Monday, January 9, 2012

10 Forwarded Messages

Shanghai Surprise
Inflation in China: Government Looks to Take Control
Jan 6th 2012, 18:42

For the past several months, inflation in China has become a growing problem. Most recently the CPI was measured to be 4.9%. Due to rising prices of food and oil, inflationary rates have been surging much faster and greater than the government ever expected. In response, the government has raised interest rates several times since October. Most recently, the banks in China have raised lending standards, making it harder to receive loans in China. In addition, the Chinese Government has also taken stressed concerns over the lack of domestic food production. Adding to the dismay and scares, Chinese officials are now controlling the housing market. Could it be that inflation in China is growing out of control? Is the Government taking to many steps to control the economy? Inflation Inflation in China continues to be a major problem because of soaring commodity prices. Last year, GDP in China grew at a tremendous rate, but now it seems that the inflation is getting out of hand. One of the most important and most valued commodity in China is wheat, and with the price of wheat continuing to skyrocket, China faces many problems. Wheat has been on a strong comeback since a devastating 2009, and this price correction could be hurting China greatly. Most recently, officials stressed the importance of the agricultural community to produce enough domestic wheat and rice. China continues to fear becoming dependent on food imports, which have increased substantially in the past several years. China is also concerned about the rising prices of oil, for which it’s 1.4 billion people rely on for transportation purposes. With China’s ever expanding network of airports and air-line passengers, prices will likely continue to rise and hurt the nation’s many citizens. Currently China is in the process of adding over 45 new airports in expectation of growing domestic travel. Oil continues to be a very important commodity as shown by recent statistics which claim that China’s oil demand grew by over 10% from last year. Government Control To combat the rising threat of inflation, the Chinese Government has been using several monetary policies aggressively. Since October, the government has raised interest rates 3 times. Currently China’s Central Bank has interest rates at 6.6% up from 5.81%. If inflationary rates continue to rise, look for China to keep raising interest rates until they feel they have the economy under control. In addition to an aggressive move on interest rates, China has announced an increase in bank reserve requirements. Looking to decrease the amount of money in the market, Chinese banks will now have to hold.5% more of their deposits in reserve. As there have been 3 interest rate hikes most recently, there have also been 3 reserve requirement hikes. This most recent reserve requirement rise could precede a rise in interest rates. More of a “hands on approach” by the government has been seen in the housing market. The housing sector has been surging with increasing prices and high speculation. Already, Beijing and Shanghai have set limitations on the number of houses/apartments a resident can own in the city. In addition, local authorities are being forced to set house price targets. If local governments fail to meet their targets, punishments will be distributed. With all this in mind, I leave the forum open to discussion: Is the Chinese Government too controlling? Will a period of great inflation occur in China?

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topcities
Visiting Mumbai – One Of The World’s Most Impressive Cities
Jan 6th 2012, 21:54

With around 21 million people living in it, Mumbai (the city once known as Bombay) is one of the world’s monster cities. It has a unique history, as it was once a spot occupied by the British, and it has since evolved into the biggest city in the whole country. Vacations to this bright and colorful city require a passport, however. If you just recently got married or divorced, passport name changes can be quickly done online. You Will Need A Passport If you need a passport but don’t have the time to wait around for one to arrive, online passport services can help. Any sort of passport service can also be taken care of on these official websites. For example, expedited lost passports are possible. One of the best parts about online service is getting to pick your delivery option. If you need a passport in a couple days, it’s entirely possible online. The Gateway Of India The Gateway of India is not only one of the most culturally important landmarks, but it’s also historically relevant as well. This beautiful monument was built in 1911 to welcome King George V to India, and it is elaborately decorated. Make sure to take a detour on your way to another attraction to see it, or even take a river cruise.. Bollywood Don’t miss out on seeing a Bollywood movie while you’re in the land of Bollywood. You can visit one of the many screening halls located in Mumbai, or, if you’d rather experience one first hand, head to Goregaon to visit Film City. Cultural and religious festivals play a large part in the Mumbai community. They take place all throughout the year, so do a little research and see if one is happening during your trip. The colorful Mumbai Festival and the music-oriented Bananga Festival both take place in January, and there are many more. Temple Landmarks Temples are very important landmarks in this city, and many people visit just to see them. You will discover that temples can be found all over Mumbai, but there are a few you definitely want to see. Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji Jain Temple is the most famous. It’s flourishing architecture and beautiful decorations have earned it this reputation. Mahalkshmi Temple and Banganga Temple are stunning as well. Second Largest Railway Station The second-largest railway station in the world is Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and it’s a spot you just cannot miss. This absolutely gorgeous spot is not only a famous train station, but a famous landmark as well. In fact, it is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a great place to go people-watching, as it is an important station for commuters. India has some truly spectacular sunsets, and the best place to experience one in Mumbai is Marine Drive. It’s absolutely free of cost, and provides the perfect opportunity to sit back and relax after exploring all day.

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Unitkrew Reviews
David Busch’s Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D Guide to Digital SLR Photography (David Busch Camera Guides) Reviews
Jan 6th 2012, 23:58

David Busch’s Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D Guide to Digital SLR Photography (David Busch Camera Guides)

The Rebel T3i/600D is one of the most advanced entry-level cameras Canon has ever introduced. It boasts an astounding 18 megapixels of resolution, blazing-fast automatic focus, and cool features like the real-time preview system called Live View, full high-definition movie shooting, and an amazing new wireless flash capability. As the owner of a Rebel T3i/600D, you demand the ability to take outstanding pictures with your new camera. “David Busch’s Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D Guide to Digital SLR P

List Price: $ 29.99

Price:

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Milan Madness
The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo
Application of Data Analytics in Industry
Jan 7th 2012, 01:44

Last week, we learned about the “SCIENCE OF ANALYTICS”. This week we will talk about some of the successful applications of analytics. We will start this week with 2 different examples which I was reading recently from a podcast of Accenture and then move to some of the other industrial examples. 1. Harrah’s Entertainment Gary Loveman, CEO of Harrah’s, was presenting at an event and sitting in the front row were all of his competitors. He stood up, he showed slide after slide that showed precisely how they use their loyalty card, how they did the analysis, what kinds of metrics they looked at. And their competition was writing everything down. Finally, after about an hour of this, someone raised their hand and said, “Dr. Loveman, doesn’t it bother you that your competitors are taking down every word you said?” He just looked quizzically at them for a minute and said, “No, not really, because by the time they figure out how to do what I just described to you, we will be so far ahead of them that they will never be able to catch up.” 2. A. C. Milan: A professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy and one of the most successful organizations. \ Background: A.C. Milan had a situation that was very high-profile and very embarrassing. They hired a player for a lot of money, very expensive. Within a couple of weeks, he promptly blew out his knee and was absolutely useless to them for the rest of the season. Objective: They realized that they needed to look at not just what somebody’s previous scoring capability was, they needed to look at their potential for playing and contributing to the team. That came down to keeping them healthy. Approach: So, they actually formed a research group that analyzed every aspect of a player’s moves-how they run, how they jump-and analyzed the likelihood that they were going to become injured. Outcome / Impact: Using that data, they used it initially to decide who to purchase and who not to purchase. But, over time, they started using it in a different kind of way. They were able to work with the players to help them understand, “You’re turning your left foot out too much. You are going to injure your ankle if you do that.” They actually now meet with each player about twice a month to help them analyze the latest data around their movements. They actually analyze an incredible amount of data; 50,000 data points about a single player; 200 just about their jump. This is a company that is really trying to take analytics to the next level. 3. Financial Industry (Credit Card) – Marketing Analytics Background: A credit card company has a marketing budget of Rs. 1 cr or 10 lac pieces of mail set aside for sending out direct mails. If they send out mails to all the available lists that they have, they would need to spend Rs. 10 cr or 1 cr pieces of mail. They also know that by running this marketing campaign they will receive at the most 50 thousand new customers. Objective: From the 1 cr available pieces they would like to identify the 10 lac which are most likely to respond to the offer so as to increase the company’s customer base and in turn profitability. Approach: Review data from their past 5 direct mail campaigns and build a predictive model which can help them identify likelihood to respond and differentiate “High probability to respond prospects” vs “Low probability to respond prospects”. Outcome / Impact: Using the data from past campaigns, they were able to build a logistic regression (statistical predictive) model. This model looked at the history and helped them identify the right 1 cr to mail to book 40 thousand accounts. What it means is that for the rest of 9 cr, they would have booked only 10 thousand accounts (extremely inefficient). This exercise is carried out in majority of direct marketing to ensure the money spent has optimal impact. By leveraging the history this company was able to book 80% of accounts with only 10% of the mail and hence really reducing their cost to book the accounts. 4. Progressive Insurance Industry (Motorcycle Insurance) – Pricing & Risk Analytics: Background: A few years ago everyone was treating motorcyclists the same as if they had the highest risk and needed the highest price for insurance. They were not good credit risk. Everybody knew that and it was conventional wisdom. Objective: Identify segments within the motorcycle insurance owners who have lower credit risk than average. Approach: Review data from their past and “DE AVERAGE THE RISK”. They used historic data to determine pockets / segments of customers with “HIGHER THAN AVERAGE RISK” and “LOWER THAN AVERAGE RISK”. Outcome / Impact: What they found is that while some motorcyclists are really high risk, a majority of them are not. Eg a teacher driving a motorcycle is a lot lower risk than a high school student driving a motorcycle. With this in mind, they were able to offer much lower price to the teacher which increased their receptiveness to the low risk segment and thus increasing their customer base. Progressive has made a real art of skimming these sub-segments / pockets off, carving them out, focusing on them, serving them very well and moving on before anyone notices what has happened to them. And that’s really the heart of the strategy for them. That is really what makes analytics a sustainable differentiating strategy for these companies. It is because it is not about a single insight; it is about a set of processes they have, a way of using data and incorporating it into their decision making, that really helps them transform their business. It makes them much more able to maneuver changing business conditions; it makes them much more likely to anticipate changes in customers and markets; and, most importantly, it allows them to come up with different scenarios and understand how they ought to react to these changing market conditions.

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WorkieStuff France
I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely.
5 Fun Things to do in Paris, France
Jan 7th 2012, 01:55

Paris is the beautiful capital of France. It is known to be the most romantic city, with amazing landscapes, remarkable monuments, magical lights and fine works of art. Read on and be enlightened on the 5 fun things to do while in Paris! Take the metro to Pigalle and explore the vicinity. It will inevitably remind you of Amsterdam’s Red light District. Pigalle, a popular adult tourist attraction has lots to offer (E.g. Peep shows, strip clubs, sex shops etc). For more than a century, this neighbourhood is home to Paris’s Cabaret scene and French Cancan, thus let your hair loose and have a night of fun by watching the popular Moulin Rouge! Do remember to book the show tickets in advance to avoid disappointment! Next head down to Montmartre, it is a hill of 130 metres high and is where the Basilica of the Sacr

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WorkieStuff France
I like Frenchmen very much, because even when they insult you they do it so nicely.
A Guide to Morbihan in Brittany, France
Jan 7th 2012, 03:41

Morbihan means ‘little sea’ in Breton and refers to the main feature of the departments coastline; the unusual landlocked sea the Morbihan Gulf. It is the only French department which has no French name and the only one to have kept its original ancient name. Morbihan is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The region is most well known for its huge number of menhirs and dolmen making it one of the most significant megalithic sites in the world which is thought to more than match Stonehenge in the UK. Geography Morbihan is the western most region of France. It is bordered to the north by the department Cotes d’Armor, to the east by the Ille et Vilaine and the region of Pays de la Loire to the South. The capital of the department is Vannes although its largest and most populated town is Lorient. Morbihan is most known for its fine sandy beaches and rugged coastline which stretches for over 800 km as well as the many islands dotted along the coast. Noone knows for sure how many islands the department actually has – estimates range from 43 to 365 depending on the definition of an island! Most of the islands are privately owned, many by film stars and fashion designers, but both l’Ile aux Moines and l’Ile D’Arz are public. Climate Morbihan enjoys a more favourable climate than the rest of Brittany due to the Gulf Stream. The summers in the department are warm and the winters are mild. Consequently the region is lush and green with many plants thriving here which would not survive in the south of France. Tourism Morbihan has an abundance of holiday accommodation to suit all personal needs and budgets.. The department has over 800km of coastline and so many visitors come to Morbihan for its great beaches and watersports. The beaches are perfect for families. Some of the main attractions in Morbihan include the Cite de la Voile Eric Tabarly, the Vannes Aquarium and the butterfly museum, La Papillonneraie. Other places worth a visit include the Lorient submarine base, St Pierre cathedral and the many islands along the coast. Morbihan has festivals and events which attract visitors from all over the world including the ‘Festival de Kerhery’, the ‘Festival Interceltique’, ‘Foire aux Oiseaux’, ‘Kan ar Bobl’, ‘Festival de Rock’, ‘Festi’ Vannes’, ‘Le Salon du Livre de Bretagne’, ‘Fetes historiques de Vannes’, ‘Jazz a Vannes’ and the ‘Fetes d’Arvor’. Sports and other Activities With its long coastline and the warm winds from the Atlantic Morbihan is the perfect setting for many sailing races including the Ouest-France Bouygues Telecom SPI, the Gulf Week, the Claire Fontaine Trophee and the Mille Sabords show. On the many beaches you can also find great facilities for kayaking, sand yachting, windsurfing and diving. Popular land based sports include Hiking, Golf, Cycling and Horseriding. Economy The average household income in Morbihan is 14,276 € per year which is only slightly lower than the national average of 15,027 € per year. Morbihan’s main activities are agriculture, fishing and tourism. There is also an aeronautic industry in nearby Nantes and submarines are built at the base in Lorient. Transport The main airport within Morbihan is at Lorient which provides flights to Ireland. For flights to the UK Rennes airport is just 100km from Vannes. The department does not have a ferry port with routes direct to the UK although both Roscoff port and Saint Malo port are in comfortable driving distance. Most of Morbihan is serviced by a well connected train station. A direct route from Vannes to Paris is available in 3 hours. Key Facts Population: 702,487 Department Number: 56 Arrondissements: 3 – Lorient, Pontivy, Vannes Area: 6822.64 km² Population Density: 103 inhabitants km² Prefecture: Vannes Subprefecture: Lorient, Pontivy Economy: The unemployment rate is 11.47% (national average 9.6%)Average Property Price: 2382.93 € m² (national average 3197 € m²)Average Rental Price: 9.32 € m² (national average 12.22 € m²) Airport: Nantes. Rennes is also a short drive away Channel Port: Saint Malo and Roscoff are both easy to drive to

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NessunDormas Acne
Back Acne Is A Common Problem With Many People
Jan 7th 2012, 04:31

Back acne is more common than many people think. While it can be hidden easier with clothing, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a concern for that individual. It can be very difficult to get rid of acne in that location. It can also be very uncomfortable due to leaning in chairs or in the car. That friction there can also further irritate the skin, creating more acne problems. Back acne can also be quite embarrassing for someone to deal with. If they have a partner or they are dating, they could be very self conscious about being intimate. No one wants to tell someone that they would love to get close to that they have a severe problem with acne on their back. Acne in this location can also limit the types of clothing that someone is able to wear. That is especially true during the summer months. One of the reasons that people can develop back acne has to do with the glands there that can produce extra amounts of oil. There can be various types of pimples or lesions that develop there. It is common for cysts to be able to form with this type of acne. That is due to the back having larger pores than what a person typically has on their face. Some individuals have acne on their face and their back. Others just have it on their back or just on their face. It seems that males are more likely to suffer from this type of acne. However, women do experience it as well. Sometimes, acne on the back is a problem due to a person sweating excessively and then not being able to shower afterwards. If you workout then you need to try to wash well before you go about your other tasks. At the very least, you should have a clean shirt with you that you can change into until you are able to take a shower. It is important to evaluate what you use to clean your skin too. When the skin gets irritated by various ingredients in soaps and cleansers, then acne can develop. If you continue to use such products, then the situation isn’t going to clear up. It may be worth it to go with a more skin friendly product and see how your acne clears up in a couple of weeks. Make sure you have a way to wash your back well if you have acne. A scrubber may be irritating the skin even further. You don’t want to be opening up the pimples and allowing bacteria to get into them. Soaking in a bathtub can help you to properly wash your back with ease. Make sure you wear shirts that are going to allow your skin to breathe too. For example, those that are made from cotton. When your skin is too airtight, then you will find that it becomes a breeding grown for bacteria. That will allow more acne problems to manifest on your back.

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Lighting
LED Home Lighting – Three Good Ways to Get Started
Jan 7th 2012, 04:11

Remember those red faced digital watches of the 70′s and how everyone thought it was such a technical marvel how the red LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) lit up to show the time? Who would have thought at the time that LEDs would eventually compete with incandescent and fluorescent lights for a place in our homes as energy saving light sources with fixture lifespans in excess of 8 years. Colored and white LED light sources are commercially known as solid state lighting and have now begun to make inroads into home lighting applications. We’re going to take a look at the three best ways that solid state lighting or LED lights can be used around your home for energy savings and aesthetics. The first obvious energy saving application for the home can be found in the outdoor illumination of your home. Regular incandescent bulbs that normally soak up sixty watts or more to floodlight or spotlight the exterior of a home can be replaced with an LED light bulb fixture consuming a minimal 5 to 10 watts of energy. How about a 90 watt equivalent floodlight being replaced by a 13 watt LED fixture? Of course, the volume of sales are not yet high enough to bring down per unit costs of LED fixtures to a level so that it becomes a no-brainer decision to use them. LED light fixtures, especially in the higher power outputs (60 watt equivalents and up) run in the $25 to $150 range depending on fixture type, light output, efficiency , spread, and hue of the light it produces. However outdoor home lighting is not so demanding an application and so the less expensive, lower quality but higher powered LED light fixtures may be used for this purpose. Then there are the lower voltage/wattage equivalent LEDs (40 watts and under) which tend to be the most cost effective with prices starting at $8 to $12 and power consumption running from 2 1/2 watts to 8 watts. These are well suited to the second group of uses that we’ll discuss for LED light fixtures in the home. Smaller areas in the home like hallways, foyers, bathrooms, and kitchen areas can effectively utilize the lower voltage LED fixtures that provide the 15 to 35 watt equivalent and are in the more affordable range of $15 to $25 and consume between 3 watts to 5 watts, a significant energy savings. Many of these fixtures will screw into the standard Edison screw based sockets. When you couple the energy efficiency to the approximately 8 year life of the fixtures you can see that the savings can add up.There are less expensive LED fixtures to be had however these may have a lower level of illumination, or a narrowness in the cone of the illumination, or the light color may be too blue and cold looking. These may be too unattractive for some who prefer the more yellow toned, warmer white LED lighting in their hallways and foyers. This leads us to the third group of LED lighting applications in the home whose narrower light directionality can be put to better use. The third best way to utilize low voltage LED fixtures is in areas where low level but concentrated lighting is required. Reading lights and desk lamps are perfectly suited for LED fixtures that won’t break your budget. Fireplaces, paintings on a wall, indoor potted plants, and fish tanks are all areas that can be lit with lower voltage LED lighting that is concentrated and focused. LED light fixtures come in a range of white light hues from the steely bluish white (that can be unflattering to skin tones) all the way to a pure yellow light. So you can bathe your wall paintings in a more yellow toned LED light and use the more bluish white type of LED fixture for your fish tank to bring out the vibrant colors of your tropical fish. As discussed, there are many Solid State (LED) lighting fixtures whose cost, energy savings, and long life make them a good fit for low power applications throughout the home like simple task lighting, night lights, desk lighting, led flashlights and for smaller areas of the home. The higher quality and higher powered LED lights are still not cost effective for your average home budget. However with advances in LED lighting technology, increasing scales of LED light fixture production, and rising energy costs, we can see a future where there will be an appropriate LED lighting fixture or LED light bulb for practically every lighting application in the home resulting in dramatic energy savings and environmental benefits for the planet.

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