Comet ISON is hurtling toward uncertain destiny with Sun

May 30, 2013 ? A new series of images from Gemini Observatory shows Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) racing toward an uncomfortably close rendezvous with the Sun. In late November the comet could present a stunning sight in the twilight sky and remain easily visible, or even brilliant, into early December of this year.

The time-sequence images, spanning early February through May 2013, show the comet's remarkable activity despite its current great distance from the Sun and Earth. The information gleaned from the series provides vital clues as to the comet's overall behavior and potential to present a spectacular show. However, it's anyone's guess if the comet has the "right stuff" to survive its extremely close brush with the Sun at the end of November and become an early morning spectacle from Earth in early December 2013.

When Gemini obtained this time sequence, the comet ranged between roughly 455-360 million miles (730-580 million kilometers; or 4.9-3.9 astronomical units) from the Sun, or just inside the orbital distance of Jupiter. Each image in the series, taken with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph at the Gemini North telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i, shows the comet in the far red part of the optical spectrum, which emphasizes the comet's dusty material already escaping from what astronomers describe as a "dirty snowball." Note: The final image in the sequence, obtained in early May, consists of three images, including data from other parts of the optical spectrum, to produce a color composite image."

The images show the comet sporting a well-defined parabolic hood in the sunward direction that tapers into a short and stubby tail pointing away from the Sun. These features form when dust and gas escape from the comet's icy nucleus and surround that main body to form a relatively extensive atmosphere called a coma. Solar wind and radiation pressure push the coma's material away from the Sun to form the comet's tail, which we see here at a slight angle (thus its stubby appearance).

Discovered in September 2012 by two Russian amateur astronomers, Comet ISON is likely making its first passage into the inner Solar System from what is called the Oort Cloud, a region deep in the recesses of our Solar System, where comets and icy bodies dwell. Historically, comets making a first go-around the Sun exhibit strong activity as they near the inner Solar System, but they often fizzle as they get closer to the Sun.

Sizing up Comet ISON

Astronomer Karen Meech, at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy (IfA) in Honolulu, is currently working on preliminary analysis of the new Gemini data (as well as other observations from around the world) and notes that the comet's activity has been decreasing somewhat over the past month.

"Early analysis of our models shows that ISON's brightness through April can be reproduced by outgassing from either carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. The current decrease may be because this comet is coming close to the Sun for the first time, and a "volatile frosting" of ice may be coming off revealing a less active layer beneath. It is just now getting close enough to the Sun where water will erupt from the nucleus revealing ISON's inner secrets," says Meech.

"Comets may not be completely uniform in their makeup and there may be outbursts of activity as fresh material is uncovered," adds IfA astronomer Jacqueline Keane. "Our team, as well as astronomers from around the world, will be anxiously observing the development of this comet into next year, especially if it gets torn asunder, and reveals its icy interior during its exceptionally close passage to the Sun in late November."

NASA's Swift satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have also imaged Comet ISON recently in this region of space. Swift's ultraviolet observations determined that the comet's main body was spewing some 850 tons of dust per second at the beginning of the year, leading astronomers to estimate the comet's nucleus diameter is some 3-4 miles (5-6 kilometers). HST scientists concurred with that size estimate, adding that the comet's coma measures about 3100 miles (5000 km) across.

The comet gets brighter as the outgassing increases and pushes more dust from the surface of the comet. Scientists are using the comet's brightness, along with information about the size of the nucleus and measurements of the production of gas and dust, to understand the composition of the ices that control the activity. Most comets brighten significantly and develop a noticeable tail at about the distance of the asteroid belt (about 3 times the Earth-Sun distance -- between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter) because this is when the warming rays of the Sun can convert the water ice inside the comet into a gas. This comet was bright and active outside the orbit of Jupiter -- when it was twice as far from the Sun. This meant that some gas other than water was controlling the activity.

Meech concludes that Comet ISON "?could still become spectacularly bright as it gets very close to the Sun" but she cautions, "I'd be remiss, if I didn't add that it's still too early to predict what's going to happen with ISON since comets are notoriously unpredictable."

A Close Encounter

On November 28, 2013, Comet ISON will make one of the closest passes ever recorded as a comet grazes the Sun, penetrating our star's million-degree outer atmosphere, called the corona, and moving to within 800,000 miles (1.3 million km) of the Sun's surface. Shortly before that critical passage, the comet may appear bright enough for expert observers using proper care to see it close to the Sun in daylight.

What happens after that no one knows for sure. But if Comet ISON survives that close encounter, the comet may appear in our morning sky before dawn in early December and become one of the greatest comets in the last 50 years or more. Even if the comet completely disintegrates, skywatchers shouldn't lose hope. When Comet C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) plunged into the Sun's corona in December 2011, its nucleus totally disintegrated into tiny bits of ice and dust, yet it still put on a glorious show after that event.

The question remains, are we in for such a show?

Comet ISON: The View from the North and South

Regardless of whether Comet ISON becomes the "Comet of the Century," as some speculate, it will likely be a nice naked-eye and/or binocular wonder from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in the weeks leading up to its close approach with the Sun.

By late October, the comet should be visible through binoculars as a fuzzy glow in the eastern sky before sunrise, in the far southeastern part of the constellation of Leo. By early November, the comet should be a much finer binocular object. It will steadily brighten as it drifts ever faster, night by night, through southern Virgo, passing close to the bright star Spica. It is during the last half of the month that observations will be most important, as the comet edges into Libra and the dawn, where it will brighten to naked-eye visibility and perhaps sport an obvious tail.

The comet reaches perihelion (the closest point in its orbit to the Sun) on November 28th, when it will also attain its maximum brightness, and perhaps be visible in the daytime. If Comet ISON survives perihelion, it will swing around the Sun and appear as both an early morning and early evening object from the Northern Hemisphere. The situation is less favorable from the Southern Hemisphere, as the comet will set before the Sun in the evening and rise with the Sun in the morning.

By December 10th, and given that everything goes well, Comet ISON may be a fine spectacle in the early morning sky as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere. Under dark skies, it may sport a long tail stretching straight up from the eastern horizon, from the constellations of Ophiuchus to Ursa Major. The comet will also be visible in the evening sky during this time but with its tail appearing angled and closer to the horizon.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/s2BF2WQWkTQ/130530111307.htm

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How Obama should work with business to combat China cyberspying

If the US wishes to stop Chinese economic cyber-espionage, it will need to increase the costs and reduce the benefits to China of such activities. US government actions are important, but the key players in this game sit in the private sector. A true public-private partnership is needed.

By Irving Lachow,?Op-ed contributor / May 29, 2013

US Ambassador to China Gary Locke speaks at the 6th US-China Internet Industry Forum in Beijing April 9. Op-ed contributor Irving Lachow writes: 'All nations spy on each other, but right now, the United States and China are playing the spy-vs.-spy game using different sets of rules. If the US wants China to change its behavior, it will need to change the payoff that China gets from playing the game its way.'

Jason Lee/Reuters

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The United States has made it clear to China that its cyber-espionage activities are a serious concern.

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The Washington Post reported this week that several US military weapons systems and technologies have been compromised by Chinese hackers, according to the Defense Science Board. As alarming as that news is, China?s cyber-spying attacks are also bombarding US businesses.

If the US wishes to stop this Chinese economic cyber-espionage, it will need to increase the costs and reduce the benefits of such activities. That will cause China and other competitors to rethink whether such activities are worth it. Government actions are important, but the key players in this game sit in the private sector. A true public-private partnership is needed.

The threat of Chinese cyberspying to US businesses is clear. A report released last week by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property states that: ?China is two-thirds of the intellectual property theft problem, and we are at a point where it is robbing us of innovation to bolster their own industry, at a cost of millions of jobs.?

What makes the US-China dispute unique is that the two countries are playing a game ? spy vs. spy ? that is accepted in international relations, but they are playing it by different rules.

The US government views espionage as a national security activity, not as a tool for furthering the economic well-being of US companies. In contrast, China views the well-being of its companies as being directly tied to the security interests of the nation. In their minds, drawing a line between espionage focused on stealing state secrets and espionage focused on stealing corporate secrets is arbitrary.

China is not the only country that has such views. However, the scale and scope of Chinese activity is unparalleled, and the potential threat it poses to US competitiveness is certainly raising the eyebrows, if the not hackles, of the nation?s highest leaders.

Because of this fundamental difference in the acceptability of state-sponsored cyber-economic espionage, the United States will be hard pressed to stop such activities with words alone. The US will need to raise the costs and lower the benefits of such activities. There are several policy levers that the US government can use to achieve those goals, though changing China?s fundamental views through government actions alone will be difficult.

For example, the US government can threaten retaliatory actions, be they economic, diplomatic, legal, or technical in nature. For example, the US could impose economic sanctions or deny visas to suspected cyberspies and/or their enablers.

There are certainly benefits to pursuing these ideas, but US options will be limited because of the trade-offs involved in increasing tensions with its largest trading partner. If China truly views economic espionage as a national security matter, if will strongly resist efforts to curtail such activity, especially if it views the US position as being hypocritical. The US may thus risk retaliatory actions on American companies or citizens if it pushes too hard on this issue.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/B1RBsmdpiuU/How-Obama-should-work-with-business-to-combat-China-cyberspying

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The Golden Gate Bridge Looked Even More Stunning Before It Had a Road

The Golden Gate Bridge is almost certainly the world's most iconic bridge, and one of the country's most-photographed landmarks. But here, you see it in a state only a handful of people ever witness: reaching across the San Francisco Bay for the very first time.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/mI07cNdfGDI/the-golden-gate-bridge-as-youve-never-seen-it-before-510326048

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Sources: Obama to name ex-Bush aide to head FBI

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is prepared to nominate James Comey, a former Bush administration official with bipartisan credentials, as the next FBI director. In a possible warning sign, the top Republican on the Senate committee that would review the nomination said Comey would face questions about his ties to Wall Street.

Three people with knowledge of the selection said Wednesday that Obama planned to nominate Comey, who was the No. 2 at the Justice Department under President George W. Bush. Comey was general counsel to Connecticut-based hedge fund Bridgewater Associates from 2010 until earlier this year and now lectures at Columbia Law School.

Comey would replace Robert Mueller, who has held the job since shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which forced the FBI to transform itself into one of the nation's chief weapons in the war on terror. Mueller's last day on the job is Sept. 4.

The White House may hope that Comey's Republican background will help him through Senate confirmation at a time when some of Obama's nominations have been facing tough battles. But Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicated Comey's confirmation hearing would raise questions about the Obama administration's investigations of Wall Street.

Grassley said in a statement late Wednesday he had not heard from the White House about Comey's nomination but said Comey possessed a lot of important experience on national security issues.

"But, if he's nominated, he would have to answer questions about his recent work in the hedge fund industry," Grassley said. "The administration's efforts to criminally prosecute Wall Street for its part in the economic downturn have been abysmal, and his agency would have to help build the case against some of his colleagues."

The change in leadership comes as the FBI and Justice Department are under scrutiny for their handing of several investigations. Obama has ordered a review of FBI investigations into leaks to reporters, including the secret gathering of Associated Press phone records and emails of a Fox News reporter. And there have been questions raised about whether the FBI properly responded to warnings from Russian authorities about a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. The agency, meanwhile, is conducting a highly anticipated investigation into the Internal Revenue Service over its handling of conservative groups seeking tax exempt status.

Comey was deputy attorney general in 2005 when he unsuccessfully tried to limit tough interrogation tactics against suspected terrorists. He told then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales that some of the practices were wrong and would damage the department's reputation.

Some Democrats denounced those methods as torture, particularly the use of waterboarding, which produces the sensation of drowning.

Comey's selection was first reported by NPR and was not expected to be announced for several days at least. It was confirmed to the AP by three people speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the selection ahead of Obama's announcement. Senate confirmation will be needed.

Comey became a hero to Democratic opponents of Bush's warrantless wiretapping program when Comey refused for a time to reauthorize it. Bush revised the surveillance program when confronted with the threat of resignation by Comey and Mueller.

Earlier in his career, Comey served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the nation's most prominent prosecutorial offices and one at the front lines of terrorism, corporate malfeasance, organized crime and the war on drugs.

As an assistant U.S. attorney in Virginia, Comey handled the investigation of the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers housing complex near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. military personnel.

He led the Justice Department's corporate fraud task force and spurred the creation of violent crime impact teams in 20 cities, focusing on crimes committed with guns.

Comey was at the center of one of the Bush administration's great controversies ? an episode that focused attention on the administration's controversial tactics in the war on terror.

In stunning testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2007, Comey said he thought Bush's no-warrant wiretapping program was so questionable that Comey refused for a time to reauthorize it, leading to a standoff with White House officials at the bedside of ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Comey said he refused to recertify the program because Ashcroft had reservations about its legality.

Senior government officials had expressed concerns about whether the National Security Agency, which administered the warrantless eavesdropping program, had the proper oversight in place. Other concerns included whether any president possessed the legal and constitutional authority to authorize the program as it was carried out at the time.

The White House, Comey said, recertified the program without the Justice Department's signoff, allowing it to operate for about three weeks without concurrence on whether it was legal. Comey, Ashcroft, Mueller and other Justice Department officials at one point considered resigning, Comey said.

"I couldn't stay if the administration was going to engage in conduct that the Department of Justice had said had no legal basis," Comey told the Senate panel.

A day after the March 10, 2004, incident at Ashcroft's hospital bedside, Bush ordered changes to the program to accommodate the department's concerns. Ashcroft signed the presidential order to recertify the program about three weeks later.

The dramatic hospital confrontation involved Comey, who was the acting attorney general during Ashcroft's absence, and a White House team that included Gonzales, Bush's counsel at the time, and White House chief of staff Andy Card, Comey said. Gonzales later succeeded Ashcroft as attorney general.

Comey testified that when he refused to certify the program, Gonzales and Card headed to Ashcroft's sick bed in the intensive care unit at George Washington University Hospital.

When Gonzales appealed to Ashcroft, the ailing attorney general lifted his head off the pillow and in straightforward terms described his views of the program, Comey said. Then he pointed out that Comey, not Ashcroft, held the powers of the attorney general at that moment.

Gonzales and Card then left the hospital room, Comey said.

"I was angry," Comey told the panel. "I thought I had just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man who did not have the powers of the attorney general."

___

Associated Press writer Pete Yost contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-obama-name-ex-bush-aide-head-065811607.html

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Original ?Ultimate Fighter? Forrest Griffin retires

After 26 fights and a key role in turning the UFC into the promotion it is today, Forest Griffin has retired. His decision was announced at the UFC 160 post-fight press conference.

"It's been a good eight years, I guess. Biggest thing I've learned ... when [UFC president] Dana White says retire otherwise you will blow your knee out," Griffin said at the press conference.

Griffin's last fight was a win over UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz in July of 2012. Coincidentally, it was Ortiz's last bout before retirement. He won that fight by decision. His career included 19 wins, 7 losses and stint as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

What Griffin will always be remembered for is being one-half of a fight that catapulted the UFC into fame. He and Stephan Bonnar were finalists on the first season of the UFC's reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter." Their fight was a close, thrilling battle that played on Spike TV on April 9, 2005.

It was responsible for earning the UFC many fans, which helped earn bigger sponsors and television deals. Griffin won the decision, taking the title of the first "Ultimate Fighter," but both fighters were given contracts.

During the media scrum following the press conference, White said that Griffin and Bonnar will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame together.

Griffin went on to be a force in the 205-lb. division, upsetting Pride star Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in 2007, then taking the belt from Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in July of 2008. He lost the belt to Rashad Evans that December.

White said Griffin will continue to have a role with the UFC.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/original-ultimate-fighter-forrest-griffin-retires-052853793.html

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Iraq officials says separate attacks kill 11

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Gunmen and other attackers killed at least 11 people and wounded more than two dozen in separate attacks in Iraq on Sunday, officials said.

The deadliest attack was in Kazimiyah district in northern Baghdad, where militants in a speeding car went on shooting spree that killed three civilians and wounded another, two police officers said.

The violence was the latest to hit the country in what has been a particularly bloody month. Some 300 people have been killed in attacks over the past two weeks.

In the northern city of Mosul, a car bomb went off at a house early in the morning while a joint army-police unit was conducting door-to-door searches. The blast killed three policemen and one soldier, a provincial police officer said. Twenty people, including four civilians, were wounded.

Also in Mosul, police said militants gunned down a policeman in his car in the city center. Authorities also found a body floating in the Tigris river, shot at close range with hands bound behind the back. Mosul, some 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, is a former stronghold of Sunni militants.

In Iraq's western province of Anbar, the birthplace of the Sunni insurgency led by al-Qaida in Iraq, three soldiers were killed and five wounded in two separate attacks by roadside bombs on their patrols, police and army officers said.

Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to release information.

Insurgent attacks have decreased sharply in Iraq since the height of insurgency, but recent spikes in attacks amid months-old Sunni protests against the Shiite-led government have raised fears that sectarian killings could gain momentum across the country.

Alarmed by a nationwide deterioration in the security situation, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered a reshuffle in senior military ranks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-officials-says-separate-attacks-kill-11-132705266.html

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Kourtney Kardashian on Kim Touring with Baby: How Selfish!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/kourtney-kardashian-on-kim-touring-with-baby-how-selfish/

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Take the fight to those galactic pigs as Angry Birds Space goes free for iPhone and iPad

This weeks App Store free app of the week is Rovio's Angry Birds Space for both iPhone and iPad. If for whatever reason you haven't tried this particular version of the smash hit bird flinging adventure, both regular and HD versions are now free for the week.

Angry Birds Space takes the tried and tested Angry Birds formula and takes it into orbit, with a host of new birds and the effects of gravity -- and lack of -- to add to the challenge. As with all Angry Birds games, Space has been updated a few times since launch with additional levels, included a Curiosity Rover inspired Mars level. Grab it from the App Store now!

• Angry Birds Space for iPhone and iPod Touch (Free) - Download Now
• Angry Birds Space HD for iPad (Free) - Download Now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ZnqowOIQscE/story01.htm

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AP Interview: Syria conflict uproots Palestinians

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? Syria's fighting has uprooted more than half of the country's 530,000 Palestinians ? descendants of refugees from a Mideast conflict half a century ago ? and their situation is becoming increasingly desperate, the head of a U.N. aid agency said Thursday.

The Palestinians in Syria are particularly vulnerable because of their refugee status, Filippo Grandi, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, told The Associated Press in an interview.

He said most of the 12 Palestinian camps have been affected by the fighting.

"Armed groups and the government are confronting each other near the camps, inside the camps, and most or a large portion of the Palestinian population has had to leave those camps," he said after a two-day visit to Syria.

He estimated that 70 percent to 80 percent of the Palestinians have been affected by Syria's civil war. "Many of them, maybe more than half ... are displaced from their homes," he said.

He said about 54,000 have fled to Lebanon and several thousand to Jordan and Egypt, while others have sought shelter elsewhere in Syria. "These are refugees that became refugees a second time," he said. "It's really a very tragic situation."

Grandi's agency provides support for some 5 million Palestinians in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. They are descendants of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of their homes during the fighting over Israel's 1948 creation.

When the Syria conflict erupted in March 2011, most Palestinians initially remained on the sidelines, though some joined protests against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

As a popular uprising escalated into an armed insurgency and then a civil war, some Palestinians joined the fight ? some siding with the rebels and others with the regime.

The Yarmouk refugee camp, a sprawling neighborhood of 150,000 Palestinians on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, has been the scene of heavy clashes in recent months. Palestinian officials have said more than 700 camp residents have been killed in fighting, and that many of the others have left.

"The Yarmouk area is controlled by a variety of groups," Grandi said Thursday. "There are continued tensions and clashes with government forces, so it's a difficult situation for people to come back to."

He said he visited another Damascus area camp on Thursday and encountered many displaced Yarmouk residents there. "They are really in a very desperate situation because they even have no news about their houses, which may be destroyed, and their relatives (who) remained inside," he said.

Grandi appealed to the Syrian government and rebel fighters to allow the U.N. to deliver aid to the Palestinian camps. "We cannot do that and many people are at risk of their lives if we cannot resume the delivery of assistance," he said.

Zakariya al-Agha, in charge of refugee affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, said a Palestinian delegation will visit Damascus next week to speak to the government and anti-regime fighters in Yarmouk.

"Our message to all is that we want to spare the Palestinians the effects of the war," he said from the West Bank. "We are not part of it and our people should be protected from the conflict."

He said the PLO sends $1 million a month in aid to Palestinians in Syria, but cannot give more because of its own cash crisis.

Overall, the Syria fighting has displaced several million people, including hundreds of thousands who fled to neighboring countries. More than 70,000 people have been killed, according to U.N. estimates.

___

Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed reporting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-syria-conflict-uproots-palestinians-133336005.html

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Clayton Home Based Business ? 7 Traffic Techniques For Network ...

Morrisville Network marketing is a numbers game. The more and more people you introduce to your opportunity, the extra money you?ll make. To start generating a steady stream of visitors to your website, try these 7 creative techniques:

1. Write and Distribute Articles, Reports and Ebooks. Internet users are all curious about one thing ? info. Use this to promote your business by creating high quality content and allowing others to reprint it for you. One good way to do this is to distribute a brandable ebook or special report. This is one that a web site or list owner can change to incorporate a reference to their web site. This does not mean that it appears like they?re the publisher, it?s just a way for them to incorporate facts on where the electronic book was downloaded from and (if applicable) to incorporate their affiliate link for your products and services.

2. Participate in Newsgroups, Forums, and Mailing Lists. There are many forums online and you can find one for almost any topic imaginable. Most permit you to add a signature line that will be attached to every message. This is an opportunity for you to advertise your site. Visiting these forums to post thoughtful questions and offer your expertise will mean your signature is believed by others and will bring you free, targeted traffic. Obviously how much traffic you get depends on how often you post and whether your signature makes people want to visit your website. A good approach is to use an ad you?ve had success with elsewhere as your signature.

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3. Join Networking Sites to Constructor your Personal Network. Networking sites are made to make it simple for people to meet others in their industry and to advertise their products and service. Much in-line with offline networking events where lots of people bond for the sole function of meeting people, online networking sites work in an identical way.

4. Use Classified Sites and Traffic Exchanges. Classified ad sites and traffic exchanges have gotten a bad standing, but they really do work if you know how to give them a try. If you are promoting a product or service that advertisers can benefit from then they?re a great place to get traffic. Although not very lots of customers visit this type of advertising sites, lots of website owners do as a way to ensure their ad appears on the site. While there they can?t help but notice other ads and if one catches their attention you more than likely to acquired a visitor.

5. Run a Contest. People love the chance of winning something ? that?s why a contest can sometimes be a great traffic generator. The key is to select a prize that will attract men and women from your target audience. If you make the grand prize a new laptop you?ll be able to get entries from everyone who want to win a new laptop ( which is essentially every computer user globally!). Get more targeted traffic by selecting a thing that your target audience is interested in but wouldn?t mean much to other people. To start promoting your challenge do a search in Google for Contest Directories and you?ll find a great deal of places to list your competition for free.

6. Include a Powerful Signature on all Outgoing Email. On every occasion you send a piece of mail you have the prospect to get a visitor to your website. Simply make a signature that is automatically added to every outgoing message. Use the signature to briefly explain what you do, give your USP or slogan and add a hyperlink to your website. Once it?s set up you don?t have to consider it again!

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7. Try Newsletter Classified Ads. There are a great deal of newsletter publishing firms who give commercials to new subscribers. Although these don?t typically bring a huge response, they can generate some traffic if you offer something with a high perceived value but low price tag. They?re also a great way to test new ads to see which ones get the best response. As soon as you have discovered a victor use it in a PPC campaign, make it your new email signature, run it as a top sponsor newsletter ad or use it as your forum signature.

Source: http://www.icm2010.com/clayton-home-based-business-7-traffic-techniques-for-network-marketers.asp

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ECSU Chancellor Willie Gilchrist Resigns Amid State Investigation Into Campus Crime Reporting

Elizabeth City State University Chancellor Willie Gilchrist announced on Friday that he will resign his post amid a state investigation into allegations that the school failed to report numerous campus crime incidents.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the university's response to reports of sexual assaults, the Virginian-Pilot reports, including alleged witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. Gilchrist confirmed on March 13 that university police failed to investigate about 125 criminal complaints since 2007, including 18 sexual assaults, according to the Associated Press.

ECSU Police Chief Sam Beamon was placed on leave in April, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to WTKR. Beamon later announced his resignation on May 10.

Gilchrist announced his resignation on May 17, four days after his admission that campus police failed to investigate crime reports. He will step down effective June 30.

"While I am grateful for the opportunity to have served over the last seven years, I am eagerly anticipating and look forward to spending more time with my family, along with the other opportunities that retirement will bring," Gilchrist said in a statement.

Gilchrist avoided any mention of the ongoing investigation in his public statement. A university spokesperson declined to comment to The Huffington Post on whether Gilchrist's resignation might be related to the failures in campus crime reporting.

"We feel that Dr. Gilchrist made a tremendous contribution to the university during his time," said Abdul Rasheed, chairman of ECSU's board of trustees, told The Virginian-Pilot. "I don't want to second-guess him on what he should have or should not have done."

Under the federal Clery Act, all colleges and universities must accurately track campus crime statistics and publish them in annual reports available to the public. A review of ECSU's latest Clery report shows the school did not report any sex offenses in 2009, 2010 or 2011. However, the Elizabeth City Police Department discovered seven sex offense complaints during those years, as well as complaints from other years, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

If the U.S. Department of Education finds that the university violated Clery Act mandates, the school could be fined or lose eligibility for federal financial aid. Last week, Yale University received a $165,000 fine from the department for failing to accurately report sex offenses on campus.

ECSU has hired the law firm Margolis Healy and Associates to help them review the university's crime reporting procedures.

ECSU is a public university in the University of North Carolina system. UNC-Chapel Hill is currently under two federal investigations into how it has handled reports of sexual assault on campus, including allegations that the university has underreported attacks.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/ecsu-chancellor-willie-gilchrist_n_3308484.html

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You're Crazy If You're Not Doing This! Why You Should Be Building ...

In today?s world, you really need a list of email subscribers. If you?re not?building an email list right now, I?ll just be plain and blunt?you?re crazy and missing out! An email list of active subscribers is today?s most valuable asset. It?s the number one thing that can create long term success by giving you direct access to residual income.

If you?re not building an email list right now, you?re about to discover all the things you?re missing out on. By the end of this blog post, you should see clearly what you should do next and how to attack it. Whether you have an online or offline business, you?ll still need a list. It?s absolutely vital that I can?t even stretch it?s importance. It?s for you to see, feel and realize as we move forward with this blog post.

As you can see from the picture above, the internet means that you?re dealing with the whole world here. It?s worldwide which means you can get more views and an unlimited audience. Imagine exposing your business to the world. You can start exposing your business to the world right after you watch this video.

Just like any other business, sales happen. People go around buying stuff that they see provides value in their lives. Now, imagine people buying stuff from you without you gathering any type of information about the buyer at all. You don?t get their name or email.

Now, if you sell high quality products and services, how can these people come back and buy from you if the bridge has been burned down right after they just bought? Imagine right now how many returning customers you may have lost. Ouch, right?

Benefits Of Taking Action &?Building An Email List

The list of benefits go on and on. There?s absolutely too many to mention because list building is a core and critical part of a business in order to grow and move forward. I will be sharing some of the best benefits you can get from?building an email list.

• Relationship Building
• A Laser Targeted List Of Prospects & Customers
• Ability To Market To An Audience
• Create More Sales
• Automated Sales (Imagine getting automated sales while earning 100% commissions. It?s the best thing ever! CLICK HERE NOW)

Above are some of the coolest things that can happen once you build a list, build a relationship with your list and market to them. It is a known fact that the most valuable list in the whole existence of mankind is a buyer?s list, people that have already tried buying from you or joining your opportunity.

A list?s goal is to break the trust barrier which enables people to take action. Let?s face it, not everything buys something or joins the first time they see it. Most people circle around, do some research and then pull the trigger and buy from you. With that said, you need to stay on top of these people. You need to stay in front of them because if you don?t, two things can happen: 1.) They forget and don?t buy 2.) They buy from your competition. Now, we wouldn?t want any of that to happen to us, right?

How You Can Start Building An Email List Now

It?s really simple once you know exactly what and how to do things. There are different strategies that anyone can start implementing today in order to start getting results. There are free strategies and there are also paid strategies. It all depends on your situation and budget on which strategy you?ll implement. It?s obvious enough that paid strategies always produce faster than free strategies. It?s best to combine both for maximum long term results.

Click here now, enter your information and learn the?1? critical strategy that can get you generating as many leads as you want for as long as you want.

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Click the photo below to answer the MILLION $$$ Question!

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Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/thezafragroup/youre-crazy-if-youre-not-doing-this-why-you-should-be-building-an-email-list-now/

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Only Republicans Think They're Scandals (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/307064124?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Bloomberg: Dish offers $2 billion for LightSquared's wireless spectrum

The last few years have been a tumultuous time for LightSquared, with the company's LTE plans facing one hurdle after another that eventually led to a bankruptcy filing. It looks like at least one company is now looking to buy its most valuable asset, though, with Bloomberg reporting that Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen has put a $2 billion offer on the table for the company's wireless spectrum. That's yet to be confirmed by either party, and Bloomberg reports that the offer is a so-called stalking horse bid, which could still let others put in a higher offer of their own. As Bloomberg also notes, this all comes at the same time that Dish is looking to buy Sprint for over $25 billion, both of which would need regulatory approval before going through.

Filed under: Wireless

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Source: Bloomberg

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/20/dish-lightsquared-wireless-spectrum-offer/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Report: 23 Hezbollah members killed in Syria

In this Saturday, May 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians inspecting the rubble of damaged buildings due to government airstrikes, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria. The town of Qusair has been besieged for weeks by regime troops and pro-government gunmen backed by the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. The siege is part of a withering offensives forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have been pushing in recent weeks to regain control of the towns and villages along the Lebanese frontier. (AP Photo/Qusair Lens)

In this Saturday, May 18, 2013 citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians inspecting the rubble of damaged buildings due to government airstrikes, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria. The town of Qusair has been besieged for weeks by regime troops and pro-government gunmen backed by the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. The siege is part of a withering offensives forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have been pushing in recent weeks to regain control of the towns and villages along the Lebanese frontier. (AP Photo/Qusair Lens)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian government forces pushed deeper into a strategic opposition-held town near the Lebanese border Monday, battling rebels in fierce street fighting, Syrian state-media said. An activist group said at least 23 elite fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group fighting alongside regime troops have been killed in the clashes.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the country's civil war, said that in addition to the deaths more than 100 Hezbollah members have been wounded in the fighting around the town of Qusair. If confirmed, the casualties would be a significant blow to the Shiite group, which has come under harsh criticism at home in Lebanon for its involvement in Syria's civil war.

A staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Hezbollah is heavily invested in the survival of the Damascus regime and is known to have sent fighters to aid government forces. The Lebanese group's growing role in the civil war next door also points to the deeply sectarian nature of the conflict in Syria, in which a rebellion driven by the country's Sunni majority seeks to overthrow a regime dominated by the president's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

The Observatory, which relies on a wide network of activists in the ground in Syria, cited "sources close to the militant group" for the death toll but declined to reveal their identity. It said at least 50 Syrian rebels were also killed in the battle for Qusair on Sunday, including two opposition commanders.

For weeks, fighting has raged around Qusair, a town in the central province of Homs that has been under rebel control since early last year.

The intensity of the fighting reflects the importance that both sides attach to the area. In the regime's calculations, Qusair lies along a strategic land corridor linking Damascus with the Mediterranean coast, the Alawite heartland. For the rebels, overwhelmingly Sunni Qusair has served as a conduit for shipments of weapons and supplies smuggled from Lebanon to opposition fighters inside Syria.

On Sunday, the regime launched an offensive to regain control of Qusair, with Hezbollah's elite fighters pushing into the town from the east and south, an opposition figure said.

He said Hezbollah troops took control of the main square and the municipal building in the center of the city in a few hours. By the end of the day Sunday, they pushed out rebel units, including the al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, from most of Qusair, he added Monday on condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation by both sides.

He said fighting was focused in the northern part of the town on Monday.

The account matched that of Syria's state news media, which said President Bashar Assad's troops took control of most of Qusair on Monday. State-run TV said forces restored stability to the entire eastern front of the town, killing scores of terrorists there.

Residents on the Lebanese side of the border just across from Qusair reported seeing more than 30 plumes of smoke billowing from inside Syria and hearing the heavy thud of artillery and airstrikes late into the night Sunday and on Monday morning.

"Nobody could sleep last night from the sounds of battle," said Ali Jaafar, deputy mayor of the Lebanese border town of Hermel, adding that residents did not send children to school Monday for fear of fighting spilling over into Lebanon.

Before Sunday's offensive, Qusair had been ringed by regime troops and fighters from the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, an Assad ally, for several weeks.

Lebanese security officials confirmed at least four funerals were being held Monday morning for Hezbollah fighters or their supporters killed in Syria. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

Army units "restored security and stability" to most of the city on Monday and killed "many terrorists," the majority of them foreign fighters who have been fighting alongside opposition forces, the state news agency said. The military also destroyed rebel hideouts and seized "large amounts of weapons and ammunition," it said, adding that government troops are fighting pockets of resistance in several districts of Qusair Monday.

The Syrian regime claims there is no civil war in the country but that the army is fighting foreign-backed terrorists trying to topple Assad's government.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011.

At least 1.5 million Syrian who fled civil war have sought shelter in neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, while millions more have been displaced inside Syria and are in urgent need of basic aid, according to the United Nations.

An international aid organization, Oxfam, appealed for more funds to help Syrian refugees, saying warmer weather will increase health risks due to lack of shelter, water and basic sanitation in Lebanon and Jordan.

The Britain-based group said in a statement Monday that diarrhea and skin infections have already been noted among refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. The two countries host the bulk of 1.5 million Syrian refugees.

Oxfam said it needs $53 million dollars to improve access to water and proper sanitation for Syrian refugees. So far the aid group has received $10.6 million dollars.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-20-Syria/id-9779cc0bd253404096416b291eb9d8fa

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Warming extremes 'not as likely'

19 May 2013 Last updated at 13:31 ET By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News

Scientists say the recent downturn in the rate of global warming will lead to lower temperature rises in the short-term.

Since 1998, there has been an unexplained "standstill" in the heating of the Earth's atmosphere.

Writing in Nature Geoscience, the researchers say this will reduce predicted warming in the coming decades.

But long-term, the expected temperature rises will not alter significantly.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

The most extreme projections are looking less likely than before?

End Quote Dr Alexander Otto University of Oxford

The slowdown in the expected rate of global warming has been studied for several years now. Earlier this year, the UK Met Office lowered their five-year temperature forecast.

But this new paper gives the clearest picture yet of how any slowdown is likely to affect temperatures in both the short-term and long-term.

An international team of researchers looked at how the last decade would impact long-term, equilibrium climate sensitivity and the shorter term climate response.

Transient nature

Climate sensitivity looks to see what would happen if we doubled concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and let the Earth's oceans and ice sheets respond to it over several thousand years.

Transient climate response is much shorter term calculation again based on a doubling of CO2.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2007 that the short-term temperature rise would most likely be 1-3C (1.8-5.4F).

But in this new analysis, by only including the temperatures from the last decade, the projected range would be 0.9-2.0C.

"The hottest of the models in the medium-term, they are actually looking less likely or inconsistent with the data from the last decade alone," said Dr Alexander Otto from the University of Oxford.

"The most extreme projections are looking less likely than before."

The authors calculate that over the coming decades global average temperatures will warm about 20% more slowly than expected.

But when it comes to the longer term picture, the authors say their work is consistent with previous estimates. The IPCC said that climate sensitivity was in the range of 2.0-4.5C.

Ocean storage

This latest research, including the decade of stalled temperature rises, produces a range of 0.9-5.0C.

"It is a bigger range of uncertainty," said Dr Otto.

"But it still includes the old range. We would all like climate sensitivity to be lower but it isn't."

The researchers say the difference between the lower short-term estimate and the more consistent long-term picture can be explained by the fact that the heat from the last decade has been absorbed into and is being stored by the world's oceans.

Not everyone agrees with this perspective.

Prof Steven Sherwood, from the University of New South Wales, says the conclusion about the oceans needs to be taken with a grain of salt for now.

"There is other research out there pointing out that this storage may be part of a natural cycle that will eventually reverse, either due to El Nino or the so-called Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and therefore may not imply what the authors are suggesting," he said.

The authors say there are ongoing uncertainties surrounding the role of aerosols in the atmosphere and around the issue of clouds.

"We would expect a single decade to jump around a bit but the overall trend is independent of it, and people should be exactly as concerned as before about what climate change is doing," said Dr Otto.

Is there any succour in these findings for climate sceptics who say the slowdown over the past 14 years means the global warming is not real?

"None. No comfort whatsoever," he said.

Follow Matt on Twitter.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22567023#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Joseph Farman, 82, Is Dead; Discovered Ozone Hole

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Mr. Farman?s single-minded and at times officially derided study of atmospheric changes in the Antarctic led to one of the most important environmental discoveries of the 20th century.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/science/earth/joseph-farman-82-is-dead-discovered-ozone-hole.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Mark Suster Talks Founder CEOs, The Acqui-Hire Frenzy, And Much More [TCTV]

Mark Suster of Los Angeles' GRP Partners is known for his unique insights on the tech and digital media worlds, having famously had success on "both sides of the table" as a repeat entrepreneur turned investor over nearly two decades in the industry. And he hit headlines several times this week, with his viewpoints on acqui-hires (he says they're often very bad) and founders stepping down from the CEO role (he says sometimes, it's the best thing that can happen.)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/QgYSEJ67IVA/

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How To Attain Reliable Grief Counseling ? Hot Article Depot

When a person looses those they hold dear they tend to suffer unbearable pain and agony. Life seems to lack meaning taste as all the good times and dreams shared with the departed tend to go to waste. This therefore becomes one of the reasons that some people loose any wish to continue with life thus committing suicide. In order to avoid this one is required to seek the help of a reputable profession who is highly experienced in the field. When looking for good grief counseling NJ residents should check for the most trustworthy counselor in the locality.

One should make certain that they share their problems with other people. A problem shared is usually as good as a problem solved. One for this reason should seek the attention of a trustworthy person and talk to them. The end products of this are likely to be awesome as the person gets to know that there are people who care about their welfare. This thus reduces the effects of the loss to the advantage of the person in pain.

Counselors offer worthy and dependable support to their clients. They are also well educated people with the ability to deal with any emerging problem to their clients. One thus needs to take this advantage and visit a specialist in a bid to lift the load from their shoulders. The results of doing this are amazing as one gets the most professional help from trusted experts.

Death is a natural occurrence. This means that however we love one another they will die when their time comes. This should boost the morale of the grieving person as they are sure of their own death. They should for this reason find strength within themselves to move on as life cannot stop at the death of their loved ones. One should put in mind the many things they need to achieve and get the courage to move on from these.

Taking a break from daily engagements also help to calm down the pain one should consider taking a holiday to a serene place so as to temporarily forget the happenings. Finally one can engage their minds in other gainful concerns thus making a positive progress in life. It therefore should be a good point of deliberation for those looking to quickly forget the happenings.

When many people affected by the loss gather they are likely to get a way through the hard times. One thus is required to meet and talk to other persons affected by the tragedy and get to hear their side of the story. One in most instances get to feel pity for the others thus forgetting they are also affected. In the end one gets over with the loss in good time to continue with life.

Memories can really hurt a Broken heart when it is not completely healed. Keeping memorable documents such as photos go a long way in reviving the healing pain. It thus is important to keep them away until the heart is completely healed and ready to encounter life again.

In an effort to access reliable grief counseling NJ residents should get the best professionals for the most favorable results. This ensures that one does not suffer alone as they get to have someone listen and share their grievances. In the end one is likely to come out more composed and ready to face the life afterwards.

If you are thinking about grief counseling NJ residents may click www.griefrecoveryclass.com. To discover how we can help visit our site at http://www.griefrecoveryclass.com today.

Source: http://hotarticledepot.com/how-to-attain-reliable-grief-counseling-2/

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Egypt Muslim-Christian clashes leave 1 dead

CAIRO (AP) ? Egyptian security officials say clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria left one man dead of a heart attack.

Officials say the clashes in the city's el-Dekheila suburb erupted when a Coptic man allegedly sexually harassed a Muslim woman.

Residents of the area fired birdshot and threw Molotov cocktails at one another during the Friday night fighting.

Police say Christian resident Sherif Sedky died of a heart attack during the clashes. Police forces were beefed up around the local church Saturday in case of further violence.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population. Sectarian violence has been on the rise in Egypt over the past two years.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-muslim-christian-clashes-leave-1-dead-131111263.html

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Key Factors to Effective Competitive Analysis as a Small Business ...

Starting and being a small business is a scary thing, especially with all the big businesses out there that you will likely have to compete with. A competitive edge is something that you always want to keep, no matter what type of business you might be in.

Regardless, starting a new business isn't easy and can be extremely overwhelming, but there are ways to make it not quite as so. One of those ways is by using competitive analysis and PPC to your advantage to gain a leg up on what the competition is doing and ultimately make your marketing plans easier from the get-go.

We all know that there are lots of big guys out there, and being a small business might seem terrifying. After all, you have to compete with the big boys that have already established names in their markets and have their Internet marketing programs in place.

Starting Out With Competitive Analysis

One of the biggest questions a new business faces is probably something along the lines of ?where the *?%&# should I start!??

Well, the logical answer would be to start with a realistic business plan, but that plan should also contain competitive analysis as a mainstream part of it. You don't want to just start throwing money everywhere when you have all kinds of other things to worry about as a new business (many of them financial).

Yes, you can compete with the big guys, and it's much easier to know where to start based on what your competition is doing. There's no better basis from which to start.

As a small business you will want to decide what kind of a budget you want to spend on your PPC. After that, you can use that as a foundation for what exactly you want to accomplish with your PPC ? and use your competitors to decide where to allocate the funds.

What kind of ad spend do you want to use? What is the most important aspect of PPC that you want to focus on? Use your competitors to figure that all out, and go from there to implement your own plan.

What Can You Find Out From Your Competitors? A Lot!

If you think about it, other than the big name guys you might not even know who some of your biggest competitors are. Competitive analysis can tell you just that.

Everyone needs storage now and again, so let's assume that we're a new self-storage facility getting out into the business world. There are so many big guys out there including, but not limited to, names like UHaul and Public Storage. Then there are the local, smaller companies. How are you going to compete with them?

First off, figure out who your competitors are. Take a look below:

Finding out what strategies your competitors are using in their PPC, and what strategies they have used in the past (also what worked or didn't work) will only help you more.

Imagine how helpful it would be to find out which products and services that they are selling and marketing the most so that you can consider selling (or avoiding) them as well. Maybe you want to consider starting to store cars and boats rather than just the units themselves. Look at what your competition has done with regards to this, and make a well thought-out conclusion as to whether it would be fruitful for you to duplicate.

Let's now look at some of the many things you can do.

1. Use Their Ad Copy

Not sure what you want to write in your ad copy as a new small business? You will want to consider what you are offering and what you'd like to accomplish the most, but take a look at what the competition is doing. By viewing the ad copy of your competitors, it can be much easier to create your own text and to see what copy is being used more often and what is being largely promoted.

In the case of UHaul and Public Storage, UHaul does promote self-storage along with incorporating boats, trucks, boxes, and other keywords and services into their ads.

Public Storage is using their ads to promote a special of $1 for the first month ? might this be something that you would want to consider doing with your own ads? Maybe for the new self-storage business an even better special could be started and promoted just as Public Storage is.

Viewing the ad copy of your competitors allows for you to see what is working, what is being promoted the most, and what they are focusing on the most with their ads. What better way to help you to come up with your own. Spying has its advantages!

2. Analyze Keywords

Keywords are a colossal part of any Internet marketing campaign, and as a small business it isn't easy to decide what keywords you would benefit from the most. So, taking a look at what keywords your competitors are bidding on would help you to decide, as well as other aspects such as:

• How many results there are.
• The monthly volume.
• Competition.
• What the CPC for each one is.?
• Are they bidding on certain keywords every month??
• How much budget are they allocating to each one?

These are all factors that you should take into consideration when deciding which keywords to bid on.

3. Look Back Historically

Let's suppose that this new public storage business is being started in May, and eventually the holiday season will be upon us ? so you want to see how your competition tackled the season the year before. You've got it, competitive analysis can do that. You can look back and see what keywords they were bidding on, what their ad copy was, along with every other facet that there is to see.

Below is one of the many possible examples, showing a historical AdWords report for UHaul:

4. Compare More Than 1 Competitor

So you've determined many of your competitors and want to compare the keywords they are bidding on, their traffic, trends, new and lost keywords, ads, and more. You can compare more than one competitor at a time for all of these features, allowing you to easily see similarities and differences between your competitors.

If you want a visual representation of similar types of data, you can use the chart tool to see just that ? and in time, add yourself to the comparison to see how you are stacking up as your Internet marketing program takes off.

And Much, Much More

Do you want to look at backlinks? You can do that.

Want to track keywords and let the tracker do the work for you? You can do that, too.

These are all hugely beneficial ways that a small business can build itself up against competitors big and small ? and there are so many things that you can do to help your Internet marketing campaign via your competition.

How Can Competitive Analysis Help You?

Learn How to Analyze Your Competitors at SES Toronto 2013: See the full agenda.

Will it work? Is competitive analysis worth the investment?

The answer is yes. Competitive analysis can be good for both your organic and paid PPC strategies, and it is an extremely effective way to make your SEO strategy that much more versatile and successful ? right from the start. You can apply all that you found out to your own Internet marketing campaign, and have a much more constructive grounding to jump off of if you do.

Businesses both large and small in all sorts of different markets are taking advantage of all that competitive analysis has to offer because, believe it or not, espionage does have its benefits ? and if your competitors are already spying on you (or will be), why not join the game or even beat them to the punch?

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Introducing SES Online
Want to view one of the sessions you missed or listen to an especially informative presenter a second time? SES New York sessions are available for purchase on ClickZ Academy's new e-Learning site. SES is now Online!

Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2267473/Key-Factors-to-Effective-Competitive-Analysis-as-a-Small-Business

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