% in the current year.

(click to enlarge)

Conclusion

Looking at Sohu's past year performance of the stock price, it has been trading between $33.75 and $68.58. It reached its 52-week high of $68.58 on May 20, 2013. The company's robust performances in various business segments during the year contributed to this upside. The management's intimation about the launch of the second version of its core product, Pinyin, was one of the reasons for major upside as well as the product pipeline for Changyou.com and heavy monetizing opportunities.

(click to enlarge)

Source: Yahoo! Finance

I assume the investors have already discounted all these factors, resulting in the upside movement on the stock. Considering this, I conclude that the stock price will trade at the current levels for this year.

Therefore, I recommend a hold on this stock.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1547612-what-to-do-about-sohu?source=feed

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Stuart Reid on GOP Foreign Policy

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Source: www.c-spanvideo.org --- Saturday, July 13, 2013
Foreign Affairs Magazine Senior Editor Stuart Reid discusses his piece in Washington Monthly magazine which on the shift within the GOP on foreign policy issues - and how Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) became a force in the party based on his foreign policy stances. ...

Source: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/313960-5

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Texas Football: What Connor Brewer's Transfer Means for the Longhorns

How quickly things can change.

Less than six months ago, the Texas Longhorns were heading into spring camp with five quarterbacks on their roster. And now, with Connor Brewer recently announcing his intention to transfer out of Texas, the 'Horns may look sheepishly thin at the position following the 2013 season.

David Ash returns as the incumbent, followed by Nos. 2 and 3 in senior Case McCoy and Tyrone Swoopes, a true freshman who enrolled early, quickly earned high praise and is now a big reason why Texas' quarterback situation is looking undermanned.

With Swoopes jumping up the ladder in a matter of months, it has forced the hand of redshirt freshman Jalen Overstreet?who is transitioning to another position?and Brewer, who has yet to announce where he intends to transfer.

If all other things remain unchanged, the Longhorns will have Ash, McCoy and Swoopes at quarterback for the season. And with McCoy absent from Summer workouts while conducting a 10-week mission trip, it is not out of the question that Swoopes may wind up with the No. 2 spot at some point this year.

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Looking Ahead

In 2014, barring another quarterback commitment, Texas will have a senior Ash, a sophomore or redshirt freshman Swoopes and a true freshman in Jerrod Heard.

If?and it is a big if?Swoopes redshirts, that would mean a whole lot of nothing, as far as experience goes, behind Ash.

mackbrown-texasfootball.com

A sophomore Swoopes would likely mean he saw plenty of snaps in 2013, enough to say he has marginal game-time experience. That would also put some separation between him and the incoming Heard, who, as another dual-threat quarterback, could embrace a redshirt year to ease into the program, as his expectations would be minimal.

In either case, the Longhorns would be crazy thin with experience, and if Ash does not deliver in 2013, then Texas is back to square one at the position.

Now obviously Brewer's presence does not change a thing about the depth in 2013, but he could still challenge Swoopes in 2014 with some healthy competition and perhaps overtake Swoopes. Hey, crazier things have happened.?Competition, they say, breeds success.

In the worst-case scenario, Ash fizzles out and the Longhorns are forced to throw Swoopes into the fire early, which was pretty much what Ash dealt with when Garrett Gilbert did his disappearing act back in 2011. With Swoopes the top guy, only the incoming Heard would serve as Swoopes' competition during the offseason.

But regardless of hypothetical situations, there is little doubt that Brewer's presence would serve great purpose for the program's future. But to each his own.

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What to Expect in 2013, 2014

Peering into the crystal ball, the safest bet is that Ash performs to an acceptable standard, while Swoopes gets his. If the coaches are serious about Swoopes seeing the field, it likely comes with set packages or during garbage time where he can, at the least, acclimate to the atmosphere of the college game.

In the awkward situation where Ash gets hurt, Texas has short-term and long-term options, both of which are reasonable perspectives.

Do the Longhorns run with the senior McCoy, arguably the safer route with the guy who actually has experience and has shown he can perform in spurts? Many will say that McCoy gives Texas its best chance to win if Ash cannot go.

Do the 'Horns roll the dice with Swoopes? If he is to be the next big thing, why not? He will have to step into the fire sooner or later, and if done with the right kind of support?regardless of seasonal outcomes?surely one would want that exposure early in his career to maximize his growth potential.

If Swoopes is the real deal, whether he eases into things behind Ash or explodes onto the scene to steal the show, Heard will be in a comfortable place, able to develop nicely to challenge Swoopes in 2015 at the earliest.

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The Bottom Line

Texas loses Brewer, a guy who looked to have good command of a spread offense in high school and could have performed well in Major Applewhite's system. But at the end of the day, Brewer had to look out for his future.

The move puts the Longhorns in a very interesting position should anything unexpected happen, and their depth could be questionable moving into 2014. Texas, as any program would be, is keen to have enough competition within its ranks to produce the best performers.

But if it is not there, then it is not there. Just look at 2010 and 2011.

It would be a shame for the Longhorns to climb this high, only to fall apart because of frustrating quarterback circumstances.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1696249-texas-football-what-connor-brewers-transfer-means-for-the-longhorns

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Lance Armstrong Changes Homes Like We Change Our Underwear ...

I wonder how hard it is for him to get his mail these days with how often Lance Armstrong is changing addresses. Armstrong?s adventure in Austin real estate started in Dripping Springs with his mammoth custom estate, but?I am sure his catalogs and magazines are going to be at least a month late considering that, in the past three months he?s had three different addresses. Just six weeks after buying his Lake Austin modern hideaway, Armstrong bought his most recent home from former Texas lieutenant governor Ben Barnes.

Want a breakdown of Armstrong?s former abodes? See our list below:

1) Dripping Springs Custom Home

On 447-plus acres in Dripping Springs, Armstrong?s vacation home was initially listed for $12 million, but was later sold for around $8.5 million to a Carrollton software executive. The huge mansion, dubbed Mirasol Ranch, had more than 7 miles of hike-and-bike trails surrounding it.

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2) Spanish-style home in Camp Mabry

Back when he was still a hero to cancer survivors and cyclists, Lance Armstrong renovated this huge, 8,000-square-foot Spanish mansion in Camp Mabry. The mansion, which was featured in Architectural Digest, was sold to Austin businessman Al Koehler for a third of the asking price.

2) Modern hideaway on Lake Austin

Purchased for $4.3 million, Armstrong moved into this modern home on Lake Austin shortly after selling his Camp Mabry property. The modern Austin-stone and metal house was a whopping 12,500 square feet and boasted some incredible views. Apparently it wasn?t a good fit, because six weeks later ?

3) Home of former Texas lieutenant governor Ben Barnes

? he sold the Lake Austin home to racecar driver Bret Curtis. There aren?t many photos of the 7,200-square-foot 1924 Mediterranean mansion Armstrong just bought from friend and embattled former politician and lobbyist Ben Barnes (pictured above), but the significantly smaller estate in Austin?s Old West neighborhood is on the Travis County tax rolls for $2.7 million. There?s no telling how long Armstrong plans to inhabit this house, but considering his recent buying and selling spree, I?d keep your checkbook handy if you?re interested.

Source: http://www.candysdirt.com/2013/07/12/lance-armstrong-changes-homes-like-we-change-our-underwear/

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Five Things Never to Put on a Credit Card - Timothy Kingcade Blog

July 12, 2013 Posted by kingcade

Credit cards offer great benefits with cash back rewards and travel points; however, you have to be careful to pay balances off in full to avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of debt. Of all the things that can be financed with a credit card, here are the five worst:

1.) College Tuition: Many adults today can trace their debts back to their college years, when they did not fully grasp the concept of credit cards and interest rates. Rather than using credit cards for college tuition and expenses, consider low-interest student loans, scholarships and grants.
2.) Taxes: When faced with a large tax debt from the IRS, do not just automatically pay it off with a credit card with a high interest rate. First, work out a payment plan with the IRS. Interest accrued will be far less than any standard credit card?s interest rate.
3.) A Big Wedding: Plan a wedding within your financial means. Avoid financing the occasion with credit cards. Marriage is hard enough and should not be compounded with a mountain of debt.
4.) Vacations: Vacations are meant to be just that- a break from our everyday lives and reduce stress. Returning home and finding in the mailbox a mountain of debt you accrued on your trip can leave a dark cloud over your ?vacation.? In preparation for your trip, contribute to a vacation fund every month for one year. This will allow you to finance your trip accordingly and live within your means.
5.) Medical Bills: Insurmountable medical debt is one of the leading causes for filing bankruptcy. Work a payment plan out directly with the medical provider, hospital or doctor?s office. Oftentimes these plans have little or no interest/fees attached to them, unlike a credit card. Consider all of your options before simply pulling out your credit card.

Click here to read more on the five things you should never put on a credit card.

If you are in a financial crisis and are considering filing bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all of your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys? help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.

Source: http://timothykingcade.com/?p=2262

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Penn State Coach Bill O'Brien meets with trustees on NCAA sanctions, according to report

LEMONT FURNACE - Penn State football coach Bill O?Brien met with the university?s board of trustees today in a session that seemed to be an update on the NCAA sanctions against the university's football program.

The closed-door session, first reported by the Centre Daily Times of State College, also appeared to leave the door to a possible pitch by Penn State to the NCAA for a modification of the penalties that include bowl bans and scholarship reductions.

A link to the CDT?s report is here.

The NCAA imposed the sanctions against Penn State last summer, after the Freeh Report commissioned by trustees found that an ingrained ?reverence? for the football program likely contributed to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

Penn State has received excellent marks from outside observers for compliance with all NCAA requirements through the first year of the sanctions program.

But the sanctions have received major pushback from a number of other sources, including separate lawsuits seeking to void the punishments by Gov. Tom Corbett and late head coach Joe Paterno?s survivors.

The Corbett suit was dismissed earlier this spring. The Paterno suit, which also includes five trustees members and several former players, is still pending in Centre County Court.

The trustees will hold their mid-summer meeting here this afternoon, but it is unlikely that the O?Brien discussion will come up in the public session.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/07/penn_state_coach_bill_obrien_m.html

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