Sports Psychologists Extend Their Counseling to Athletes' Coaches and Families

olympics sports psychology divingTeam Sport: Research and experience have shown that in order to help athletes perform their best, they need the right psychological environment from their coach, team, family and friends, too. Image: iStockphoto/microgen

The crowd has quieted, but an electric energy from the packed grandstands fills the air. The diver stands atop the platform, aware of television cameras below that are broadcasting his every muscle twitch to millions of viewers worldwide. He can smell the chlorine wafting up from the diving pool 10 meters below. The texture of the platform feels rough beneath his feet. He takes a breath, makes his approach and jumps sharply upward. Then he twists through the air, executing a perfect dive and, finally, with no more than a few drops of splash, knifes smoothly into the cool water.

The diver opens his eyes. Feeling confident and relaxed, he now looks ahead at the platform and gets ready to climb the familiar ladder to make his practice dive before the actual competition, still weeks down the road.

This diver had just gone through one of his most important workouts before he actually stands up on the Olympic diving platform: visualization. Olympic divers, such as David Boudia and Thomas Finchum, as well as other top athletes, use trusted psychological tactics such as visualization and positive self-talk to stay at the top of their games?even when the pressure is on. Yet the sports psychologists who teach these techniques now have more scientific results in hand, and they are learning that the athlete's mental tools are just the jumping-off point to achieving peerless performance. Giving an athlete or team the best chance of bringing home the gold also requires creating an entire environment of carefully constructed group and interpersonal dynamics. Sports psychologists are no longer just training athletes. They are also training the coaches and family members in the competitors' lives.

"We've learned a lot in the past 10 or 15 years about how to be more effective" in teaching everyone around an athlete how to help him or her excel, says Daniel Gould, professor of applied sports psychology at Michigan State University. And the athletes say the work is paying off.

Getting inside the coach's head
Even an athlete in the most individual of sports is part of a complex network of relationships. Coach, family, friends, even team administrators are an extensive and often under-recognized part of the experience. Elite athletes might be better than the average person at shutting out distractions, managing their emotions and controlling their energy levels. But they are not immune to an overbearing parent, negative coach or unsupportive teammate.

Coaches and support staff, whether they realize it or not, are creating a mental environment for athletes, not just a physical training regimen. And although sports psychologists are often deployed for the benefit of the athletes, "a lot of times we work through the coach because the coach is creating a psychological climate," Gould says.

Counselors are achieving "a huge gain in better educating our coaches," Gould continues. By the time an athlete reaches college or professional levels, coaches are almost operating like CEOs, Gould notes. They're in charge of coordinating a huge organization of specialists?athletes, nutritionists, strength coaches, media liaisons and psychologists. So to gain access to athletes, physically and mentally, a sports psychologist must first be accepted and supported by the coach. Then the expert can start working to help the coach maintain a productive, balanced emotional arena for the athletes. Gould describes this environment as a fine balance of autonomy?individually empowered athletes and staff?and connectivity, essentially a feeling of relatedness among the entire group. "That's pretty easy to say," Gould says. But helping coaches and teams achieve that state is no small task. Especially when everyone is under extreme stress of high-level competition.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=2aa4e5416a0e264379826dc47f17ef6e

carrot top george huguely whitney houston casket photo match play championship the national enquirer marie colvin cm punk

23andMe seeks FDA approval for personal DNA test

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Genetic test maker 23andMe is asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve its personalized DNA test in a move that, if successful, could boost acceptance of technology that is viewed skeptically by leading scientists who question its usefulness.

23andMe is part of a fledgling industry that allows consumers to peek into their genetic code for details about their ancestry and future health. The company's saliva-based kits have attracted scrutiny for claiming to help users detect whether they are likely to develop illnesses like breast cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's.

The biology of how DNA variations actually lead to certain diseases is still poorly understood, and many geneticists say such tests are built on flimsy evidence.

For years, the Silicon Valley company has resisted government regulation, arguing that it simply provides consumers with information, not a medical service. But now company executives say they are seeking government approval ? and the scientific credibility that comes with it.

"It's the next step for us to work with the FDA and actually say, 'this is clinically relevant information and consumers should work with their physicians on what to do with it,' " said CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki, who is married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Google and Brin have invested millions in the privately held company, which is based in Mountain View, Calif.

Wojcicki says the shift in strategy reflects the growing scope of the company's test kit, which now measures the risks of developing more than 115 different diseases.

23andMe said Monday it submitted an initial batch of seven health-related tests to the FDA for review. The company plans to submit 100 additional tests in separate installments before the end of the year. Tests involving family history and nonmedical traits will not be reviewed, since they don't fall under FDA oversight.

Even some of the harshest critics of the genetic testing industry say 23andMe is taking the right approach.

Dr. James Evans of University of North Carolina said he considers much of the information reported by 23andMe, "relatively useless," and "in the realm of entertainment." He believes patients benefit more from pursuing a healthy lifestyle than parsing the potential risks of developing various diseases.

But as test makers begin analyzing larger portions of genetic code, there are rare cases when the findings may help doctors identify patients with a higher risk of treatable health problems, such as aneurysms or colon cancer.

"I think we've now entered an era where these direct-to-consumer offerings are beginning to have real medical relevance, and therefore I am in favor of them being done within some regulatory context," said Evans, a professor of genetics and medicine at UNC's Medical School.

The move may also give 23andMe a competitive edge over rivals like deCODE Genetics and Navigenics, which market similar tests. Those companies did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

"We really want to take a leadership role in this industry," said 23andMe's chief legal officer, Ashley Gould. The company says more than 150,000 people worldwide have used its test, which sells for $299 online.

The FDA already regulates a variety of genetic tests administered by health care providers, such as those given to pregnant women to detect cystic fibrosis in a developing fetus.

But it remains to be seen whether the FDA will endorse 23andMe's commercial approach, which sidesteps doctors by sending results directly to consumers. 23andMe and its peers believe there is a mainstream market for personalized genetic information, though it is still very much a niche field.

23andMe executives point out that they first contacted the FDA in 2007, before launching their product. The agency did not take an interest in the technology until 2010, when it issued letters to several testing companies, stating that their products are considered medical devices and must be approved as safe and effective.

Washington's pressure on the industry intensified a month later, when federal investigators issued a scathing report saying that companies like 23andMe produced misleading information of little to no use.

An undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office found that four genetic testing companies delivered contradictory predictions based on the same person's DNA, which often contradicted the patient's actual medical history.

Proponents of genetic testing say 23andMe's bid for FDA approval is an important step in regulating an emerging application for genetic information.

"Many consumers are going to want to know this information, and you don't need a hospital to obtain it, so it's important to make sure it's well regulated," said Dr. Eric Lander, president and director of the Broad Institute, a genomic research center affiliated with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I think 23andMe is taking a very forward-leaning step."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/23andme-seeks-fda-approval-personal-dna-test-162637469--finance.html

nashville predators king arthur king arthur there will be blood there will be blood nigel barker 420

India's central bank set to hold interest rates steady

India's central bank was widely expected to keep interest rates on hold Tuesday, a day after saying it was worried about still stubborn inflation despite a slowing economy.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hinted in a report issued on the eve of its regular policy meeting in India's financial hub that it was unable to cut interest rates further at this point to spur the nation's flagging economy.

"Persistence of inflation, even as growth is slowing, has emerged as a major challenge for monetary policy," the bank said.

India's once-booming economy grew just 5.3 percent between January and March, its slowest annual quarterly expansion in nine years.

While other central banks around the globe have been easing interest rates in bids to revive their troubled economies, the RBI suggested that economic reforms to boost investment were the key to India's revival.

The RBI, which will announce its rates decision at 0530 GMT, rebuked the government, saying "lack of a quick policy response to address structural bottlenecks and encourage investment exacerbated the (economic) slowdown".

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party-led government has failed to make significant strides towards scaling back hefty subsidies on food, fuel and fertilisers or cutting its sizeable fiscal deficit, analysts note.

The economy is now at a "critical juncture" and the RBI encouraged "policy actions to encourage investment", which would include removing constraints on foreign direct investment.

The bank lowered rates in April to kickstart growth -- its first such move in three years. But it has since kept monetary policy steady, citing inflationary pressures, despite calls from business leaders to stimulate the economy.

A weak monsoon, in which the rains have been more than 20 percent lower than normal so far, has stoked the bank's inflation worries because of the potential impact on food prices if crops fail.

Wholesale inflation already stands at 7.25 percent -- far above the bank's comfort level of five to six percent -- while the consumer price index, which covers a smaller band of goods, is at 10.02 percent.

"With upside risks to inflation, we believe that there is limited room for the RBI -- at this juncture -- to support growth through a cut in the repo rate," said Shubhada Rao, chief economist at private Yes Bank.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indias-central-bank-hints-hold-rates-190612894--finance.html

dallas fort worth tornado dallas tornadoes dallas weather nike nfl uniforms ben and jerrys free cone day tornado in dallas texas the island president

3 High-Growth Chinese Stocks With Strong Receivable Trends

Looking to diversify into the emerging markets? With this idea in mind, we ran a screen.

We began by screening for US-traded stocks of companies based in China for those with high-growth prospects, with 5-year projected EPS growth above 15%.

We then screened for stocks with strong sales trends, comparing growth in revenue to growth in accounts receivable. Since accounts receivable is the portion of revenue not yet received, and there is no guarantee the money will ever be received, the smaller the portion of revenue made up of receivables the healthier the company's revenue.

We screened for stocks seeing faster growth in revenue than accounts receivable year-over-year, as well as accounts receivable comprising a smaller portion of current assets over the same time period.

For an interactive version of this chart, click on the image below. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research.

https://www.kapitall.com/?SSS_40F653BDFE1539BF09ECE793F2F49512

Tool provided by Kapitall. More investing ideas on Kapitall Wire.

Do you think these companies will meet their high growth expectations? Use this list as a starting point for your own analysis.

List sorted by increase in revenue over the last year.

1. China XD Plastics Company Ltd. (CXDC): Market cap at $209.13M, most recent closing price at $4.40. 5-year projected EPS growth at 20.00%. Revenue grew by 61.78% during the most recent quarter ($123.18M vs. $76.14M y/y). Accounts receivable grew by -16.72% during the same time period ($63.05M vs. $75.71M y/y). Receivables, as a percentage of current assets, decreased from 55.75% to 24.08% during the most recent quarter (comparing 3 months ending 2012-03-31 to 3 months ending 2011-03-31).

2. Ambow Education Holding Ltd. (AMBO): Provides educational and career enhancement services in high school entrance examination and college entrance examination markets in China. Market cap at $178.25M, most recent closing price at $2.40. 5-year projected EPS growth at 19.00%. Revenue grew by 22.09% during the most recent quarter ($374.82M vs. $307M y/y). Accounts receivable grew by -10.71% during the same time period ($196.71M vs. $220.3M y/y). Receivables, as a percentage of current assets, decreased from 14.72% to 14.41% during the most recent quarter (comparing 3 months ending 2012-03-31 to 3 months ending 2011-03-31).

3. Kongzhong Corp. (KONG): Provides wireless interactive entertainment, media, and community services to mobile phone users in the People's Republic of China. Market cap at $320.35M, most recent closing price at $7.71. 5-year projected EPS growth at 21.00%. Revenue grew by 8.07% during the most recent quarter ($42.46M vs. $39.29M y/y). Accounts receivable grew by -26.37% during the same time period ($20.72M vs. $28.14M y/y). Receivables, as a percentage of current assets, decreased from 16.4% to 10.16% during the most recent quarter (comparing 3 months ending 2012-03-31 to 3 months ending 2011-03-31).

*Accounting data sourced from Google Finance, all other data sourced from Finviz.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/762041-3-high-growth-chinese-stocks-with-strong-receivable-trends?source=feed

obama speech terrell owens terrell owens mitt romney tax return flip saunders academy award nominations cynthia nixon

China 'whitewashing Bo scandal' with wife's trial

Chinese authorities are seeking to whitewash the alleged crimes of fallen leader Bo Xilai and protect his political backers by shifting the blame on his wife who will be tried for murder, activists say.

In the biggest political scandal to hit China in decades, Bo's wife Gu Kailai has been charged with homicide over the November 2011 death of British business associate Neil Heywood.

The evidence against her is "irrefutable and substantial", state media said last week, indicating the authorities are intent on settling the case as soon as possible.

But observers said it was much less clear whether wider corruption allegations against Bo would ever be examined in court.

Bo, the son of a revered Communist revolutionary, won national fame with a draconian crackdown on criminal elements and a Maoist-style "red revival" campaign in southwest Chongqing city where he was party boss.

His fall from grace began when his former right-hand man and police chief Wang Lijun fled to a US consulate to seek asylum, after reportedly confronting Bo with information related to Heywood's murder.

Bo's rapid downfall was hugely embarrassing for the Communist Party, and exposed deep divisions at its top level.

Analysts and political activists say the party will be keen to see the back of the scandal, and neutralise the risk it could pose to other senior figures, before a once-in-a-decade leadership transition due in the autumn.

While Bo is being probed for corruption, observers say that Gu's impending trial will now take up the limelight.

"It is the same old thing, they are continuing to cover things up," said former top Communist Party leader Bao Tong, who was purged in 1989 for his role in the Tiananmen democracy protests.

"They will put on a political farce, a fake show, and then when another scandal erupts, they do it all over again," the 79-year-old told AFP.

Gu's trial will be held in eastern Hefei city, far away from Chongqing where Heywood died. Politically sensitive trials in China often take place away from the scene of the alleged crime.

There is speculation that the case could go to court as soon as early August, but no confirmed date has been released.

Heywood is believed to have had commercial dealings with Bo and his wife going back several years.

Activists insist that accounts of Bo's corruption and his wife's alleged crime should be examined in relation to each other, rather than using the publicity over one to whitewash the other.

"To handle Bo Xilai I think you should reveal the whole case, including those who have protected him," Bao said.

"Secondly, they must take Bo Xilai's situation and view it through the relationship with his wife's matter. According to China's law, the assets of a husband and wife are shared, so you can't say that Bo Xilai has no responsibility in the corruption of his wife.

"This is what I hope happens, but so far I have not seen any of this."

Bao said that authorities should probe accounts of the fortune that the couple amassed, and how Gu allegedly became embroiled in what state media called an "economic dispute" with Heywood.

"Right now there is a lot that we don't know because there has been no transparency in the case... and there are a lot of things (the party) does not want people to know about," said prominent rights activist Hu Jia.

"If there is a political struggle inside the party, then they will become even more closed and non-transparent. They won't reach a decision through the judiciary, but it will be a party decision based on political considerations."

Hu said the party's powerful Politics and Law Commission, along with top leaders including President Hu Jintao, will likely decide the fates of Bo and Gu.

The commission is headed by Zhou Yongkang, who is ranked ninth in the party's hierarchy and is reported to be a long-time backer of Bo and his "Chongqing model".

The Chongqing model won popularity for its tough stance on official corruption and organised crime, but has been criticised for operating outside the rule of law and becoming a tool to oust Bo's political opponents.

"Although there are a lot of people raising the problem that the crackdown on organised crime in Chongqing used torture to extract confessions, so far there has not been one case overturned," said rights lawyer Liu Xiaoyan.

Bo will likely be punished by the party, but it is not certain if his case will go to trial, Liu said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-whitewashing-bo-scandal-wifes-trial-105237897.html

casey anthony video recess appointment eastman kodak eastman kodak richard cordray shannon de lima joe torre

Donovan's woes drop 5th District race from ?leaning' Dem to competitive for GOP

The congressional campaign of Connecticut House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan was hit Friday with a new attack ad and more bad news following the indictment of his former campaign manager. A prominent national political handicapper has reassessed the district race as more competitive for Republicans.

The Rothenberg Political Report dropped its rating for the 5th Congressional District race from "Leans Democrat" to "Toss-Up/Tilts Democrat," meaning that Donovan's troubles make the district more likely than before to be won by the Republican party.

Donovan, from Meriden, is currently the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

The downgraded status of the Democrat's campaign comes in the wake of additional arrests Thursday in the finance scandal that has rocked Donovan's campaign. The arrest of seven more people, including Joshua Nassi, his former manager, was front-page news throughout the district.

But even before the new arrests, Donovan's two rivals for the nomination, former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty and Dan Roberti, were working to publicize the scandal -- Esty with a mailing that went out earlier this week, and Roberti with a just-completed attack ad.

"We do feel the voters have a right to know about the ongoing investigation into the speaker's campaign," said Jeb Fain, a spokesman for Esty.

Roberti, meanwhile, was ready with a TV ad featuring a Donovan look-alike pocketing money from interests that backed the legalization of ultimate fighting, a measure that didn't pass.

"Any surprise the FBI just busted his campaign for taking $27,000 to kill a roll your own tobacco bill?" asks the narrator, as the camera shows Roberti reading a newspaper story about the scandal.

Roberti says, "I'm Dan Roberti, and I approve this message, because this stuff has got to stop."

Roberti's campaign manager, Erik Williams, said the ad was not taped with the expectation of another development in the FBI investigation, such as the indictment unsealed Thursday.

"Frankly, we didn't think it was necessary for another shoe to drop," Williams said.

The ad ends with slap at Esty, noting some of her campaign donations come from industries regulated by her husband, Dan Esty, the state's commissioner of energy and environmental protection.

Fundraising is a potential vulnerability for Roberti as well, though for different reasons. His campaign fund has been greatly assisted by his father, Vincent Roberti, a Washington lobbyist.

Donovan has not been charged, nor have federal authorities accused him of direct knowledge or involvement in what they say was a conspiracy by smoke shop owners to hide campaign donations intended to kill legislation imposing taxes or fees on the roll-your-own cigarette trade.

Tom Swan, who took over management of Donovan's campaign after Nassi was fired in late May, said the attacks by Esty and Roberti reflect a vulnerability in their campaigns, not Donovan's.

"My sense is they're both getting desperate," Swan said.

With the Democratic primary little more than two weeks away, Donovan still enjoys a strong labor and grass-roots base that is attributable to 20 years of progressive, activist politics, Swan said.

Currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy, who is running for the U.S. Senate, losing the 5th District race was not a concern for national Democrats before the campaign-finance scandal broke.

But the party may now have to spend time and money defending the seat.

The analysis released Friday by Nathan Gonzales of the Rothenberg Political Report says not only have Democrats' chances of keeping the 5th District seat dimmed, but Donovan's chances to win an Aug. 14 primary are also slipping.

"Even though Donovan has most of the traditional establishment support that is important in Democratic primaries, the federal investigation has put his nomination in jeopardy," Gonzales said.

Gonzales said organized labor, which backs Donovan, "will likely refrain from any extra activity (to help Donovan get elected) because of the investigation." That assessment is disputed by union activists in Connecticut.

David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report, said his group will continue to keep the 5th District race rated "Likely Democratic" until the results of the primary are known.

If Donovan wins the primary and becomes the Democratic candidate in the general election, Wasserman said there would be a re-evaluation of the race, "to probably much more competitive."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has refused to comment on any of the turmoil in the race, continued to offer a "no comment" on the new Rothenberg Political Report ranking.

Source: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/17025/donovan-woes-drop-5th-district-%E2%80%98lean-democratic%E2%80%99-competitive-gop

long beach state beasley trailblazers michael beasley jermaine jones hbo luck unc asheville

Canada banks seen by S&P as vulnerable if housing stumbles

(Reuters) - Debt-ridden Canadian consumers and a cooling property market are leaving the country's stalwart banks vulnerable, credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has warned, fanning a growing national debate on whether Canada is facing a U.S.-style housing debacle.

While S&P reaffirmed the high ratings of Canada's biggest banks, it dropped its outlook to "negative" from "stable." It was a shot across the bow for banks still considered among the healthiest in the world but now facing the risks of a pullback in consumer borrowing and a downturn in a booming housing market - reminiscent of the forces that derailed their U.S. rivals four years ago.

The warning to Canada's three largest banks -- Royal Bank of Canada , Toronto Dominion Bank , and Bank of Nova Scotia , as well as smaller rivals National Bank of Canada and Laurentian Bank of Canada -- cited rising consumer debut and elevated housing prices in Canada, as well as economic risks abroad.

"In our view, this poses a risk for Canadian banks given the importance of each bank's consumer credit loan portfolio," S&P said in explaining the shift to a negative credit outlook.

While Canadian economists and bank analysts alike agree -- by varying degrees -- that the housing market looks set to cool and consumers are likely to pull back on borrowing when it does, they said the deleveraging will affect the profitability, not the stability, of Canada's big lenders.

"It's not the same as the United States," said Peter Routledge, a banking analyst at National Bank and himself a former analyst at credit rating agency Moody's.

Canadian home prices rose to a third straight record high in June, but a slowdown in the pace of price increases suggested the red-hot housing market was cooling, data showed last week. Consumer debt has also risen to record highs similar to levels reached in the United States prior to 2008, prompting policymakers to rewrite rules in July to make it harder for homebuyers to take on too much housing debt.

While many experts predict indebted consumers will soon have to pull back, the move will hurt bank profits, not their ability to service or pay back loans, Routledge said.

"If all of a sudden consumers start to deleverage and pay down loans, and loan balances contract, bank revenues will contract and so too will earnings. But we are not going to have a massive wave of credit losses impacting the balance sheets of Canadian banks, because of the prevalence of mortgage insurance."

Unlike U.S. banks before the 2008-2009 financial crisis, Canadian banks have the explicit backing of the federal government by way of mortgage insurance issued by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp, which insurers all mortgages with a loan-to-value ratio above 80 percent.

In additional to farming out the risk of such mortgages where homebuyers made low downpayments, banks have also purchased extra CMHC insurance on low-ratio or less-risky mortgages to assuage the concern of regulators that their mortgage holdings are sound.

The prudence of the Canadian banks in insuring their mortgage portfolio means even a wave of mortgage defaults is unlikely to dent their balance sheets. The bigger risk is that customers stop asking for loans if the housing market crashes, a thrift that would cut into bank profits.

Canadian banks also have recourse to pursue unrelated assets of borrowers who default on their mortgages, making it less likely for homeowners to walk away from home debt.

"In Canada it would make it a little less likely that Canadians would pursue tossing the keys back - we saw a lot of that activity here," said Tom Lewandowski, an analyst of Canadian banks with Edward Jones in St. Louis.

Still, Lewandowski said the negative outlook imposed by S&P -- which, like many rating agencies, failed to warn of the U.S. crisis -- adds to the valid chorus of concern about Canada's housing market and consumer indebtedness.

"Considering what we went through here in the States, I'm not surprised they have an impetus to bring risks to light ahead of time, as opposed to waiting for them to play out should we see housing prices decline or the economy turn over," he said.

Canada's big banks are also buffered by their oligopoly in the market, with the five biggest banks stretching from coast-to-coast and two smaller regional players plugging the holes. The relative lack of competition compared with the hundreds of U.S. regional banks will allow them to raise fees or cut expenses if loan growth slows as consumers tighten their belts.

Still, clouds on the global economic horizon were also cited by S&P in its outlook for the Canadian banks, a caution that bears attention, said Finn Poschmann, vice-president of research at the C.D. Howe Institute, a think-tank.

"There are three major global economic threats. One is the euro and the sovereign debt situation there. Two is the state of the U.S. economy and both their looming fiscal problems and their sluggishness emerging from recession. And three is the slowing pace of growth in China," Poschmann said.

"These are significant economic threats ... (that make it) unwise not to pay attention to. For the moment however, Canada's banks are in extremely strong balance-sheet positions."

(Reporting By Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Frank McGurty)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-banks-seen-p-vulnerable-housing-stumbles-181012511--finance.html

cyber monday deals war eagle war eagle pawn stars restrepo nba news nba news

Hamilton on pole for revived McLaren

Lewis Hamilton stayed focused on the job that lies ahead after sweeping to a dominant pole position for a revived McLaren team in Saturday's closely-fought qualifying session for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Driving with supreme speed and consistency, the 27-year-old Briton clocked a best time of one minute and 20.953 seconds to top the times ahead of nearest rival Romain Grosjean in a Lotus.

"That was a really good session and I would have been disappointed not to have taken pole," said Hamilton.

"But we will have a lot to do before we have done the job."

France's Grosjean secured his first front row start with a fast lap in the final seconds of a tight session to move ahead of third-placed defending drivers champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and Hamilton's team-mate Jenson Button.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen was fifth in the second Lotus ahead of championship leader Spaniard Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado was eighth ahead of his Williams team-mate Brazilian Bruno Senna and German Nico Hulkenberg in the leading Force India.

For Hamilton, it was a third pole of the year and the 22nd of his career -- and the 150th pole secured by the McLaren team.

"There is no real secret (to Sunday's race), it is the same as anyone else," Hamilton said.

"You have to keep your head cool and make sure you look after your tyres. Tyre strategy will be important tomorrow, and degradation will be interesting."

He continued: "Jenson showed our upgrades are an improvement and hopefully I can show the same thing tomorrow. We have a long race tomorrow so lots can happen, but we need to keep cool."

He added that the team's recent upgrades allowed him to push harder than he has been able to in recent grands prix, 'empowering' him throughout qualifying.

"It has been a really positive weekend so far, we can finally see the upgrades working this weekend, being able to put car in places I previously wasn't able to," said Hamilton.

"I am always striving for the perfect lap, and to get that is intense and exciting and if you get it right it is incredibly empowering.

"This weekend we have obviously had pace, we knew it was possible, but it was just a case of doing it. Considering we have had pace all weekend, missing pole would have been disappointing, so I am happy I have done it.

"This is motor racing. We are not saying we are relaxed about it, we know we have a lot of work to do. We must make sure we start that work this weekend.

"Starting from the front row is special. We know overtaking is difficult so the first job is done. Hopefully tomorrow we will keep our race pace and be able to save our tyres as much as we want and get some good battles with the guy at the front."

Vettel said that it was not his new engine map, as required by the FIA, but a poor balance from his Red Bull RB8 that had been the key factor in his performance.

"I don't think the engine map really affected us as much as people think," the German said.

"We were struggling a little to find the balance through the weekend but it has nothing to do with the mapping.

"We seem to have lost a little something compared to yesterday, so we've come into qualifying and failed to improve session-by-session."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hamilton-f1-pole-revived-mclaren-142348637--nascar.html

food network good friday f/a 18 f 18 crash virginia tenebrae the lake house petrino arkansas

Conquer Internet Advertising Simple Ways to Use Promotional ...

Philadelphia, PA, July 28th, 2012 - With the increased competition on the internet, it can be hard to find ways to make your business stand out. One thing I believe most internet marketers fail to utilize at all is promotional products.

?

Promotional products, like the ones found at IASpromotes.com, are items that are printed with your company logo, slogan, web site address, or any other message you want to promote. The average person is most familiar with printed t-shirts, but as IASpromotes.com demonstrates there are many other items businesses can use.

?

Here are a few simple ways a business can use promotional products on the internet.

?

Promote Your Company?s Website

?

A lot of businesses overlook promoting their websites (unless their business is strictly internet-based). If you want to increase online traffic to your company?s website, every item you choose should include your business? website address on it.

?

Find Promotional Items That Fit Your Niche

?

Given the plethora of promotional products available at IASpromotes.com, a business can always find promotional items that complement their services, ie items that you know your customers will use often! For example: If you sell athletic apparel, it would be a good idea to include a free water bottle that has your logo imprinted on it every time someone makes a purchase of $50. If you have an online beauty supply store, you could give away nail files with your business? name and website address printed on it.

?

Free Contests

A great way to get people to sign up for your online mailing list is to hold monthly or weekly contest drawings. The winner of the drawing would receive a nice promotional productwith your URL on it (IASpromotes.com has a great selection of different gift-like promotional products). Since everyone loves to win stuff, more people would be willing to give you their email address.

?

Motivate Customer to Buy More

Bundling isn?t just for insurance companies ? any business can bundle together services or products to entice customers to buy more ? even online retailers like IASpromotes.com offer deals to get customers to purchase more promotional items. You can use promotional products to entice your customers by bundling multiple products or services along with your promotional item. Instead of a customer buying 1 stationary set, you offer them a package deal of two sets and a free promotional item.

?

Thank Your Loyal Customers

?

A business should consider thanking loyal customers. You can express gratitude to customers that repeatedly purchase your products, customers who buy your high price items, or both! Free promotional items remind your clients that the relationship you share with them is important to you.

?

Create a Competitive Advantage

?

It?s getting tougher than ever to compete online. Utilizing any number of various promotional items at IASpromotes.com, a business can use promotional items as a way to show customers that you are different than your competitors. When someone receives a promotional item from you they are more likely to remember you over your competition.

?

Promote a New Product or Service

?

If your business is launching a new product or service, you can capture your audience?s attention and publicize it via promotional items. IASpromotes.com recommends sending a promotional item to your top customers when a new product comes out.

?

About the Company:

For nearly two decades Independent Ad Specialties, online at IASpromotes.com has been assisting businesses, agencies, non-profit organizations, universities and other entities of all sizes purchase promotional items and corporate giveaways. The company is dedicated to carrying eco friendly promotional products, corporate promotional giftand corporate gifts, promotional giveawaysmade from recycled, organic, sustainable, and/or ethically sourced material. They have the largest selection of Imprinted Items such as promotional ice scrapers, promotional golf accessories, calendars, ceramic mugs, mouse pads, USBs available online and off, with extensive knowledge and resources for creating custom items sourced domestically and abroad to your specifications.

?

Contact Details:

Dave Johnson

IASpromotes.com

401 S. 2nd Street

Philadelphia

PA, 19147, US

Phone No.:800-780-1962

Fax Number: 888-561-8752

Email address: djohnson@iaspromotes.com

Website: http://www.iaspromotes.com/

Source: http://www.pr-express.com/conquer-internet-advertising----simple-ways-to-use-promotional-products-online.html

Kenneth Branagh Ryan Lochte Misty May Treanor John Orozco Missy Franklin Olympic medal count Jordyn Wieber

Self Improvement Guidelines For Yourself - Consumer Electronics ...

Greater happiness can be your own with the use of the simple and time recognized self help recommendations supplied on this page. Find out to handle your troubles so that they don?t accumulate and overwhelm you. The subsequent techniques can help you pinpoint your weak spots and conquer them. So, chill out, have an inhale and put together to see powerful self help advice that will really influence your way of life.

A fantastic self improvement idea that each and every solitary particular person should certainly comply with is always to really like on your own. Actually genuinely really like a person you happen to be no matter what aspects of on your own you happen to be irritated with. Fully grasp that one could generally better oneself, but before you could, you need to really like on your own.

A terrific way to increase one?s self esteem is always to recommend to physical exercise. The beneficial electricity from training along with the fulfilling a sense of going to a fitness center may help one?s self worth greatly. Sometimes what is needed to feel much better is an improved sensation of personal worth.

To deal with despression symptoms, physical exercise! Wandering is a good form of exercise plus a good move are capable of doing amazing things to raise your spirits. Don?t overlook walking! Having a leisurely walk after supper daily, will help you chill out and relax. Make time to seem and incredibly see everything that is approximately you. Search for the optimistic in every stuff.

Like oneself or love on your own is one thing every person hears constantly but, who realized the pundits were actually definitely correct? Using a good, nurturing mindset will only increase your moods to the people around you. It is actually a quick session displaying that your feelings will affect almost everything surrounding you.

Spend some time to give i appreciate you what you have every day. In the event you take the time to recognize the things which you do have, it will not appear so bad that there is no need what you believe you want. This will likely truly significantly help to make your daily life a cheerful one particular.

Don?t forget to help make time for yourself. Regardless of what your supreme goals are, if you forget to make time on your own you?re more than likely establishing oneself up to fail. No one can try everything that lifestyle calls for of them (work, loved ones, and so forth) as well as trying for private objectives if they don?t routinely have a break and breathe in.

Define what?s most essential for your needs, and release the rest. You will be attempting definitely hard to do every thing, when the truth is that no one can. When dealing with something, ask whether it pertains to exactly what is most critical in your own life. When it isn?t, you don?t need it.

While you have read, personal-assist can assist you live a much healthier, more content, and for a longer time life so that you can get what exactly you need and wish. Exercise what you?ve read in the following paragraphs, and you will definitely get started to not only get tranquility, nevertheless, you will really like you that have grow to be.

wordpress blog post

Source: http://blog.ilove3c.com/2012/07/29/self-improvement-guidelines-for-yourself/

the lion king suzanne collins cherry blossom festival nc state erika van pelt pat robertson hunger games trailer