Security breach may have compromised millions of debit and credit ...

Visa and MasterCard on Friday were trying to determine the extent of a possible security breach at a third-party vendor that experts say could compromise the credit-card and debit-card information of millions of Americans.

The two companies say they have notified law enforcement officials and alerted banks about the potential data theft, even as they seek to assure customers that their own systems had not been breached.

Both companies also emphasized that customers are not held responsible for any fraudulent purchases made on their cards.

George Ogilvie, a spokesman for the Secret Service, confirmed that the agency is investigating the matter but declined to elaborate, saying the inquiry is ongoing.

The security lapse involved Global Payments, an Atlanta-based firm that describes itself as ?one of the world?s largest electronic transaction processing companies.?

In a statement Friday afternoon, Global Payments said it had determined in early March that ?card data may have been accessed.? It said that company officials immediately contacted federal law enforcement, brought in information technology forensics experts to investigate and notified ?appropriate industry parties to allow them to minimize potential cardholder impact.?

?It is reassuring that our security processes detected an intrusion. It is crucial to understand that this incident does not involve our merchants or their relationships with their customers,? Global Payments chief executive Paul Garcia said.

Global Payments stock fell more than 9 percent on news of its involvement in the data breach before trading on it was halted about noon EDT. The company said it was continuing to investigate and would hold a conference call at 8 a.m. Monday.

Both Mastercard and Visa on Friday were quick to assure customers that their own systems remained safe and that they had alerted banks to any potential problems.

Mastercard said in a statement that its ?own systems have not been compromised.? Visa officials also insisted that there had been ?no breach of Visa systems? and that it had contacted card issuers with details about accounts that might have been compromised ?so they can take steps to protect consumers through independent fraud monitoring and, if needed, reissuing cards.?

In addition to notifying law enforcement and banks, MasterCard said Friday that an independent data-security organization was conducting an ongoing forensic review of the matter.

Brian Krebs, a computer security expert who first reported the theft on his blog KrebsonSecurity.com, wrote that sources in the financial sector had described the data theft to him as ?massive? and believed it could involve more than 10 million compromised card numbers.

Avivah Litan, a Maryland-based fraud analyst at the information technology research firm Gartner, said Friday that she had spoken with contacts in the card business ?who are seeing signs of this breach mushroom? and also believe the number of compromised numbers would reach into the millions. She said it appears that the breach at least partially involved a parking and garage company i n the New York City area.

?The industry has spent billions of dollars on trying to secure the payment systems. ? They have been at this for years, trying to get merchants and payment processors and taxicabs and everything to secure their payment systems, and it?s just not working,? Litan said in an interview.

She said the United States lags behind many countries that have migrated to microchip technology in credit cards, which have cut back significantly on fraud. ?We?re the only developed country that?s not using it,? Litan said.

Neither MasterCard nor Visa actually issues cards to consumers or lends money. Banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America typically issue the cards, while MasterCard and Visa oversee the individual transactions and charge merchants fees each time a card is swiped.

The latest incident is part of an ongoing string of electronic attacks against corporations, schools and government agencies that have repeatedly put the confidential information of Americans at risk. Last June, for instance, hackers breached a network at Citigroup and gained access to credit card data for more than 360,000 North American customers.

According to a report by the research firm Javelin, identity fraud increased during 2011 by 13 percent, and more than 11.6 million U.S. adults became victims.

One key factor behind the increase in fraud, the firm found, was the 67 percent increase in the number of Americans affected by data breaches. Research showed that victims of data breaches are 9.5 times more likely to fall prey to identify fraud than customers who had not received notice of a potential data breach.

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Small Business Marketing Guide for Entrepreneurs | Inbound ...

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Tiny Business Marketing and advertising Guide for Business people

Post by Chris Woodward

As an entrepreneur, you definitely have many concerns about what to do initial to marketplace your business. A tiny enterprise marketing and advertising guide supplies a wealth of data to make sure you optimally place your self for results.

A modest business advertising and marketing guide exhibits you step by phase how to strategically industry your goods and services.

one. Who Are You? Before you can create a successful marketing and advertising plan, you need to use your modest company marketing and advertising manual to help define your:Ambitions: What do you want to achieve in the very first month? The very first 6 months? The first year? Your time and finances will affect how rapidly you can put into action your plan. Never be concerned to set big goals for your business, but be realistic based mostly on your time and budget.Goal marketplace: Who will purchase your goods and providers? What are their issues and best priorities? You can?t commence to industry your self until finally you know to whom you are marketing and advertising.Advantages: What can make your business distinct from your competition? In addition to figuring out all of the advantages of your goods/solutions, a little company marketing and advertising guide will support you create your exclusive promoting proposition (USP). A USP is your quantity a single important differentiator that makes people want to do enterprise with you instead of your levels of competition.

two. What Is Your Prepare? The following step is to develop a plan based mostly on the many distinct approaches you can marketplace your enterprise to your goal audience. A tiny enterprise marketing and advertising manual assists with:Defining and prioritizing marketing and advertising methods and tools: Web sites and weblogs, report marketing, immediate marketing and advertising (print and electronic mail), marketing supplies, media publicity, social and in-particular person networking, shopper events, and trade displays are a number of of the numerous ways a little business advertising guide will show you how to market your organization. Your sort of company, goods/companies, target market place, and other essential variables will determine which of these pursuits will be most effective.Creating a advertising and marketing program/calendar: Immediately after you outline the very best methods for your enterprise, it is time to produce a simple marketing and advertising strategy describing when and how you will execute your methods each and every thirty day period. A modest enterprise marketing and advertising information gives examples of advertising plans and how to use your marketing and advertising calendar to ensure you consistently market your company to your goal market.

three. Who Will Support Apply Your Ideas? As soon as you have developed your advertising strategy and techniques, you may want to evaluate what you can do by yourself and what means you may require to aid you with:Getting started out: In addition to utilizing your small business advertising information, you could want to hire a little organization advertising and marketing coach to aid you obtain clarity in all places of your organization. You also want to pay near attention to your branding, which is basically the experience of your enterprise. Unless you happen to be a designer by trade, employ an expert to develop your business identity, brand, company card, and letterhead.Gathering the proper assets: In addition to graphic design providers, there might be several other locations of your business that could advantage from a professional so you can target on your core organization. A little business marketing manual will provide numerous recommendations for specialist services, including World wide web design and style, copywriting, Web marketing and advertising, email marketing and advertising, photography, printing, video clip manufacturing, and a lot far more.

Are you an entrepreneur? Want to see how a tiny organization advertising and marketing manual can support you start and expand your enterprise? Pay a visit to www.MyPRTools.com or phone 310.546.2926 to find out more.

About the Writer

Chris Woodward is the founder of My PR Equipment. She has put in more than two many years making effective marketing and advertising and public relations campaigns for firms throughout the Western United States. My PR Equipment delivers the rewards of Chris Woodward?s expertise to those who are not in the marketing and PR fields. Her step-by-step advertising and marketing and PR guides and individualized coaching packages are the culmination of her several years of experience in the industry. Visit http://www.MyPRTools.com or contact 310.546.2926.

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How to determine the best time to remodel a home | Palatin ...

Spring has sprung all over the country and news websites, social media and even your neighbors are talking about the best time to remodel or start improvement projects for the house. It?s easy to get caught up in the mix, especially after hearing about the great additions your friends have planned and seeing photos of dream kitchens on Facebook and Pinterest, but think twice before jumping on the bandwagon without doing any planning. It?s true that spring and summer are the most popular times to remodel, renovate or upgrade the inside or outside of your home, and for obvious reasons, but keep in mind that it might add on some frustrations to do the same thing everyone else is at the same exact time. No matter when you decide to begin your remodel or renovation, planning it out well in advance will help you tremendously. This includes gathering materials, finalizing the design, speaking with a contractor and setting realistic goals for your project.

What to know about spring home remodeling

First, the benefits of remodeling in spring or summer are often too great to ignore. The weather is cooperative, days are longer, families are more likely to have a vacation planned that will get them out of the way of the contractor, there aren?t kids? school schedules or homework disruptions to worry about, and perhaps most influential of all, there are plenty of information sources on the internet during this time period. An addition won?t have wood rot or mildew issues and most projects should be able to be completed more quickly because of the longer daylight hours, not to mention the warm sunny days make working on the house more pleasant.

However, if you?re just now starting to think about bathroom remodeling, kitchen renovations or even more basic home improvement tasks you might already be behind the game. More often than not, everyone else in your area is thinking the same thing as you, but they?ve already gathered their materials in the winter when prices were lower and have secured their contractors, leaving you scrambling for back ordered hardware and dealing with designers who are squeezing you in. Very few remodeling contractors and designers will turn away a job, even if they really do not have the time or manpower for it, which means planning any sort of project during the busy season means your project might get pushed back, the manager might make a mistake or you just might not get the same level of care and attention you would during the slow season.

Always plan your remodel in detail

The biggest danger for beginning a remodel without planning is ending up with a finished product you simply don?t like or even just one aspect that you wish you could go back and change. No matter how big or small your remodeling or renovation project, every homeowner wants to love the final look and this requires a good amount of planning before buying materials and signing a contract. Try to resist the urge to get swept up into spring time home remodeling without this crucial step or you?ll wind up spending several thousand dollars on something you can?t wait to change. Also, not planning properly will make it more likely that you?ll overspend on your project, paying extra for in-demand materials, getting stuck with a less than desirable interest rate and dealing with costly delays during the rush season. If you can plan far enough in advance for a spring or summer remodel, great job! Otherwise it?s probably best to wait until the slow season begins to get the most for your home.

The good news is that if you?ve just now caught the spring time home remodeling bug you should have your planning stages just about done by the time the busy season is ending, when the days are still long and warm enough but when contractors are more readily available and material prices have started to drop again. Use the spring and summer to read home remodeling articles and talk to your friends and neighbors who are currently in the process to gain valuable insights on everything from which materials work best in each room and which contractors are reliable. By early fall, especially here in Southern California when fall days are usually just as nice as summer days, you?ll be ready to begin your project and still have it finished before the first rains and cold days set in. Contractors and designers will be more than happy to plan with you during the spring and summer and take on your project once their other jobs are completed, giving you the care and dedication your home deserves.

Lindsay Mineo ?(38 Posts)

Lindsay writes about and focuses on home remodeling in order to enlighten those interested in home improvement. Topics include kitchen remodeling, bath remodeling, room additions, roofing, painting and more. Follow her on Google+.

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User:YayudiDefixe - Wikidiom

From Wikidiom

If you are organizing to get a Norfolk terrier pet dog, here are some factors you really should know:

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Ideally, a Norfolk terrier pet dog must be kept in a spot with a insurance auto fenced yard so that it can have a significant space to romp about. This is since of the reality that Norfolk terrier pet dogs thrive on activity. Boredom for this breed generally leads to destruction so you ought to attempt to maintain it occupied.

The best top quality that a Norfolk terrier pet dog exhibits is the ability to get along with other pets. They also love kids. This implies that youngsters will have a lot of fun with a Norfolk terrier pet dog. You must be careful nonetheless, as Norfolk terrier pet dogs might perceive smaller sized animals as prey.

One particular factor that may possibly be admired in a Norfolk terrier pet dog is the fact that although it is not aggressive, it is typically a courageous breed. Simply because of this, a Norfolk terrier pet dog can make an outstanding watchdog. An additional factor that contributes to this is the truth that a Norfolk terrier pet dog is normally really alert and will bark right away to alert the family.

Prior to you get a Norfolk terrier pet dog, you need to have to make sure that you collect as considerably information as possible. By understanding the various aspects of the Norfolk terrier pet dog, you will make confident that you have the potential to care for one particular.

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Ideas On How To Get Free Domain Name Registration On The Web ...

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Source: http://www.articlemuseum.com/ideas-on-how-to-get-free-domain-name-registration-on-the-web.htm

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Cheap Searching Through Web Auctions Site ? Article Directory ...

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Lawrence D. Elliott: Trayvon Martin: Not a Symbol for Vigilante Justice

It's been over four hundred years since the first African slaves landed on the shores of what is now North America. Together, they walked into what would eventually be generations of slavery.

Today, African Americans are still connected by chains. They're not made of iron, as our ancestors wore. They're stronger. Their strength comes from another's experience with someone who looked like me, yet wasn't.

I realized this at an early age. It can be frustrating, sometimes amusing, but often dangerous. I've walked into stores and could immediately feel scrutinizing eyes upon me.

I've entered elevators where white women have clutched their purses tightly to their bodies.

One evening, a friend and I were stopped by police in El Cajon, Calif., for purse snatching. It appeared we fit the description of the suspects perfectly: two black males, "one taller that the other."

As a 16-year-old, I dashed out of a store with a bag of candy. I was stopped at gunpoint by two police officers in San Diego. It didn't matter that no one had been robbed. Black boys aren't supposed to run out of stores. For many, it's an instant sign a crime was committed.

By now we've all heard the story of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old black boy shot in Sanford, Fla. This kid was scrutinized for walking through a gated community by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch "captain". He was targeted because he looked like others who had committed crimes before. And to learn that this young boy lost his life made me ill. I know the facts are still coming in and we need to learn more, but what I do know makes me angry.

And I'm not the only one. Not only did the family fight for justice for their son, but many people of all cultures, races, and political affiliations have voiced their outrage, too. After the Sanford Police Department did a quickie investigation and covered it in secrecy, the attention was kept on the case. Now, Federal and State of Florida investigators have taken over.

And social media was a strong ally as people launched protests, signed online petitions, and spread the word about this horrible event. In short, people got involved and made things happen.

Even President Obama commented on the tragedy with his usual calm demeanor.

"If I had a son," he said, "he'd look like Trayvon."

But not everyone wants to act right. The so-called New Black Panther Party has taken upon itself to offer a $10,000 reward for the "capture" of George Zimmerman. The leader, known as Minister Mikhail Muhammad, spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper on his AC360 program.

"We can make a citizen's arrest when the U. S. Government won't do they job," he said. "According to the constitution, we have that right."

When Mr. Cooper challenged his knowledge of the constitution, he went on a wild racial rant. It was unbelievable. I'd never even heard of this group before, but this guy professes to speak for all black people, including the family of Trayvon Martin. Well, they don't speak for me and Trayvon Martin's family has denounced their reward offer.

In my opinion, the word "reward" is misleading. This is nothing more than vigilante justice. And, as we have seen in history, anytime overzealous citizens recklessly take the law into their own hands, it has led to deadly results. So, it's not really a reward, It a bounty. In my opinion, this group knows exactly what it's doing.

I'd like to make a plea to anyone who feels the immediate gratification of earning quick cash from committing such an act would be... well... rewarding. It won't, so please don't. This is especially to those who are black like me. Whatever you do, it will reflect on your entire community. Writing this is sad, but true nonetheless.

This is not to say George Zimmerman has earned my sympathy. He hasn't. There is something more important than him. If the only justice Trayvon Martin's family can receive is the street kind, then the image of justice in America will have been greatly tarnished. Justice in our country is supposed to be delivered at the end of a legal trial from a jury of one's peers, not at the end of a vigilante's gun.

I know I haven't lost a son, so this is easy for me to say. Nevertheless, we all need to have patience and let the law enforcement agencies complete their investigation. It doesn't mean that the world should take their eyes off of them. On the contrary, the authorities need to be reminded that this time they're being watched. But let them deliver the real justice Trayvon Martin and his family so richly deserve.

Because what someone does today will reflect on all of us tomorrow.

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-d-elliott/post_3172_b_1385245.html

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OWN viewers up as Oprah's added presence pays off

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/own-viewers-oprahs-added-presence-pays-off-223519037.html

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Some. Times. In. Our Lives?Coaches [Video]

We all need friends? We all need..

Coaches?

So my amazing friend?shared this incredible video with me yesterday. ?She happened on it via the Instructional Coach Chat Wiki as we continue on our shared quest to learn more about best practices in education.

If I lost you there? come back to me? this video is ah-may-zing.

Imagine a fantastically talented young singer charged with performing our National Anthem if front of hundreds and hundreds of people at a basketball game.

A little bit intimidating right?

She starts, she sings?it?s beautiful?

Then? Two stanzas in, it all starts to go horribly horribly wrong.

The lyrics get messed up and she chokes.?She stops altogether. Her confidence is completely rattled.

From the sidelines enters one of the basketball coaches.
He walks up to her puts his arm around her and helps her find the words to get back on track.
She sings?
She gains confidence.
She belts out our national anthem and the crowd joins in on her heartfelt rendition.

It?s amazing.

Go watch it. Now. I?ll wait?

Find more videos like this on The Big Four

Right?!?

What an amazing example of the importance of coaches! Of why, no matter how amazing our talent (and this girl has some serious pipes!) we all can use some coaching.

Today, we were talking about this in the context of the people that spend more time on a daily basis with my kids than I do. Their teachers.

We?ve heard from them how having coaches and professional development feedback loops in their workplace is the standard of excellence and best practice. ?My kids? teachers (on top of everything else they do) are still on a quest for self-improvement -and to me, that makes them my heroes.

Such a great idea right? Coaches. For teachers. Because no matter how awesome we are (and my kids? teachers ARE awesome) we all would love to have a coach in our corner like the one in this video.

Come to think of it, I could use one of these as a parent sometimes?

What did you think of the video? Does your school use coaches??

Tagged as: coaches, education, video

Source: http://www.periwinklepapillon.com/2012/03/29/some-times-in-our-lives-coaches-video/

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UNDERSTAND TENANT LAW AND PROTECT YOURSELF | Boston ...

UNDERSTAND TENANT LAW AND PROTECT YOURSELF

A while back I found myself in a very unfortunate legal situation. Although it cost me some money, the knowledge and experience I gathered because of it was priceless. If I can?t get the money back, the next best thing for me is to have the ability to educate others, so that they aren?t put into a similar compromising legal situation.

This article is lengthy, but for good reason. There is A LOT you need to know as a tenant. Throughout, I?m going to tell my own legal story, as well as outline some of the important legal jargon that you need to be aware of, so that you can know what your liabilities are. I want to stress that I am not a lawyer and if you do need legal advice, you should contact a legal professional. What I?m about to outline is more for preventive purposes, so that you can hopefully avoid the costs, stress and time lost that I incurred.

JOINT AND SEVERAL LIABILITY:?The state of Massachusetts recognizes joint and several liability, meaning that both tenants are responsible for the entire contract. So if your roommate punches the wall, you are equally as responsible for that damage. If one tenant has no assets, for which to compensate the landlord, the landlord can attempt to collect the entire amount from the other tenant.

In my situation, my roommate?s checks bounced month after month. Our joint and several contract gave the landlord the right to seek legal compensation from either of us, indiscriminately. Therefore, the most logical thing for the landlord to do was to first go after the person that has been consistently paying on time. Unfortunately, I was that person.

You really want to make sure you know and trust your roommate, because you are responsible for all and everything they do. If your roommate does not pay his/her half of the rent, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEBT. The law doesn?t look at ?fairness? they look at the signed contractual agreement. If you signed to be an equally responsible party (AKA joint and Several), you have agreed to pay for all the damages and debt accrued under this contract, even if you did not directly create them.

AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT CLAUSE:?If the tenant does not give written notice of lease termination on the specified deadline determined by the landlord, this clause in the lease allows the landlord to ?self-extend? the lease.

It?s very important to take note of this clause and to set a reminder to terminate the lease, or renew prior to the deadline. The landlord will send you a notice, but be preemptive and put it on your calendar. You cannot trust that someone is going to do their job correctly and although you can prove to the judge that they didn?t give proper notice, it would be much better for you to avoid court entirely.

If you do forget to put in your renewal/termination letter and you are responsible for the automatic enrollment, you need to check your lease, but most are on a Tenancy at Will bases. This means that you are only responsible for 30 to 60 more days. Do be sure to put in your termination IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait until the end of the 30 days. That way you can minimize the extra costs incurred.

In my case, the landlord asked for a written notice of lease termination 60-days prior to the end of the lease date. I was fully aware of this clause and because of my roommates struggling financial situation, I knew that I did not want to renew my lease for another year. My roommate, on the other hand, did not want to leave and refused to sign the notice to vacate (why would she? Considering she was living for free!). I, however, put in my Notice to Vacate (NTV), which simply stated:

?I, Andrea McDonough, will be vacating the premises on the end of the lease date, April 30th.?

I signed, dated and handed the letter into the management office, prior to the 60 days deadline.

Now this is where you will really understand why I stress that YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, because not all landlords are the same. Most landlords are good, but some will try to take advantage of your ignorance of the law. My landlord?s lawyer rejected my NTV, on the premises that I was joint and severally liable, therefore they claimed that both parties on the lease must sign the notice to vacate, or our lease would automatically enroll into a month-to-month contract. This is an inaccurate interpretation of Joint and Several.

In my lease the Joint and Several clause thoroughly stated that

?Any notice from one party, including notices to vacate, is considered notices from all parties?.

This is why it?s so important to read your lease! Now, either the lawyer?s didn?t read their own lease, or they were hoping that I wouldn?t read the lease, because the writing is extremely clear: the action of one is the action of both, not the inaction of one is the action of both. That doesn?t make any sense. The lawyers were instructed to keep me in the lease and that?s what they were trying to do. Can?t hold it against them for doing their job.

I knew this logic would never hold up in court. So, to be doubly sure, I sent another copy of the NTV via certified mail and also emailed the management and legal council a scanned copy. It?s very important to have a thorough paper trail, because if they did attempt to come back with this in court, I could prove that I gave ample notice on several occasions, in several forms, prior to the 60-day deadline.

I thought I was completely out of the weeds, considering I paid my 12 months worth of rent in full. So, I packed my bags and I was out of there!

Unfortunately the fun was just starting. After ending my lease on April 3oth, I received a letter from a creditor, in August, claiming I owed my landlord over $3,000. There was no specification of what the money was owed for, or why I wasn?t made aware of these charges prior to a creditor letter.

These letters tend to be very intimidating and threaten to bring your debt to the credit bureau, which can completely ruin your credit history. This is the exact reason why most landlords go straight to a creditor.

Typically they know that whatever they are claiming won?t hold up in court and that the letters scare people so much, they end up paying the debt. It?s a win/win for the landlord. They avoid hefty lawyers fees and get paid in full (minus the creditors cut). This is again, where you need to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS under the Consumer Protection Acts (CPA).

HANDLING A CREDITOR: In my situation, in order to refute the claim and immobilize creditor from going to the credit bureau, I needed to respond in writing within 30 days from receiving the letter. You can view my letter by click on CREDITOR LETTER. Again, I would advise you get the assistance of a lawyer. This is only for reference.

Fortunately, the creditor dropped the claim immediately. My credit wasn?t touched and they stopped calling and sending letters. Creditors have very limited powers when collecting money. As the consumer, you have the upper hand, so if you do find yourself in a situation with a creditor calling you, immediately review your Consumer Protection rights and send a written letter within 30 days. The creditor only has 5 days to send a letter back with the information you?ve requested. If they do not, they legally cannot contact you ever again.

SECURITY DEPOSIT: Throughout this time, I still had not received my security deposit back. It was clear they were holding the security deposit hostage. Without written notice as to why and what the security deposit was being held for (which is illegal). At the 30-days post lease termination deadline, I put in my first Demand Letter, which is firm request to release the security funds.

It?s very important to review your security deposit rights, as Massachusetts law clearly defines how your security deposit should be handled and the paperwork required throughout the lease term and post lease term. I will not be getting into the details of this side of the law, but you can review the details and get sample demand letters at this link:

SECURITY DEPOSIT LAW

After 8 months of waiting on my security deposit and two demand letters requesting the release of my funds, I decided to take my landlord to court to retrieve it, as that is the only legal repercussion provided, in order to seek compensation.

I filed a lawsuit in small claims seeking damages for the unlawful withholding of my security deposit. You want to make sure you have the proper documentation (or providing evidence of the lack of documentation from the landlord) in order to prove your landlord was in violation of Chapter 93A of the Consumer Protection Act.

The day before the trial at 4pm, the landlord?s lawyers file a counterclaim and counter-suit against me with 40 pages worth of defenses against my security deposit claim and a counter claim seeking $3,000 as compensation. (This is what I get for going up against a team of lawyers!)

Now here?s the twist to the story. One that I had no idea was coming:

The landlord had claimed that my roommate had illegally been occupying the premises after the lease termination (April 30th), until July! He was seeking compensation for what is called a ?holdover? of the premises for those two months.

THE HOLDOVER CLAUSE: If you review your lease you?ll see a clause that mentions ?Failure to Vacate After Notice?, which essentially means, you?re lease is up, but you never moved out. That is considered a holdover and the landlord will hold you liable for the actual and consequential damages incurred during your extended stay.

In my case, my landlord?s counterclaim of a holdover was a clear contradiction of his initial argument. He was basically now agreeing that I was within my legal rights to terminate the lease unilaterally. Now that we agreed that the lease ended on April 30^th, my roommate?s decision to remain on the premises an extra two months following put me in direct violation of a holdover. Unfortunately for me, this meant that I could be liable for the $3,000 incurred during her illegal stay.

I stayed up all night reviewing the law and understanding the procedure necessary to claim a Tenancy in Sufferance**.? During the holdover period, while the property is occupied as a tenancy in sufferance, the landlord can keep the meter running on the bill and sue you for it later.

But, it?s not that simple. There are specific procedures the landlord must follow in order to claim a tenancy in sufferance, versus the standard tenancy at will**. I again would like to reiterate that I am not a lawyer, but through my own suit, these are the counter defenses I used to protect myself.

DECIPHERING BETWEEN A TENANCY AT WILL VERSUS A TENANCY IN SUFFERANCE:?This was a clever move on my landlord?s part, however, they forgot to tie up some lose ends. First, in order to claim a tenancy in sufferance, the landlord must immediately serve a Notice to Quit (NTQ). A NTQ is a formal letter written and signed by the landlord, giving the tenant notice of lease termination. In order for a holdover to take place, this must happen the day after the lease termination date. In my case, the landlord should have given this letter to my roommate on May 1st.

Instead, the landlord allowed my roommate to occupy the premises and they continued to accept payment. Unfortunately for the landlord, this didn?t work out so well (as he should have known from past grievances), because like usual, the checks started bouncing. After the first couple of checks bounced, they decided to give my roommate a notice to Evict.

Their of argument of a TIS didn?t add up for a couple of reasons:

1.) As a TAW, the landlord must give the tenant notice to evict, however, as a TIS the landlord does not need to give the tenant notice of eviction. The landlord can go to court and order an eviction hearing without the tenant?s prior notice. They claimed to give my roommate a 14-day notice of eviction, which indicates a TAW relationship.

2.) In order for a holdover to be substantive enough for legal compensation, they need to prove a Notice to quit was served immediately and signed by the tenant. Also, with any rent paid, the landlord must give the tenant a receipt that states ?for use and occupancy only? which reserves their right to claim the tenant as a tenancy in sufferance. My landlord didn?t have proof of any receipts, nor any copies of checks with the ?U&O? on it.

If the landlord accepts payment and cashes a check (even if the check bounces) and does not provide the ?use and occupancy only? receipt, they have orally agreed on a new contract of Tenancy at will.

These two major items supported my claim that my landlord and former roommate verbally agreed that the prior lease was terminated on April 30th and a new lease was created between the two parties, as a tenancy at will.

Thankfully the courts resided in my favor. I got my security deposit back and I was not held liable for the months after April 30th. Although I was still held responsible for ?the bounced checks prior to April 30^th. ?I was spared the thousands of other dollars that I could have been held liable for, had I not done my homework.

I would like to end my story with highlighting that I do not think my landlord was in the wrong for attempting to get the money that was owed to him. Landlords bare a huge financial risk, allowing people to stay in their property, in the hopes that their tenants pay the rent in the amount and on the date contractually agreed upon. It is not easy to be a landlord and when a tenant chooses to take advantage of their landlord, it?s not just and they deserve to seek legal compensation.

I hope my story was a helpful tool for you to protect yourself in the future. It?s imperative to know your rights and to take preventive measures. Pick good, responsible roommates. Make sure everyone on the lease has a strong financial background. Be smart and know your rights. You can find more information via this link: www.masslegalhelp.org

?

DEFINITIONS:

** Tenancy In Sufferance (TIS)- is a legal term used for a tenant that does not leave after the agreed upon lease termination date. Under the eyes of Massachusetts?s law, the tenant is not trespassing, as the tenant and landlord once had a legally binding contract; therefore, the tenant still has legal rights within the property. The tenant can still enforce the states sanitary code and can sue their landlord for negligence.

** Tenancy At Will (TAW)- is a legally binding contract if (a) there is a oral agreement to rent. An oral agreement can consist of the landlord accepting your payments monthly, or (b) there is a signed, written contract between the two parties.

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Source: http://bostonrealestateblog.bushari.com/understand-tenant-law-and-protect-yourself.htm

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Elusive long-fingered frog found after 62 years

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Herpetologists from the California Academy of Sciences and University of Texas at El Paso discovered a single specimen of the Bururi long-fingered frog (Cardioglossa cyaneospila) during a research expedition to Burundi in December 2011. The frog was last seen by scientists in 1949 and was feared to be extinct after decades of turmoil in the tiny East African nation.

For biologists studying the evolution and distribution of life in Africa, Burundi sits at an intriguing geographic crossroads since it borders the vast Congo River Basin, the Great Rift Valley, and the world's second largest freshwater lake, Lake Tanganyika. Many of the species in its high-elevation forests may be closely related to plants and animals found in Cameroon's mountains, suggesting that at some point in the past, a cooler climate may have allowed the forests to become contiguous.

Previous knowledge of Burundi's wildlife came from scientific surveys conducted in the mid-20th century, when the nation was under Belgian administration. But its history since then has been one of political unrest, population growth, and habitat loss. Today, approximately 10 million people occupy an area the size of Massachusetts, giving Burundi one of the highest population densities in Africa.

Academy curator David Blackburn joined his colleague Eli Greenbaum, professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, on the 2011 expedition with the goal of finding Cardioglossa cyaneospila, as well as other amphibians and reptiles first described 60 years ago. To their pleasant surprise, the habitats of the Bururi Forest Reserve in the southwest part of the country were still relatively intact, with populations of rare forest birds and chimpanzees present.

With little knowledge to go on except a hunch that C. cyaneospila would make a call like its possible close relatives in Cameroon, Blackburn finally found a single specimen on his fifth night in the forest.

"I thought I heard the call and walked toward it, then waited," said Blackburn. "In a tremendous stroke of luck, I casually moved aside some grass and the frog was just sitting there on a log. I heard multiple calls over the next few nights, indicating a healthy population of the species, but I was only able to find this one specimen."

The Bururi long-fingered frog is about 1.5 inches long, with a black and bluish-gray coloration. The males are notable for one extra-long finger on each foot, analogous to the "ring finger" in humans, whose purpose is unknown. Its closest relatives live in the mountains of Cameroon, more than 1,400 miles away.

The lone specimen collected, which now resides in the Academy's herpetology collection, can be used for DNA studies to determine how long the Cardioglossa species from Burundi and Cameroon have been genetically isolated from one another. The results will shed light on Africa's historical climate conditions, a topic that has far-reaching implications for understanding the evolution of life in the continent that gave rise to our own species.

In addition to locating the Bururi long-fingered frog, Blackburn and Greenbaum also documented dozens of other amphibians in Burundi, many of which had never before been recorded in the country. The team also discovered some species that may be new to science.

"Eventually, we will use the data from our expedition to update the IUCN conservation assessment for amphibians of Burundi," said Greenbaum. "Because Burundi is poorly explored, we've probably doubled the number of amphibian species known from the country. Once we demonstrate that Burundi contains rare and endemic species, we can work with the local community to make a strong case for preserving their remaining natural habitats."

###

California Academy of Sciences: http://www.calacademy.org

Thanks to California Academy of Sciences for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 24 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/118753/Elusive_long_fingered_frog_found_after____years

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Video: George Zimmerman's Friend Joe Oliver Grilled on 'The Last Word' (Little green footballs)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/209671690?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Paid Surveys Online Is an excellent Strategy to Help to make Money ...

This particular aspect of paid surveys may be widely discussed, evidence of what are numerous on the internet accounts along with e-books dealing with the particular lucrative on the web market regarding paid questionnaire jobs. Customer feedback use is the factor frequently disregarded. It goes regarding one on one responses as well as research, and ultizing these people for online business advancement, marketing as well as growth.

Thinking Paid survey programs online To further improve Internet business
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Shoppers could earn lots of money via internet surveys. Everybody knows in which. Accounts of success on the issue are well-documented. Even so, these kinds of paid survey programs have got one more effective objective: they are competent at producing extremely focused buyer feedback regarding online marketers and firms online. No matter whether you happen to be an internet keep operator, handle in eBay or perhaps advertise another person?s products, internet surveys can help with your company.

You must understand customer comments part of studies to understand the rewards it makes. It should use learning the review characteristics for the corporation or even company. This enables you to begin to see the part customer feedback plays.

When you are right now there within the trenches of the enterprise, you often lose sight of the product. It can be direct exposure, staying way too close additionally some other emotional factors. You commence looking at the product or service in another way coming from a standard customer. Even if this reduces your capability to present feedback with a organization you own, additionally, it liberates you to build unique info as well as viewpoint pertaining to organizations necessitating comments.

To be able to analyze opinions made with the two sides lets you comprehend much more completely the machine as well as troubles. Few World wide web employees may disclose on the exact same. This particular special ability divides from all of those other pack. There is now the opportunity for advertising on your own while someone having an incredible potential. You can use this talent with regard to offering the services you provide with businesses requiring survey takers or for a web business you own. Tap into this particular expertise to drum upward important requirement for your self as well as boost on the internet revenue via information and comments.

Surveys depend among those comments types in which possibly supply fantastic benefit or maybe squander period. The actual attractiveness of your paid survey simply displays by itself whenever you will find there?s remarkably precise group that is able to give dependable crucial feedback. The right concerns provides helpful insight therefore make sure to select wisely. Inside picking an unacceptable list of inquiries, you end up throwing away money and time to advertise items that aren?t actually enhanced properly.

Paid Surveys Online

Source: http://dominbenito.com/2012/03/28/paid-surveys-online-is-an-excellent-strategy-to-help-to-make-money/

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FTC seeks law to shed more light on data brokers

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Federal Trade Commission is calling for a new law that would allow people to review the vast amounts of information being collected about them as the Internet, smartphones and other technology make it easier to create digital dossiers of just about anyone's life.

The proposal, outlined in an online privacy report released this week, is an unusually tough one from a consumer protection agency that prefers to coax companies into adopting voluntary principles. It comes a month after the Obama administration issued a proposed "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" and urged technology companies, consumer groups and others to work together on developing more safeguards.

As part of a 57-page report that also touched on other topics, the FTC said Congress needs to impose more controls over so-called "data brokers" that profit from the collection and sale of files containing sensitive information that can affect people's ability to get a job or find a place to live. These data brokers range from publicly traded companies such as Acxiom Corp. to a hodgepodge of small, regional services that may only have two or three employees.

"Consumers are often unaware of the existence of these entities, as well as the purposes for which they collect and use data," Monday's report said

An investigation by The Associated Press last year found that data brokers often store incorrect or outdated information, including criminal records. In some cases, people are denied jobs because data brokers incorrectly report them as convicted felons. Widespread complaints about inaccurate records triggered a class-action lawsuit that culminated in one database company, HireRight Solutions Inc., to settle the case for $28.4 million last year.

The FTC is pushing for a law that would let consumers see their files and dispute personal data held by information brokers. It would be similar to current federal laws that guarantee consumers free access to their credit reports once a year.

"We would be happy to engage in a dialogue about what should be included in a law and what shouldn't be," said Jennifer Barrett Glasgow, Acxiom's chief privacy officer. She predicted it could take at least three years to get a law approved. It took years of political haggling before the Fair Credit Reporting Act was amended in 2003 to include free annual access to credit reports.

The FTC is recommending that Congress base a data-broker law on a bill that was passed by the House in 2009, but died in the Senate. The FTC is also trying to persuade data brokers to create a centralized website where they identify themselves and disclose how they handle consumer information.

By focusing on data brokers, the commission is opening "an important new front in the battle to protect consumer privacy," said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a privacy rights group. "Today, consumers face an ever growing and largely invisible data apparatus that collects and pools their information."

The FTC's report also addressed the need for Web browsers and other key Internet services to offer simpler ways for consumers to prevent their online activities from being tracked and stored. That echoes a recommendation that the FTC first made in late 2010.

Although it has been gaining momentum, "Do Not Track" faces resistance because it threatens to undercut the growth of Internet advertising, which has become a more popular marketing vehicle as websites learn more about their visitors' specific interests.

Nevertheless, the major Web browsers made by Microsoft Corp. Google Inc., Apple Inc. and the Mozilla Foundation have been working on features that enable users to block tracking. That still hasn't prevented some Internet companies, including Google, from coming up ways to get around the blocking features built into some browsers. Google says its recently detected bypass of the privacy settings in Apple's Safari browser was inadvertent.

If the Internet industry doesn't voluntarily offer effective anti-tracking tools, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz has indicated the agency will urge Congress to pass a law to address that privacy issue, too.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-03-27-US-TEC-FTC-Data-Brokers/id-c8b821bf479f4cbd8e501a6505a82802

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The several Solutions of Limo Services in L.A. ? The Pro Articles

There is no bigger statement about ones personality, taste, and style that can be produced by riding a limo in L.A. For all the people with big names in the city, like superstars, VIPs, and even top city authorities, there is no other place to go to for renting their limos than the limo services in L.A. But times are changing, now. In this globalized world made flat, when everything is made more and more accessible to consumers, the glitz and glam of celebrity lifestyles and partying in a limo is no longer an unreachable celebrity. Various limo services in L.A. are able to customize their services to their customers without pinching the wallet. When is the next time you will be on the road? Take a look at what kind of package offered by limo services in L.A. is the best for you.

Style and Class Created Simple
The Luxury Sedan Limo is your ticket to the high-end world of the stars. For the tourist who wants to get around the bustling L.A city in style and relieve, this is his ideal car. A four to five-seater with leather upholstering and many other interesting features, this is the most basic as well as swanky limo you can get in the limo services in L.A.

The Classic Limousine
Obama of the United States, Hollywood movie stars, Ritchie Rich ? these are the names of people who ride in the classic Stretch Limo, a premier product of limo service in L.A. This seats around 6-12 persons depending on the make and model. For wedding receptions, graduations, proms, debuts and other events, this is the car to create, among the limos of limo services in L.A., to really impress guests and, at the same time, have a luxurious time on the highway.

Making a Statement
There is no bigger way to make a statement within L.A. than by renting the Sports utility vehicle Stretch Limo of one of the limo providers in L.A With its unbelievable seats capacity of around 15 to 20, passengers of this limo will have a blast whether it be for a birthday party, a bachelor party, or any big-time event.

A Blast from the Past
Limo services in L.A. offer the opportunity to bring out the old soul within you through the Vintage Limo encounter. The biggest stars of the films often would be chauffeured in these modish automobiles during their premieres, and for your wedding, red-colored carpet event, or anniversary, you can experience the same! The Vintage Limo seating only 2 passengers is the most novel of all the types of limo services in L.A.

Party Rockin in the House
Limo services in L.A. have a limo for each event, including your next big celebration! With more than 20 seats, the actual Party Bus Limo is one of the greatest limos provided by limo services in L.A. and is the easiest method to entertain guests. The Celebration Bus Limo is ideal for transporting guests to and from different places while still keeping the celebration going.

Los Angeles limo service

? 2012 The Pro Articles

Source: http://www.theproarticles.com/several-solutions-limo-services-la/

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Source: http://www.wirtualnamapa.com/ji91537fe/blog/make-the-most-of-the-versatile-desktop-video-conference/

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Understanding the Real Story of Your Business on the Web ...

Become a Certified Internet Marketing Professional at the Internet Marketing University of Canada

by Mike Fleming

In the early days of the Web, all interaction with a business online
happened in one place ? on their website.? Businesses would create
content, put it on their site, and followers would come to the site and
consume the new content.? Measuring success was rather easy at that
point.? You simply tagged your site and one analytics tool would collect
all of your data for analysis.? Of course, we know this has all
changed.

Now, a business creates content and it gets published and
consumed in multiple places.? This fundamental shift in how the web
experience works brings with it a challenge in measuring success.?
When content is published and consumed offsite, the data is not
collected by your analytics tool.? Therefore, looking at visitors and
page views of your content no longer gives you the real story of your
success or lack thereof.

At this point, the Web analytics industry
is still evolving in regard to the challenge of collecting accurate
data about what happens on the Web.? Piecing together a story requires
multiple sources of data, as no one tool covers all of the needed
bases.? Not only that, but the way that the Web now experiences your
content requires different metrics to really understand how successful
you are.

I?m going to present to you what I?ll call ?metric
categories? that will help you to change your paradigm about what
success is on the Web and, therefore, help you to better analyze it.?
These categories will give you a sense of the types of metrics that you
should be looking through to identify the critical few that will help you grow your online presence.

1. Production ? am I worthy of customers?

If
you aren?t consistently creating killer content that is valuable to
your target audience, you are not worthy of success.? For a blog,
metrics like posts per week and words per post are great for monitoring
your end of the bargain in your online relationships.

2. Conversation ? how are my relationships developing?

Are
you interacting with your audience?? Are you getting comments on your
blog, reviews on your products, replies to your tweets, etc.?? Are the
comments people leave in-depth?? Are you leaving comments and responding
to your audience???? Metrics like comments per post, replies sent per
day and replies received per day can gauge your success in having
conversation with your audience.

3. Attraction ? what content is most successful at gaining attention?

Instead
of just blindly pushing content out into the plethora of spaces that
now exist, how about analyzing what your audience likes and doesn?t like
based on what they decide to consume and how much they interact with
it.? Metrics like CTR of link tweets or % of users that complete a video
can show you how you?re doing at delivering your content to your
audience in a way that interests them.

4. Attention ? is my content creating loyal followers?

Beyond
just attracting an audience, you want to keep their attention.? Is the
content you?re producing valuable enough to keep them coming back for
more?? Metrics like subscribers (Email or RSS), followers, likes, visits
per visitor, visitor loyalty and visitor recency are great for
measuring if people are becoming your fans.

5. Amplification ? what content spreads the most?

One
of the true powers of the Web is, of course, is how easy it is for your
fans to become evangelists and create more fans for you.? Free
marketing is golden!? Therefore, you want to measure and analyze how
well your content is spread by your audience.? Metrics like retweets per
thousand followers, links to your site, and blog authority can tell you
how well your influence is spreading and leading to more fans.

?

6. Conversion ? what content and sources lead to the outcomes I desire?

Of
course, we can?t forget outcomes.? How good is the sweat equity you?re
pouring into all these online relationships at leading customers into
your sales funnel and/or closing sales (whatever is appropriate).?
Metrics like Conversion Rate and AdSense clicks (for blogs) can help you
measure the activity, sources and content that is getting the job done
in this area.

There they are?6 categories of metrics for a Web
2.0 world.? Remember, while all of these are great, you don?t need all
of them all the time.? What you need to do is combine these broad areas
with the information from one of my previous posts about focusing on a few metrics
that are really important for the health of your business right now.?
Then, you?ll be well on your way to using your time wisely on what will
provide impact for your business.

Be sure and visit our small business news site.

Become a Certified Internet Marketing Professional at the Internet Marketing University of Canada

By admin in In the News, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing on March 25, 2012

Source: http://imuniversity.ca/blog/internet-marketing/understanding-the-real-story-of-your-business-on-the-web/

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