LONDON (AP) - Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was charged by the Football Association on Monday with improper conduct for comments about Chelsea rival Ashley Cole in a twist to the fallout from John Terry's racism trial.
Terry was cleared in court of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Queens Park Rangers defender Anton, while playing for Chelsea in a Premier League match last October.
Cole, who along with the Ferdinands is black, appeared in court as a defense witness this month. A day after the verdict, Rio Ferdinand appeared to endorse a tweet describing Cole as a "choc ice," a slang term perceived as meaning black on the outside and white on the inside.
Ferdinand tweeted: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahaha!!"
Ferdinand later tweeted that it was "not a racist term. It's a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake."
Cole said he didn't plan to complain. But Ferdinand, a former England captain, is now facing a fine or ban after being charged by the FA.
"The allegation is that the player acted in a way which was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or color and/or race," the FA said in a statement.
Ferdinand failed to make England's squad for the European Championship squad in June and July, even after several defenders were ruled out because of injury. He has until Thursday to respond to the charge.
Terry is also the subject of an FA investigation after being charged by the governing body with the racism allegations. He was cleared of those allegations at Westminster Magistrates' Court this month.
Terry denies the charge, saying he only used the offensive term sarcastically to counter the profanity he claims Ferdinand was accusing him of using.
In a separate soccer racism case on Monday, an employment tribunal ruled that a black soccer player was unfairly fired by fourth-tier club Gillingham after being racially victimized.
Former Barbados international player Mark McCammon took legal action against the club after being dismissed for alleged misconduct last year.
McCammon claimed black players at the club were treated differently from white players. He said he was ordered to come into the club's ground when it was snowing and driving conditions were treacherous while some white players were told they weren't required to attend.
He also told the tribunal that the southeast England club refused to pay private medical bills to help him regain fitness following an injury. By contrast, he said a white teammate was flown to Dubai for treatment at the club's expense.
"Today we have received the decision of the Ashford Employment Tribunal, which sets out their findings that Mark McCammon was unfairly dismissed and that his dismissal was an act of racial victimization," Gillingham said in a statement. "We are hugely disappointed, in fact staggered, by this decision."
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Solo won't back down from Twitter comments
U.S. women's soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo didn't back down Monday from her Twitter outburst against NBC analyst Brandi Chastain, saying the tweets were her way of expressing her opinion about the quality of television announcers.
The agony and ecstasy of watching your kid compete
Gymnast Aly Raisman's parents were quite a sight as they squirmed and grimaced through her uneven bars routine. While there?s no bigger stage than the Olympics, any parent who has rooted for their kid in a sport can relate to the anxiety of watching a child compete.
YEARNING FOR YUAN: China's government is launching an effort to attract private investment in energy, health and other key industries in a bid to reverse an economic slump.
SEEKING CALM: There's a lot at stake. Growth is hitting a three-year low, raising the threat of job losses and social unrest. The International Monetary Fund said last week China probably has achieved a "soft landing" but warned "global headwinds are increasing" due to Europe's debt crisis and a weak U.S. recovery.
BUYER BEWARE: In a Cabinet release, China is seeking investments in railways, city government, energy, telecoms, finance, health and education ? industries dominated by state-owned companies. The government gave no indication what added access private investors might be given or how they would be crushed from being crushed by those state-owned companies.
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Chat a walk every evening. Walking is low effect and burns extra calorie consumption. It is actually a good way to set up a work out schedule for weight loss first-timers. It is really not only very good to lose weight however it is also good for your current health and well being.
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The pedicure is a complex process that most people can probably deal with in their daily lives. The number of people who have a wide range of foot problems in the United States and around the world ?live with? is simply amazing. The zoo is true for the types of foot injuries and illnesses should be enough to scare people straight, but generally not.
Everything from step-parents, skin athlete?s foot, dry, and actual physical pain and cuts to the beginning of a serious foot problems, the people who have difficulty walking or amputation can leave worse. The methods for maintaining healthy feet are not very difficult, but can be hard to do with the consideration of all the figurative and literal execution around the modern man. Having said that keeping the toenails cut and maintained, and his feet in the shoes of fine comfort sole and companies can make a big difference.
As with most of it comes to health biggest thing and most important thing you do to keep your feet healthy is, each and everyone as they arise, deal. If you feel overwhelmed by the shoes begin immediately when investing in an extra wide shoes. If you find the soles are unlikely to come their way in orthopedic shoes. Although there are always bubbles and ulcers on the feet, which should immediately be brought before the attention of a podiatrist authorized person.
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"While you're saving your face, you're losing your ass." - Lyndon Baines Johnson
Mebane Faber's recent post, in which he asked rhetorically why it was that TheStreet.com wasn't coining money, got me thinking.? I was probably one of the first 1000 people ever to have read TheStreet, beginning in 1996.? I worshiped Jim Cramer and read every post he and Herb and the gang put up.? What made it pop and sparkle was that it was mainly written from the standpoint of someone who was actually in the investing business (Cramer, Harrison, Kass et al) or by a journalist with serious reporting chops and strong convictions (as in the case of Greenberg, Task etc).
I wrote an homage to the site, its early days and the amazing roster of talent that's passed through it in the fall of 2010 and I meant every word of it.
But TheStreet has lost its way.? It's having an identity crisis, a financial crisis and an existential crisis all at once.? They're burning cash, flailing about for social media strategies and fighting to stay relevant now that the rules of the web have changed.
The suits are mostly clueless as to what to do, no matter what they say.? The editorial side is aimless; a hodgepodge of uninformed, redundant one page articles chopped up into three pages for CPM purposes, paywalled insights from a handful of great financial writers and a host of filler and fodder that serves no discernible purpose whatsoever.? And the ad placement is atrocious, it's slapped across every open space as if to remind the reader that much of what he's stumbling across on the site is there mainly for the pageviews anyway.
Some would argue that it's too late, that TheStreet cannot be fixed and is destined to just lose a little more each year until someone swallows it up and guts it.? I realize there's a very real possibility of this, but in the interest of offering another option to an institution we all once loved, I've put together a list of ten ways the site (and by extension the company) could have a shot at revival.? They won't listen, of course, because these are radical - it is more likely that they will simply attempt to make incremental moves and preserve the status quo.? But still, I thought it worth a shot.
If were in charge of TheStreet.com I could turn it into the most widely-read and respected financial news and opinion site in America within six months. I'm not going to get much into earnings and revenue, I'll focus more on the editorial and product side.? I think my changes in these areas allow the financials to take care of themselves.
The fixes are obvious:
1.? It starts with a new mission and a renewed dedication to the principles that made TheStreet.com so special in the mid-to-late 90's when I (and many others) fell in love with it:
"TheStreet.com is written by market participants for market participants and aims to be the number one destination for actionable ideas and real-time market commentary."
I just made that up, it's probably never been written down anywhere, but that's what TheStreet meant to me in the old days and that's what it should strive for now.? It works.? Yahoo Finance gets 40 million unique users a month, so don't tell me people don't care about the market anymore.? They do, but you have to give them something worthwhile to bring them in.
2.? No paywalls ever again.? Newsletter subscriptions should be the primary revenue source, followed by advertisements and sponsored content. No more charging people to read content.? The FT and NYT can't do big numbers with paywalls, why on earth does TheStreet think they can?? Grow up, it's 2012 and content is not a business unto itself anymore.
3.? Speaking of newsletters, I think Stocks Under 10 is a great, creative idea and something that can be imitated elsewhere within the company.? There should be more newsletter/alerts products and they should be more quantitative in nature (as opposed to Johnny Fox's Hot Tips or Bobby Johnson's Stock of the Day).? In terms of what not to do, as a rule of thumb, the more a product looks like a Gene Marcial column - all winks and nods and storytime nonsense - the more it should be thrown in the trash.
3.? Plan and execute an annual Actionable Ideas Conference.? No global macro bloviating, just stocks and themes and sectors people should buy or sell and why.? Big guest speakers who actually invest and trade.? This is how you brand TheStreet in the eyes of pros and individuals again as the Actionable site that's about investing and trading alongside the pros.
4. Shut down Stockpickr.? It sucks and is unusable for investors in actual practice, the perfect combination of noise, outdated information and scatological unfacts.? The truth is, it has always sucked and TheStreet got tricked into buying it anyway, as has been well-documented by Stockpickr's creator, James Altucher.? Closing it down would signal to readers that TheStreet is once again looking to be taken seriously - the story of Stockpickr's genesis and takeover are a monument to the cluelessness of prior management.? End it.
5.? No more generic reporting.? No more content for the sake of content.? If you have reporters who are just writing the same "Cisco reported earnings" stories, they need to be let go of.? You're doing them a favor, they are writing repetitive articles that no one wants to read.? I don't care how much ad revenue it means, stop pumping out articles for no reason.? Fire the bullpen and its accompanying brigade of editors and other cost centers, the whole thing generates zero goodwill from readers and is a distraction from what TheStreet needs to be about.
6.? The reporters who are left after this merciful blood-letting should be the best of the best.? There are ten S&P sectors, each one should have a "bureau chief" editor who can call the shots on how that sector is covered.? He or she should be turned into a star by TheStreet so that people know his or her name and flock to that section's coverage of a big story.? Adam Feuerstein is a perfect example.? He should be promoted to editor or bureau chief of all healthcare sector coverage at TheStreet.? When a major story in medical devices or pharma or biotech breaks, every consumer of web financial content should say to themselves, "I gotta hear what Feuerstein's saying at TheStreet."? Adam should have a budget and the freedom to decide the way his sector will be handled by the site.? He needs the latitude to either bring in cub reporters under him or to source content on TheStreet from outside bloggers, post links to other media companies etc.? Make him a journalist-entrepreneur and watch him go.? Same for Materials, Energy, Consumer Staples, Tech.
7.? No more web video, effective immediately.? It sucks and it's not getting better.? It's actually getting worse.? Non-TV people trying to ape the cadences and lilting tones of TV people, droning and stuttering no-name guests, odd camera angles, random topic selection and on and on.? I promise you, no one wants to watch any videos that don't involve celebrities, nudity, motorcycle jumps or slam dunks.? Investors and traders and pros have enough great financial video to chose from out there (Bloomberg TV, CNBC, Yahoo Finance) and only a limited attention span.? TheStreet is not doing anything interesting, innovative, effective, viral or purposeful in this area.? You want to start sending Gregg Greenberg out onto Wall Street to interview pros or people on the street, that's fine (TheStreet is certainly paying enough to be located at 14 Wall or whatever).? But please, for the love of god, no more in-studio 3 minute long circlejerks about nothing just for the sake of saying "we make video!"? By the way, this "stop video" idea is much more widely applicable and should be considered by all financial media companies.? If you don't have a ground-breaking new idea for why something needs to be a video, just write it so we can consume at our pace and prerogative.
8.? Be a web company! Streamline!? Once you've jettisoned the non-productive copyrighting journos, you're left with your sector bureau chiefs and whomever they've decided to keep on.? No need for any layers of editorial bureaucracy above that until you get to Editor-in-Chief.? Clean out everyone else, they've proven they have no place there already.? Don't take my word for it - TheStreet has 300 employees, burns tens of millions a year and has less monthly visitors than Zero Hedge, which is ostensibly run by one guy and a handful of internal and external contributors.? It's embarrassing already.
9.? Now let's talk about the columnists and contributors.? Time to find some new Cramers.? The old Cramer's heart is no longer in it in terms of TheStreet, which is understandable.? It must have been hard for him to watch this thing he created and loved and nurtured continue to decline for the last ten years.? Other than he and Doug Kass, there are few marquee market participant bloggers writing for TheStreet these days.? There is a reason for that - there's no cache for writing there anymore.? It's lost its meaning.? Time to restore that.
One of the greatest misallocations of capital in the financial media biz is the fact that a company like TheStreet is paying so many contributors that no one is interested in while the most talented and interesting bloggers are writing on sites for NO MONEY.? My blog, just as a point of reference, gets around a million page views a month and I make less than a thousand dollars from that on average.? There are two hundred top-shelf financial bloggers out there and then another 200 bloggers a step below them that could be top-shelf someday.? 90% of them are in the markets, investing and trading as they write.? This is what TheStreet pioneered!? These bloggers are writing daily and earning nothing for their efforts (outside of selling newsletter subs and the satisfaction and clarity that comes from the writing itself), why isn't TheStreet "discovering" people like this and making them stars?? The Food Network realized it couldn't ride Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay into the next generation, it needed to produce new stars.? They're so focused on this idea that they've actually launched a reality show about their hunt for new talent.? TheStreet.com has birthed some of the most talented market commentators in the business historically - but not recently.? Let's get back to basics.
10.? The new rule at TheStreet should be "We are what we and we aren't what we aren't."? Seems obvious, and yet...? Time for TheStreet to do what they do well and leverage that - and to stop doing everything else where they have no edge or special expertise.? Global macro stuff, central bank coverage, government coverage etc are great examples of this - TheStreet has no business putting third string reporters on these topics.? It's poorly done and probably expensive anyway.? They're not going to compete with the Business Insider on speed or Bloomberg on breadth of coverage or with the bloggers on depth of coverage (us bloggers are borderline Rain Man-esque savants when we latch onto a specific topics, see Kid Dynamite on ETF creation/redemption or Barry Ritholtz on Mortgage Fraud or Cullen Roche on Modern Monetary Theory etc.)? So stop competing with one hand tied behind your back.? Outsource all global macro stuff and non stock market content from outside partners.? Pull in content from FT Alphaville, Reuters, DealBook etc.? Cheaper to bring that in and pay for it than try to make it in-house.? Do you make sushi at home?? Do you roast your own lamb on a spit when you've got a souvlaki craving?? You could but it will suck.? So enough already, admit the limitations of the TheStreet as a news organization and focus on the content the site used to be known for, the sheer authenticity of which used to stand out so prominently amidst a sea of j-school rehash.
Oh yeah, and this:
10 and a half.? TheStreet needs to worrying about its "social media strategy."? It doesn't have one.? It missed the boat.? But here's the good news - no one else in the space has a working social media strategy either.? The bottom line is that no one is going to replicate StockTwits and it will cost too much to buy - tis way better to simply use the platform to share ideas and content while cementing the brand's digital bona fides.? If TheStreet gets re-focused on great content again, social media will find it and share it and the imagined need for some kind of magical strategy will fade away.? Winning on social media is an extension of winning in real life.
Anyway, if I were in charge, this is what I'd do.? It would be short-term painful because there'd be a lot less articles each day (meaning less ad clicks), tons of layoffs and a whole new entrepreneurial way of running the news organization from the top down.? These changes will lead to a resurgent TheStreet.com and a site that kicks ass at covering markets and stocks and trends and trades.? The new site will make up-and-coming bloggers want to contribute and be seen there.? It will make investors flock to the site each day for the latest, freshest content on the financial web.? It will put the other financial media content farms, corporate or otherwise, on their back feet; "Wait a minute, these guys at TheStreet are really going for it again, look at this!"
Or there is the alternative, which is to save face and do nothing, awaiting some distant time and place in which the boomerang comes back around and the old ways begin bearing fruit again.? The alternative is to just keep doing what they've been doing and watch the grains of sand dwindle as time runs out.? And that will be a lot more painful in the end - for the employees, the management, the investors and for we, the user base.
Read Also:
Another Print Publication Bites the Dust (World Beta)
?TheStreet.com: Motown Records of the Financial Web (TRB)
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Full Disclosure: Nothing on this site should ever be considered to be advice, research or an invitation to buy or sell any securities, please see my Terms & Conditions page for a full disclaimer.
Social networking is the procedure utilizing social tools and networks, that are acquireable towards majority of folks. An array of common and traditionally used web sites are sites such as Myspace, Squidoo, Classmates and Hi5. Many of the most common social tools are blogs, social book marking websites sites, social google and user driven news and content sites. The next few paragraphs describes the many different strategies to take full advantage of these free resources and utilize the crooks to generate good quality traffic and results in create your business.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
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In order to seek out like-minded individuals to add as friends make sure you look into the 1000s of groups that people form. In all of the in the above-mentioned social networks, there are choices to start and join user groups. Such groups should have a main theme such as ?online marketing,? ?body building? and many more. Bring in more business make the perfect resource to find a great deal of other people who want to similar activities. It is then much easier to produce relationships simply because you already relate with the opposite users with similar interest.
Once you then have a loyal gang of friends you may them begin effectively making use of the bulletin system to transmit out Marketing promotions and Promotions. The main reason the bulleting work now, is because congratulations, you mean something for the one else, they may have put your mind to the name and are also using a first name basis on hand, so that they less complicated more happy to open and focus your bulletin than some random Joe you happen to be spamming with the offer.
Another great make use of groups will be to develop a three way partnership with all the who owns the audience, as they have established themselves being an authority and friend with their group members. Supply the group owners a portion of sales in substitution for their endorsement of the product or offer recommended to their group. This offer may benefit you together with the group owner and ultimately improve your credibility and popularity while in the group.
SOCIAL TOOLS
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Blogs are responsible for the vast majority of your return traffic and backend sales. That said , you need to make daily post in your blog to maintain your visitors wanting more. Your site need to be short and informative, yet not boring and in addition they need to be designed in your own private voice and as informal as you possibly can.
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Recently it absolutely was released that Google?s algorithm gives points to websites, that are socialized in to these social bookmark creating websites. It indicates hat the harder occurrences within your website within these bookmarking engines the higher ranking you will enjoy on the web. A fast way improve your website?s rank, is by applying for a majority of these sites and bookmarking your internet site. I suggest onlyweb.com as it has 20 of the very most popular bundled into one so that you just have to bookmark your websites once in fact it is updated in over 20 social bookmarking sites. Additionally you can register for groups such as Social bookmark management yahoo group where every one of the users help 1 another out by bookmarking each other?s websites.
-Social Search engines like yahoo: Social Yahoo and google are user driven engines like google by which users vote about the most recent content. These haven?t become main stream, however, you can bet that sooner they shall be. Google has already integrated some issues with a person based voting system after you take particular notice on the Google toolbar. If activated, users have accessibility to a voting interface where they will vote positively or negatively on any website they land on. As of now this voting system doesn?t hold excessive weight inside algorithm, however, you can bet that it?ll very soon. For the quick rank helper, install the Google toolbar and vote positively for every single website of this website.
-User Driven Content: User driven content is another new phenomenon by which users can vote or digg for their favorite articles, news stories, videos and blogs. This Digg system can best remain visible on Digg.com the place that the hottest stories will remain towards the top where they should get a good degree of free publicity. This free publicity and digg voting system also can get the story indexed greater online as well as other search engines. This user driven content site may be used to get your newly written articles voted to a hot level where they should get free publicity and ultimately bring no-cost traffic to your site.
Social networking will probably be an inclusive element of the online world which is your responsibility to either jump in or watch the wave goinf too soon. Don?t wait, start your social networks campaign today, signup you need to writing your profiles and making new friends. Spend no less than one day a week advancing your network of friends and employing the knowhow to enhance your business.
Posted by Admin on Jul 28, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments
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ScienceDaily (July 29, 2012) ? Scientists have analyzed climate changes and glaciation in the Tien Shan Mountains (Central Asia), and explained their consequences.
After the fall of the Soviet Union twenty years ago, water distribution in Central Asia became a source of conflict. In areas where summer precipitation is low, glaciers play an important role when considering the quantity of available water. The Tien Shan region is a prime example; mountain glaciers in this region contribute significantly to the fresh water supply in the arid zones of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Northwestern China. Like Switzerland, Kyrgyzstan serves as a water tower for its neighboring countries.
While the impact of climate change on glaciation and water flow in the Tien Shan Mountains has already been the subject of studies, a consistent and local perspective of collected data has never before been presented. The results of this research, led by the l'UNIGE, show that the retreat of glaciers is more pronounced in peripheral areas, where summers are dry and melting ice and snow are key sources of water.
Glaciers are losing their surface every year
The glaciers in the Tien Shan Mountains cover a surface of over 15,000 square kilometers, equivalent to one third of the surface area of Switzerland. In recent decades, these glaciers have lost between 0.1% and 0.8% of their surface per year; a decrease comparable to that of alpine glaciers. The largest retreat was observed on the periphery of the Tien Shan Mountains, near the major cities of Almaty, Bishkek, Tashkent and ?r?mqi. "In the summer, glaciers are the only source of fresh water for irrigation and household consumption in these regions," said Annina Sorg, first author of the study and researcher at the ISE (UNIGE) and at the Institute of Geology of Bern University. "The intensification of glacial melting strongly affects the quantity and seasonal distribution of water. Initially, the retreat of glaciers is going to increase the available water resources, but if precipitation doesn't compensate for the losses related to glacial retreat, the reduction of glacier volume will eventually reduce the amount of available water."
The researchers proceeded to analyze a series of measurements based on many parameters related to climate, glaciers, and streamflow in order to compare this data with existing information. Although these studies have revealed a clear tendency toward a reduction in streamflow during the summer, the impact of melting glaciers on the annual flow remains unclear. "Many factors can have an influence on water quantity," explains Annina Sorg. "Precipitation level, evaporation, and even human interference on the hydrological cycle are all factors to consider."
Long-term projections
The scenarios envisioned by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict a 4% to 8% increase in winter precipitation in Central Asia by 2050. Summer precipitation, however, will decrease by 4% to 7%, which will exacerbate the drought during the summer. Especially since, according to estimates, temperatures could rise by almost 4?C in the next forty years.
According to projections, the Tien Shan Mountain glaciers will continue to lose their surface and volume in the coming decades.
In summary, certain Central Asian streams would move from a glacio-nival hydrological regime to a pluvio-nival regime, which would increas uncertainty regarding interannual variations in water levels, since they would be largely dependent on precipitation. Economic and political tensions in this area of the world would be added to the potentially disastrous environmental consequences.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universit? de Gen?ve, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Annina Sorg, Tobias Bolch, Markus Stoffel, Olga Solomina, Martin Beniston. Climate change impacts on glaciers and runoff in Tien Shan (Central Asia). Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1592
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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A will is a common topic I ask about with my clients. (See my protection [including a will] article here) I wanted to let everyone know that an associate of mine named Jeremy Ramsey is an estate planning attorney. ?That means that he helps families and individuals get those legal documents together that no one wants to talk about like a will, power of attorney (POA) for health and financial purposes and trusts.
In my discussions with Jeremy recently, I was commenting that many people who I meet, do not have a basic will in place. ?In fact, approximately 8 out of 10 new clients I meet with do not have a will or POA documents in place. ?Of the ones that do have these documents, many are out of date or not accurate to the clients current wishes (now they are married or have children or more children). ?He agreed that was common in the people he met with as well. ?I would estimate that maybe 1 in 40 clients I meet with has these documents and that they are current and in good order. ?Since I work mainly with younger families, this is a big concern! ?Not acceptable!
With that in mind, Jeremy has agreed to work with my clients by offering a discountfor his services in preparing a will and POA documents. ?If in discussions with him you both feel that a trust is also beneficial, he is willing to offer reduced fees on that as well.
I see this as a great benefit to my clients! ?I know that talking about what would happen when you die is not the most exciting of conversations to have with yourself, your spouse, or your family, but it is a necessary one to have. ?If you don?t, which the majority are in this group as stated above, and if something unexpected does happen, your family will be in a world of hurt.
I know because that is what happened to my family. ?I have shared my story before, but it bears telling again.
When I was 16 years old, my dad was killed by a drunk driver while he was running. ?My dad was ?fit as a fiddle? and ran marathons and ultra-marathons (50+ mile races ? insane in my opinion). ?When he died, my family (my step-mom, my half-sister and myself) had to settle the estate. ?Sadly my dad had only half of a year of his income in life insurance and no will or other estate planning documents.
If you have no will when you die it is called dying ?intestate?. ?So in Illinois,?the state will determine how to split up your assets. ?At the time, that meant that 1/2 of the assets went to my step-mom and the other half was split between my half-sister and me. ?Since neither of us children were of age (age 18 in Illinois) the funds were put into a trust that was managed by the state until we turned 18.?Then the funds were paid out to us.
Now does that sound like a good plan to you? ?The surviving spouse needs most if not all the funds to help take care of the family but she only received half. ?The other half was locked away to be given to immature and potentially irresponsible teenagers. ?Let?s just say it did not go the way my dad would have wanted it to if he had voiced his wishes.
Get Your Will and POA Now!
So you see my point. ?No one knows what your wishes are either unless you are willing to put them in writing via a will and POA documents at a minimum. ?So if you are one of the 9 out of 10 or so people in the Rockford, IL area that does not have a will and POA documents or the ones you have need to be updated, here is your chance to get this done for a fraction of the cost!
Let?s not wait to get this done! ?It is too important to hesitate. ?My dad had no idea that at age 39 in the prime of his life and health that on Sunday April 6, 1986, he would live his last day. Please don?t make the mistake my family did by waiting or thinking it will not happen to you!
Jeremy Ramsey can be reached at 815-988-4364 or by email at attyramsey@yahoo.com. Once you have gotten this completed, let me know or give Jeremy permission to contact me so I know it is done. ?Then we can move closer to making my clients 10 for 10 on being ready for the worst, but planning for the best!
I am letting you know about this because I care about each of you so much! ?Please care about your family enough to get this started and completed ASAP! ?If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact me any time.
Blessings,
Kurt A Berry
Disclaimer - I am not an attorney nor do I claim to be an estate planning expert. ?Please consult with an attorney for your actual estate planning needs. ?I have offered this information as educational and hopefully inspirational only.
Kurt A. Berry?is a financial advisor with?KAB Financial Solutions?in Loves Park/Rockford, IL. He specializes in helping families maximize their financial situations utilizing strategies involving life insurance, disability insurance, auto/home insurance, savings and checking accounts, CD?s, IRA?s, Roth IRA?s, retirement plan, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, fixed and variable annuities, real estate, debt management, college planning and more. Contact us to get started.
* I am licensed to offer insurance in: IL, IN, WI and securities in: IL, IN, WI. I cannot communicate with, nor respond to, requests from people who reside in states where I am not licensed to conduct insurance and/or securities business.
Advisory services provided by Wisconsin Financial Advisors, LLC. Securities offered through registered representatives of The O.N. Equity Sales Company, Member FINRA/SIPC, One Financial Way, Cincinnati, OH 45242 513.794.6794
The O.N. Equity Sales Company is not affiliated with KAB Financial Solutions or Wisconsin Financial Advisors, LLC.
Increasing pay per click traffic is a common dilemma that most internet marketers encounter these days. There are many reasons to this. For one, it is not as easy as following the procedures that will get you started with this type of advertising. More so, the information that the world wide web hold about its effective practice is very few. Shared in this article are a few insights that can help you achieve this undertaking for the benefit of your business.
Define Goals ? Besides improving your online visibility, what are the goals you intend to achieve with this kind of advertisement? Make a detail list of them. They could be things you can achieve on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Arrange them according to urgency.
Research ? Upsurge of pay per click traffic or even its mere presence does not automatically happen upon creating your own account. It takes a series of research and experimentation as well. What do you need to research about? Everything about your target customers ? their behavior, interests, needs and way of thinking. All these will assist you in improving your product or service to best suit the needs of your patrons. Additionally, such information will help you arrive at the right keywords for your business.
Keyword Research ? Keywords give structure to your marketing campaign.They serve as your guide in creating sales messages that can increase your pay per click traffic by heaps. Study in depth the things that your prospect clients care about ? something that bothers them and/or interests them. Through this, you can make intelligent guesses on the exact search terms your market uses to hunt for information or solution they need online. List these terms down and use a keyword search tool which can analyze the competitiveness of these terms.
Fashion Fitting Advertisements ? As mentioned above, this can be achieved with the use of appropriate search terms. This is key if you are after gaining a significant increase in your profit for a specific period of time. This what every online marketing business does to make the most out of their promotional efforts. Keep in mind that your adverts should be sharp or direct to the point at all times. They too must be short so as not to bore readers.
Plan Your Budget ? Depending on your finances, decide on the amount you are willing to pay for this advert campaign, specifically for every click. It may just sound a few cents, but if you put all the clicks together they can cost you big money. This is especially true when you are clueless of what you are doing.
Mention Your Locality ? Mentioning your locality is key when you are after getting benefits from a refined research. In fact, this works for both sides ? prospect customers get to reach you easily and your website gets increased views and possible sales rate.
Monitor Your Ads ? Are your keywords helping you in your pursuit for an increased pay per click traffic? If not, there could need a replacement or a rearrangement to fit your advert campaign. Check too if they are causing you much expenses than gains.
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The number one goal of 90% of my clients has been weight loss. Some people are obese and need to lose a substantial amount of weight for health reasons and other people with a healthy BMI just want to get rid of a few pounds to look and feel better (we all want six pack abs). weight loss depends on how much energy is used to do work (i.e., to move, digest food, think etc.,) relative to how much energy is consumed and stored (caloric intake). Energy is constant so if the energy output (work done) is greater than the energy input (calories consumed) there will be a negative energy balance which forces the body to tap into fat to make up for that deficit. The energy output consists of a person?s resting or basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the total number of calories a person uses while at rest, and a person?s active metabolic rate (AMR), which is the total number of calories a person uses if they incorporate movement. If you want to lose fat then you have to create a daily negative caloric balance by limiting your caloric intake or increasing your BMR and AMR or a combination of both.
There are several factors that influence the BMR, AMR and the rate of weight loss. The BMR is influenced by body composition, age, gender, level of stress, body type (or somatotype), hormones and food intake. The AMR is influenced by the activity level. A negative energy balance is created by controlling the caloric intake. All of these need to be carefully balanced in order to achieve your weight loss goal without compromising your health or losing muscle.
The higher the percentage of body fat the quicker the rate of weight loss. I?ve trained obese people around 40% body fat who could shed up to 3lbs a week by following a rigorous program. However if you are around 15% body fat then the rate of weight loss is exponentially lower. At you?ll be extremely lucky to lose 1 pound per week (the typical amount is 0.5lbs/week). Having a higher percentage of muscle also contributes to quicker fat loss but not as much as many people claim. The common misconception is that muscle is 20x more metabolically active than fat and therefore having more muscle raises your BMR accordingly. Recent studies found that 1 pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day, not 50 calories as is popularly believed. This is still higher than fatty tissue which burns 2 calories per pound per day.
A person?s age and gender also influence the rate of weight loss. As you get older your metabolism slows down because your body tends to lose muscle and gain fat which slows down your ability to burn calories. However this can be attenuated by doing regular cardio, strength training and keeping a healthy diet. There is a slight difference between men and women because men have more testosterone which helps to build muscle and so men will have a higher BMR than women on average because they have more muscle.
The level of mental and physical stress affects the rate of fat loss. Cortisol is a hormone released when the body is under stress such as in a fight or flight situation. It serves a biological function of freeing up energy by breaking down fat and muscle tissue during a stressful event so that the body can use it to fight or flee. However, in today?s society we do not use that energy to fight or flee and so it gets deposited back into fat around the abdominal region. Prolonged stress can increase the resting level of cortisol making it very hard to burn fat in the abdominal region.
Humans come in three different body types or somatotypes that are genetically determined: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. These body types represent a continuum of body composition and the ability to gain or lose weight (either muscle or fat). Ectomorphs have the least total body mass (made up of fat, muscle and bone). Ectomorphs tend to be tall and skinny and have difficulty gaining weight because they have a fast metabolism. Weight loss for ectomorphs is not an issue but muscle gain is. Mesomorphs have an average total body mass and can change their body composition very easily. Mesomorphs have an intermediate metabolic rate. Endomorphs have the greatest total body mass and tend to put on weight very easily. Endomorphs have the greatest difficulty in burning fat because they have the slowest metabolism.
The BMR is influenced by the levels of thyroid hormones and the catecholamines epinephrine and nor-epinephrine. Thyroid hormones are thermogenic raising body temperature and BMR. People with hypothyroidism (low level of thyroid hormones) have a very slow metabolism, tend to put on fat very easily and have difficulty losing fat. People with hyperthyroidism (high level of thyroid hormones) have a very fast metabolism, tend to be skinny and have difficulties putting on weight. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for arousal and utilizing energy to be used in times of stress or arousal. The primary hormones that activate the sympathetic nervous system are epinephrine (adrenaline) and nor-epinephrine. Both of these hormones will increase heart rate and force of contraction, increase blood flow to muscles, suppress hunger, and utilize the body to break down fat and glycogen to produce glucose. Most weight loss pills are stimulants that increase the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Caffeine is often used in over the counter weight loss pills in conjunction with other stimulants because it increases cardiac output, helps the body to utilize fat as a fuel source by increasing epinephrine levels, and suppresses hunger.
Food intake has the greatest effect on basal metabolic rate. The body has to expand energy when digesting and processing food. This is called the thermic effect of food or diet induced thermogensis. The quantity and type of food ingested influences how much energy is required to process the food. Research indicates that proteins are harder to process than fats and so have a much higher thermic effect. Therefore increasing the quantity of protein in your diet will raise your BMR. Foods that are high in fiber such as celery and grapefruit are the hardest to process and have the highest thermic effect. These foods also have what is called a negative caloric balance because they take more energy to digest than the energy they release from digestion.
Increasing the level of physical activity increases the AMR. The more active you are the more calories are needed. The type of activity you engage in as well as the duration and intensity of that activity influences how many extra calories are needed and from what food source these calories come from.
Contrary to popular belief low intensity and long duration cardiovascular activity doesn?t burn more fat than shorter duration high intensity cardio. Numerous studies have demonstrated that high intensity interval training (where the heart rate is between 80-90% of its maximum) is more effective for fat loss than low intensity endurance activity because the body has to make up for the oxygen deficit produced during exercise and it burns calories for up to two hours after you stop exercising. This phenomenon is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Resistance training is also recommended for fat loss because not only is energy needed during the workout but also after the workout because the body has to repair and build new muscle and this takes energy. Activities with a heavier weight or resistance level and a lower rep number per set are recommended over activities with a light weight and a high rep number per set because lifting heavier weights produces more microtrauma in muscles which is a stimulus for repair and synthesis.
Carbohydrate is the primary source of fuel for the body and it is the only fuel source besides ketones that the brain can use. Whereas fats and proteins must be converted into intermediate forms before they can be used as fuel. Before, during and after higher intensity physical activity the body needs carbohydrates otherwise the blood sugar will get too low and a person will crash, feel nauseous and throw up. Carbohydrates and proteins are needed to build muscle after heavy resistance training. Therefore, when incorporating physical activity into a weight loss program the body will need an adequate supply of proteins and carbohydrates. I found that when incorporating higher intensity cardio and resistance training into a fat loss program a person?s diet should be roughly % 35 carbohydrates, % 45 proteins, and % 20 fats and the maximum daily caloric deficit should not exceed 750 calories.
In order to burn fat a person must maintain a proper caloric intake. exercise itself is not enough if there isn?t a sufficient daily caloric deficit. Fatty tissue is a medium the body uses to store energy. One pound of fat stores 3500 calories therefore 3500 calories have to be used in order to burn one pound of fat. In order to burn fat a person must eat fewer calories everyday than they eat regularly to maintain their current weight. If a person eats 500 fewer calories per day then they can lose 1 pound of fat in 7 days. This rate of 1 pound per week is widely acknowledged by health and fitness professionals as a safe and healthy rate of weight loss. Starvation diets (anything above a 1000 caloric deficit) are unhealthy because the body burns more muscle than fat (fat is needed as an energy source when food is scarce) and because the body isn?t getting the essential amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients that keep us healthy.
Now that you have a better idea of the factors involved in metabolism and fat loss you can incorporate some of these into your weight loss program. However a professional weight loss program incorporates many of these factors at the same time and these factors have to be carefully balanced in order to achieve optimum fat loss results without depriving yourself of essential nutrients and losing muscle and strength. I design fat loss programs that are personalized (I take into account your metabolic profile, activity level, and other relevant physical attributes) and comprehensive (I take multiple factors into account attacking fat from every angle).
Phil Jelinowski DO., CSCS., MES
Phil Jelinowski is an Osteopath, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Medical exercise Specialist. He had been operating a small personal training business Elite Strength & Conditioning in Mississauga, Ontario since 2007 that provides a range of health and fitness services. He is also an author and has published a popular article on dragondoor.com entitled ?Planche Training: Strengthening the Mind/Body Connection?. You can contact him at phil.jelinowski@rogers.com or check out his website http://www.elitesnc.com
The results of business interviews aren't always what we should may assume. Very often, what really matters will be the all round feeling that the job interviewer offers someone complain about. To help you obtain huge edge with ideas you will find in the following paragraphs. The idea is always to paint an attractive picture of your skills as well as previous accomplishments, whatever they might be. There are various reasons and types of conditions why an employer may possibly hire someone with much less expertise more than a person with increased. Understand that even if you think others possess particular inborn benefits above an individual inside the buying process, it is possible to overcome these kinds of. The objective is always to sway these kinds of beneath the radar elements on your side as much as possible.
When you execute a appointment, as we possess mentioned before, gestures takes on a huge role. One of the best approaches to produce a good initial effect along with your possible boss would be to give a good strong handshake. Always tremble hands with people prior to the meeting. Seniors expect this kind of, which is a social social manners which is necessary. Or else, maintain positivity and also prolong your hands, and also what you will discover is generally equally folks do it instantly. Say that which you sense is appropriate, and also tremble hands while beaming. You should make sure to tremble hands ahead of look at meeting. It will always be expected.
Communication doesn't necessarily workout the actual way it ought to. Several individuals may possibly avoid attorney at law using a completely different take a look at just what continued.
This is a thing to keep in mind throughout job interviews when queries are usually provided to a person. A good way to handle this is in order to duplicate the particular issue utilizing somewhat various text to make certain you've recognized that effectively. It's also advisable to make certain that you're making better use of the hearing abilities through the interview. You can't handle how well the particular interview panel member concentrates, however you can make positive you're as an receptive listener. Anytime all of us find out about some perspective about one thing advertising connected, all of us instantly believe whether it will work with our campaigns. In the event that browse around herecheck this website link right here now is a thing you've but to use, after that of course you ought to execute a small check, very first, in order to workout virtually any insects. Getting not used to internet marketing is a thing simply because whatever you do will be growth, but down the road occurs when learning fresh strategies entails considering much more options. Since it worries all of us, all of us keep our own radar installed and operating constantly simply because and we don't wish to overlook virtually any possiblity to capitalize on the opportunity. Request oneself your skill using this, after which aim to probably combine along with all of your present campaigns. We realize that you've some kind of understanding of how far you want to capture your small business.
Make sure you abandon plenty of time to get to your own job interview, to overdue is a sure way to make a negative impression. Possess a phone number together with you and also carry your own cell phone safe. You can not constantly manage situations, and often you are overdue inspite of the best of motives. So constantly call ahead whether it will become clear that you are gonna be overdue for the job interview. You can typically avoid this through planning effectively ahead of time, however at times Murphy's Law is in impact and also you can not make it. This is not something to worry regarding, therefore simply allow another 30 minutes roughly to get to any crucial job interview.
Each business interview features a great deal to instruct an individual, whether the result can be positive or otherwise not. Carry out some cautious research upon every person who interviews an individual. Because almost all hiring managers are different, the greater details you've pertaining to that person, the higher for you personally. The bottom line is that you would like to come to the job interview because well prepared as you can.
by Wesley Martin Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a team to complete a film project. Lights, Camera, Discover (LCD), a non-profit organization founded by Kema Charles and Trey Murphy of North Hollywood, Ca., is a program that teaches the skills of being in front of the camera to behind the camera while seeking to empower students of underprivileged communities by strengthening their creative minds. ?We believe that even if the students never had an interest in the arts, they will begin using their minds to focus on positive things that will inspire them to be more positive people,? Kema said. ?Our program will help build self-esteem and community.? Kema, a Pensacola native and Washington High alumna, said the program held its? first program in Abuja, Nigeria in 2010. There, they taught children the basics of filmmaking and other techniques needed in the entertainment world. Feeling inspired, they decided to bring the program stateside and to host summer workshops in six urban cities within Mississippi, Florida and Illinois. (Pensacola was the first stop). The 18 participants, all in their teens, learned everything from screenwriting techniques to non-linear editing during this year?s workshop. With so many young and eager minds, streamlining concepts can prove difficult at times. But, it seems as if Kema and Trey have ironed out most of the kinks in that department. How: being honest with themselves and most importantly, their students. ?It takes a team to [complete] a project,? Kema said. ?So, we?re teaching them how to work together in situations with people they normally wouldn?t work with. We?re teaching them how to make a complete package.? A screening of the student?s work who participated in the Pensacola workshop is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, July 28. Please visit facebook.com/pages/Lights-Camera-Discover for the location and time of the event.
LONDON (Reuters) - British airport operator BAA on Thursday lost its appeal against a Competition Commission (CC) ruling forcing it to sell London Stansted airport.
The CC has welcomed today's Court of Appeal decision to uphold its decision requiring BAA to sell Stansted airport," the CC said in response to the ruling.
BAA, owned by Ferrovial, last year chose to sell Edinburgh airport after Britain's Competition Commission ordered it to dispose of one of its Scottish airports along with Stansted as part of a drive to loosen the firm's grip on the British airport market.
Stansted, which is a predominantly low-cost leisure and holiday airport, is based some 50 kilometres northeast of central London.
(Reporting by Rhys Jones; editing by Neil Maidment)
In 1988, the four year-old version of me received his first video game console. I cut my teeth on the Nintendo Entertainment System, which kicked off a lifelong obsession with the medium. I've owned 16 different gaming consoles throughout the years, with the only semi-well-known consoles that I never purchased being Saturn, 3DO, Virtual Boy, and Jaguar. Some of my consoles broke down because I played them so much, while others were lucky if they ever got powered on. I decided to go through my gaming history and single out my favorite game for each system, along with some runners-up. Read on to see the highlights of each console, along with some personal stories about my experience with them.
Note: I'm not counting current-gen systems in this list. I'm including the Wii because there aren't any new releases coming out in the future that I plan on buying.
NES: Super Mario Bros. 3
Like many others around my age, my earliest gaming memory was playing the original Super Mario Bros. on NES. While that game blew my mind and its underrated sequel also rates among my favorites, it was the third entry in the series that stands as my favorite NES title. It opened up the world with a map screen that featured multiple paths. Awesome new power-ups like the raccoon, frog, and hammer suits shook up the level-to-level gameplay. Instead of one repeating Bowser fight, we were treated to seven unique battles against his Koopaling children, along with numerous mini-boss fights and the final (nerve-wracking) confrontation with the big baddie himself.?To see just how much the final stages wreck me, be sure to check out the insanely-intense fourth (and final) episode of our Super Replay of the game.
Runners-up: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Mega Man 2, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Contra, The Legend of Zelda, Ninja Gaiden, Baseball Stars
?
Genesis: Mortal Kombat II
I don't remember much from third grade, but I have a vivid memory of going to a gas station after school one day and seeing Mortal Kombat for the first time. Two high schoolers were showing each other fatalities, and I got my first glimpse of the series' trademark over-the-top violence. During recess the next day, I remember running around the playground, breathlessly regaling classmates about the game that lets you punch a dude's head off, tear out his heart, or take off a mask to reveal a freaky skeleton face. None of them seemed as excited as me, but it was all I could think about. News of a sequel came out, and I remember impatiently waiting outside the arcade before its first day on display. Mortal Kombat II didn't disappoint.?It featured more fighters, more fatalities, goofy Friendship and Babality finishers, and (most importantly) better gameplay. Everything that made the game great translated well to the Genesis version, which I sunk more hours into than anything else on the system.
Runners-up:?Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 3, NBA Jam, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Vectorman, WWF Raw
?
Super Nintendo: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
If you're a regular viewer of Replay, you know that A Link to the Past isn't just my favorite Super Nintendo game, it's my favorite game of all time. For our 25th anniversary of Zelda celebration in the magazine, I wrote an article dedicated to my love of Link's third adventure. I'll direct you to that link for the majority of my gushing over the game, but it obviously also deserves a spot on this list. On a system with no shortage of classics, A Link to the Past manages to stand above all of them.
Runners-up:?Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Super Mario Kart, Yoshi?s Island, Street Fighter II, Mega Man X, Star Fox,?Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball,?Super Mario RPG
Game Boy/Game Boy Color: Tetris
It's Tetris. What do you want?
Runners-up: The Legend of Zelda: Link?s Awakening, Donkey Kong, Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario Land 2, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan must press ahead with reforms to ensure its economic stability, an International Monetary Fund mission said on Wednesday, while welcoming the country's recent moves including scaling back its fuel subsidies and devaluing its currency.
Sudan is in an economic crisis that has triggered anti-government protests, and needs to bridge a budget gap of 6.5 billion Sudanese pounds after losing much of its oil production when South Sudan became independent a year ago.
"The mission underscores the need for continued policy reforms to ensure medium-term macroeconomic stability that would enable more inclusive economic growth, boost job creation and contribute to poverty reduction," the IMF said in a statement after consultations with the government.
Annual inflation hit 37.2 percent in June, more than double the level in the same month last year, mainly due to imported price rises as Sudan imports much of its food needs.
Oil is the main source of state revenues and also the main way for the country to get the dollars it needs to pay for its imports, but South Sudan took away three-quarters of the oil production when it broke away last year.
Khartoum last month began scaling back fuel subsidies, cutting state jobs and raising tax and customs duties to overcome the budget crisis.
The central bank also drastically devalued the pound against the dollar to try to bridge a rising spread over black market rates.
"The implementation of these measures will contribute to restoring fiscal sustainability over time," the IMF said after Article IV consultations in Khartoum.
The austerity measures have triggered small protests against the 23-year rule of veteran President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, but the turnout has been much smaller than in Egypt or other Arab countries.
BERLIN (AP) ? A group of Orthodox rabbis warned Wednesday that the ancient Jewish practice of infant male circumcision could face further restrictions in Europe after some hospitals in Austria and Switzerland suspended the procedure by citing a German court ruling that it could amount to criminal bodily harm.
Last month's verdict by a regional court in Cologne didn't ban circumcision. But it prompted angry protests from Jewish and Muslims groups, especially after the German Medical Association advised doctors not to perform unnecessary circumcisions until the legal situation is clarified ? something Germany's government has pledged to do soon.
Two weeks ago, a hospital in the Swiss city of Zurich also suspended circumcisions, saying it wanted to investigate public concerns about the procedure, which involves cutting off a boy's foreskin. Anti-circumcision campaigners say the act breaches the child's right to bodily integrity, while faith groups insist it is part of their religious freedom.
"Of course we in Switzerland aren't directly affected by the Cologne ruling, but it sparked a debate about how to deal with the medical and ethical issues involved," said Marco Stuecheli, a spokesman for Zurich's Children's Hospital.
On Tuesday, the governor of Vorarlberg province in Austria told state-run hospitals to stop circumcisions except for health reasons until the legal situation is clarified. He said he sees the German decision, which arose from the case of a child whose circumcision led to medical complications, as a "precedence-setting judgment."
"Our fears that the court ruling in Cologne could have a knock-on effect across Europe are now being realized," said Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the Conference of European Rabbis.
He said Jewish leaders across the continent would seek out lawmakers and government officials to impress on them how central the practice is to their faith, and to forestall further restrictions elsewhere.
While Muslims, too, commonly circumcise their sons at a young age, in Judaism the procedure must take place eight days after birth. According to religious law, an uncircumcised male isn't considered fully part of the Jewish community, Goldschmidt said.
"In order to change that we would have to convene a supreme Jewish religious court, which has not convened for the last 2,000 years," he told The Associated Press.
The German government is expected to propose a bill this fall which would ensure that circumcision remains legal in the country.
The Children's Hospital in Zurich said it hopes to reach a decision next month about whether to resume circumcisions. So far, the suspension has delayed only two planned operations, because many Jewish parents prefer to have their sons circumcised privately, Stuecheli said.
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