American Idol Auditions, Arts & Entertainment

American Idol Audition Secrets That Can Get You Past The First Round Of The Show!

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Good advice for a song - Bakersfield Californian But ASR has managed to keep the doors open with a diverse business plan, which includes family entertainment, a cafe and music lessons, in addition to its core mission: state-of-the-art recordings ... like "American Idol" and "The Voice ... allkpop TV Guide: Dream High 2 Ep. 15-16 (Finale) - allkpop Official Synopsis: Kirin Arts High School has fallen from its status ... The school is taken over by OZ Entertainment Agency, who transfers their own idol stars over to the school to avoid the law that prohibits underage entertainers from performing ... Upcoming Events at TAMUCC: From classes and speaker events to concerts - Corpus Christi Caller Thursday, March 22: The Art Museum of South Texas will offer a Moms and ... Saturday, March 24, through Monday, March 26: Auditions for the ?Corpus Christi Idol 2012? solo talent competition will be held on Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m ... Wyandotte man takes Idol title over two island women - News-Herald First-time competitor David Martin of Wyandotte held his own Sunday against two veteran singers to emerge as the Southern Great Lakes Symphony?s 2012 Downriver Idol. A choir director ... which kicked off with auditions in January, culminated ... 'Idol' contender Jessica Sanchez is US mags' top pick - Manila Bulleting Online MANILA, Philippines ? Filipino-Mexican Jessica Sanchez is Entertainment Weekly?s top bet to win in this season?s ?American Idol.? Sanchez is number ... She was trained at the Theater of Arts in Hollywood on a full scholarship. Canada's Got Talent: In search of northern stars - Calgary Herald a Sikh martial-arts demonstration and a sign-language theatre ensemble. Can?t say who moved on to the next round. That would ruin the fun. (Watch the Montreal auditions when they air March 25.) But those who didn?t make it were let down gently.

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Jesse James Returning To TV With ?Jesse James: Outlaw Garage? (VIDEO)

Jesse James Returning To TV With “Jesse James: Outlaw Garage” (VIDEO)

Notorious cheater Jesse James is making a return to television. James will return to a show on the Discovery Channel, which featured his show “Monster [...]

Jesse James Returning To TV With “Jesse James: Outlaw Garage” (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

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In House Financing Auto Loans | Asha Kiran

Much has been said and written about the ?horrors? of in house dealer financing of automobile loans. Actually determining the best way to go about financing your next car is a bit more involved. In some circumstances, in house financing auto loans are a very good deal, primarily for those with good, very good or excellent credit. Both the auto dealers and the new car manufacturers know that the limited amount of good and excellent credit available for auto loan financing is very limited and they want as much of it as they can get. So for those with very good credit, they bend over backwards to make sure their auto loan financing is as competitive as possible.

As one moves down the credit spectrum into good to poor to bad, the story begins to change. The average auto finance firm expects most of its business to be poor credit but good enough to pay the loan and not require the car be reprocessed. For an auto finance company this is a great business model. It allows them to charge high interest rates with only a reasonable amount of risk. At high rates they do not even have to finance a lot of cars to have a very viable business. It is in this ?gray area? that many of today?s auto buyers find themselves.

For those credit challenged with bad credit, normally the last option and lowest place on the totem pole is ?buy here pay here?. In this circumstance the seller actually counts on having to reprocess the car. They realize the credit starved buyer has little or no options so they start by inflating the price of the car. For example a car that may sell on the used car lot of a franchised dealer for $10,000 will easily be $15,000 at a buy here pay here. Often they also require the buyer to put money down and, at the same time, charge the highest interest rates that are legal. Caught up in this set of variables, the buy here pay here dealer does not expect the buyer to pay on the car for too long. They reprocess the car and just sell it again in the same scenario.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who have to look at auto loans for bad credit, the place to start is not even at the auto finance company and certainly not at the buy here pay here dealer. By far the best place to start is the internet. In the privacy of your home you can compare the rates and offers of multiple outlets without ever leaving home. You will be able to determine what your credit will be able to finance and can often get your financing approved over the phone. This way, you are in control and understand what you are getting into.

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Homeowners' emphasis on energy efficiency grows | Pro Hands at ...

(ARA) ? Even in a volatile economy, homeowners are making home upkeep a priority. While the number of projects annually had been on the decline in recent years, a study from BuildFax, a resource for building, remodeling and repair information, found remodeling activity was up in 2011 over 2010. Additional data shows homeowners are opting to invest in what matters most with projects that benefit their wallets, personal comfort and the environment.

Know the facts

Before buying anything, shoppers are taking time to learn more about the products they put in their homes. For one in four consumers, knowing and understanding what makes up general household products is important. As options continue to increase, this attention to research is key to finding efficient products that offer maximum value. For instance, homeowners will find that a few newer home insulation products that help provide greater energy efficiency also boast new sustainable formulations. Owens Corning EcoTouch insulation is made from 99 percent natural materials, contains a minimum of 58 percent recycled content and is verified formaldehyde free.

Energy-efficient essentials

According to the 2010 Home Improvement Research Institute Trends Program Report, reducing household energy usage and bills through energy-efficient improvements continues to be the No. 1 reason homeowners make home improvements. That same report also indicated six out of 10 consumers need help identifying what they can do to be more environmentally conscious.

?Now is the right time to make efficiency improvements around the home because homeowners will see an immediate impact on their monthly utility bills, and will reap even greater benefits in the long term,? says Frank O?Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer at Owens Corning. ?According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use more energy in the United States than either transportation or industry, accounting for the consumption of 40 percent of our nation?s energy resources. On a more granular level, the primary use of energy in a home is for heating and cooling. In many homes, excessive energy is wasted through poorly sealed and insulated attics, walls and ductwork ? all problems that can be solved by handy do-it-yourselfers or through experienced contractors.?

The Home Improvement Research Institute reports roughly one in three homeowners plans to purchase more energy-efficient doors, windows or HVAC systems in the coming year. Sealing all openings around doors and windows can help homeowners make the most of their investment. Air ducts should also be inspected to ensure they are clean, are free of leaks and holes and direct air to the right spaces.

Recycling 101

While recycled content is commonly focused on, recyclable materials are also important. Often with home improvement projects, old materials are thrown out and replaced with the new. What many homeowners may not know is that many building materials and appliances are recyclable. Recycling is a better solution for the environment, and may be less costly than taking material to a landfill.

?There are more recyclable materials on and in a home than you might first assume. Millions of tons of shingles torn off from roofs end up in our country?s landfills each year. Fortunately, the technology now exists for all those shingles to be recycled instead,? says O?Brien-Bernini. ?In 2009, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC formed an alliance with Heritage Environmental Services to create a Shingle Recycling Program with roofing contractors to make recycling convenient, cost-competitive and differentiating and have since recycled more than 90,000 tons of asphalt shingles.?

Homeowners looking for more information about shingle recycling and other types of recycling can turn to Earth911.com, with whom Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC recently also formed an alliance. The site hosts the largest and most accurate recycling directory in North America and provides information about what materials can be recycled as well as lists of recyclers in local markets.

For more tips on efficient home improvements, visit www.OwensCorning.com.

Source: http://prohandsatwork.com/?p=69477

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In Two Years, Real Estate will Rock | RealEstateEconomyWatch.com

Housing starts will nearly double and home prices will begin to rise in 2013, with prices increasing significantly in 2014.

Those rosy predictions come from a new semi-annual survey of 38 of the nation?s leading real estate economists and analysts by the Urban Land Institute?s Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate. The economists foresee broad improvements for the nation?s economy, real estate capital markets, real estate fundamentals and the housing industry through 2014, including:

• The national average home price is expected to stop declining this year, and then rise by 2 percent in 2013 and by 3.5 percent in 2014.
• Vacancy rates are expected to drop in a range of between 1.2 and 3.7 percentage points for office, retail, and industrial properties and remain stable at low levels for apartments; while hotel occupancy rates will likely rise;
• Rents are expected to increase for all property types, with 2012 increases ranging from 0.8 percent for retail up to 5.0 percent for apartments;

These strong projections are based on a promising outlook for the overall economy. The survey results show the real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to rise steadily from 2.5 percent this year to 3 percent in 2013 to 3.2 percent by 2014; the nation?s unemployment rate is expected to fall to 8.0 percent in 2012, 7.5 percent in 2013, and 6.9 percent by 2014; and the number of jobs created is expected to rise from and expected 2 million in 2012 to 2.5 million in 2013 to 2.75 million in 2014.

The improving economy, however, will likely lead to higher inflation and interest rates, which will raise the cost of borrowing for consumers and investors. For 2012, 2013 and 2014, inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to be 2.4 percent, 2.8 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively; and ten-year treasury rates will rise along with inflation, with a rate of 2.4 percent projected for 2012, 3.1 percent for 2013, and 3.8 percent for 2014.

The survey, conducted during late February and early March, is a consensus view and reflects the median forecast for 26 economic indicators, including property transaction volumes and issuance of commercial mortgage-backed securities; property investment returns, vacancy rates and rents for several property sectors; and housing starts and home prices. Comparisons are made on a year-by-year basis from 2009, when the nation was in the throes of recession, through 2014.

While the ULI Real Estate Consensus Forecast suggests that economic growth will be steady rather than sporadic, it must be viewed within the context of numerous risk factors such as the continuing impact of Europe?s debt crisis; the impact of the upcoming presidential election in the U.S. and major elections overseas; and the complexities of tighter financial regulations in the U.S. and abroad, said ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips. ?While geopolitical and global economic events could change the forecast going forward, what we see in this survey is confidence that the U.S. real estate economy has weathered the brunt of the recent financial storm and is poised for significant improvement over the next three years. These results hold much promise for the real estate industry.?

A slight cooling trend in the apartment sector - the investors? darling for the past two years - is seen in the survey results, with other property types projected to gain momentum over the next two years. By property type, total returns for institutional quality assets in 2012 are expected to be strongest for apartments, at 12.1 percent; followed by industrial, at 11.5 percent; office, at 10.8 percent; and retail, at 10 percent. By 2014, however, returns are expected to be strongest for office, at 10 percent, and industrial, at 10 percent; followed by apartments at 8.8 percent and retail at 8.5 percent.

The forecast predicts a modest increase in vacancy rates, from 5 percent this year to 5.1 percent in 2013 to 5.3 percent in 2014; and a decrease in rental growth rates, with rents expected to grow by 5 percent this year, and then moderate to a growth rate of 4.0 percent for 2013 and 3.8 percent by 2014. This may be indicative of supply catching up with demand.

For the housing industry, the survey results suggest that 2012 could mark the beginning of a turnaround - albeit a slow one. Single-family housing starts, which have been near record lows over the past three years, are projected to reach 500,000 in 2012, 660,000 in 2013, and 800,000 in 2014. The overhang of foreclosed properties in markets hit hardest by the housing collapse will continue to affect the housing recovery in those markets. However, in general, improved job prospects and strengthening consumer confidence will likely bring buyers back to the housing market.

Source: http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2012/03/in-two-years-real-estate-will-rock/

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Dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that make them hungrier

Public release date: 29-Mar-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tim Parsons
tmparson@jhsph.edu
410-955-7619
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have, for the first time, shown that infection with dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that makes them hungrier and better feeders, and therefore possibly more likely to spread the disease to humans. Specifically, they found that dengue virus infection of the mosquito's salivary gland triggered a response that involved genes of the insect's immune system, feeding behavior and the mosquito's ability to sense odors. The researchers findings are published in the March 29 edition of PLoS Pathogens.

Dengue virus is primarily spread to people by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Over 2.5 billion people live in areas where dengue fever is endemic. The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 50 million and 100 million dengue infections each year.

"Our study shows that the dengue virus infects mosquito organs, the salivary glands and antennae that are essential for finding and feeding on a human host. This infection induces odorant-binding protein genes, which enable the mosquito to sense odors. The virus may, therefore, facilitate the mosquito's host-seeking ability, and couldat least theoreticallyincrease transmission efficiency, although we don't fully understand the relationships between feeding efficiency and virus transmission," said George Dimopoulus, PhD, senior author of the study and professor with the Bloomberg School's Malaria Research Institute. "In other words, a hungrier mosquito with a better ability to sense food is more likely to spread dengue virus."

For the study, researchers performed a genome-wide microarray gene expression analysis of dengue-infected mosquitoes. Infection regulated 147 genes with predicted functions in various processes including virus transmission, immunity, blood-feeding and host-seeking. Further analysis of infected mosquitoes showed that silencing, or "switching off," two odorant-binding protein genes resulted in an overall reduction in the mosquito's blood-acquisition capacity from a single host by increasing the time it took the for mosquito to probe for a meal.

"We have, for the first time shown, that a human pathogen can modulate feeding-related genes and behavior of its vector mosquito, and the impact of this on transmission of disease could be significant," said Dimopoulos.

"Dengue virus infection of the Aedes aegypti salivary gland and chemosensory apparatus induces genes that modulate infection and blood-feeding behavior" was written by Shuzhen Sim, Jose L. Ramirez and George Dimopoulos.

###

Funding for the research was provided by National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health.

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-Mar-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tim Parsons
tmparson@jhsph.edu
410-955-7619
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have, for the first time, shown that infection with dengue virus turns on mosquito genes that makes them hungrier and better feeders, and therefore possibly more likely to spread the disease to humans. Specifically, they found that dengue virus infection of the mosquito's salivary gland triggered a response that involved genes of the insect's immune system, feeding behavior and the mosquito's ability to sense odors. The researchers findings are published in the March 29 edition of PLoS Pathogens.

Dengue virus is primarily spread to people by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Over 2.5 billion people live in areas where dengue fever is endemic. The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 50 million and 100 million dengue infections each year.

"Our study shows that the dengue virus infects mosquito organs, the salivary glands and antennae that are essential for finding and feeding on a human host. This infection induces odorant-binding protein genes, which enable the mosquito to sense odors. The virus may, therefore, facilitate the mosquito's host-seeking ability, and couldat least theoreticallyincrease transmission efficiency, although we don't fully understand the relationships between feeding efficiency and virus transmission," said George Dimopoulus, PhD, senior author of the study and professor with the Bloomberg School's Malaria Research Institute. "In other words, a hungrier mosquito with a better ability to sense food is more likely to spread dengue virus."

For the study, researchers performed a genome-wide microarray gene expression analysis of dengue-infected mosquitoes. Infection regulated 147 genes with predicted functions in various processes including virus transmission, immunity, blood-feeding and host-seeking. Further analysis of infected mosquitoes showed that silencing, or "switching off," two odorant-binding protein genes resulted in an overall reduction in the mosquito's blood-acquisition capacity from a single host by increasing the time it took the for mosquito to probe for a meal.

"We have, for the first time shown, that a human pathogen can modulate feeding-related genes and behavior of its vector mosquito, and the impact of this on transmission of disease could be significant," said Dimopoulos.

"Dengue virus infection of the Aedes aegypti salivary gland and chemosensory apparatus induces genes that modulate infection and blood-feeding behavior" was written by Shuzhen Sim, Jose L. Ramirez and George Dimopoulos.

###

Funding for the research was provided by National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/jhub-dvt032812.php

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Nike sues Reebok in NYC over Tebow apparel

FILE - In this March 26, 2012, file photo, Rebook brand New York Jets football jerseys with the name and number of their new quarterback Tim Tebow hang on display at a Modell's store in New York. Nike Inc. claims in a lawsuit on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in U.S. District Court that Reebok International Ltd. has used Tebow's name on Jets-related apparel without permission since it was announced last week that Tebow was traded from the Denver Broncos to New York. The Tebow trade occurred just before Nike replaces Reebok on Sunday as the supplier of NFL team uniforms. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

FILE - In this March 26, 2012, file photo, Rebook brand New York Jets football jerseys with the name and number of their new quarterback Tim Tebow hang on display at a Modell's store in New York. Nike Inc. claims in a lawsuit on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in U.S. District Court that Reebok International Ltd. has used Tebow's name on Jets-related apparel without permission since it was announced last week that Tebow was traded from the Denver Broncos to New York. The Tebow trade occurred just before Nike replaces Reebok on Sunday as the supplier of NFL team uniforms. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Tim Tebow holds his first news conference with the New York Jets, Monday, March 26, 2012, in Florham Park, N.J. Tebow, who led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs last year, was acquired in a trade Wednesday with Denver and will serve as the backup quarterback to Mark Sanchez. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Nike went to court Wednesday to prove that Reebok is no shoo-in to promote New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow on apparel.

Nike Inc. claimed in a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that Reebok International Ltd. has used Tebow's name on Jets-related apparel without permission since it was announced last week that Tebow was traded from the Denver Broncos to New York. The Tebow trade occurred just before Nike replaces Reebok on Sunday as the supplier of NFL team uniforms.

Oregon-based Nike spokeswoman Mary Remuzzi said early Thursday that a temporary restraining order blocking further sales of the merchandise by Reebok was issued on Wednesday.

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, claims that Reebok misappropriated publicity rights, interfered with business relationships and unjustly enriched itself because it failed to get Tebow's permission before launching the new products.

Reebok, based in Canton, Mass., did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on the restraining order. The lawsuit said Reebok did not respond to demands to cease Tebow apparel sales after a Tebow representative sent a letter to the company on Friday.

Reebok is a subsidiary of Adidas AG.

According to the lawsuit, new Nike-supplied uniforms for all 32 NFL teams will be unveiled next week in New York City, kicking off a five-year deal for Nike to be the league's exclusive provider of on-field apparel, including game uniforms and sideline apparel. Reebok had been the supplier for the last decade.

The lawsuit said demands for Tebow-related Jets apparel was intense last week during a normally subdued time for NFL merchandise sales.

It said Nike, based in Beaverton, Ore., believes Reebok was shipping large volumes of Tebow-related apparel products to retailers for sale to the public this week, damaging Nike's ability to capitalize on a "unique and short-lived opportunity."

The lawsuit added that it was unlikely that a consumer who buys an unauthorized Tebow jersey or T-shirt from Reebok this week will purchase an authorized Tebow item from Nike next week.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-03-29-Nike-Reebok-Tebow/id-7705e7c3f53d425084ec2491275d86fd

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All About Insourcing (TIME)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/209775574?client_source=feed&format=rss

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No lovefest on 'DWTS' as judges go after Melissa

By Natalie Finn, E! Online

How could "Dancing With the Stars" get any better?

ABC

Melissa Gilbert has a good cry while rehearsing with pro Maks on "Dancing."

The judges deemed last week's season premiere the series' "best ever" after two contestants ? Welsh opera singer Katherine Jenkins and a positively dashing Jaleel White ? scored 9s, only six points separated first place from last and the rock-bottom score was a respectable 20.

Remember Kate Gosselin getting 14?

Anyway, did the stars ? one of whom will go home tomorrow ? start buckling under the pressure tonight?

Well, it certainly wasn't the lovefest that last week was.

More from E! 5 things 'DWTS' could learn from 'Walking Dead'

Katherine threw her opera-singing, lunching-with-the-queen image of demureness out the window with a jive sexy enough to be declared not Len Goodman's "cup of tea." So, obviously, Bruno Tonioli loved it and he and Carrie Ann Inaba bestowed a pair of 9s on the leggy blonde.

But they weren't the first 9s of the night ? Disney prince Roshon Fegan kicked things off with a quickstep that showed he can do elegant just as well as he brings in the funk.

Joining the upper tier of contestants once again was Bruno's favorite amateur dancer, ever, William Levy ? who was just as adorable doing the quickstep as he was sexy doing the cha-cha.

Jaleel, unfortunately, didn't bring as much bounce to his jive as we expected from the out-of-the-gate fave, and his score suffered. "The Family Matters" star, who pointed out that knocking into doors without getting hurt isn't as easy as it looks, took the biggest dive, score-wise, going from a 26 to a 22.

More from E! Was the 'DWTS' premiere the best first show ever?

Maria Menounos headed in the opposite direction, impressing with her quickstep enough for a four-point jump, from 21 to 25.

Sherri Shepherd worried she wouldn't be able to handle the jive ? but she had more bounce than Jaleel! She turned in just as giddy a performance as she did last week, and she once again scored a 23.

But the real surprise came when Len apologized to Donald Driver for "undermarking" him last week. Personally, we kinda think they all undermarked him this week, too, but at least he got a nice bump after a sharp quickstep.

Gavin DeGraw also did way better, energy-wise, than last week indicated he was capable of, but it was a little too sloppy for the judges' taste.

More from E! Who is Sherri apologizing to at 'DWTS'?

Meanwhile, we're starting to wonder if Melissa Gilbert is being overjudged because she's partnered with the headstrong, itching-to-win Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Last week's cha-cha was very ambitious, and the "Little House on the Prairie" star seemingly rose to the occasion, but she only got a 20.

And she only got 20 this week after a seemingly more-than-competent quickstep! Does she actually stink and we're not seeing it, or are the judges paying extra-special attention to every move they make?

Lucky for Melissa, Martina Navratilova's jive was a bit of a mess. She's fit, she's strong, she looked good ? but she had no attack.

"Aw, that was sad!" Carrie Ann squealed. "Oh, my darling, I think that serve went into the net," lamented Bruno.

More from E! Which 'DWTS' hunk posed naked?

Here's how Monday's leaderboard stacked up, combined with last week's scores:

• Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas: 26 (52)
• Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower: 26 (49)
• William Levy & Cheryl Burke: 25 (49)
• Jaleel White & Kym Johnson: 22 (48)
• Maria Menounos & Derek Hough: 25 (46)
• Sherri Shepherd & Val Chmerkovskiy: 23 (46)
• Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd: 24 (45)
• Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunskaya: 21 (44)
• Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus: 19 (42)
• Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff: 21 (41)
• Melissa Gilbert & Maks Chmerkovskiy: 20 (40)
• Martina Navratilova & Tony Dovolani: 17 (37)

After two nights of nothing-but-dance, someone will finally be eliminated Tuesday night.

Do you think Melissa was scored fairly this week? Who do you predict is going to be the first celeb eliminated? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!?And don't forget to join us for a chat at 3:30 ET Tuesday, March 27, to dish on who you voted for, who'll make it to the end and more!

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/26/10877649-no-lovefest-on-dancing-with-the-stars-as-judges-go-after-melissa-and-maks-again

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Evergreen Business System Review-Concentrate Your Internet ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Marketing and advertising is heading inside the path with the Internet and will be around for years to come. Study on for some ways from Evergreen Business System Review to enhance your Online marketing achievement.

Source: http://www.enclavefeminista.org/?p=2372

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EasyTag EasyTagger GPS Unit for Nikon Cameras Review

I have a couple of Nikon DSLR cameras that I use for personal and Gadgeteer photography.? Nikon cameras aren’t cheap, but hey – not every camera is mentioned in song, either.? Accessories, especially the Nikon-branded ones, aren’t cheap, either.? I’ve been slowly collecting studio lights, flashes for the hot shoe, filters – you get the [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/03/27/easytag-easytagger-gps-unit-for-nikon-cameras-review/

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Online Advertising | Ezine Article Source

Due to the popularity of online advertisement nowadays, the web-based ads expenditures rose enormously in 2010. It was also the first chance in the advertising record that the spending on web advertisement exceeded that of the newspaper advert expenditures. Online research services firm found that the slow economic growth is the primary reason why companies boosted their online ads expenses.

Characteristics of Internet-based Classified Advertisements

Search Engine Marketing is anticipated to go on and to become the key marketing and advertising spending in the online world, while online video is probably going to continue to be the quickest and increasing advertising and marketing medium in cyberspace.

Final statistics for web financing by business to business (b2b) to business Online advertising companies for 2010 is anticipated to grow by 8% from 2009.

What are the factors responsible for the increasing shift to Internet B2B marketing promotions? Research organizations like eMarketer correlated the surge in website ads expenditure to the expanding recognition of entrepreneurs that the web is the principal resource for information and facts, social media connections and leisure for numerous U.S. customers.

Subsequently, this perspective has grown skepticism on the efficiency of marketing or advertising strategies by using conventional media channels like printed newspaper. It is a market projected to experience an 8.2 percentage decline in advertisement expending income for 2010 accompanied by a 6 % glide in 2011.

News websites: Most reliable place for? Marketing promotions

In real life, nearly everybody analyze whether they should believe a specific thing depending on source alone. The same rationale is true for internet advertising as well.

Though these internet sites might emerge to be a profitable revenue generator for publishers, research suggests clients are more confident in web marketing content material available on media internet websites.

A research made by Online Publishers Association (OPA) found out that 15 percent of devoted press web page clients were prone to pay for web-site promoters, in comparison to 8 percent of web pages loyalists and 4% of repeated social websites people. Meanwhile, hometown promotions are quite likely to produce end user awareness on main media web-sites than on other traditional internet websites.

Increased Internet Advertisement Investing = Leaner Earning Stream

With web based advertising and marketing expending is projected to maintain its rising momentum on the subsequent years, marketing and advertising organizations instantly establish brand-new artistic strategies of producing potential buyer attention.

Nevertheless, good quality written content along with joined with a web\?s status will probably persist as the main factors in boosting user\?s fascination with hosted advertising and marketing.

Query blog ads into Bing; do you find what you need?

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Source: http://ezinearticlesource.net/internet/online-advertising/

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How Do You Succeed With Online Stock Trading? | Everyday ...

March 26th, 2012 Filed under: marketing entrepreneur ? Israel Tenorio

Although online trading is amongst by far the most promising types of enterprises lately, quite a bit of individuals who have dared to engage into it have ended up broke. It is not because online trading is not seriously capable of giving them the massive revenue but because they?re struggling to compete nicely in the trading market and survive. There could be numerous unique factors that a day trader could wind up broke in the day trading business; it may be that he does not know the correct methods or that he does not know the industry at all. Regardless of whether you are a day trader of your own investment or in an online stock trading business, it can be really crucial that you get yourself a formal education regarding day trading first ahead of diving into it.

Acquiring a proper or adequate education about online trading might give you all the understanding and trading strategies you?ll need so that you can survive the business. You?ll be able to enroll in short term courses of 4 to six months getting supplied by most trading firms these days. The short term classes would not just offer you general knowledge concerning the day trading business but would also present to improve the trading methods you already know. And if real estate investing in rio de janeiro apartments or homes fascinates you, there are programs for that as well.

Trading firms have various techniques of educating aspiring traders to aid them to turn out to be profitable traders and rio de janeiro real estate investors. The first is obviously the alternative to take short term seminars of 4 to six months for all those who are driven to pursue trading careers and may dedicate a lot more time understanding ways to survive in this enterprise.

The second is the option to find out from your house by means of online trading classes. It is a way of educating an ambitious day trader about the trading business; how it works and how to survive it or perhaps succeed in it. Online classes are a lot more convenient techniques of teaching ambitious traders anything about online stock trading, forex trading, real-estate investing and all other types of trading business. It?s also a superb chance to acquire among the reliable high frequency trading software platforms that would significantly help you in enduring the trading business. Online classes are appropriate for those that are somewhat busy with other careers whilst they?re in the process of understanding the trading business and would like a much more handy time to study.

If a trader feels that he doesn?t want a formal education about the trading business anymore, he can attend one of the regularly held trading seminars by most trading firms to cater to people who want help surviving the business. Trading seminars contain recommendations from skilled and effective traders who share their blessings of a effective trading career. The seminars are generally held for a day or perhaps a couple of hours in a day.

If you are among those people who finds it required to pursue a trading business rather than their current jobs simply because they want additional income, you need to discover solutions to understand how o survive the business. By far the most effective way is usually to acquire expertise from trading firms which have effective traders.

To undertake a triumphant day trader endeavor, you need education. This is extremely correct for real estate for sale in rio de janeiro businesses as well.

Source: http://www.everydaymarketingideas.com/marketing-entrepreneur/how-do-you-succeed-with-online-stock-trading/

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Empower Network for Doubling Your Dollars | Internet Marketing ...

You possibly have heard about David Wood?s Empower Network and you happen to be seriously thinking to join it. Nonetheless, what precisely is Empower Network?

Could it be a new multilevel marketing and advertising Magnetic Sponsoring Review system? Or, maybe some on-line attraction promoting funnel to blow up your thoughts? Is this a brand new multilevel promoting method or an affiliate program designed to assist you cash in as significantly capital as doable? Will be the corporation going to be of any support with you world-wide-web small business? Let?s have a close look and answer to all these concerns, should not we? But be prepared, because the answer will not only surprise you, it is going to basically shock you!

David Wood and David Sharpe decided to make the network a few years ago, and they?ve developed and updated it until the final Halloween, on 31st October of this year, when the product has been officially launched. In only 72 hours after its launching, extra than $250,000 was getting deposited in type of affiliate commissions, into the founding members? accounts. Although a server crash occurred, absolutely nothing stopped Empower Networkto launch and starburst like the Enterprise into the galaxy of web advertising and marketing!

What?s intriguing right here is the fact that for only $25 a month you?ll be able to reach sales of extra than $625 on the starting, not to mention what cash commissions you could bring in afterwards. And there is certainly additional magic about this tool: each of the payments are produced instantaneously and directly into your bank account! This can be a tool that surely will make many of those applying paid advertising methods happy, because it delivers sufficient profit limits to create paid advertising profitable.

Inside the other case, in which that you are a beginner within the net promoting system or you?re just in search of a huge hit that brings you in commissions fast out from the blue, you might have completely no plan, no Facebook, twitter or other promoting procedures, than take your thoughts away from earning funds on the long run.

Other useful function of the Network may be the 1 of not having to install absolutely nothing within your computer: no software, no plug-ins or add-ons to install. Just make a name, update your bio and upload your picture and that?s all: you are able to get started and fight for cashing in!

You can also notice that you will discover social media capabilities just like ?share this? or the RSS feed that are currently coded. All you will have to do is just to weblog just about every day, spread the news and money in the capital. The rest will probably be on Empower Network?s shoulders!

And this is not all! There?s 1 extra important factor you?ll need to perform in an effort to make the best out of this plan and money in as much because it may supply. And this really is to sort out a method of being paid. You have two alternatives: either you apply for a merchant account ? which is also by far the most advisable however it takes 24 hours ? or you tie up your PayPal account ? which can be simple an instant.

Source: http://www.aboutmoray.com/empower-network-for-doubling-your-dollars

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Moving Your online business Forward Through Hostgator VPS Web ...

You gentoo vps increase the products your website by applying Hostgator VPS Web host. Web internet hosting has downright become a key component inside the creation together with maintenance of a site. It just isn ?t enough to build an outstanding looking web-site, but it will also help but if the site targeted visitors found evaluating your blog convenient.

VPS, which will be short regarding virtual personal servers, is an exceptional software would always partition only one machine in order that it functions seeing that multiple computer systems. VPS-hosting can be found right amongst shared holding and special hosting blueprints.

The reason a lot more hosting pro ?s are suggesting the WHM cPanel is it ?s the most easy to and contemporary control screen in shared web hosting. If you intend to forgo the actual addition to a staff member to keep all your own technical tasks, then you should be able to control daily treatments with minor to simply no challenge. Let ?s more say are actually starting to learn some complications of some with the sites because a few of the other customers against your shared internet site account are usually hogging the whole set of resources. Instead regarding pulling flowing hair out to understand programming terminology, you will make updates to all your site together with manage every bit of its features accompanied by a few clicks of the mouse switch. User tutorials that will be easy to click on will also help you in your energy. Now we may discuss with details that explain why should anyone choose a Windows Exclusive Server as well as VPS Having?.

Argued helpful author and commentator Roger Hudson, ?vps. ?

Precisely, virtual exclusive server (VPS) will be most safeguarded, cheap, and vps server deal shared web hosting option meant for high-traffic internet websites. In some VPS holding plan your customer is eligible to receive, multiple Training C IPs because of different F Class stages, bandwidth inside synch using the numbers from IPs, disk area and CPU using the memory assigned etc. Business Techniques for Buying VPS Organizing. ? You will have root gain access to in VPS internet site that allows you to make options, customize any server and to install programs on the VPS.

VPS Web hosting service ? Advantages and drawbacks.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized by Author. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://tlcalaska.com/moving-your-online-business-forward-through-hostgator-vps-web-hosting/

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Want to Light The Fire With Your Mate?

Posted by admin at 24 March , 2012

Five Ways to Reignite the Passion in the Bedroom

There is nothing better than a good bedroom partner, and there?s nothing worse than a bad one. The irony is that it could be the same person, just on different days.

And with all the media focus on sex and sexuality, you?d think that couples would talk about it more than they do, but our experience is that they don?t. Honesty in the bedroom is not easy to come by. But the cliche of our profession is ?communication.? We are constantly stressing to couples that they need to communicate better, but there are more ways to communicate than just through conversation. Non-verbal communication can be just as effective, if not more effective, than talking. With that in mind, we?d like to offer five tips to help you get past the chatter and enjoy yourselves more as couples in the bedroom.

? Flirt ? During your courtship, you would flirt all the time with your partner, but once you became a couple, that ended. Why? Just because the initial courtship is over doesn?t mean the romance or playfulness has to be over. Flirt with your lover. Leave a note on the pillow telling them you?ll miss them when you go to work. Make your partner feel wanted. If you know your partner is having a rough day, send them a flirty text. Sexting is perfectly legal and should be encouraged among adult couples. It may certainly help that insurance seminar go faster!

? Be Creative ? One of the pitfalls of being an established couple is that you both get a sense of how to satisfy the other. That?s a good thing, but being slavish to those tactics can also make your bedroom play more routine. So, mix it up. Most people use the senses of sight and touch during sex, but you have five senses. Use them all. Scented candles, ambient music to drown out the neighbor watching the zombie movie marathon, flavored lotions or even something as simple as a new negligee can add enough spice to keep your bedroom play from becoming routine.

? In the Mood? ? In caveman days, a common way for a man to advise a woman he was feeling amorous was to club her over the head and drag her to his cave. In our experience, that method hasn?t evolved as much as we would like. When you?re in the mood, try some new ways of initiating sex instead of just saying, ?hey, you wanna?? If your partner has had a bad day, and you figure sex won?t be on the agenda for the evening, you can turn it around. Pamper your partner with a prepared meal, a soothing massage, and some alone time. If you have kids, send them out to the movies for the night to break the nightly routine a bit so you can focus on your partner. Sometimes, the key to romance can be as simple as having an empty house.

? Try Something New ? When we?re kids, we would get all excited about birthdays and the holidays, because it usually meant new toys. Well, now that we?re adults, we can still have the same excitement, because they make toys for us, too. Take a trip to a local couples store or surf the Internet. Things have changed in the last few decades, and adult toys are far more mainstream than ever. They advertise them on television now and there are even a few cable shows that review them late at night. Look at them together and explore.

? PLAY! ? Aristotle once wrote that there is nothing so serious as a child at play. Well, as sexologists, we can tell you that adults can be darn serious about their play, as well! Remember that sex can and should be fun. It?s something you do together for each other?s enjoyment and fulfillment. It?s okay to laugh in the bedroom (though, laughing and pointing is a no-no!). Accept that there may be interruptions from time to time ? the phone ringing, the baby crying, the dog needs to go outside ? and deal with them. Heck, when they play baseball and have a rain delay, they still finish the game when the rain stops. Why should sex have to stop completely just because the neighbor wanted to borrow a cup of sugar. Give them the sugar, and get back in the bedroom and re-establish the mood. Make it Game-On instead of Game Over.

If you follow even one of these guidelines, you will breathe more life into your alone time together. We also want to know what you think, so email us your feedback and questions at: JC@TheLoveBirds4u.com.

Yours in Romance ~

Chuck and Jo-Ann

Posted in: Couples , Desire , Love , Passion , Relationship Health , Relationships , Sexuality

Source: http://thelovebirds4u.com/want-to-light-the-fire-with-your-mate/

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US believes accused soldier split killing spree (The Arizona Republic)

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

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Apogee MiC review

It's no secret that a few of us here at Engadget HQ have an affinity for mobile recording tech. Perhaps you could blame some of our fledgling amateur music careers, but at any rate, we love to get our hands on tech that allows us to lay down tracks on-the-go. It's also no surprise that Apogee would offer up another product that would look to do just that. As a complement to the outfit's Jam guitar adapter, the Apogee MiC is the latest foray into mobile recording. Much like its guitar specific counterpart, the MiC is both iDevice and Mac compatible and its compact stature won't take up precious real estate in your travel pack. But, as you may expect, staying mobile comes at a premium. So, is the $249 price tag a deal breaker for the MiC? Is it a small price to pay for adding a solid microphone to your mobile recording setup? Journey on past the break to find out.

Gallery: Apogee MiC review

Continue reading Apogee MiC review

Apogee MiC review originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Truth About Stock Buybacks ? Why Buybacks ... - How to Invest

I am not afraid to say that I hate stock buybacks. Companies announce stock buybacks all the time as if they are doing the investor a huge favor by purchasing some of the outstanding shares. However, the truth is that most stock buybacks are not in your best interests as an investor and why this is the case.

Conventional Wisdom on Stock Buybacks

Many investing courses and texts teach that stock buybacks are an easy way for a company to boost earnings per share when other uses for the cash are not available. A stock buyback often results when a company is doing very well and earnings are great but they are unable to find an investment opportunity that can sustain growth.

In light of no other viable investment opportunities, a company can use a stock buyback to decrease the number of outstanding shares. By reducing the number of shares, the earnings per share will go up even if the earnings stays the same, thereby creating earnings growth even without extra revenue.

For example, let?s say a company is earning $10 million a quarter and has 10 million shares outstanding. This company then has an earnings per share of $1. If the company decides to buy 10% of their stock back, the company then all of a sudden is making $10 million a quarter on 9 million shares. This company is now making $1.11 per quarter, an increase of earnings per share of 11% with no change in revenue.

By increasing earnings per share, the shares will inevitably become more valuable, or so the story goes. While using cash to drive up earnings per share looks good on paper, it unfortunately rarely works out this way in practice. The problem is not that increasing earnings per share will not drive up stock price (it does), but rather that stock buybacks rarely result in any meaningful change in EPS.

Yes, you read that right: stock buybacks are justified by companies as a means to boost earnings per share, but stock buybacks rarely meaningfully influence earnings per share. This is why buybacks are useless to the typical investor.

Why does this happen? Here are the major problems with this approach:

Most Buyback Programs Are Too Small

One reason stock buybacks do not have a significant influence on earnings per share is because they are too small to actually to shrink the earnings per share at a meaningful level to an investor. Consider Apple?s (AAPL) recent stock buyback announcement, where the company announced they would be buying back $10 billion dollars worth of stock over a 3-year span.

This amounts to less than 2% of the company?s current market cap being purchased back over a 3 year period. This means that earnings per share might go up about 2% over three years as a result of this buyback, minus the growth they would have received by investing the money elsewhere.

You might be thinking.. why would a company buyback such a small amount of stock? Well that is because..

Most Stock Buybacks are not Meant to Raise EPS

Many companies issue these small stock buybacks with no intention of raising EPS. Instead, these shares are used as part of compensation packages for executives. Companies often buy back their stock and then give it all away to their executives and vice presidents as a way to pay management extra money. Stock buybacks are where the stocks for stock options come from in older companies that have been public for a long period of time.

There is nothing wrong with buying back some stock to reward executives who have run successful companies. For example, the $10 billion buyback on AAPL over the next few years is well-deserved as over the last 15 years they have gone from a struggling company to the largest market cap in the world at the time of this writing.

The problem is that many companies that do these buybacks are not doing as well as AAPL, using earnings to reward mediocre performers and then have the gall to announce the stock buyback as if they were demonstrating their strength and boosting earnings per share, when their plan all along was to line the pockets of management.

Of course, management cannot line their pockets unless they are actually selling the stocks they receive, which leads me to my next point:

Many Shares from Buybacks Eventually Reappear on the Market

When companies give out stocks as bonuses to executives, these executives then sell the stock in order to get money. I can?t blame them ? they are being compensated after all with the stock. This stock gets sold to a shareholder like you or I and becomes part of the general shares outstanding once again.

That?s right, companies buy back stock and give it to executives. These executives then sell the stock, putting it right back on the open market. The end result is that the total number of shares outstanding does not change after the stock buyback (at least not as much as advertised).

Long Term Stock Buybacks May Secretly Fail

Sometimes the lack of a meaningful change in earnings per share is caused by the fact that stock buybacks often are never seen to completion. This is particularly true over buybacks which are announced that are covering a multi-year period. When a company says they are planning to buy back a certain number of shares over a multi-year period, this is something you have to take with a grain of salt.

When a company announces in 2012 that they are re-buying stock in 2016, if they nix the program and stop buying the stock in 2014 when money is a little tighter, most investors will be none the wiser. It is not really newsworthy when a company stops a buyback program they announced a year or more in the past.

As a result, be careful of buying on the news of a multi-year buyback program. In fact, I would not even consider multi-year buybacks as a plus for a company. The only thing I care about that far in the future when it comes to a stock is their projected earnings and growth opportunities.

A Dividend Boost is a Much Better Service to Investors

Not only as stock buybacks often misleading, but the simplest way to create wealth for investors is to give them the money directly. If a company was during well and truly wanted to reward its shareholders, it would boost dividends.

When a company is doing well and is truly looking out for investors, they raise dividends or even give 1-time bonuses. Not only is money directly in the hands of the investor the best course of the investor, it is also the most efficient course. Companies who have the money to buy back stocks are often running on 52-week highs ? buying back a stock that has already run is a waste of capital.

Exceptions to the Rule ? Spotting a Good Buyback

Like anything in life, there are some exceptions to this rule. The best buybacks are large buybacks which are slated to be completed in the year they are announced. Buybacks that can meaningfully increase earnings per share (i..e at least 8% of the company, in my opinion).

Furthermore, I like to see either a company which has a history of following through with its buybacks (check for any failed or cancelled buyback programs in the past) or an increase in dividend in conjunction with the buyback. I cannot fault AAPL for their $10 billion buyback over 3 years because at the same time they announced their buyback, they announced a dividend program which would amount to about $10 billion annually, a much larger portion than the buyback.

You should also know that some banks are being regulated by the Government in regards to how much money they can distribute via a dividend. After the banking bailout, the Government has set guidelines on what banks can and cannot do. One thing in particular the Fed has been doing is pushing banks towards stock buybacks and away from dividends, or at least making the banks do some of each rather than allowing the banks to issue a straight dividend.

No matter what the buyback looks like, as an investor I would always prefer an increase in the dividend or even a one-time payout over a stock buyback.

If I am holding a stock that goes up after a buyback is announced, I will enjoy the run up in price, but I will not jump on a new stock after a buyback is announced as most stock buybacks really mean nothing to your bottom line. Most buyback shares are given to employees and then ultimately float their way back out onto the open market, leaving you with the same number of shares outstanding as you had before the buyback was announced.

As a general rule, do not count on most buybacks to boost the earnings per share of a company or even the net worth of your holdings in that company over the long term.

Source: http://www.howtoinvesthq.com/the-truth-about-stock-buybacks/

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Insurers speed health care overhaul preparations

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2012 file photo, the U.S. Supreme Court Building is seen in Washington. The health insurance industry is spending millions to carry out President Barack Obama?s health care overhaul, essentially betting that the law or major parts of it will survive Supreme Court scrutiny. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2012 file photo, the U.S. Supreme Court Building is seen in Washington. The health insurance industry is spending millions to carry out President Barack Obama?s health care overhaul, essentially betting that the law or major parts of it will survive Supreme Court scrutiny. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The nation's big insurers are spending millions to carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul even though there's a chance the wide-reaching law won't survive Supreme Court scrutiny.

It's not that health insurers want to bet big that the court will uphold the Affordable Care Act. It's that they can't afford not to. It will take at least several months and lots of resources for insurers to prepare to implement key elements of the law, which includes a controversial requirement that most Americans have health insurance by 2014.

WellPoint Inc., the nation's second-largest health insurer with 34 million members, has said it will spend $100 million this year on technology upgrades to meet the law's requirements. Aetna Inc., third-largest U.S. health insurer with more than 18 million members, says it expects to spend $50 million this year in part to upgrade software and computers.

Even smaller insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a private company with 4 million members, are spending big. This year, the company, which employs 7,000 people, plans to add about 100 employees and spend nearly $20 million.

The law calls for big changes in the number of people receiving coverage, what must be covered and who pays for it, so insurers that don't prepare until after the court's ruling, expected in late June, will run short on time, said Kirk Roy, vice president of national health reform with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

"Waiting is too big a business risk for any insurer," said Roy, who was promoted to his current job shortly after the overhaul became law in 2010.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments over the law for three days starting Monday. Among other options, the justices could uphold the law, strike it down completely or get rid of some provisions.

Insurers will be paying particular attention to arguments over two key provisions. One is the so-called individual mandate that requires most people to carry health insurance by 2014 or pay penalties. Of equally high interest is the requirement that insurers cover everyone who applies even if they have a pre-existing condition, like diabetes, which can produce high medical costs.

The two mandates are important cogs in the law's push to expand coverage through health insurance exchanges set up by federal and state regulators. These exchanges will be mostly online marketplaces, where individuals and small business employees can go to comparison shop for insurance policies. Insurers are spending money to figure out how to set prices for their coverage on these exchanges, which will vary by state and require changes like the inclusion of subsidies to help people pay for coverage.

Much of the money insurers are spending is paying for a close look at how to set premiums high enough to cover the expected increase in claims from people with pre-existing diseases, but not so high that healthy customers are scared off. That includes research into how many people with chronic conditions will need expensive prescriptions or how their customers will use health care.

"There's an awful lot of work that goes into preparing those kinds of analyses," said Sheryl Skolnick, an analyst at CRT Capital Group, an institutional broker and dealer. "One should not do that in a rush because making a mistake could literally be fatal to the health plan."

Even though these changes wouldn't take effect for a couple years, insurers are preparing now because they'll need to have their plans ready several months before then. They will have to submit plans to regulators and then wait for a review and approval, the timing of which will vary by state. Additionally, they will need time to advertise the plans before customers will be able to start signing up in October 2013.

Insurers also have to prepare for more pressing deadlines. For instance, the overhaul requires for them to create benefits summaries by September that make it easier for consumers to compare coverage. The summaries will give consumers details like a plan's deductible or the annual amount a patient pays out of pocket for care before insurance coverage kicks in. They'll also give examples for how the plan would cover events like childbirth.

The forms aim to make insurance shopping easier, but they pose a headache for the industry, said Karen Ignagni, CEO of the trade association America's Health Insurance Plans. That's because the summaries will have to be adjusted, depending on the plan, to account for varied pharmacy benefits or provider networks. An insurer with 50,000 different small business customers would likely have to design thousands of different forms.

"It's not a simple matter of creating a computer program," Ignagni said.

If the health care law is altered or thrown out, some money spent this year would have to be written off. For instance, insurers won't need computer programs that interact with state-based exchanges or marketplaces.

But not all the money would be wasted. Roy, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, says the overhaul has compelled insurers to make it easier for customers to understand their coverage and how much it costs ? a valuable change whether or not the law is upheld.

"Generally people tell all of the insurance industry, 'Your stuff's complicated and confusing ... make that simpler,'" he said. "That's absolutely something that we're working on."

The overhaul also encourages insurers to invest in improving the quality of care and ultimately reducing costs. Market forces also encourage this: Health care costs are still growing faster than inflation and worker wages, and employers that provide coverage need help narrowing that gap.

"The forces that led us to the need for health care reform are not going away," said Les Funtleyder, health care portfolio manager with Miller Tabak, an institutional trading and asset management firm. "If not (the Affordable Care Act), there is going to be something else that replaces this."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-03-23-Supreme%20Court-Health%20Care-Insurers/id-d6544c7642334053923434ddab5cb020

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