Manage your Staffing Business like a pro with Cloud Accounting
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shanewilsonTraditionally you would purchase accounting software from a vendor and install it in your computer systems. But cloud-based accounting is a whole lot different as everything is documented therefore all accounting information can be accessed via internet browser round the clock. In order to keep costs down, switching over to cloud based accounting is an ideal solution and it doesn’t mean you would lose control over your business transactions you can securely access everything as it is stored on a secured cloud server.The basic idea behind Nimble Accounting is to provide simple online business accounting solutions for non-accounting as well as company accountants and business owners. Contemporary designed user interface includes a smart dashboard to see instant real-time financial health on a single window including support for multi company accountings. The affordable online accounting solution is integrated with smart automated budgeting; forecasting, business intelligence, state wise tax filing combined with office automation, easy data migration and more.In particular, payroll and accounts are two separate accounting verticals but Nimble Accounting easily merges these two divisions, ensuring that all business accounting records are in synch and can be seamlessly incorporated into any staffing business, restaurants, and retail outlets. Designed to be modular it enables you to customize most of the options to suit according to your accounting needs along with multiple user access. Payroll processing is automated along with tax engine which also supports easy sync feature from ADP and Paychex services. The cleverly designed interface improves office work efficiency as embedded notifications and automated tasks allow you to stay focused on profit bound activities.You don’t need to be a certified accountant to handle Nimble Accounting as the whole accounting automation process is error free with simple to understand user interface. For clear understanding of Nimble Accounting product, visual aid like videos and PDF manuals are provided along with friendly customer support to avoid possible roadblocks. Additional individual support is always round the corner to make sure you are properly handling your records. If you are quite a busy type of person, you can set customized reminders to raise invoices, send reminder templates on aging revenues, contract lapse alerts and more. Implementing a simple yet cost effective solution like Nimble Accounting into your business will provide clear business health insights in real-time and allow you to stay focused on landscaping your business goals.Moreover there is no upfront investment on infrastructure needed to set up, as Nimble Accounting requires a small one time subscription making it a viable cost effective accounting solution. Built to effectively empower operations with user friendly interface along with responsive design users can access their company’s business accounts round the clock and across multiple platforms. If you’re in the market looking for all-in-one robust accounting software, feel free to connect with us at sales@nimbleaccounting.com our business advisers will gladly assist you with a live demo or visit our homepage http://staffing.nimbleaccounting.com/ for a trial run to learn more, as we’re passionate about how our affordable cloud accounting solution can streamline your accounting process.Nimble Accounting
is easy to adapt to your staffing business processes with customizable workflows, fields, forms, documents, reports, and dashboards,
On Monday, Texas police identified Rodris Webster, 25, as a person-of-interest in the recent disappearance of a 19 year-old woman. The woman, Alicia Benefield, of DeBerry, Texas, was reported missing on Friday.
File photo, Waskom Volunteer Fire Department Image: Billy Hathorn.
Webster is described as Benefield’s boyfriend. He was arrested in January and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Benefield was the complainant in that charge according to media reports. Webster remained jailed until Benefield dropped the charge on March 5.
Police investigators inspected a trash dumpster located in the nearby town of Waskom on Sunday morning. In it they reportedly found Webster’s wet, muddy hoodie with Benefield’s keys in the pocket. Police interviewed Webster for 5 hours on Sunday, but released him around 6pm. The woman, still missing on Tuesday morning, is described as petite size, about 110 pounds, with a nose piercing and a tattoo on one arm saying “Wanda Ree”. She was last seen wearing a white sweater and brown tights.
A police official told reporters Webster had not confessed to any criminal activity: “The story is out there that he has confessed and we do not have a confession”. Benefield’s mother told reporters she expects her daughter to call her. “She is going to call. I’m going to be the first one she calls, matter of fact. I don’t care how mad she think[s] I am. She’s going to call me.”
New York, USA — Students and professors at New York‘s Hamilton College have raised protests over an invitation to the controversial ethics professor, Ward Churchill, to participate in a panel at the college. The main objection is related to comments by Mr. Churchill, chairman of the ethnic studies from the University of Colorado, who in a paper written after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, compared the victims of the attack to “little Eichmanns“.
Churchill’s paper, entitled “Some People Push Back”, charges that all American citizens are complicit in the “genocide of 500,000 Iraqi children,” which he maintains occurred during the Gulf War as a direct result of military actions and the destruction of infrastructure and the water supply. Due to their inaction and empowerment of the American government, he compares American citizens to “Good Germans.” He also charges that the inhabitants of the targets of attack, namely the Pentagon and World Trade Center, have a dubious claim to the title “Innocent Civilians,” as the Pentagon was a military target and the WTC was home to many who he alleges profited from the Iraqi Genocide.
Administrators defended Professor Churchill’s appearance despite the fact that some considered his views repugnant and disparaging.
According to Hamilton College spokesman Michael DeBraggio: “Hamilton, like any institution committed to the free exchange of ideas, invites to its campus people of diverse opinions, often controversial.”
The University of Colorado’s Interim Chancellor Phil Distefano said in a statement:”I wish to make it clear that Professor Ward Churchill’s views of the events of 9/11 are his own and do not represent the views of University of Colorado faculty, staff, students, administration or Regents. While I may personally find his views offensive, I also must support his right as an American citizen to hold and express his views, no matter how repugnant, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.”
The professor’s opinions divided New York’s Hamilton College, where Churchill is scheduled to speak. Jessica Miraglia, a student at Hamilton, created a poster defending the professor reading “You don’t have to agree with them in order to learn from them.”. Sophomore Matt Coppo, who lost his father in the World Trade Center attacks was angered over the invitation to Churchill. “Knowing that I’m paying for a person to disrespect my father, it doesn’t go over too well in my mind.”
Two congressmen from Colorado asked professor Churchill to apologize for comparing victims of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack to Nazis. Professor Churchill has said that he will not back off his statement.
Rescue efforts in the San José Mine, on August 10. Image: desierto_atacama.Laurence Golborne, Mining Minister of Chile. Image: Ministerio Secretaría General de Gobierno de Chile.
The rescue of the Chilean miners trapped in the San José Mine in Copiapó, codenamed Operación San Lorenzo (San Lorenzo Operation), began on Tuesday night, at around 20:00 local time (23:00 UTC).
Florencio Ávalos was the first miner to be rescued, at 00:12 local time (03:12 UTC) on Wednesday. He was wearing a shirt signed by all his fellow miners. “The first miner is already with us. We saw it all, him hugging his wife Monica and his son Byron,” said President Piñera shortly after the first rescue. “We still have a long journey.”
“This will be recorded on every single Chilean heart forever,” Piñera added. “I hope the miners’ hope stay with us, just like the [February] earthquake victims’ [hope] and what the earthquake took off. We know that the disasters unite us all.”
All the 33 miners were rescued. The last miner, Luis Urzúa, was rescued at 21:55 Chile time (00:55 UTC). “It is a pleasure to be Chilean, [I’m] proud,” said Luis Urzúa to President Piñera. “In honour of the miners, their families, the rescuers […] let’s sing our national anthem. Viva Chile Mierda!,” said Piñera. Urzúa thanked Mining Minister Golborne and the First Lady Cecilia Morel for “fighting for their lives.” “I’m proud of my fellow miners,” Urzúa added.
Six rescuers, including a miner and a paramedic, descended to the miners’ shelter using the Fénix 3 capsule which was specially constructed for the rescue. They performed check-ups and talk with the miners before taking them back to the surface. The rescuers still don’t leave the mine.
The Fénix 3 capsules are 3.95 metres in height and weigh about 460 kilograms. They have an armour, an oxygen tube and a microphone. The occupants helmets contain an intercom to keep them in contact with the rescue team on the surface.
President of Chile Piñera assisted to the rescue. Bolivian President Evo Morales could not attend Carlos Mamani’s rescue. Mamani is the only Bolivian miner in the group.
A mass for the miners was conducted at 18:00 local time (21:00 UTC). The rescue takes between 15 and 20 minutes for each miner.
On Tuesday, Mayor of Copiapó Maglio Cicardini announced that the municipal schools in the city will have no classes this Wednesday “to transform the rescue of the Atacama’s 33 in a familiar meeting,” Radio Cooperativa reported.
“The miners will be taken to the Copiapó Regional Hospital for medical checkup, where they will have to stay for 48 hours,” Health Minister Mañalich said to Televisión Nacional de Chile.
Celebrations are taking place in several Chilean cities. In Santiago de Chile, people gathered in one of the most important points of the city, Plaza Italia. In Pichilemu, tens of cars are passing over its most important streets. In Copiapó, people gathered in its main square to assist a massive concert.
Rescue worker Patricio Sepúlveda inside the Fénix capsule, before descending to the miners’ shelter. Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.
On August 5, 33 miners were trapped more than 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground, in the San José copper–gold mine, located about 40 kilometers north of Copiapó, Chile.
The youngest trapped miner is 19 years old, and the oldest is 63. There were several rescue attempts before reaching the miners’ shelter on August 22. The National Emergencies Office of Chile (ONEMI) released a list of the trapped miners on August 6, which included Franklin Lobos Ramírez, a retired footballer.
Chile is the worlds top producer of copper, according to The Economist. The San José Mine is owned by the San Esteban Mining Company (Empresa Minera San Esteban). The mine was closed down in 2007, after relatives of a miner who had died sued the company executives, but the mine was re–opened in 2008.
It was originally estimated that “it would take three to four months to complete the rescue of the trapped miners”. There were three plans to reach the miners: “Plan A” using a Strata 950 drill, “Plan B” using a Schramm T130XD drill, and “Plan C” using a RIG-422 drill. The first to reach the miners was “Plan B”, early on Saturday 9.
The last step of their rescue, announced by Health Minister Jaime Mañalich, was originally due to begin on Tuesday. Laurence Golborne, Minery Minister said “If it is possible, and the cement sets before and we don’t have any impediments to doing it, it would be wonderful,” in a press conference on Monday. The men will be extracted in a steel rescue capsule 54 cm (21 inches) in diameter.
On September 4, Chilean filmmaker Rodrigo Ortúzar announced plans to film a movie about the accident, called “Los 33” (“The 33”). The film will be released in 2011.
One miner is Bolivian, and the other 32 are Chilean.
Raúl Bustos, 40 years old, is an hydraulics engineer. He left his job in Talcahuano after the February 27 earthquake to work in the mine.
Daniel Herrera after his rescue. Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.
Daniel Herrera, 27 years old, is a lorry driver. He has acted as paramedic assistant in the mine. He said to La Tercera “the miners were unhappy with the psychologist in the rescue team.”
Claudio Acuña, miner, is fan of the Colo-Colo football club. The BBC reports he is aged 56, but El Comercio says he is 44.
Pedro Cortez is aged 24. He joined the mine with his friend Carlos Bugueño. Cortez is an electrician, and lost a finger in the mine a year ago.
File:Juan Aguilar with President Piñera.jpg
Juan Carlos Aguilar after he was rescued with President Sebastián Piñera. Aguilar’s shirt says “In his hand are the depths of the earth. And the heights of the hills are his;” “His is the Honor and the Glory.” Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.(Image missing from Commons: image; log)
A native of Los Lagos, Juan Aguilar is 49 years old. Aguilar is married to Cristy Coronado, according to El Comercio. Aguilar works as a supervisor.
Mario Sepúlveda is a 39 years old electrician native of Parral; he is married. He has been the spokesman of the most of the miners’ videos. Mario Sepúlveda was the second miner to be rescued, on Wednesday at 01:10 local time (04:10 UTC).
Víctor Zamora is a 33 years old auto mechanic. Zamora is married to Jéssica Cortez, who confirmed she was pregnant while he was in the mine.
Osman Araya is 30 years old, and married. He began working as miner four months before the accident.
Florencio Ávalos was the first miner to be rescued. Image: Government of Chile TV.
Florencio Ávalos is 31 years old. He is the brother of Renán Ávalos, who is also trapped in the mine. He worked as driver in San José. Ávalos filmed videos, sent later to his relatives.
Ávalos was the first miner to be rescued, on Wednesday at 00:10 local time (03:10 UTC).
Jorge Galleguillos, 56 years old, has worked all his life in the mine. He said in one video he was feeling unwell; he takes medication for hypertension.
Carlos Barrios is a 27 years old miner. His father, Antenor Barrios, told Agence France-Presse: “I find he’s very strong and has enthusiasm. He spoke loud and clear. I was excited.”
Franklin Lobos shortly after his rescue. Image: Gabriel Ortega / Government of Chile.
Franklin Lobos Ramírez is a 53 years old retired footballer. He played for Cobresal, Deportes Antofagasta, Club de Deportes Santiago Wanderers and Unión La Calera, and briefly for the Chile national football team. Lobos had worked as a truck driver in the mine.
Yonni Barrios, called “The Doctor”, is a 50 years old electrician. He has knowledge of first aid, and was given responsibility for monitoring the health of his colleagues. “I felt I was in hell,” Barrios said in a letter to his wife.
Carlos Bugueño, 27 years old, joined the mine with Pedro Cortez. Previously, he worked as a watchman.
Miner Vega after being rescued at 08:53 local time (11:53 UTC). Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.
Alex Vega Salazar is a 31 years old heavy machinery mechanic. He is married to Jessica Salgado, and celebrated his birthday in the mine on September 22.
Ariel Ticona is a 29 years old miner. His wife, Margarita gave birth to his daughter on September 14. She was named Esperanza (Hope), at Ticona’s request.
Richard Villarroel is a 27 years old mechanic from Coyhaique.
Edison Peña is a 34 years old miner. “I want to go out soon,” he said on his first contact with his relatives. “I want to be free, I want to see the sun,” he added. He is a fan of Elvis Presley.
Claudio Yáñez is 34 years old, and works as drill operator.
José Ojeda leaving the Fénix capsule. Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.
José Ojeda, 46 years old, is the master driller. Ojeda is widowed and diabetic.
Luis Urzúa is a 54 year old topographer. He is the shift-leader, and was the first miner to talk with authorities. He is known as Don Lucho among the miners. He draw plans of the area of the mine where they are trapped.
Urzúa will be the last miner to leave the mine.
José Henríquez is a 54 years old drill master. He is also an evangelical preacher, and has worked in mines for 33 years.
Víctor Segovia was the fifteenth miner to be rescued. Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.
Víctor Segovia is a 48 years old electrician. He is in charge of writing down everything that happens in the mine.
Pablo Rojas is a 45 years old explosives loader. Married, he had been working less than six months in the mine.
Juan Illanes is a 51 year old miner. He was a sergeant in the Beagle border conflict between Chile and Argentina in 1978, the incident which almost provoked a war between the countries.
Illanes was rescued on Wednesday, at 02:07 local time (05:07 UTC).
Jimmy Sánchez, 19, is the youngest miner. He had been working in the mine for five months before the accident. His role is to check the temperature and humidity in the mine.
Samuel Ávalos is a 43 years miner. His wife Ruth said “he was addicted to the cocaine.” His role in the rescue is to check air quality in the area the miners are living. According to the BBC, “Ávalos has worked in the mine for five months.”
Mario Gómez, the oldest miner was rescued at 08:00 local time (11:00 UTC). Image: Hugo Infante / Government of Chile.
Mario Gómez, aged 63, is the oldest of the miners. He has worked 51 years as miner. His father was also a miner, and is nicknamed “El Navegao” (“The Sailed One”). He was thinking of retiring in November.
Gómez also wrote the message “Estamos bien en el refugio los 33” (“We are fine in the shelter the 33 [of us]”).
Segovia is 48 years old. He is married to Jessica Chille, who said “To hear his voice was a confort to my heart,” after talking with him for the first time in 24 days. His sister María, was nicknamed “La Alcaldesa” (“The Mayoress”) for her leading role at Campamento Esperanza. His father, Darío Senior, was trapped in a mine for a week, and suffered serious injuries after two other mining accidents, according to the BBC.
Carlos Mamani is a 23 years old heavy equipment operator. He is also the only non-Chilean miner; Mamani is Bolivian. He began working in the mine just five days before the accident.
He was rescued at 03:11 local time (06:11 UTC) on Wednesday.
Renán Ávalos after his rescue. Image: Gabriel Ortega / Government of Chile.
Renán Ávalos is a 29 years old miner, single, who had been working for five months in the mine before the accident. Florencio Ávalos is his brother.
Omar Reygadas is a 56 year old electrician. He began working in the mine shortly before the accident.
Esteban Rojas is a 44 years old miner. Rojas is married to Jessica Yáñez.
People who suffer from bad breath deal with a variety of challenges. They not only offend people they interact with in their personal lives, they might find their professional lives affected by their challenges. There are a variety of things that cause bad breath. Sometimes the problem is as simple as having something with a strong taste for lunch. This is a temporary problem and can be solved with a quick gargle of mouthwash or a breath mint. In other cases, bad breath is a longer term problem and is the result of a health issue. This can create a bigger problem and might result in bad breath issues regardless of what a person eats. It also might require a visit to a dentist office. A dentist can suggest a variety of things that can be done to help with bad breath issues. In additional to medicinal mouthwashes and other things a doctor can prescribe, there are several natural methods that ease the effects of bad breath.
There are several herbs that help combat bad breath. Just chewing on a few leaves of these herbs can eliminate bad breath and creates better oral health. Furthermore, many of them are packed with healing nutrients and vitamins that help improve your health. Try munching on herbs such as tarragon, coriander, spearmint, cardamom and eucalyptus. Steeping them in hot water and creating a tea to sip is also helpful. Remember peppermint herbs are better than candies to follow a strongly scented meal. This prevents you from eating too much sugar, but still helps with digestion and breath.
Yogurt is another food to help ease breath. The active cultures help lower the level hydrogen sulfide which prevents bad breath. Yogurt also helps with digestion, just like peppermint. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Choose dairy items and vegetables that are high in vitamin D that are not overly processed and do not contain a lot of additives.
There are a lot of vegetables and fruits that help ward off bad breath. In most cases the crunchier the veggie or fruit, the better. Though you need to be concerned about getting too much sugar from overeating fruits, you can munch away on veggies all the time. These foods are healthy and good for your system, while also helping prevent bad breath. Try fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots and celery. Items that are high in fiber are the best options.
Foods that are high in vitamin C are also helpful. Many of the items people eat for their crunch or for their other health benefits are also great for oral health. Citrus fruits, berries, and melons are great for bad breath. Vitamin C boosts the immune system, too, so if you have gum disease or unhealthy gums of any kind, the vitamin C will help you heal more quickly. It is always better to get vitamins in food, so do not assume supplements are your best option. It is also important to limit acidic foods and sugary juices, so make careful choices about getting your allotted amount of vitamin C.
About the Author: Stewart Wrighter visited an
Atlanta dentist
for an emergency procedure for his young son. He searched the term
Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, visited the area worst hit by the tsunami that struck the Indonesian island of Java Monday afternoon. Mr Yudhoyono toured the small town of Pangandaran meeting people who were staying in a temporary camp. Many of them are too scared to return home after the huge wave killed nearly 550 people. The tsunami was produced by an underwater earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale.
At the camp, Mr Yudhoyono told one woman to “be strong”. According to a relief worker, about 3,000 people have taken refuge at the site, but only about 500 of them have lost their homes. She said people are too scared to go home because they live on the coast, a sentiment shared by one woman who told AFP: “I did not lose my home, and my husband and child are safe, but we are still traumatised by the tsunami and are too afraid to return home in case another one comes.”
West Java Governor Danny Setiawan told journalists that officials are persuading people to return home, and he said a return to normality “could take five to six years”.
Aid workers are working to provide relief to the 15,500 people who have been left homeless as a result of the two-meter high wave. Yesterday, 15 tonnes of rice and 1,600 boxes of instant noodles were dropped, but some residents have said government assistance is necessary for them to regain their livelihoods. One woman told Reuters, “I don’t have anything, only 5,000 rupiah (£0.30, $0.55) in my wallet. The government should give us money to buy houses and a boat.”
It is estimated over 300 people are still missing, and the army and police are using helicopters, boats and mechanical diggers in the hope of recovering survivors. Lieutenant Colonel Tri Yuniarta has told his 350-strong rescue team in Pangandaran to finish collecting bodies trapped under debris by next Monday.
The Indonesian government has been criticised for failing to inform residents that a tsunami was looming. After the underwater earthquake was detected, US and Japanese agencies issued warning notices, but the government has admitted it was unable to transmit the bulletins to coastal areas. Speaking yesterday, Mr Yudhoyono vowed to hasten efforts to build an early warning system planned after the 2004 Asian tsunami. “We want to expedite efforts to get infrastructure for the tsunami warning system in place,” AP quoted him as saying. “I will work with parliament to get the budget”.
Survivors have described the tsunami, which struck a 200km stretch of Java‘s southern coast. A Belgian tourist said he was in a beach side bar when the wave hit. “I saw this big cloud of dark sea water coming up to me”.
Indonesia is situated on the Pacific Rim of Fire where 90% of the world’s earthquakes and 81% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur.
This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.
The implosion of a relationship between Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and journalist Rachel Marsden has resulted in controversy and international headlines. Associated Press and ABC News have also reported on questionable activity by Wales involving Wikimedia Foundation expenses. The Wikimedia Foundation is a donor-supported non-profit organization which runs Wikipedia.
Marsden had contacted Wales two years ago about concerns she had over the article about her on Wikipedia, and Wales determined the article was not compliant with Wikipedia’s standards. The tech blog Valleywag revealed Wales had a personal relationship with Marsden, and posted supposed transcripts of their instant message conversations on its site, www.valleywag.com. Wales and Marsden met in February, and The Times reported that “An apparent transcript of their conversations before that meeting suggests that, although Mr Wales had withdrawn from the editing process, he was still influencing the editors.” The Times quoted Wales from the chat logs as having stated to Marsden “The truth is of course a much worse conflict of interest than that; but that will do.” — in reference to his conflict of interest regarding Marsden’s article on Wikipedia.
Wales posted a public statement on Saturday on Wikipedia addressing the matter, and stated that his relationship with Marsden was over: “First, while I find it hard to imagine that anyone really cares about my sex life, the facts are: I am separated from my wife. I considered myself single at the time of my one meeting with Rachel Marsden on Feb. 9, 2008 … I am no longer involved with Rachel Marsden. Gossipy stories suggesting that I have been in a relationship with her ‘since last fall’ are completely false … I care deeply about the integrity of Wikipedia, and take very seriously my responsibilities as a member of the board and as a member of the Wikipedia community. I would never knowingly do anything to compromise that trust.” With regard to the conflict of interest in Marsden’s article, Wales had acknowledged to a team of Wikipedia editors in February 2008 that he and Marsden “became friends … and that we would be meeting about that,” and stated “I recused myself from any further official action with respect to her biography.”
On Sunday, The Canadian Press reported that Marsden had posted photos of herself on Ebay, and was selling items that Wales had left at her New York City apartment. In her Ebay posting, Marsden stated: “Hi, my name is Rachel and my (now ex-) boyfriend, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, just broke up with me via an announcement on Wikipedia … It was such a classy move that I was inspired to do something equally classy myself, so I’m selling a couple of items of clothing he left behind, here in my NYC apartment, on eBay. Jimbo was supposed to come visit me in a couple of weeks and pick up some of his stuff, but obviously that won’t be happening now.” Marsden told The Canadian Press “It didn’t really help matters that Jimmy chose to announce the breakup to the entire world via Wikipedia (which apparently now is an online encyclopedia that doubles as a personal soapbox?) rather than to me directly (which he did much later, in an instant message discussion).”
I care deeply about the integrity of Wikipedia, and take very seriously my responsibilities as a member of the board and as a member of the Wikipedia community. I would never knowingly do anything to compromise that trust.
Marsden placed a t-shirt and sweater which she said were left at her apartment by Wales up on Ebay, and started the bidding for each at ninety-nine cents, with the auctions set to end on March 12. By Monday, bidding on the t-shirt had reached US$300, and by Tuesday the highest bid had reached $12,200. In an email to The Globe and Mail, Marsden stated “My only focus right now, to be really honest, is on my career and finding a way to get back into print, TV, or radio here in NYC,” she wrote. “All of this other personal stuff is just an unfortunate distraction.”
Jay Walsh, the Wikimedia Foundation’s head of communications, told the San Jose Mercury News that Wales’ actions in relaying Marsden’s concerns about her Wikipedia article to a team of trusted editors was within his “routine” role. When asked by the San Jose Mercury News if Wales’ actions regarding the Marsden article could compromise his role with the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia, Walsh responded “No, absolutely not.”
On Tuesday, ABC News carried a story by Wired News reporter Megan McCarthy regarding allegations of “excessive spending” by Wales, and Associated Press also reported on questions involving Wikimedia Foundation expenses. McCarthy reported that former Wikimedia executive Danny Wool, who had left the foundation last year, criticized Wales’ use of Wikimedia Foundation expenses in a blog post. Wool stated that Wales had tried to expense $300 bottles of wine, a $1,300 dinner for four at a Florida steakhouse, and visits to Moscow massage parlors to the foundation, and that the foundation rescinded Wales’ corporate credit card in 2006. Wool also stated that Wales paid the foundation $7,000, after being short $30,000 on receipts for expenses.
Wool told EPICENTER that “There were occasions where he used [the Wikimedia Foundation] for personal advancement under the guide [sic] of the mission. And, as someone who was in there for the mission part of it, I found that rather distressful.” Wool commented in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle: “Originally, it was carelessness … But as things developed, it became more apparent and obvious that he was taking advantage of the foundation credit card. It was almost like his personal piggy bank.”
Florence Devouard in 2006. Image: Gus Freedman/Wikimedia Foundation.
Jimmy has never used Wikimedia money to subsidize his personal expenditures. Indeed, he has consistently put the foundation’s interests ahead of his own.
In an instant message exchange with Associated Press, Wales denied that the Wikimedia Foundation had taken away his corporate credit card, and asserted that he had made the decision to stop expensing business travel for the foundation. Wales highlighted a statement by the foundation’s executive director Sue Gardner: “Jimmy has never used Wikimedia money to subsidize his personal expenditures. Indeed, he has consistently put the foundation’s interests ahead of his own.” In an email to Associated Press, Brad Patrick, a former attorney for the Wikimedia Foundation, stated “Danny seems interested in blogging his way straight to a lawsuit”.
Florence Devouard, who chairs the Wikimedia Foundation, told Associated Press that Wales had been “slow in submitting receipts,” and that the foundation had rejected Wales’ expense at the Florida steakhouse. Devouard told fellow foundation board members in a private email that she had convinced Associated Press that “the money story was a no story,” and told Wales “I find (it) tiring to see how you are constantly trying to rewrite the past. Get a grip!” Wales told Associated Press: “The board, the current executive director, the previous executive director, and independent auditors have reviewed our books and publicly agree that all of my expenses were appropriate and fully accounted for.”
Media reports speculated on how the controversy would end up being represented in Wikipedia itself. On Wednesday, the St. Petersburg Times wrote: “Wales’ Wikipedia page said only this about Marsden: ‘Wales had a brief relationship with Canadian journalist Rachel Marsden.'” An article in The Australian surmised: “History will decide whether Mr Wales broke his own principles, but before that happens there may well be a Wikipedia page devoted to the controversy.”
Digital Marketing Agency: Ensuring Marketing Campaign Success
by
Debora
With the advent of the state-of-the-art technology and the best promotional vehicles, all the business enterprises are trying to lure their potential customers in the most innovative manner. The growing competition all across the globe has also induced the business enterprises to strategize their advertising and marketing plans according to their target customers. All these planning and incubation of the strategies require diligent minds and years of experience. This is the reason why the companies, whether large scale or medium scale contact a digital marketing agency to do the needful work for them.
You may shell out the money, but it doesn’t guarantee the success of your marketing campaigns. Therefore, you need to first adequately determine the objective of your marketing campaign and then plan the vehicle and content accordingly. A renowned marketing agency is the best medium to prepare an alluring and successful marketing on demand campaign. The agency houses well experienced planners who will first chat with you to know your marketing objective and target customers. For instance, you may desire to promote a new magazine for middle aged women. Next, the experts will arrange for brainstorming sessions where they will plan the best digital marketing campaign. They will determine which digital medium would be the best and most effective for the campaign. Now-a-days internet has emerged as the best medium for the promotion and advertising of products and services, information about new offers, launch of your brand and so on. The designers will then make your campaign visually alluring to entice your targeted customers in the first instance. They would use the most attractive colors, the best font, the right font size and so on to entice your current and prospective customers. The copy writers will plan out the best content according to the objectives of your marketing campaign. For instance, if you want to inform your customers about a new offer, they will write the content accordingly highlighting the benefits they can derive from the offer, like cash back, alluring gifts, discounts and so on. In order to immediately captivate your targeted customers, they will incubate the most innovative headline. When your prospective customers will view the marketing on demand campaign, they will be instantly bowled over. They would definitely read the whole content and then act upon it as well. By contacting the best digital marketing agency, you can ensure the success of your promotional campaign.
They would definitely read the whole content and then act upon it as well. By contacting the best
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US bank Goldman Sachs has been accused of fraud by the American regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Goldman Sachs arranged a transaction at Paulson’s request in which Paulson heavily influenced the selection of the portfolio to suit its economic interests
According to the SEC, Goldman Sachs failed to inform investors of a conflict of interest in the banks’ marketing of sub-prime mortgage investments, which were being sold at a time of uncertainty in the US housing market. The SEC says that a Goldman subsidiary, Paulson & Co., had been involved in the selection of securities included in the mortgage investments. It had not been disclosed to investors that Paulson had bet that the value of the investments would fall, benefiting Paulson but not those who bought the investments.
The securities, which were combined into a package called Abacus that was sold to investors, lost over $1 billion during the collapse of the US housing industry. According to the SEC, Goldman, Paulson, and the creator of Abacus, a vice-president of Goldman Sachs named Fabrice Tourre, all knew that the housing market was going to collapse, but continued to sell Abacus despite the risks.
Tourre had been in command of selecting the investments within Abacus, and then was the person responsible for selling it to investors. He had told those who invested in Abacus that its components had been selected by an independent party, ACA Management.
In all, 99% of the investments within Abacus were downgraded, and investors lost upwards of a billion US dollars.
The SEC alleged that “Goldman Sachs arranged a transaction at Paulson’s request in which Paulson heavily influenced the selection of the portfolio to suit its economic interests.” In a short response from Goldman, the bank said that “The SEC’s charges are completely unfounded in law and fact and we will vigorously contest them and defend the firm and its reputation.”
Map highlighting Magway Region in Burma, where Minbu is located. Image: Dr. Blofeld based on work by Uwe Dedering.
In diplomatic cables released by the whistle blowing website Wikileaks on Friday, it is revealed that the United States embassy in Rangoon suspects the North Korean and Burmese military are participating in “covert military or military-industrial” activities. In the cables dating back as early as January 2004, the embassy reports the military activities could include the construction of a nuclear reactor in or near Minbu, along with “SAM missiles” and an underground facility with as many as 300 North Korean military personnel assisting the Burmese military in the construction. Burma is primarily controlled by its military.
In the January 2004 cable, a businessman reportedly told the U.S. embassy in Rangoon that “massive” barges were bringing in large pieces of equipment to Minbu from the Irawaddy River. He suggested that “the quantities involved as well as the diameter of the rebar suggested a project larger than ‘factories.'” In the same cable, the U.S. acknowledges that rumors of a nuclear reactor being constructed in the area date back to 2002, with suspected Russian involvement. “Rumors of ongoing construction of a nuclear reactor are surprisingly consistent and observations of activity such as that described [sic] appear to be increasing,” said Martinez, the reported cable author. According to a news report in March, The Irrawaddy claims Burma was close to completing at least three nuclear reactors. The country’s leadership claims the nuclear research that is taking place is to be used for peaceful purposes.
1oz. uranium-238 under oil. Image: Greenhorn1.
In August of the same year, the U.S embassy receives more information that North Korea military is assisting in the construction of “SAM missiles (surface to air missiles) of unknown origin” and an “underground, concrete reinforced” facility in Minbu. The construction allegedly includes buildings which would house at least “20 Burmese army battalions that will be posted near the site.” The correspondent again says that the report “tracks with other information Embassy Rangoon and others have reported in various channels.”
“This account is perhaps best considered alongside other information of various origins indicating the Burmese and North Koreans are up to something. Something of a covert military or military-industrial nature. Exactly what, and on what scale, remains to be determined,” said McMullen, the reported cable author. He also admits that the number of North Koreans thought to be assisting the Burmese military “is much higher than our best estimates of North Koreans in Burma.” According to the Agence France-Presse in 2002, citing an unnamed U.S State Department official, the U.S. warned Burma not to pursue a nuclear program saying that it expects Burma “to live up to its obligations [under the non-proliferation treaty] and to not pursue production of weapons grade fissile material.” However a 2008 cable says that Burma may already be in possession of weapons grade uranium. The cable reports that a civilian tried to sell 2,000 kilograms of uranium-238 which “could be dug up” from the ground at a site in Kayah State. Uranium-238 could be used in the construction of nuclear weapons.
“A Burmese civilian met with members of USDAO [United States Defense Attaché Office] Rangoon and offered to sell Uranium-238. The individual had initially contacted the USDAO eight days prior with the offer. The individual provided a small bottle half-filled with metallic powder and a photocopied certificate of testing from a Chinese university dated 1992 as verification of the radioactive nature of the powder,” said the cable. “The individual claimed to be able to provide up to 2000 kg of uranium-bearing rock from a location in Kayah State, and further stated if the U.S. was not interested in purchasing the uranium, he and his associates would try to sell it to other countries, beginning with Thailand,” it added. The cable adds that the Burmese government was unaware that such a transaction was taking place and that they “would likely seize any additional samples or stocks of the material if aware of their existence.” However, a cable in January of 2007 says that the Burmese military may have received a shipment of uranium at the end of that month. The “sensitive shipment” was said to have come from Singapore via shipping freighter.
“[An unnamed witness] claimed that metals are usually exported in blocks, whereas the bags in this shipment were filled with loose earth and mud. The source of the mixed ore, Maw Chi, is also a source for uranium, they claimed. Security was tighter than usual, surveillance was heavier, and officials paid closer attention to the movement of the shipment and activity at the port,” said the cable. The cable author, ‘Villarosa,’ later states that the embassy in Rangoon was given allegedly detailed information on the shipping methods, weight and cost. No further cables have yet to be released on the matter.
