Monday, February 21, 2011

Making Money Web


Two years ago, when Dustin Moskovitz announced he was leaving Facebook to start a new company with fellow-Facebooker Justin Rosenstein most people thought one of two things: He’d had a falling out with Mark Zuckerberg or he was just crazy. What could be more exciting than Facebook?


Moskovitz, of course, was Zuckerberg’s college roommate and co-founder of Facebook. If you get your Facebook history from Aaron Sorkin, he was the guy coding away in silence while half-naked girls did bong hits. If you get your Facebook history from, you know, things that actually happened, Moskovitz outlasted any other co-founder and easily played one of the most pivotal roles in the company’s early years. As such, Asana will get more attention and scrutiny and maybe even hype than most business software startups.


But here’s the thing: Asana deserves it. As it turns out neither of the suppositions for Moskovitz’s decision to leave were right. Moskovitz and Rosenstein just had a really big idea: To fix how people collaborate on projects and work in teams. Something that has so far been unfixable despite billions spent on developing an implementing collaboration and communication software. Something that may be so rooted in the idiosyncrasies of human behavior that it may not be fixable.


But Asana’s opening salvo is pretty impressive. There’s a full demo of the software in the video below, from Asana’s recent friends-and-family open house, so I won’t belabor the features here. (Screen shot is below.) Hear the pitch from the founders yourself. The company is still in private-beta, and it has a 1,200-company waiting list to get an invite. It’ll be opening up more over the course of this year. Asana has raised just over $10 million from several angels, Benchmark Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.


For me, Asana is the most exciting company to spin out of the early “Facebook mafia”– despite the runaway hype of Quora and Google’s jaw-dropping $120 million offer to buy Path. Then again, I’m sort of a business software nerd. I’ve been waiting for this “new generation” of enterprise software companies everyone keeps talking about and mostly feel like the open source and software as a service generations were a let down. These companies changed the way software was priced, delivered and implemented, disrupting old giants, and that’s no small feat. But product-wise, the reinvention of these categories wasn’t as dramatic as salesmen-oriented CEOs would have you believe. Yammer certainly got closer than most to delivering on that buzz phrase “the consumerization of enterprise,” but it was mostly by applying what was working for Twitter to a work-safe, secure app.


But Asana is strikingly different than other collaboration software. Part of that is timing. “I think that web technology has developed to a point where you can have a really great experience in the browser, better than you can have in a desktop app,” says Benchmark’s Matt Cohler. “The Asana team spent a fair amount of time investing in the underlying framework and technology to take advantage of what you couldn’t do a few years ago.” And part of it is because Asana is one of the first business software products re-thought from the ground up by twenty-somethings with no background in old-style enterprise sales and frankly, not too much experience using enterprise software in the workplace.


But here’s what jumped out at me watching it: You can tell Asana was co-created by one of the founders of Facebook. There’s that almost hubristic mission: To fix how people work together and make the global work place a better, more efficient, less frustrating place. “It was a precondition to leaving Facebook that I wasn’t going to start something that was just about chasing money,” Moskovitz says. There’s that Facebook-like obsession with efficiency, organizing inherently messy, social things with newsfeeds, updates and clean design. Pragmatism and data-driven decision making rule the company. Frugality is important but not everything. Asana’s engineers– the Gods of the company– get a $10,000 budget to pimp out their desks. Moskovitz shrugs and says he thinks it should be more, but couldn’t come up with anything they’d need that would cost more than $10,000.


And like Facebook’s early obsession with being a “utility,” Asana wants people to live in this app throughout their work day. Like Facebook did away with the clutter and needless page view clicks of the MySpace world, so too is Asana obsessed with speed. They know that if the software is the least bit cumbersome to use, employees won’t use it. Like Facebook, Asana sees its eventual customer base as, well, everyone. They hope people won’t just use Asana for work, but for things like wedding planning. The two wanted to build this product because managing teams at Facebook was such a chore. In a sense, Moskovitz says he’s still working for Facebook, because he’s still trying to solve the problem he was trying to solve there. It just so happens, he’s also trying to solve that problem for every company in the world.


But all that said, this is in no way another “Facebook for the enterprise.” There’s no list of friends, no events, no photosharing. Asana isn’t about making the workplace “fun” or making it social for the sake of social. Its not about organizing your social graph. It’s about helping people work together more efficiently– cutting out reliance on email, cutting down on the need for those endless meetings, easily assigning and tracking tasks in one instance that is always up to date, because unlike those lame corporate wikis, people are living in the app. Moskovitz and Rosenstein are clear: If they don’t accomplish that, they have failed.




In case you weren’t aware, Microsoft and Google aren’t exactly seeing eye-to-eye right now. In fact, they really seem to hate one another in a public manner not normally exposed. So it should be no surprise that the two are also opposed to one another when it comes to their views of web video. Yes, it’s the H.264 versus WebM debate once again. But while Google, Apple, Mozilla, Opera and others have had their say, Microsoft has remained largely quiet. Until today.


Dean Hachamovitch, the man in charge of Internet Explorer for Microsoft, has taken the time to write a nearly 3,000 word piece about the situation today. It’s a long, great post well worth the read. But just in case you can’t make it through the entire post, I’ll summarize it simply: Microsoft is fully behind H.264 as the codec for web video going forward. Why? Because they have just as many reservations about WebM as Google all of a sudden seems to have about H.264.


I had a chance to speak with Hachamovitch last night about his thoughts on the situation. His take is very clear in that he’s confused by Google’s motives to ditch H.264. Specifically, he notes that at one point not too long ago, Microsoft, Apple, and Google all supported H.264 as a codec for HTML5 video on the web. Yes, believe it or not, Microsoft was actually on the side of many of the main players of the web when it came to a future technology. The one major player not on their side was, of course, Mozilla. But Microsoft was happy to make the plug-in to ensure that they supported H.264 for HTML5 video as well.


We had a somewhat stable state in web video,” Hachamovitch says. Then something odd happened.


Google decided to pull their support for H.264 as the web video standard. The reason? The patents controlled by the MPEGLA group scared them. Or something. I’ve made my own thoughts pretty clear on this matter. I think that’s a total red herring. Google is pulling support for H.264 as a tactic in their war with Apple.


At first, they touted the maneuver as being all about supporting “open” formats. But if that’s the case, why not pull support for the Flash plug-in baked into every version of Chrome currently? Further, why not pull H.264 support out of the browser included with Android? The answer is because it’s not about open — it’s actually about control.


Worse, by turning their back on H.264, Google is ensuring that Flash will continue to remain the dominant force in web video for years to come. Flash supports H.264, which is great, but the issue here is that we need the HTML5 standard to fully support H.264, and that’s simply not going to happen without Google on board.


Some would say it wouldn’t anyway because of the potential patent issues. But as Microsoft (like many others) points out, it’s still not clear that the new WebM format also isn’t infringing on any patents. Hachamovitch points to the fact that when the JPEG patents were dug into, everyone from shoe sellers to the Green Bay Packers came out of the woodwork claiming ownership of some part.


Further, Microsoft sees no reason why MPEGLA will all of a sudden go hostile for the sake of making money. “It’s counter to their reason for existence,” Hachamovitch says.


Instead, H.264 has proven to be a format with wide adoption both from a hardware and software perspective. And that, fundamentally, is why Microsoft is backing it, and will continue to back it.


At the same time, they recognize why WebM could be a good format for some level of unification. So they’ve developed plug-ins to allowed both Internet Explorer and Firefox to play videos with that codec within Windows. But again, they just don’t see WebM as the ultimate HTML5 video standard. There are simply too many barriers to entry. And too many unanswered questions about patents.


In other words, Microsoft and Apple seem to see eye-to-eye on this level. And I’m right there with them. WebM sounds great on paper — until you actually read the paper. At that point, you quickly realize that it’s a crapshoot at best, and one that will take several years to go anywhere — if it ever does. And it’s one that could ultimately face the same type of patent questions currently surrounding H.264.


So Microsoft, like Apple, is taking the more sure bet. While it appears Google is once again out of touch with reality. Which is really too bad, because web video needs them.



Some Genes Like It Hot - Science <b>News</b>

Home / News / Article. Some genes like it hot. Regional DNA differences may be due to climate. By Laura Sanders. Web edition : Saturday, February 19th, 2011. font_down � font_up Text Size. WASHINGTON — You are where you live, ...

Newspaper sales: could the Irish <b>News</b> overtake the Belfast <b>...</b>

I wonder how much difference the Irish News having a paywall makes? I simply can no longer imagine paying for a daily paper (any paper) but for those who can't do without their weekly dose of Brian Feeney, then it's the only option. ...

<b>News</b> Corp Buys Shine For $673M; Liz Murdoch To Join Board; Will <b>...</b>

The £415 million price tag is on the low end of what analysts had expected News Corporation to pay for the Brit independent TV company. The deal had been valued at anything up to £700 million ($1.1 billion). News Corp has bought Liz ...


free rental agreement forms

making money on the web, making money online, making money online by theabundancemachine

















Thursday, February 17, 2011

Moms Making Money


Not only will this video serve as an answer to the octuplets' question: "Why does our ball pit smell like rotten chili con queso, anus tears and desperation?" But it will also be used in high school sex education classes to warn students that if they get knocked up without the means to support their child, this is the low-budget shit they might have to do to put diapers on asses.


My problem with this wreck from TMZ isn't that OctoMom is starring in a fetish video with radio personality Tattoo. It's that she's starring in a poorly produced one! Did the octuplets sit on each other's shoulders and record this wreck with the VHS camcorder my mom refuses to throw out ("It's an antique!" - my mom)? Is this the real sequel to Paranormal Activity? Not only that, but OctoMom whips a trick like my 8-year-old self trying to throw a ball without crossing the line during the worst dodgeball game ever. I can almost hear a wimpy "uh" come out of her mouth as she dreadfully tries to crack that whip. Awful.


Put some real feeling into that shit, OctoMom! Picture Tattoo as your life choices and whip the fuckery right out of him. I swear, if we had to pick dominatrix teams, OctoMom's ass would be the last one chosen.


And if this clip isn't just a small piece of a longer one, how is Octo making money from this? Did TMZ pay for it? Is this viral marketing for Pampers? Octo is already embarrassing her kids with her whack ass whipping skills, so I hope she's not bringing more shame upon them by not collecting a check for this mess.



Feb 9



  • Pa. to stiffen rules following abortion clinic findings - abc27

  • Abortion roars back into US political debate - AFP

  • Hey, Teen Mom: Put Down That Baby; Pick Up a Diploma - TakePart - Inspiration to Action

  • Fayemi's wife seeks end to violence against women - Nigerian Compass (blog)

  • Fayemi's wife seeks end to violence against women - Nigerian Compass (blog)

  • Democrats criticize Republican measures to restrict abortion@ - NewsOK.com

  • Who is for people power? Jerry Brown or Prop. 8 sponsors? - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)

  • Teen pregnancy ingrained issue, will take more than sex education to address ... - My West Texas

  • More than 300 adverse reactions to cancer jab - Irish Times

  • Santorum Hits Back at Report Claiming He Suggested Palin Skipped CPAC for ... - Fox News

  • Senate committee adds new abortion rules - San Antonio Express

  • Smoking, Poverty Linked To High Risk Of Cervical Cancer - Bru Direct

  • Religion, not polygamy, may explain teen pregnancies in Bountiful: lawyer - Winnipeg Free Press

  • Vagina Warriors prepare to deliver 'The Vagina Monologues' - Iowa State Daily

  • Re-Examining The "Sex" of God - Trinicenter.com

  • Oak Valley Women's Clinic Seeing Increase In Demand - Oakdale Leader

  • Today's Lady News: The House Takes Aim At Planned Parenthood - The Frisky (blog)

  • Ohio Introduces Bill to Outlaw 'Heartbeat' Abortions - New York Magazine

  • GOP targets family planning program - Politico

  • 'City of Joy' assists and empowers survivors of sexual violence in DR Congo - UNICEF (press release)

  • AIDS Action Committee Receives Major Grant From DC-based AIDS United - Rainbow Times

  • Why We Need Pro-Choice Republicans. - Tapped (blog)

  • House GOP Slashes Planned Parenthood, Family Planning Funding to Zero - Mother Jones

  • DOD Takes Steps to Combat Childhood Obesity - DVIDS

  • Mike Pence calls for defunding Planned Parenthood - Examiner.com

  • Education should be above religious accommodation - Macleans.ca

  • House committee considers "serious effort to end late-term abortions" - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

  • L.A. City Council Wants to Require Condoms on Porn Sets - TIME

  • 'Protect Life' bill to ban federal abortion funding is debated - Washington Post

  • Resurrection Medical Center Helping Women Stop Abortions-In-Progress, Some Say ... - Huffington Post

  • Mormon Leader: Religious Freedom Under Attack by Gay Rights - Religion Dispatches

  • ABORTION TRUMPS JOBS ON REPUBLICAN AGENDA - Lez Get Real

  • House passes school sex education bill - Jackson Clarion Ledger

  • New Jersey Gov. Christie Vetoes Planned Parenthood Funding - Yahoo! News

  • Dead infant found in field, teen mom arrested - News10.net

  • Peer Review: Sarah Shearer '12 Explores Women's Health in Nepal - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun

  • A holistic view of teen pregnancy issues - ZAGASI

  • New Hampshire residents want gay marriage to stay: survey - Reuters

  • Republican Abortion Wars: A Handy Club to Beat Democrats With - Huffington Post (blog)

  • Anti-Abortion Bills Surging Through Capitol Hill—and States, Too - The Indypendent

  • Research: Pregnant teens want to go to college, need support - Eureka! Science News

  • GOP leaders propose $74 billion in cuts to Obama's budget request - Washington Post

  • Weekly Pulse: New Anti-Choice Bill Suggests More #DearJohn Letters Needed - Campus Progress

  • The right's delusions of world-historical grandeur - Washington Post (blog)

  • Chicago's Left Blows Its Big Chance - In These Times

  • Anti-Abortion Bills Crowding Onto US House Agenda - Politics Daily

  • Steve King Anti-Abortion Argument Focuses On 'Dismemberment' (VIDEO) - Huffington Post

  • State of the movement - Windy City Times

  • Congress eyes tax law as weapon against abortion rights - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)

  • THT's policy director Lisa Power awarded MBE - Pink Paper

  • Eco Etiquette: Is There A Green Choice For Birth Control? - Huffington Post (blog)

  • Less talk, more action on children at risk - North Shore News

  • Recommended: First Thoughts: Tea Party defiance - msnbc.com

  • Santorum weighs 2012 presidential bid - msnbc.com

  • Pittsburgh settles abortion 'speech zones' lawsuit - NECN

  • GOP Backs Massive Tax Increase To Phase Out Abortion Coverage By Private Insurers - TPMDC

  • Parents must be part of sex education - Canada.com

  • Healthcare repeal would harm women around the world - The Guardian

  • Pa. abortion doc charged with murder due in court - Atlanta Journal Constitution

  • Equality Michigan calls for investigation of HIV documents - Michigan Messenger (blog)

  • Thousands vaccinated in cervical cancer battle - NW Evening Mail

  • Pre-abortion sonogram bill gets its first hearing today - Austin American-Statesman (blog)

  • Bill requires parental notice of abortion requests - Valencia County News Bulletin

  • NYT Pretends Health Care Repeal Was Consistent With Deficit Reduction - Media Matters for America (blog)

  • Pharmacy Gives Pregnant Woman Abortion Pill By Mistake - SmartAboutHealth

  • Tailoring Marriage Law to Satisfy Equal Protection and Due Process - American Spectator

  • USCCB urges passage of 'No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act' - Catholic Culture

  • Ohio Republican lawmakers introduce slew of bills aimed at restricting access ... - Plain Dealer

  • Conscience rights protected, says board - OneNewsNow

  • My cut-out-and-keep guide on how to stop women having sex - The Guardian

  • Newton representatives vote for outside audit of House - Newton TAB



bench craft company sales

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


bench craft company sales

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


bench craft company sales

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


benchcraft company scam

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


benchcraft company scam

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


bench craft company scam

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


bench craft company sales

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


bench craft company sales

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.


bench craft company scam

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Drunk Dialing FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>

epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Drunk Dialing FAIL.

Why is Fox <b>News</b> Trashing Ron Paul ? | The Big Picture

Busted: Fox News Fakes CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Bizarre deception by Fox News via boingboing, running the 2010 crowd noise booing Ron Paul's 2011 win.

NBC Nightly <b>News</b> Report on Toomer&#39;s Poisoning - Track Em Tigers

Your best source for quality Auburn Tigers news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.















Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Making Money Web


In case you weren’t aware, Microsoft and Google aren’t exactly seeing eye-to-eye right now. In fact, they really seem to hate one another in a public manner not normally exposed. So it should be no surprise that the two are also opposed to one another when it comes to their views of web video. Yes, it’s the H.264 versus WebM debate once again. But while Google, Apple, Mozilla, Opera and others have had their say, Microsoft has remained largely quiet. Until today.


Dean Hachamovitch, the man in charge of Internet Explorer for Microsoft, has taken the time to write a nearly 3,000 word piece about the situation today. It’s a long, great post well worth the read. But just in case you can’t make it through the entire post, I’ll summarize it simply: Microsoft is fully behind H.264 as the codec for web video going forward. Why? Because they have just as many reservations about WebM as Google all of a sudden seems to have about H.264.


I had a chance to speak with Hachamovitch last night about his thoughts on the situation. His take is very clear in that he’s confused by Google’s motives to ditch H.264. Specifically, he notes that at one point not too long ago, Microsoft, Apple, and Google all supported H.264 as a codec for HTML5 video on the web. Yes, believe it or not, Microsoft was actually on the side of many of the main players of the web when it came to a future technology. The one major player not on their side was, of course, Mozilla. But Microsoft was happy to make the plug-in to ensure that they supported H.264 for HTML5 video as well.


We had a somewhat stable state in web video,” Hachamovitch says. Then something odd happened.


Google decided to pull their support for H.264 as the web video standard. The reason? The patents controlled by the MPEGLA group scared them. Or something. I’ve made my own thoughts pretty clear on this matter. I think that’s a total red herring. Google is pulling support for H.264 as a tactic in their war with Apple.


At first, they touted the maneuver as being all about supporting “open” formats. But if that’s the case, why not pull support for the Flash plug-in baked into every version of Chrome currently? Further, why not pull H.264 support out of the browser included with Android? The answer is because it’s not about open — it’s actually about control.


Worse, by turning their back on H.264, Google is ensuring that Flash will continue to remain the dominant force in web video for years to come. Flash supports H.264, which is great, but the issue here is that we need the HTML5 standard to fully support H.264, and that’s simply not going to happen without Google on board.


Some would say it wouldn’t anyway because of the potential patent issues. But as Microsoft (like many others) points out, it’s still not clear that the new WebM format also isn’t infringing on any patents. Hachamovitch points to the fact that when the JPEG patents were dug into, everyone from shoe sellers to the Green Bay Packers came out of the woodwork claiming ownership of some part.


Further, Microsoft sees no reason why MPEGLA will all of a sudden go hostile for the sake of making money. “It’s counter to their reason for existence,” Hachamovitch says.


Instead, H.264 has proven to be a format with wide adoption both from a hardware and software perspective. And that, fundamentally, is why Microsoft is backing it, and will continue to back it.


At the same time, they recognize why WebM could be a good format for some level of unification. So they’ve developed plug-ins to allowed both Internet Explorer and Firefox to play videos with that codec within Windows. But again, they just don’t see WebM as the ultimate HTML5 video standard. There are simply too many barriers to entry. And too many unanswered questions about patents.


In other words, Microsoft and Apple seem to see eye-to-eye on this level. And I’m right there with them. WebM sounds great on paper — until you actually read the paper. At that point, you quickly realize that it’s a crapshoot at best, and one that will take several years to go anywhere — if it ever does. And it’s one that could ultimately face the same type of patent questions currently surrounding H.264.


So Microsoft, like Apple, is taking the more sure bet. While it appears Google is once again out of touch with reality. Which is really too bad, because web video needs them.






















I'm seeing this sort of pitch a lot lately:


"We are the next such-and-such company" or "we take such-and-such company concept to the next level" or "unlike [insert billion dollar website name here], we have added a killer feature and thing-a-ma-jig that changes the game."


Fill in the blanks with the buzz words of the moment and I'm sure you'll get the idea. Why the sudden urge to jump into certain markets rather than others? Well, call me crazy, but for many an amateur, I believe it might have to do something with dollar signs in the press. (Let's just say $50 billion for the sake of example.)


What disturbs me about this trend is the sheer number of people that are concentrating on web companies built for "investment dollars" or "ad revenue" rather than built for immediate income-generation. Sure, Web start-ups are inexpensive to launch, but I still contend that to stay in business they must earn money. Not every website is going to get an investor onboard or a strategic acquirer interested—not by a long shot—and you have to at least afford Ramen noodles to sustain yourself. 


When I partnered with a fledging start-up to help build a Web 2.0 company back in the early 2000s, I quickly fell victim to a lot of this same hype nonsense. Except at that time, it wasn't "social networking", it was video sharing. YouTube had just started to come about and I wanted in the game. Like every other Web start-up in that space at the time, we too were "revolutionary" and a "game-changer."


Only problem: we had no immediate revenue model, based our financial forecasts totally on sponsor and ad revenue, and could not keep up with the site traffic. Investors wouldn't touch us because we were still too small, yet expenses kept piling up. In the end, the company folded and tons of money was lost (and probably is still being paid off the original founders' credit cards today.)  


I certainly don't want to discourage the brilliant Web engineers out there whose business models are sound; however, I do want to discourage the other people out there (yes, you know who you are) from jumping on the "$900 million bandwagon" simply because you think your idea is better, cooler, or has more features than a site that already exists. In fact, if you have the word revolutionary in your pitch, just go ahead and wipe hard-drive clean right now. 


Think before you code. Just because you can build something, doesn't mean you should. Time is your most valuable asset and you want to make sure that the enterprise you are committing yourself to has a real chance of providing you with sustainable revenue. You must truly understand how your business will make real money before you bank on some unrealistic expectations concerning traffic. If you are making money, the potential to raise investment dollars becomes all the more real. 


Remember, it is never a smart bet to try to build an "acquisition" rather than build a business. After all, if your business cannot survive on it's own you'll need to exit the company way before any exit strategy can even occur—because you'll be bankrupt. 












bench craft company me

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company credit card

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company reviews

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company credit card

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company reviews

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company reviews

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company me

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company me

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.


bench craft company reviews

CBS <b>News</b>&#39; Lara Logan Sexually Assaulted in Egypt | Fancast <b>News</b>

Shocking details have been released regarding the incident involving CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan during the protests in Egypt. CBS News issued a statement Tuesday revealing that Logan is currentl in the.

Great <b>news</b>: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on <b>...</b>

Great news: Supercomputer utterly destroys all-time champs on Jeopardy.

Scientists, telescope hunt massive hidden object in space – This <b>...</b>

You know how you sometimes can sense that something is present even though you can't see it? Well, astronomers are getting that feeling about a giant, hidden object in space. And when we say giant, we mean GIANT.

















Friday, February 11, 2011

foreclosure investing

bench craft company

CashOnCashDeal, a recent GoldSpring convert from the blog by Casey Serin


bench craft company

Small Business <b>News</b>: Wired and Mobile Entrepreneur Edition

The future, even the present, of small business is wired and mobile. Online digital technology has transformed not just marketing but networking and just about.

Facebook CTO Says <b>News</b> Next In Social Revolution

Each week we ask chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions. This week, Bret Taylor, chief technology officer at Facebook and co-founder and former chief executive of FriendFeed, ...

<b>News</b> Happening Now - KRQE

(KRQE NEWS 13) - As of 7:43 a.m. - Expectant mothers living on Albuquerque's Westside now have a shorter drive to make when they go into labor. Lovelace Hospital held a ribbon cutting on Thursday for the new birthing center at its ...


bench craft company

CashOnCashDeal, a recent GoldSpring convert from the blog by Casey Serin


bench craft company

Small Business <b>News</b>: Wired and Mobile Entrepreneur Edition

The future, even the present, of small business is wired and mobile. Online digital technology has transformed not just marketing but networking and just about.

Facebook CTO Says <b>News</b> Next In Social Revolution

Each week we ask chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions. This week, Bret Taylor, chief technology officer at Facebook and co-founder and former chief executive of FriendFeed, ...

<b>News</b> Happening Now - KRQE

(KRQE NEWS 13) - As of 7:43 a.m. - Expectant mothers living on Albuquerque's Westside now have a shorter drive to make when they go into labor. Lovelace Hospital held a ribbon cutting on Thursday for the new birthing center at its ...


bench craft company

Small Business <b>News</b>: Wired and Mobile Entrepreneur Edition

The future, even the present, of small business is wired and mobile. Online digital technology has transformed not just marketing but networking and just about.

Facebook CTO Says <b>News</b> Next In Social Revolution

Each week we ask chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions. This week, Bret Taylor, chief technology officer at Facebook and co-founder and former chief executive of FriendFeed, ...

<b>News</b> Happening Now - KRQE

(KRQE NEWS 13) - As of 7:43 a.m. - Expectant mothers living on Albuquerque's Westside now have a shorter drive to make when they go into labor. Lovelace Hospital held a ribbon cutting on Thursday for the new birthing center at its ...


bench craft company

Small Business <b>News</b>: Wired and Mobile Entrepreneur Edition

The future, even the present, of small business is wired and mobile. Online digital technology has transformed not just marketing but networking and just about.

Facebook CTO Says <b>News</b> Next In Social Revolution

Each week we ask chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions. This week, Bret Taylor, chief technology officer at Facebook and co-founder and former chief executive of FriendFeed, ...

<b>News</b> Happening Now - KRQE

(KRQE NEWS 13) - As of 7:43 a.m. - Expectant mothers living on Albuquerque's Westside now have a shorter drive to make when they go into labor. Lovelace Hospital held a ribbon cutting on Thursday for the new birthing center at its ...


bench craft company bench craft company
bench craft company

CashOnCashDeal, a recent GoldSpring convert from the blog by Casey Serin


bench craft company
bench craft company

Small Business <b>News</b>: Wired and Mobile Entrepreneur Edition

The future, even the present, of small business is wired and mobile. Online digital technology has transformed not just marketing but networking and just about.

Facebook CTO Says <b>News</b> Next In Social Revolution

Each week we ask chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions. This week, Bret Taylor, chief technology officer at Facebook and co-founder and former chief executive of FriendFeed, ...

<b>News</b> Happening Now - KRQE

(KRQE NEWS 13) - As of 7:43 a.m. - Expectant mothers living on Albuquerque's Westside now have a shorter drive to make when they go into labor. Lovelace Hospital held a ribbon cutting on Thursday for the new birthing center at its ...


bench craft company

As an investment strategy, flipping properties can be tremendously lucrative - but like any investment, there is a certain amount of risk involved. It pays to educate yourself and learn some smart house flipping tips and familiarize yourself with the lay of the land and the nature of the market before you start foreclosure investing. If you are a skilled handyman, you may actually find the rehabbing houses in need of repair can be a very good way to make money in real estate, since damaged properties can be had at a large discount - and since the largest expense is labor, anything you can repair yourself represent "sweat equity" that can be turned into extra cash at the end of the day.

How To Flip a House 101

At its most basic, flipping houses is the concept of "buy low, sell high." In this case, you are looking for a property that can be had for a low price, the turn around and sell this to a second party for a substantial markup. The best of all house flipping tips is to find a "distressed property" with a "motivated seller" who will give you the home for a bargain price , then turn around and sell it for a tidy profit.

Once you have done it a few times and really know how to flip a house, you'll never have. to worry about finances again. It still requires some homework, however. Whether you're into rehabbing houses in need of repair or are flipping properties that have been foreclosed upon, your first stop should be at a local bank our mortgage company. These institutions generally maintain listings of "distressed" and foreclosed properties and are usually anxious to get rid of them.

More house flipping tips

If you see signs that say "For Sale By Owner," that's a good indication that you are looking at a motivated buyer. S/he may be facing foreclosure or divorce, or tax problems. In any event, chances are that you can negotiate an excellent price with such a buyer that will leave you with a sizable profit margin.

If you would know more about how to flip a house
and rehabbing houses, your best course of action is to get to know some local real estate agents - particularly those whose specialize in foreclosed properties. It's always a good idea to learn from the experts - and the greatest experts are those who have been there and done that.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Making Money Quickly

FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES THE FINEPIX X100 PREMIUM DIGITAL CAMERA

BUILT BY PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS


Captures Extraordinary, High Quality Images with a Combination of Modern Technology –

APS CMOS Sensor, Fixed Focal Length FUJINON Lens and Debuting the World’s First Hybrid Viewfinder – All Presented in a Classically Beautiful Design


Valhalla, N.Y., February 8, 2011 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the U.S. debut of its FinePix X100 premium digital camera which will begin shipping in March. Inspired by the groundswell of requests by professional and advanced amateur photographers from around the world, Fujifilm has developed a digital camera that was specifically engineered to appeal to this group’s desire for capturing the highest quality images through a high-performance, beautifully crafted compact digital camera.


The FinePix X100 is a high precision digital compact camera that combines modern technology with a traditional camera design to deliver the ultimate in image quality. Featuring an APS-C CMOS sensor (12.3 megapixel), a FUJINON 23mm Single Focal Length Fixed F2 lens, a 2.8” LCD 460K, and the world’s first Hybrid Viewfinder, the FinePix X100 captures exceptionally high quality images.


“It has always been important for Fujifilm to introduce products that are in a class of their own and with the FinePix X100, we have achieved that level,” said Go Miyazaki, division president, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “The combination of a hybrid viewfinder, large APS-C sensor and a precisely matched prime lens, make this camera unique to anything else in the market, and is presented within a rangefinder design that makes it an instant modern classic.”


Quality Within – Custom 12.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor

The FinePix X100 features a custom 12.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS high-performance sensor, internally optimized and developed exclusively for this model. Optimization of the angle-of-incidence in conjunction with the specially developed lens maximizes light gathering efficiency extending to the perimeter of the sensor for a sharper image with exceptional clarity. When shooting HD movies, the combination of the large-sized sensor and the large aperture F2 lens, lets users create a soft out-of-focus image — a capability not available in conventional compact cameras. The ideal combination of a fixed focal length lens, high-sensitivity sensor (approximately 10 times the sensitivity of a conventional compact*) and a high-performance image processor captures extremely high quality images from low sensitivity to high sensitivity. In standard form, the planned ISO range is from 200 to 6400, but this can be expanded to include 100 and 12800.


The newly developed EXR Processor takes EXR processing to new heights. Combined with the high-sensitivity sensor, the EXR Processor achieves the highest resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range ever produced by a FinePix digital camera for the ultimate in image quality. The high-speed CMOS sensor read-out and the EXR Processor’s enhanced focusing system contribute to the high-speed AF performance, while the combination of the optical viewfinder and extremely low shutter lag time enhance the image capture experience.


A Quality All Its Own – High-performance 23mm F2 FUJINON Lens

The FinePix X100 comes with a new FUJINON non-collapsible lens structure that expands the realm of photographic expression with sharper resolution from the center to the corners. It has a 23mm (135 equivalent: 35mm) F2 lens, with eight elements in six groups. One aspherical glass molded lens. The adoption of the non-collapsible lens structure with minimized lens length not only contributes to the compact size, but also eliminates telescoping of the lens when the power is on. It’s ready to start taking photos the moment the user turns it on. In addition, the lens features not only the large F2 aperture value, but also an optical architecture that maintains a high degree of resolution even when closed by 1 to 2 stops. The adoption of a 9-blade aperture diaphragm combined with the large F2 aperture and high-quality optics lets users take photos with a beautiful circular soft out-of-focus (bokeh) effect. With macro shooting capability as close as four inches, users can explore the fun and fascination of close-up photography. The built-in ND filter (equivalent f-stop reduction of three) can be switched ON/OFF via simple in-camera settings.

Quality You Can See – World’s First Hybrid Viewfinder

The true enjoyment of photography begins with the thrill of seeing the world through a viewfinder. The new Hybrid Viewfinder has been developed to reintroduce users to this essential camera experience. It combines the window-type “bright frame” optical viewfinder found in rangefinder-type film cameras such as the classic 135-size or medium-format cameras, with the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in most compact or mirrorless digital cameras. By integrating a prism for the 1,440,000 dot LCD panel image on the viewing screen in the reverse-Galilean optical finder, the Hybrid Viewfinder can show both the shooting frame and a variety of electronic shooting data. It can also be used as a high-quality electronic viewfinder to compose or playback shots. With this ability to instantly switch between optical and electronic viewfinder modes using the simple “one touch” control, the new Hybrid Viewfinder offers users expanded freedom in the composition and enjoyment of photography in a wide range of challenging shooting conditions.


The reverse Galilean optical finder with a 0.5X magnification features all-glass elements made from high-refractive index glass and demonstrates low chromatic aberration and distortion.

In optical viewfinder (OVF) mode, the brightness of both the “bright frame” and text data is automatically adjusted according to the brightness of scene area, ensuring that shooting information is always easily and clearly viewable. Also, the displayed shooting data is constantly updated according to changes in shutter speed, exposure, sensitivity and other settings, so that the user’s eye never has to leave the viewfinder. In electronic viewfinder (EVF) mode, the photographer can preview the picture or playback the result with the “through the sensor” image review and high-resolution 1,440,000-dot quality. With a flick of the one-touch lever, the user can switch to EVF to preview and confirm exposure settings, depth-of-field, and white balance – an especially useful capability when shooting macro shots and other scenes that are hard to confirm with only an optical viewfinder.


Quality of Beauty – Stunning Retro Design

The FinePix X100 features a beautiful, high-quality design inspired by the classic look and feel of traditional film cameras. The top cover of the upper control deck and the bottom surface have been die-cast from magnesium alloy (semi-solid metal casting), contributing to a high-precision camera body. All dials and rings are precision milled from metal. The ergonomics of the design offer the perfect balance between compact convenience and user-friendly functionality. Traditional ‘manual’ dials lets the user confirm the position of the settings without turning on the power. The camera’s controls have been carefully thought out to give the photographer simple and speedy access to aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation…etc, allowing maximum creative expression with minimum hassle and enabling the user to view settings – even when the power of the camera is turned off. Custom modes can also be accessed with a one-touch settings change. The chassis has been finished with high-quality leather-like accents and is both a delight to use and a pleasure to hold.


RAW Quality – Image Enhancement Functions

Capturing the scene in RAW format is easy with just a press of the readily accessible RAW Button on the back of the camera. Photographers can use the built-in RAW Development function to process the RAW data in-camera using the camera’s image quality settings. In addition to Fujifilm’s original Film Simulation Modes that give photos the distinctive look of Velvia, PROVIA and ASTIA color reversal film emulsions, X100 expands the scope of photo expression with Monochrome Mode that can be fine-tuned with R/Ye/G filter settings. Separate adjustment of shadow tones and highlight tones lets users reproduce the rich tonality of high-contrast subjects.


Added Quality – The FinePix X100 also offers these additional features:

EVF/OVF Focus Area: The FinePix X100 offers users the choice between the 49-point auto EVF focus area or the 25-point OVF auto focus area as well as the selection of 5 different focus area sizes in EVF mode. Depending on the needs of each scene, the FinePix X100 offers easy focusing by design.

HD Movie mode: Lets users capture the action in 720p high-definition detail. Just like taking still photos, users can capture movies with aperture-priority AE and enjoy a soft, defocused background effect. In addition, the built-in HDMI Mini connector allows users to easily and directly connect the FinePix X100 to high-definition TVs for showing stills and movies with plug-and-play ease.

Motion Panorama: With the built-in Motion Panorama function, it is easy to capture 180° and 120° panoramic photos. Later users can print the results as pin-sharp A3-size (11.7” X 16.5”) enlargements and share the enjoyment of high-quality panoramic photography.

Multi-Bracketing Functions: The FinePix X100 has four types of bracketing functions: AE, ISO, Dynamic Range and Film Simulation. One click of the shutter captures 3 bracketed images of the scene so the photographer knows he’s captured the moment.

Star Quality – Premium Accessory Lineup

The FinePix X100 has these additional elegant accessory options:

Luxury Case: To perfectly compliment the look and premium quality feel of the X100 camera body, a retro leather “quick shot” case with matching strap has been designed to fit the X100 like a glove. Made out of luxurious leather it has been designed with uncompromising attention to detail, ensuring the ultimate ease of use and practicality.

Lens Hood and Adapter Ring: Precision milled from metal, the lens hood and adapter ring will be available as a set. The adapter ring is also compatible with commercially sold 49mm filters.

Auto Flash (TTL – Through The Lens): EF-20 (Guide Number:20) and EF-42 (Guide Number:42) will be newly added to the TTL flash lineup.


Pricing and Availability

The FinePix X100 digital camera will be available in March 2011, and will be priced at $1,199.95.


*Compared with other FinePix compact camera models.




The New Yorker isn't allowing Atul Gawande's latest article out from behind the paywall, but you can read the abstract here. The basic point is well worth keeping in mind amid all the arguments over the Affordable Care Act: Health-care costs -- and thus our paychecks, and the federal budget -- won't be decided by how we deliver and structure health-care insurance. They'll be decided by how we deliver and structure health care. And though national policy has a role in that, it's not always a huge role, and it's not usually a controversial one.



Gawande relates a series of stories showing innovation in the toughest corners of the care-delivery system. The most inspiring is about Jeffrey Brenner, a Camden-based physician who began playing with his city's hospital claims data and making maps of where the money was being spent. It turned out that there were two city blocks, containing two particular buildings, where 900 people were responsible for "more than four thousand hospital visits and about two hundred million dollars in health-care bills" over the past seven years. So that's where he focused.



Insurers try to run from the costliest patients. They try to kick them out for having preexisting conditions, or they rescind their coverage, or they price coverage beyond their reach. That just makes them costlier, of course. Inconsistent access to medical care means more medical emergencies, and more medical emergencies mean higher medical costs. Brenner, by contrast, is lavishing them with attention. He's calling them daily. He's checking up on their medications, their lifestyles, their habits. He wants to open a doctor's office in their building. His patients averaged "sixty-two hospital and E.R. visits per month before joining the program and thirty-seven visits after — a forty-per-cent reduction. Their hospital bills averaged $1.2 million per month before and just over half a million after — a fifty-six-percent reduction."



We don't really know if his success can be replicated. But somebody's can be. And that'll be where policy -- in particular, where Medicare -- comes in. The administration's vision sees things running something like this: A promising experiment or pilot program will come to the attention of the newly established Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The center will fund it on a larger scale and study it more intensely if. If it proves promising, the Independent Payment Advisory Board will force Medicare to implement it fairly quickly. And history shows that if something works in Medicare -- and, quite often, even if it doesn't -- it's soon adopted by private insurers.

That's if all goes well, of course. And all may not go well. But it's important to keep in mind that we know who costs the system money: Sick people. And we know what costs the system money: Their health care, particularly when it involves catastrophic or chronic conditions. So from a cost and quality perspective, this is where health-care reform will live and die: In doctor's offices, in community health centers, in operating rooms and in people's homes.



Insurers can play a role here, as can Medicare. But for the next few years, cost control is going to be less about setting national policy than about setting up the experiments that allow us to test what national policy should be. The Affordable Care Act's contribution to this is money, a center dedicated to bringing these experiments up to scale and a reform process that makes it easier to seed them in Medicare. But for all that to work, the component pieces need to remain in place, and some of the experiments actually need to pan out.



Photo credit: By Pat Sullivan/Associated Press



bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company
FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES THE FINEPIX X100 PREMIUM DIGITAL CAMERA

BUILT BY PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS


Captures Extraordinary, High Quality Images with a Combination of Modern Technology –

APS CMOS Sensor, Fixed Focal Length FUJINON Lens and Debuting the World’s First Hybrid Viewfinder – All Presented in a Classically Beautiful Design


Valhalla, N.Y., February 8, 2011 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the U.S. debut of its FinePix X100 premium digital camera which will begin shipping in March. Inspired by the groundswell of requests by professional and advanced amateur photographers from around the world, Fujifilm has developed a digital camera that was specifically engineered to appeal to this group’s desire for capturing the highest quality images through a high-performance, beautifully crafted compact digital camera.


The FinePix X100 is a high precision digital compact camera that combines modern technology with a traditional camera design to deliver the ultimate in image quality. Featuring an APS-C CMOS sensor (12.3 megapixel), a FUJINON 23mm Single Focal Length Fixed F2 lens, a 2.8” LCD 460K, and the world’s first Hybrid Viewfinder, the FinePix X100 captures exceptionally high quality images.


“It has always been important for Fujifilm to introduce products that are in a class of their own and with the FinePix X100, we have achieved that level,” said Go Miyazaki, division president, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “The combination of a hybrid viewfinder, large APS-C sensor and a precisely matched prime lens, make this camera unique to anything else in the market, and is presented within a rangefinder design that makes it an instant modern classic.”


Quality Within – Custom 12.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor

The FinePix X100 features a custom 12.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS high-performance sensor, internally optimized and developed exclusively for this model. Optimization of the angle-of-incidence in conjunction with the specially developed lens maximizes light gathering efficiency extending to the perimeter of the sensor for a sharper image with exceptional clarity. When shooting HD movies, the combination of the large-sized sensor and the large aperture F2 lens, lets users create a soft out-of-focus image — a capability not available in conventional compact cameras. The ideal combination of a fixed focal length lens, high-sensitivity sensor (approximately 10 times the sensitivity of a conventional compact*) and a high-performance image processor captures extremely high quality images from low sensitivity to high sensitivity. In standard form, the planned ISO range is from 200 to 6400, but this can be expanded to include 100 and 12800.


The newly developed EXR Processor takes EXR processing to new heights. Combined with the high-sensitivity sensor, the EXR Processor achieves the highest resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range ever produced by a FinePix digital camera for the ultimate in image quality. The high-speed CMOS sensor read-out and the EXR Processor’s enhanced focusing system contribute to the high-speed AF performance, while the combination of the optical viewfinder and extremely low shutter lag time enhance the image capture experience.


A Quality All Its Own – High-performance 23mm F2 FUJINON Lens

The FinePix X100 comes with a new FUJINON non-collapsible lens structure that expands the realm of photographic expression with sharper resolution from the center to the corners. It has a 23mm (135 equivalent: 35mm) F2 lens, with eight elements in six groups. One aspherical glass molded lens. The adoption of the non-collapsible lens structure with minimized lens length not only contributes to the compact size, but also eliminates telescoping of the lens when the power is on. It’s ready to start taking photos the moment the user turns it on. In addition, the lens features not only the large F2 aperture value, but also an optical architecture that maintains a high degree of resolution even when closed by 1 to 2 stops. The adoption of a 9-blade aperture diaphragm combined with the large F2 aperture and high-quality optics lets users take photos with a beautiful circular soft out-of-focus (bokeh) effect. With macro shooting capability as close as four inches, users can explore the fun and fascination of close-up photography. The built-in ND filter (equivalent f-stop reduction of three) can be switched ON/OFF via simple in-camera settings.

Quality You Can See – World’s First Hybrid Viewfinder

The true enjoyment of photography begins with the thrill of seeing the world through a viewfinder. The new Hybrid Viewfinder has been developed to reintroduce users to this essential camera experience. It combines the window-type “bright frame” optical viewfinder found in rangefinder-type film cameras such as the classic 135-size or medium-format cameras, with the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in most compact or mirrorless digital cameras. By integrating a prism for the 1,440,000 dot LCD panel image on the viewing screen in the reverse-Galilean optical finder, the Hybrid Viewfinder can show both the shooting frame and a variety of electronic shooting data. It can also be used as a high-quality electronic viewfinder to compose or playback shots. With this ability to instantly switch between optical and electronic viewfinder modes using the simple “one touch” control, the new Hybrid Viewfinder offers users expanded freedom in the composition and enjoyment of photography in a wide range of challenging shooting conditions.


The reverse Galilean optical finder with a 0.5X magnification features all-glass elements made from high-refractive index glass and demonstrates low chromatic aberration and distortion.

In optical viewfinder (OVF) mode, the brightness of both the “bright frame” and text data is automatically adjusted according to the brightness of scene area, ensuring that shooting information is always easily and clearly viewable. Also, the displayed shooting data is constantly updated according to changes in shutter speed, exposure, sensitivity and other settings, so that the user’s eye never has to leave the viewfinder. In electronic viewfinder (EVF) mode, the photographer can preview the picture or playback the result with the “through the sensor” image review and high-resolution 1,440,000-dot quality. With a flick of the one-touch lever, the user can switch to EVF to preview and confirm exposure settings, depth-of-field, and white balance – an especially useful capability when shooting macro shots and other scenes that are hard to confirm with only an optical viewfinder.


Quality of Beauty – Stunning Retro Design

The FinePix X100 features a beautiful, high-quality design inspired by the classic look and feel of traditional film cameras. The top cover of the upper control deck and the bottom surface have been die-cast from magnesium alloy (semi-solid metal casting), contributing to a high-precision camera body. All dials and rings are precision milled from metal. The ergonomics of the design offer the perfect balance between compact convenience and user-friendly functionality. Traditional ‘manual’ dials lets the user confirm the position of the settings without turning on the power. The camera’s controls have been carefully thought out to give the photographer simple and speedy access to aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation…etc, allowing maximum creative expression with minimum hassle and enabling the user to view settings – even when the power of the camera is turned off. Custom modes can also be accessed with a one-touch settings change. The chassis has been finished with high-quality leather-like accents and is both a delight to use and a pleasure to hold.


RAW Quality – Image Enhancement Functions

Capturing the scene in RAW format is easy with just a press of the readily accessible RAW Button on the back of the camera. Photographers can use the built-in RAW Development function to process the RAW data in-camera using the camera’s image quality settings. In addition to Fujifilm’s original Film Simulation Modes that give photos the distinctive look of Velvia, PROVIA and ASTIA color reversal film emulsions, X100 expands the scope of photo expression with Monochrome Mode that can be fine-tuned with R/Ye/G filter settings. Separate adjustment of shadow tones and highlight tones lets users reproduce the rich tonality of high-contrast subjects.


Added Quality – The FinePix X100 also offers these additional features:

EVF/OVF Focus Area: The FinePix X100 offers users the choice between the 49-point auto EVF focus area or the 25-point OVF auto focus area as well as the selection of 5 different focus area sizes in EVF mode. Depending on the needs of each scene, the FinePix X100 offers easy focusing by design.

HD Movie mode: Lets users capture the action in 720p high-definition detail. Just like taking still photos, users can capture movies with aperture-priority AE and enjoy a soft, defocused background effect. In addition, the built-in HDMI Mini connector allows users to easily and directly connect the FinePix X100 to high-definition TVs for showing stills and movies with plug-and-play ease.

Motion Panorama: With the built-in Motion Panorama function, it is easy to capture 180° and 120° panoramic photos. Later users can print the results as pin-sharp A3-size (11.7” X 16.5”) enlargements and share the enjoyment of high-quality panoramic photography.

Multi-Bracketing Functions: The FinePix X100 has four types of bracketing functions: AE, ISO, Dynamic Range and Film Simulation. One click of the shutter captures 3 bracketed images of the scene so the photographer knows he’s captured the moment.

Star Quality – Premium Accessory Lineup

The FinePix X100 has these additional elegant accessory options:

Luxury Case: To perfectly compliment the look and premium quality feel of the X100 camera body, a retro leather “quick shot” case with matching strap has been designed to fit the X100 like a glove. Made out of luxurious leather it has been designed with uncompromising attention to detail, ensuring the ultimate ease of use and practicality.

Lens Hood and Adapter Ring: Precision milled from metal, the lens hood and adapter ring will be available as a set. The adapter ring is also compatible with commercially sold 49mm filters.

Auto Flash (TTL – Through The Lens): EF-20 (Guide Number:20) and EF-42 (Guide Number:42) will be newly added to the TTL flash lineup.


Pricing and Availability

The FinePix X100 digital camera will be available in March 2011, and will be priced at $1,199.95.


*Compared with other FinePix compact camera models.




The New Yorker isn't allowing Atul Gawande's latest article out from behind the paywall, but you can read the abstract here. The basic point is well worth keeping in mind amid all the arguments over the Affordable Care Act: Health-care costs -- and thus our paychecks, and the federal budget -- won't be decided by how we deliver and structure health-care insurance. They'll be decided by how we deliver and structure health care. And though national policy has a role in that, it's not always a huge role, and it's not usually a controversial one.



Gawande relates a series of stories showing innovation in the toughest corners of the care-delivery system. The most inspiring is about Jeffrey Brenner, a Camden-based physician who began playing with his city's hospital claims data and making maps of where the money was being spent. It turned out that there were two city blocks, containing two particular buildings, where 900 people were responsible for "more than four thousand hospital visits and about two hundred million dollars in health-care bills" over the past seven years. So that's where he focused.



Insurers try to run from the costliest patients. They try to kick them out for having preexisting conditions, or they rescind their coverage, or they price coverage beyond their reach. That just makes them costlier, of course. Inconsistent access to medical care means more medical emergencies, and more medical emergencies mean higher medical costs. Brenner, by contrast, is lavishing them with attention. He's calling them daily. He's checking up on their medications, their lifestyles, their habits. He wants to open a doctor's office in their building. His patients averaged "sixty-two hospital and E.R. visits per month before joining the program and thirty-seven visits after — a forty-per-cent reduction. Their hospital bills averaged $1.2 million per month before and just over half a million after — a fifty-six-percent reduction."



We don't really know if his success can be replicated. But somebody's can be. And that'll be where policy -- in particular, where Medicare -- comes in. The administration's vision sees things running something like this: A promising experiment or pilot program will come to the attention of the newly established Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The center will fund it on a larger scale and study it more intensely if. If it proves promising, the Independent Payment Advisory Board will force Medicare to implement it fairly quickly. And history shows that if something works in Medicare -- and, quite often, even if it doesn't -- it's soon adopted by private insurers.

That's if all goes well, of course. And all may not go well. But it's important to keep in mind that we know who costs the system money: Sick people. And we know what costs the system money: Their health care, particularly when it involves catastrophic or chronic conditions. So from a cost and quality perspective, this is where health-care reform will live and die: In doctor's offices, in community health centers, in operating rooms and in people's homes.



Insurers can play a role here, as can Medicare. But for the next few years, cost control is going to be less about setting national policy than about setting up the experiments that allow us to test what national policy should be. The Affordable Care Act's contribution to this is money, a center dedicated to bringing these experiments up to scale and a reform process that makes it easier to seed them in Medicare. But for all that to work, the component pieces need to remain in place, and some of the experiments actually need to pan out.



Photo credit: By Pat Sullivan/Associated Press



bench craft company>

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company
[reefeed]
bench craft company

Leads Finder - Right Hand Option Bar - Generate Sales Leads Today by MotionTech


bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company
FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES THE FINEPIX X100 PREMIUM DIGITAL CAMERA

BUILT BY PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS


Captures Extraordinary, High Quality Images with a Combination of Modern Technology –

APS CMOS Sensor, Fixed Focal Length FUJINON Lens and Debuting the World’s First Hybrid Viewfinder – All Presented in a Classically Beautiful Design


Valhalla, N.Y., February 8, 2011 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced the U.S. debut of its FinePix X100 premium digital camera which will begin shipping in March. Inspired by the groundswell of requests by professional and advanced amateur photographers from around the world, Fujifilm has developed a digital camera that was specifically engineered to appeal to this group’s desire for capturing the highest quality images through a high-performance, beautifully crafted compact digital camera.


The FinePix X100 is a high precision digital compact camera that combines modern technology with a traditional camera design to deliver the ultimate in image quality. Featuring an APS-C CMOS sensor (12.3 megapixel), a FUJINON 23mm Single Focal Length Fixed F2 lens, a 2.8” LCD 460K, and the world’s first Hybrid Viewfinder, the FinePix X100 captures exceptionally high quality images.


“It has always been important for Fujifilm to introduce products that are in a class of their own and with the FinePix X100, we have achieved that level,” said Go Miyazaki, division president, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “The combination of a hybrid viewfinder, large APS-C sensor and a precisely matched prime lens, make this camera unique to anything else in the market, and is presented within a rangefinder design that makes it an instant modern classic.”


Quality Within – Custom 12.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor

The FinePix X100 features a custom 12.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS high-performance sensor, internally optimized and developed exclusively for this model. Optimization of the angle-of-incidence in conjunction with the specially developed lens maximizes light gathering efficiency extending to the perimeter of the sensor for a sharper image with exceptional clarity. When shooting HD movies, the combination of the large-sized sensor and the large aperture F2 lens, lets users create a soft out-of-focus image — a capability not available in conventional compact cameras. The ideal combination of a fixed focal length lens, high-sensitivity sensor (approximately 10 times the sensitivity of a conventional compact*) and a high-performance image processor captures extremely high quality images from low sensitivity to high sensitivity. In standard form, the planned ISO range is from 200 to 6400, but this can be expanded to include 100 and 12800.


The newly developed EXR Processor takes EXR processing to new heights. Combined with the high-sensitivity sensor, the EXR Processor achieves the highest resolution, sensitivity and dynamic range ever produced by a FinePix digital camera for the ultimate in image quality. The high-speed CMOS sensor read-out and the EXR Processor’s enhanced focusing system contribute to the high-speed AF performance, while the combination of the optical viewfinder and extremely low shutter lag time enhance the image capture experience.


A Quality All Its Own – High-performance 23mm F2 FUJINON Lens

The FinePix X100 comes with a new FUJINON non-collapsible lens structure that expands the realm of photographic expression with sharper resolution from the center to the corners. It has a 23mm (135 equivalent: 35mm) F2 lens, with eight elements in six groups. One aspherical glass molded lens. The adoption of the non-collapsible lens structure with minimized lens length not only contributes to the compact size, but also eliminates telescoping of the lens when the power is on. It’s ready to start taking photos the moment the user turns it on. In addition, the lens features not only the large F2 aperture value, but also an optical architecture that maintains a high degree of resolution even when closed by 1 to 2 stops. The adoption of a 9-blade aperture diaphragm combined with the large F2 aperture and high-quality optics lets users take photos with a beautiful circular soft out-of-focus (bokeh) effect. With macro shooting capability as close as four inches, users can explore the fun and fascination of close-up photography. The built-in ND filter (equivalent f-stop reduction of three) can be switched ON/OFF via simple in-camera settings.

Quality You Can See – World’s First Hybrid Viewfinder

The true enjoyment of photography begins with the thrill of seeing the world through a viewfinder. The new Hybrid Viewfinder has been developed to reintroduce users to this essential camera experience. It combines the window-type “bright frame” optical viewfinder found in rangefinder-type film cameras such as the classic 135-size or medium-format cameras, with the electronic viewfinder system incorporated in most compact or mirrorless digital cameras. By integrating a prism for the 1,440,000 dot LCD panel image on the viewing screen in the reverse-Galilean optical finder, the Hybrid Viewfinder can show both the shooting frame and a variety of electronic shooting data. It can also be used as a high-quality electronic viewfinder to compose or playback shots. With this ability to instantly switch between optical and electronic viewfinder modes using the simple “one touch” control, the new Hybrid Viewfinder offers users expanded freedom in the composition and enjoyment of photography in a wide range of challenging shooting conditions.


The reverse Galilean optical finder with a 0.5X magnification features all-glass elements made from high-refractive index glass and demonstrates low chromatic aberration and distortion.

In optical viewfinder (OVF) mode, the brightness of both the “bright frame” and text data is automatically adjusted according to the brightness of scene area, ensuring that shooting information is always easily and clearly viewable. Also, the displayed shooting data is constantly updated according to changes in shutter speed, exposure, sensitivity and other settings, so that the user’s eye never has to leave the viewfinder. In electronic viewfinder (EVF) mode, the photographer can preview the picture or playback the result with the “through the sensor” image review and high-resolution 1,440,000-dot quality. With a flick of the one-touch lever, the user can switch to EVF to preview and confirm exposure settings, depth-of-field, and white balance – an especially useful capability when shooting macro shots and other scenes that are hard to confirm with only an optical viewfinder.


Quality of Beauty – Stunning Retro Design

The FinePix X100 features a beautiful, high-quality design inspired by the classic look and feel of traditional film cameras. The top cover of the upper control deck and the bottom surface have been die-cast from magnesium alloy (semi-solid metal casting), contributing to a high-precision camera body. All dials and rings are precision milled from metal. The ergonomics of the design offer the perfect balance between compact convenience and user-friendly functionality. Traditional ‘manual’ dials lets the user confirm the position of the settings without turning on the power. The camera’s controls have been carefully thought out to give the photographer simple and speedy access to aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation…etc, allowing maximum creative expression with minimum hassle and enabling the user to view settings – even when the power of the camera is turned off. Custom modes can also be accessed with a one-touch settings change. The chassis has been finished with high-quality leather-like accents and is both a delight to use and a pleasure to hold.


RAW Quality – Image Enhancement Functions

Capturing the scene in RAW format is easy with just a press of the readily accessible RAW Button on the back of the camera. Photographers can use the built-in RAW Development function to process the RAW data in-camera using the camera’s image quality settings. In addition to Fujifilm’s original Film Simulation Modes that give photos the distinctive look of Velvia, PROVIA and ASTIA color reversal film emulsions, X100 expands the scope of photo expression with Monochrome Mode that can be fine-tuned with R/Ye/G filter settings. Separate adjustment of shadow tones and highlight tones lets users reproduce the rich tonality of high-contrast subjects.


Added Quality – The FinePix X100 also offers these additional features:

EVF/OVF Focus Area: The FinePix X100 offers users the choice between the 49-point auto EVF focus area or the 25-point OVF auto focus area as well as the selection of 5 different focus area sizes in EVF mode. Depending on the needs of each scene, the FinePix X100 offers easy focusing by design.

HD Movie mode: Lets users capture the action in 720p high-definition detail. Just like taking still photos, users can capture movies with aperture-priority AE and enjoy a soft, defocused background effect. In addition, the built-in HDMI Mini connector allows users to easily and directly connect the FinePix X100 to high-definition TVs for showing stills and movies with plug-and-play ease.

Motion Panorama: With the built-in Motion Panorama function, it is easy to capture 180° and 120° panoramic photos. Later users can print the results as pin-sharp A3-size (11.7” X 16.5”) enlargements and share the enjoyment of high-quality panoramic photography.

Multi-Bracketing Functions: The FinePix X100 has four types of bracketing functions: AE, ISO, Dynamic Range and Film Simulation. One click of the shutter captures 3 bracketed images of the scene so the photographer knows he’s captured the moment.

Star Quality – Premium Accessory Lineup

The FinePix X100 has these additional elegant accessory options:

Luxury Case: To perfectly compliment the look and premium quality feel of the X100 camera body, a retro leather “quick shot” case with matching strap has been designed to fit the X100 like a glove. Made out of luxurious leather it has been designed with uncompromising attention to detail, ensuring the ultimate ease of use and practicality.

Lens Hood and Adapter Ring: Precision milled from metal, the lens hood and adapter ring will be available as a set. The adapter ring is also compatible with commercially sold 49mm filters.

Auto Flash (TTL – Through The Lens): EF-20 (Guide Number:20) and EF-42 (Guide Number:42) will be newly added to the TTL flash lineup.


Pricing and Availability

The FinePix X100 digital camera will be available in March 2011, and will be priced at $1,199.95.


*Compared with other FinePix compact camera models.




The New Yorker isn't allowing Atul Gawande's latest article out from behind the paywall, but you can read the abstract here. The basic point is well worth keeping in mind amid all the arguments over the Affordable Care Act: Health-care costs -- and thus our paychecks, and the federal budget -- won't be decided by how we deliver and structure health-care insurance. They'll be decided by how we deliver and structure health care. And though national policy has a role in that, it's not always a huge role, and it's not usually a controversial one.



Gawande relates a series of stories showing innovation in the toughest corners of the care-delivery system. The most inspiring is about Jeffrey Brenner, a Camden-based physician who began playing with his city's hospital claims data and making maps of where the money was being spent. It turned out that there were two city blocks, containing two particular buildings, where 900 people were responsible for "more than four thousand hospital visits and about two hundred million dollars in health-care bills" over the past seven years. So that's where he focused.



Insurers try to run from the costliest patients. They try to kick them out for having preexisting conditions, or they rescind their coverage, or they price coverage beyond their reach. That just makes them costlier, of course. Inconsistent access to medical care means more medical emergencies, and more medical emergencies mean higher medical costs. Brenner, by contrast, is lavishing them with attention. He's calling them daily. He's checking up on their medications, their lifestyles, their habits. He wants to open a doctor's office in their building. His patients averaged "sixty-two hospital and E.R. visits per month before joining the program and thirty-seven visits after — a forty-per-cent reduction. Their hospital bills averaged $1.2 million per month before and just over half a million after — a fifty-six-percent reduction."



We don't really know if his success can be replicated. But somebody's can be. And that'll be where policy -- in particular, where Medicare -- comes in. The administration's vision sees things running something like this: A promising experiment or pilot program will come to the attention of the newly established Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The center will fund it on a larger scale and study it more intensely if. If it proves promising, the Independent Payment Advisory Board will force Medicare to implement it fairly quickly. And history shows that if something works in Medicare -- and, quite often, even if it doesn't -- it's soon adopted by private insurers.

That's if all goes well, of course. And all may not go well. But it's important to keep in mind that we know who costs the system money: Sick people. And we know what costs the system money: Their health care, particularly when it involves catastrophic or chronic conditions. So from a cost and quality perspective, this is where health-care reform will live and die: In doctor's offices, in community health centers, in operating rooms and in people's homes.



Insurers can play a role here, as can Medicare. But for the next few years, cost control is going to be less about setting national policy than about setting up the experiments that allow us to test what national policy should be. The Affordable Care Act's contribution to this is money, a center dedicated to bringing these experiments up to scale and a reform process that makes it easier to seed them in Medicare. But for all that to work, the component pieces need to remain in place, and some of the experiments actually need to pan out.



Photo credit: By Pat Sullivan/Associated Press



bench craft company

Leads Finder - Right Hand Option Bar - Generate Sales Leads Today by MotionTech


bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company

Leads Finder - Right Hand Option Bar - Generate Sales Leads Today by MotionTech


bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company bench craft company
bench craft company

Leads Finder - Right Hand Option Bar - Generate Sales Leads Today by MotionTech


bench craft company
bench craft company

Fox <b>News</b> Suggests Bulletstorm Is “Worst Video Game In The World”

The ever-incisive Fox News has decided today to try to squeeze a little more blood from the violence in games stone. The issue ...

WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification Wii <b>News</b> - Page 1 <b>...</b>

Read our Wii news of WiiWare MDK 2 revival in certification.

House Unexpectedly Defeats Patriot Act - FoxNews.com

It was the Congressional version of never count your chickens before they're hatched.


bench craft company

Break it Down

To help with both the actual writing and to help improve the overall article, I recommend you first make sure you have a great title. Using the keyword or topic that you're targeting, come up with a witty, short title that describes what your article will be about.

After coming up with the title and the general idea of the article, put in some subheads. Depending on how many words you're shooting for, you'll want to use at least two subheads and most probably more. Come up with a good way to further break down the topic of your main article and make these the subheads.

Once you have the subheads in place, you can begin to fill in the "blanks" underneath the subheads with one or more paragraphs of text relating to the subhead. This makes it a lot easier to stick on topic and not end up with one of those articles that read like you're going in circles.

If you don't want to end up with an article that reads like you're going in circles, stick with the tips above!

Bullets are Good

If you're close to your target word count and you still need a little more, throwing in some useful bullet points is rarely a bad idea. Note, though, that I said useful bullet points. Take some time to break down a complex idea into five or more bullet points composed of small phrases or even single words.

Practice Makes Perfect

To become good at writing for the web, you're going to have to practice - a lot. You should already have a blog, but if you don't, start one up and post to it every day. And don't just throw up garbage. Give yourself a goal (say, 500 words) and craft one good story on one good topic. Doing this day after day helps you perfect your craft.

Online Content Marketplace

If you think you're good enough, you can try to sell your content writing services online. There are quite a few different online communities that cater to this type of service provider. There are also other options like Associated Content, which lets you publish your work to a community to see how well it ranks.

Short Term vs Long Term

There's a phrase that says you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. This is great advice when applied to many things, even writing content for the web.

If you need cash quickly in the short term, you can sell your already written articles or write articles to order. The rates for this vary greatly online. It's a way to make sure you have some money coming in, though.

While that money is coming in, you can also invest in the long term with your content. Whether it's creating an informational site full of articles about a particular niche or topic or investing in a blog, putting content online can bring you money over time via advertising.

The over time, it should be noted, usually means a very little bit in the beginning then more as the page matures ... if it's a popular page. That's the gamble you take with writing content for yourself, though.

Tip of the Iceberg

These are just some basic thoughts on writing online content for sale and for publishing. One of the great things about the Internet is that not only can you publish to it, or use it to find writing work, you can also use it to learn. If these tips have whet your appetite about making money online with content, go forth and learn more.