Syria's Assad makes rare public appearance

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria's President Bashar Assad attended Eid prayers in a mosque in Damascus on Sunday, his first appearance in public after a bombing in the Syrian capital last month that killed the country's defense minister and three other top security officials.

Elsewhere across Syria, thousands held anti-government protests in mosques and cemeteries to mark Eid al-Fitr, a holiday when pious Muslims traditionally visit graves and pray for the dead.

The three-day holiday marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which was particularly deadly in Syria as the 18-month-old uprising reached the country's two largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

Amateur video posted by activists on the Internet showed a large group of worshippers in a mosque at al-Zahera district in Damascus shouting, "There is no God but Allah and Assad is the enemy of God," while clapping their hands over their heads.

"May God protect the Free Syrian Army!" they also cried, referring to the main rebel group fighting to topple Assad.

Syrians also protested in many other parts of the country, demanding freedom and the ouster of the regime.

Opposition groups reported fierce artillery shelling that targeted a main cemetery in the rebel-held town of Rastan, north of the central city of Homs, as people visited the graves of dead relatives, but the reports could not be independently confirmed.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one woman was killed in the shelling on Rastan.

Meanwhile, Syrian state TV broadcast footage showing Assad praying at the city's Rihab al-Hamad Mosque, a relatively small mosque in al-Muhajireen district only few hundred meters (yards) from the presidential palace, to mark the start of Eid.

Residents of Damascus said security forces blocked streets and encircled several central mosques in the capital as of Saturday evening, possibly to confuse people about where Assad would attend the traditional holiday prayers.

Unlike previous years, Assad was not shown arriving or leaving in his convoy ? only seated on the mosque floor, wearing a suit and tie, and later, standing and briefly shaking hands with officials before leaving.

"All this points to a state of confusion and lack of confidence at the leadership level," said Syria-based activist Mohammad Saeed. "It shows they don't have security in the capital under control."

The last time Assad appeared in public was on July 4 when he gave a speech in parliament.

Since then, there has been a sharp escalation in the country's civil war with almost daily fighting in some districts of the capital between security forces and rebels seeking to topple Assad.

The Syrian regime has suffered a series of setbacks over the past month that point to a loosening of its grip on the country.

The July 18 rebel bombing of the state-security headquarters in the capital was a major blow to Assad. His brother-in-law was among the four killed officials.

There has also been a steady stream of high-level defections by government officials, diplomats and generals, though Assad's inner circle and military have largely kept their cohesive stance behind him. And the regime has been unable to fully subdue rebel challenges in the two major cities, Damascus and Aleppo.

Assad's appearance comes amid much speculation on the whereabouts of Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa, who was said by some members of the Free Syrian Army to have defected to the opposition. On Saturday, his office denied the reports and said al-Sharaa "did not think, at any moment, of leaving the country."

Al-Sharaa did not appear in the footage at the mosque with Assad, but observers note the two rarely attend the same functions for security reasons.

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrias-assad-makes-rare-public-appearance-060448246.html

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Russian clerics forgive Pussy Riot for Putin rant

Feminist punk group Pussy Riot members, from left, Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass cage at a court room in Moscow, Russia on Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. A judge found three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot guilty of hooliganism on Friday, in a case that has drawn widespread international condemnation as an emblem of Russia's intolerance of dissent. T-shirt on right worn by Tolokonnikova is Spanish and translates to "They shall not pass", a slogan often used to express determination to defend a position against an enemy. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

Feminist punk group Pussy Riot members, from left, Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass cage at a court room in Moscow, Russia on Friday, Aug. 17, 2012. A judge found three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot guilty of hooliganism on Friday, in a case that has drawn widespread international condemnation as an emblem of Russia's intolerance of dissent. T-shirt on right worn by Tolokonnikova is Spanish and translates to "They shall not pass", a slogan often used to express determination to defend a position against an enemy. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

(AP) ? Russia's top Orthodox clerics on Saturday asked for mercy for the punk band Pussy Riot for its anti-government protest in a Moscow cathedral, but the church's forgiveness is unlikely to change the band's punishment in a case that caused an international furor over political dissent.

Despite its plea for clemency for the three rock activists, a leading cleric called the demonstration "awful" and defiant of the powerful church that is the heart of Russia's national identity.

The case, which ended Friday with the three band members' conviction for hooliganism and sentence to two years each in prison, became an emblem of Russia's intolerance of dissent and was widely seen as a warning that authorities will tolerate opposition only under tightly controlled conditions.

Tikhon Shevkunov, who is widely believed to be President Vladimir Putin's spiritual counselor, said on state television Saturday that his church forgave the singers after their "punk prayer" in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow in February.

"We did forgive them from the very start. But such actions should be cut short by society and authorities," said the cleric, who heads Moscow's Sretensky Monastery.

Archpriest Maxim Kozlov agreed, but he also said on state TV that his church hopes the young women and their supporters change their ways.

"We are simply praying and hoping that these young women and all these people shouting in front of the court building, committing sacrilegious acts not only in Russia but in other countries, realize that their acts are awful," he said. "And despite this the church is asking for mercy within the limits of law."

Both clerics supported the court's decision to prosecute Pussy Riot, despite an international outcry that incited global protests from Moscow to New York and condemnation from musicians like Madonna and Paul McCartney. Governments, including those in the United States, Britain, France and Germany, denounced the sentences as disproportionate.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were arrested in March after dancing and high-kicking in the cathedral as they called on the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Putin, who was elected to a third term as Russia's president two weeks later.

A Moscow court sentenced them Friday following a trial that was widely seen as Kremlin-orchestrated.

The conviction comes in the wake of several recently passed laws cracking down on opposition, including one that raised the fine for taking part in an unauthorized demonstrations by 150 times to 300,000 rubles (about $9,000). Another measure requires non-government organizations that both engage in vaguely defined political activity and receive funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents."

The Pussy Riot case has underlined the vast influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although church and state are formally separate, critics say its strength and symbolism in the country effectively makes it a quasi-state entity. Some Orthodox groups and many believers had urged strong punishment for an action they consider blasphemous.

The church has a history of cracking down on its critics in post-Soviet Russia: Gleb Yakunin, a priest and former lawmaker was defrocked and excommunicated after discovering in the early 1990s that church leaders had been enlisted as KGB agents.

The current head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, has made no secret of his strong support for Putin, praising his leadership as "God's miracle," and has described the punk performance as part of an assault by "enemy forces" on the church.

The church has ardently backed the Kremlin, consecrating new nuclear missiles as "Russia's guardian angels" and urged young Russians to volunteer for military service in Chechnya.

At the time of the prank, Kirill himself was a focus of the growing opposition to the church.

His reputation was tarnished by a pair of scandals involving a ?30,000 ($38,832) Breguet watch he was seen wearing and a court case in which he won 20 million rubles ($630,000) from a cancer-stricken neighbor ? despite his monastic vows not to have any worldly possessions while serving the church.

In a statement on Friday, the Orthodox Church called the band's stunt a "sacrilege" and a "reflection of rude animosity toward millions of people and their feelings." It also asked the authorities to "show clemency toward the convicted in the hope that they will refrain from new sacrilegious actions."

Meanwhile, new appeals for the band's release came from the entertainment world. Madonna called the sentence "harsh" and "inhumane" in a statement Saturday and asked the court to change its mind.

"I call on all those who love freedom to condemn this unjust punishment. I urge artists around the world to speak up in protest against this travesty," the musician said.

"They've spent enough time in jail. I call on ALL of Russia to let Pussy Riot go free," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-18-Russia-Punks%20vs%20Putin/id-a1975782581845a7b283ef1471fc47c6

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Topic- Real estate marketing and also social networks - Wp-Answers

In today?s highly advanced society agents have an unique possiblity to leverage the marketing and advertising power of social media marketing to enhance their real estate websites and eventually further engage with customers. Gone are the days of usually just sticking any for-sale sign in the ground and also waiting for prospective customers to come walking from the door. With the current situation in today?s housing market, it is crucial that realtors understand the strength of real estate advertising and marketing and they utilize the resources available to them to display their properties. Social media marketing outlets in addition to web 2.0 properties including Twitter, LinkedIn, and Fb are considered three from the key components important for any real estate advertising operation. While these sites will help to give the agent or company a presence it is also important that real estate agents utilize the services of an web design company to ascertain a real estate web template for their website. By doing this you are enhancing your direct exposure on the market and making it simpler for customers in the end find and buy your own listings. The totally free options available through the use of social websites outlets are truly powerful tools to further deliver information.

For some broker agents and agents the challenge of marketing their results can seem like an nearly impossible task. Their best goal is to get his or her information in front of as much people as possible although trying to focus on the the majority of qualified leads which will have interest in his or her specific offerings. The beauty of social media networks is their search capabilities in addition to the categorizations of their users allow you to further refine your marketing initiatives to ensure that you are concentrating on those individuals who are trying to find a home or investment. Any real estate agent starting out in this market should observe these real estate web themes as a fantastic chance to begin establishing his or her basic online existence. From there they can create out their Real Estate Website Templates and begin the development of their social media property. Once they have completed each of the basic data access and established his or her accounts, the next step is always to determine their course of action for advertising. While many usually takes a lazy method and haphazardly disperse listings, those who are effective in this arena will advise you that it is important to place focus behind your current real estate marketing attempts.

Customers will look to the telltale accounts as an possiblity to get in touch with you and ultimately engage through the decision making process. Your own role should be to leverage your real estate websites as an informational podium to give them valuable tips and support them in their decision making process. Many successful real estate advertising gurus have involved videos and personal tours of their attributes that give an added component to their listings. Right now is a great opportunity to make use of the networks that are available and incredibly leverage them for one?s portfolio development. Simply by establishing your online profile early in utilizing verified real estate templates you will end up setting yourself up to successfully build your brand name and online presence.

For more information about Real Estate CRM please visit the website.

Source: http://pyaardosti.com/topic-real-estate-marketing-and-also-social-networks

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Google Treats Subdomains As Internal To The Domain In Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster ToolsBack just about a year ago, we covered a change on how webmaster tools handles subdomains. I since forgot about that and now I see John Mueller from Google explaining it again in a Google Webmaster Help thread.

In summary, even though for ranking purposes, Google may not treat a subdomain as part of the internal main domain - Google Webmaster Tools generally does.

John Mueller said in the thread:

In Webmaster Tools we generally treat data from subdomains as being internal with regards to the domain name. With regards to creating a site structure with subdomains or sub-subdomains, we generally leave that to the webmaster :) (though as with other infinite spaces, we discourage the use of wildcard subdomains).

Just a reminder, Google Webmaster Tools and Google's algorithms may treat things different.

Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.

Source: http://feeds.seroundtable.com/~r/SearchEngineRoundtable1/~3/LjVkOxWGhfI/google-webmaster-tools-subdomains-15582.html

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Research and Markets: Consumer Goods and Retail Report China 3rd Quarter

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Source: www.businesswire.com --- Friday, August 17, 2012
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/j9cps8/consumer_goods_and) has announced the addition of the "Consumer Goods and Retail Report China 3rd Quarter" report to their offering. Five-year forecast Retailers Online retail Industry List: Automotive, Retail trade, Retailing, Consumer Goods, Consumer products, Retail trade, Consumer Goods, Food, beverages and tobacco, Retail trade, Consumer Goods, Retail trade Industry Codes (NAIC): 336;44;44 Indus ...

Source: http://feeds.businesswire.com/click.phdo?i=5d6854e2356832daf66bb9597870c82c

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Iran Calls Israel's Existence an 'Insult'

Israel's existence is an "insult to all humanity," Iran's president said Friday in one of his sharpest attacks yet against the Jewish state, as Israel openly debates whether to attack Iran over its nuclear program.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said confronting Israel is an effort to "protect the dignity of all human beings."

"The existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to all humanity," Ahmadinejad said. He was addressing worshippers at Tehran University after nationwide pro-Palestinian rallies, an annual event marking Quds (Jerusalem) Day on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

The comments are "reminiscent" of a letter written about the Jews and signed by Adolf Hitler in 1919, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean of the Simon Wisenthal Center, says.

"Even though Ahmadinejad is attacking the state of Israel, we know what he means," Rabbi Hier said.

Israel considers Iran an existential threat because of its nuclear and missile programs, support for radical anti-Israel groups on its borders and repeated references by Iranian leaders to Israel's destruction.?

Ahmadinejad himself has repeatedly made such calls, as has Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Rabbi Hier compares Ahmadinejad's comments to the notion found in Hitler?s letter referencing the "removal of Jews all together." "Twenty-two years later he implemented everything, and the same is true about Ahmadinejad," Rabbi Hier said.

"We assume it's only rhetoric, but we once paid a very high price for assuming Hitler was talking rhetoric," he said.

The leader of the Lebanese Shiite militant Hezbollah, which has ties to Iran, says his group will transform the lives of millions of Israelis to "hell" if Israel attacks Lebanon.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah says the group has a list of Israeli targets that it can hit with few rockets.

"We can transform the lives of millions of Zionists in occupied Palestine to a real hell," he said.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a deadly, inconclusive monthlong war in 2006, when Hezbollah fired about 4,000 rockets at Israel.

Iran has denied allegations that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at producing electricity and radioisotopes used to treat cancer patients.

Israel has been carrying on an increasingly public debate about whether to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel's official position is to favor diplomatic and economic measures to persuade Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program, but Israel insists that Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Israeli leaders say "all options are on the table," a clear reference to a military strike, if they determine that other measures have failed.

"You are not going to make a deal with the Iranians, not under their current leadership," Rabbi Hier said.

Iran has warned it would hit back at Israel if it is attacked, also threatening to strike at American interests in the region.

Ahmadinejad called Israel "a corrupt, anti-human organized minority group standing up to all divine values."

?"Today, confronting the existence of the fabricated Zionist regime is in fact protecting the rights and dignity of all human beings," said Ahmadinejad, with a black and white scarf many Palestinians wear around his neck.

Iran and Israel have been bitter enemies for decades. Khamenei has called Israel a "cancerous tumor" that must be wiped out.

"This is a threat to wipe out the state of Israel," Rabbi Hier said. "We should take these people at their word."

Tensions between Iran and Israel have intensified since 2005, when Ahmadinejad said in a speech that Israel will one day be "wiped off the map."?

But Rabbi Hier said he does not "subscribe at all with those who say this is a legitimate form of rhetoric."

"The only way to stop what's happening in Iran is for at least the United States and her allies to say, 'How long are we going to sit by and take this threat?'" he said.

The Iranian president has also described the Holocaust, when 6 million Jews were killed by German Nazis and their collaborators during World War II, as a "myth."

"Most intellectuals in 1939 and 1938 did not think Hitler was serious, they thought they knew better, but they didn't know better, and we paid a dear price that we were not on the right side of history," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

?

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/17/iran-calls-israel-existence-insult-to-all-humanity/

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Dallas Human Resource and Safety Consultant discusses OSHA ...

Dallas Human Resource and Safety Consultant discusses OSHA stats and new tool.

Essential Corporate Solutions, Inc. (ECS) specializes in solving problems for small and medium sized companies ? at an affordable price. ECS provides a cost-effective way for small businesses to comply with the myriad of state and federal labor laws, employee/human resource issues, and workplace safety. In over seventeen years of service to all types of businesses, we have afforded our clients a resource to help them confidently hire and manage employees, as well as, avoid and control problems within their organization.

Our goal has been and always will be, to provide the best possible information and training at the lowest price possible, currently assisting companies with over 15,000 employees. ECS is comprised of highly trained and experienced professionals with the following credentials: Doctorate in Human Resources, Certified Safety Professional, Attorney Specializing in Labor, ERISA and Arbitration Law.

Kelly C. Dykes

Kelly C. Dykes graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler. He started his business career in 1968 as a Management Trainee with Sears and Roebuck. In 1973, Kelly took a job as a Sales Representative for United States Gypsum and eventually became the Distribution Yard Manager for L & W Supply, a division of United States Gypsum.

In 1982 Kelly was given the opportunity to run a distribution yard for a Gypsum Management Supply Company. His professional background led to the development of 7 Gypsum Management Distribution Centers, in which he was a partner. During his career, Kelly served as both President and General Manager of Wrangler Materials, Inc., located in the Dallas area. Sales from these business ventures were estimated at over 40 million dollars annually.

Mr. Dykes is the owner and president of ECS. He is involved with the sales and networking of the company.

Dallas HR and Safety Consultant, Christopher Dykes, client services of Essential Corporate Solutions, Inc (ECS). ECS has been in the business of helping small companies with HR and Safety compliance issues since 1991. We offer various HR and Safety packages at cost-effective pricing to fit any businesses needs.

Source: http://netoffer.com/2012/08/15/dallas-human-resource-and-safety-consultant-discusses-osha-stats-and-new-tool/

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How To Get New Customers For Your Business with Social Media ...

Nowadays, businesses are acquiring new customers through Social Media. As more and more people are getting aware about Social Media and participating in it, social media marketing is turning into one of the most successful marketing tools for businesses. Businesses are also promoting their existing products and new product launches via various social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Linkedin.

Social Media helps businesses in building new clients. There is minimum cost involved for promotion of products and services via different social networking sites and platforms. Social media marketing is different from conventional marketing in that this form of marketing helps you say your message again and again and spreads the message promptly among the interested and potential customers. Given below are some useful techniques to use Social Media for finding new customers for your business:

1) Create a blog

Blogging is one of the useful tactics of attracting new customers since blogs always provide updated information about the organization or product to the consumers. Your blog should have a professional outlook and posts need to be done regularly.

2) Create a news section about the success of your clients

Create a news section on your website, which will only focus on the success of your customers. Show your appreciation for their successes.

3) Post news on the blog??

Try to post news on the blog frequently. This will attract potential clients. Inform the clients about any new product and other changes in your business through this blog. It will help you grow your business. Project your products and services as the key to many problems.

4) Create a Facebook page for your products and services and business

You can create a Facebook page to display the products and services of your business. If possible, post some images and videos. In this way, Facebook members will come to know about your business and its products and services. Facebook enables two-way communication between your business and the potential customers. They know more when they come across the information and images.

5) Create a Linkedin Account for your business

Linkedin is a professional social networking site which assists businesses to build new associations with customers through using the existing connections. You can also use Linkedin for posting fresh jobs. This will help you find better candidates through your network on Linkedin.

6) Create a Twitter Account

You can disseminate information about your business through Twitter via small messages or tweets. Link Twitter to your blog so that tweets or updates on your Twitter account also keep coming on your blog. When you post something on your blog, it will show on Twitter. Your followers can become your prospective customers.

Author Bio: Jonny Pean is a blog writer and efficient financial consultant with easyfinance.com. He is also an expert in offering useful tips to use Social Media for promoting your business. He is also skilled in areas like home loans, affiliate marketing, personal loans, and budgeting.

Source: http://businessonline360.com/how-to-get-new-customers-for-your-business-with-social-media.html

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Eating Disorder Treatment Centers Talk About Signs That ...

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Eating disorder treatment Centers that have successfully treated many anorexia cases say that this is one of the most common eating disorders apart from bulimia. In case of ?anorexia nervosa?, the person does not even have the minimum body weight that is considered acceptable for the person?s height and age. The person who has this disorder has a fear of weight gain even when they are clearly underweight.

Anorexia is a phenomenon which is largely common in girls compared to boys, especially in teenage. Here are some ways in which you will be able to deduce if a person is actually Anorexic by noticing some physical signs:

? Loss of weight and other factors: Apart from the obvious loss of weight, anorexic girls and women have dry, flaky skin and thinning of the hair on end. There is a noticeable presence of fine, downy hair on the legs, arms, back and the facial area. There are dark circles around the eyes, the nails are brittle; frequent vomiting, using laxatives can result in foul breath and body odor also.

? Low blood pressure: Since the person is thin and weak, she is prone to suffering from bradycardia or slow heart rate, and low blood pressure. There are thyroid problems also which are seen in both women and men due to anorexia.

? Gastrointestinal problems: Though she may not be eating too much food, there is still abdominal pain, constipation and excessive flatulence because there is less fiber in the body and there is an overuse of laxatives which is a part of the behavior of a person who is anorexic.

? Less or no periods: Disturbance in the menstrual cycles is a common sign of anorexia. Secondary amenorrhea or absence of periods in women is something that affects 94 percent of girls who have anorexia. With weight gains and treatment at an eating disorder treatment centers, the menstrual periods have known to reappear.

? Poor bone density: We all know that women are prone to thinning of bones and osteoporosis and those who have stronger bone mass during their adolescence and their youth tend to be stronger than their counterparts in the bone department post menopause. Girls who have anorexia have declining bone density even at their youth. So you can imagine what the problem could be once menstruation stops. However, the good news is that with treatment, bone density can be enhanced in girls.

? Increased or decreased urination: People who are anorexic may suffer from potassium deficiency which can result in decreased or increased urination than what is normal

? Electrolyte imbalance: Since women who are anorexics are known to induce vomiting or abuse laxatives, there can be an electrolyte imbalance in the body, which is life-threatening.

You will also see the following behavioral problems in people who are anorexic, according to the collective findings of various eating disorder treatment centers:

1. They will talk all the time about calories in food and how little they should eat, even though they look quite thin and pale.

2. They tend to cut food into little pieces and move them around the plate while their mind seems to be focuses on something else. Eating food that is present on their plate is the least of their concerns.

3. You may see her going to the bathroom right after the meals

4. She may refuse eating with others and say she?d eat later.

5. The tendency to exercise all the time, even though they are hurt or they are running a busy schedule

6. You will find laxatives, enemas water pills (diuretics), diet control pills lying in their room.

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Source: http://howcanyouloseweighttoday.com/2012/08/15/eating-disorder-treatment-centers-talk-about-signs-that-differentiate-thin-from-an-anorexic-fitness/

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