What Business Owners Get Wrong When Looking for Capital ...

The life of a small-business owner or entrepreneur can be chaotic. We live from priority to priority, crisis to crisis. There are only 24 hours in a day and only so many hours to sleep. Believe it or not, I still haven?t changed the phone system in our office that I posted about months ago. I have given up on it for now, moved on to higher priorities. As owners, we concentrate on pleasing our customers and whatever urgent issues arise during the day, and we let other issues ? even important ones, sometimes ? take a back seat.

That?s why I?m sympathetic to business owners who are too caught up in the day-to-day crush to do a good job of looking for capital. Whether small-business owners are looking for debt or equity, and regardless of how far along they are in their business, the process can be exhausting. And while phone systems are fairly easily to replace, a mistake with a debt or equity round can be devastating,

The best advice that I think I can give anyone in the hunt for money is to get organized early, do your research, identify your targets for financing, and pursue them in a focused and methodical way. As small-business owners and entrepreneurs, we often try throwing as much as we can against the wall to see what sticks. But when it comes to looking for money, this approach can consume time and is unlikely to end happily. Still, I see it all of the time.

Imagine a biotechnology company that spends six months trying to pitch pretty much every Internet investor in the country. Or the owner of a start-up who networks only with lenders who require companies to be profitable and to have been in business for at least two years? Imagine a loan application submitted with financial statements that have fundamental mistakes in them or are months behind. Or consider a business plan to raise investment money that was too poorly written to be understood. I know it sounds silly, but again, I see these kinds of mistakes all of the time.

One of the biggest mistakes that we see is that owners try to raise too much money. They think about how much money they need for the next several years ? instead of what they need to make real progress this year. At this point, we often advise owners to go take a cold shower and call us in the morning. If you?re looking for a loan, you need sufficient collateral and cash flow to cover the debt.

The market for capital is inefficient, and in many cases results in gridlock for entrepreneurs, lenders, and investors. The smartest thing owners can do is to make sure they understand how the process works. You should figure out how much money you need and what the best loan or equity solution will be for you. Find an adviser or mentor you trust, one who has been around the block before. Understand what documents your lender or investor will demand, and make sure you have them together before you begin your search. Check your personal and business credit scores, and make sure they are in order.

Remember that when you?re speaking to a potential investor or lender, you?re entering a two-way partnership. They are investing or lending in order to make money. Just as they are interviewing you, you should do the same. How many investments have they made in the last year? If it?s a loan officer you?re talking to, how many loans have they made? What is their personal approval rate in the organization? Who will be making the final decision, and how much influence will they have?

I can?t speak for the investment community, but I can assure you that in the lending community there are thousands of loan officers sitting in bank branches across the country, wanting to keep busy so they can protect their jobs. The more applications that they have open at once, the busier they seem. Don?t put yourself, and your dreams, at their mercy. A properly structured loan or investment in your company can make all the difference to you and your future.

Ami Kassar founded MultiFunding, which is based near Philadelphia and helps small businesses find the right sources of financing for their companies.

Source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/what-business-owners-get-wrong-when-looking-for-capital/

keystone pipeline purim acc tournament big ten tournament big east tournament 2012 solar storm solar flares

Blue Jays' bats?bail out JJ in win over Yankees

By IAN HARRISON

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 5:41 p.m. ET April 21, 2013

TORONTO (AP) - Ivan Nova is struggling to be consistent, and he's not happy about it.

J.P. Arencibia hit a two-run homer, Melky Cabrera had three hits and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied for an 8-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday after Josh Johnson walked in the tying and go-ahead runs.

Nova saw his ERA rise from 5.59 to 6.14 after allowing four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.

"I still lack command, I'm not throwing strikes and that kind of makes me mad," Nova said. "I know I can do better than this and I'm not happy."

Seeking his first road win since beating Toronto last Aug. 11, Nova walked a season-high four and struck out five.

"I don't think he really got a feel for any pitch consistently," catcher Chris Stewart said. "One hitter it would be there, the next hitter it wouldn't."

Nova insisted his mechanics are fine but said he's still having difficulty repeating pitches, a problem he said has plagued him since the second half of last season.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi was more kind, saying deep counts hurt Nova more than hard-hit balls.

"The first four hits he gives up, only one of them is centered," Girardi said. "I thought he threw the ball OK, it was just the long counts that got him."

Arencibia hit his seventh homer, tying him with Baltimore's Chris Davis for the AL lead, as the Blue Jays avoided their first three-game sweep against New York since the opening series of the 2003 season.

"Maybe today is something that'll get us going," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Brett Cecil (1-0) worked 1 1-3 innings for the win as the Blue Jays capped a seven-game homestand on a winning note.

"We know what this team is capable of," Arencibia said. "We just have to continue to put at-bats together and when you have an opportunity, try to rally behind it."

Esmil Rogers worked 1 1-3 innings and Darren Oliver pitched the ninth for Toronto.

Stewart hit a solo homer for the Yankees, who had won nine of their previous 11.

"Our goal is to take every series and if you can do that, you're going to be in good shape come September," Girardi said. "It's not the way you want to leave but we won two out of three here."

Toronto opened the scoring in the first. Munenori Kawasaki reached on an infield single, went to third on Cabrera's base hit and scored on a throwing error by Eduardo Nunez as the Yankees failed to turn a double play.

Colby Rasmus hit a leadoff double in the second and later scored on Kawasaki's sacrifice fly, but the Yankees cut the gap in half on Stewart's leadoff homer in the third, his first.

A superb defensive play by Vernon Wells kept Toronto from adding to its lead in the fourth. Jose Bautista singled to open the inning and Edwin Encarnacion followed with a drive to deep left. But the former Blue Jays outfielder made a leaping catch at the top of the wall and Bautista, who had already made the turn at second, was doubled off first on a relay throw from Robinson Cano.

New York took the lead with two runs in the fifth, capitalizing on some wildness by Johnson. Singles by Stewart, Cano and Wells loaded the bases before Johnson issued consecutive two-out walks to Lyle Overbay and Nunez.

"It seems like it happens a couple of times a year where all of a sudden you can't find the zone for whatever reason," Johnson said.

The Yankees added one more in the sixth. Jayson Nix hit a leadoff single, went to second on a wild pitch and advanced on Stewart's sacrifice. Cecil replaced Johnson before Nix scored on Brett Gardner's sacrifice fly.

Johnson allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings to remain winless in four starts. He walked three and struck out four.

Toronto chased Nova and reclaimed the lead with a four-run sixth against a Yankees bullpen that has a 5.09 ERA. In contrast, New York's starters have a 3.44 ERA.

Adam Lind walked and Arencibia doubled, bringing Boone Logan (0-1) out of the bullpen. Rasmus scored Lind with a broken bat single to center and David Phelps replaced Logan, but gave up a two-run double to Brett Lawrie, whose liner down the third base line stayed fair by inches. Two outs later, Cabrera capped the rally with an RBI single to right.

Lind drew a one-out walk off Phelps in the seventh and Arencibia followed with a drive to center, his second homer of the series.

"They have guys up and down that lineup that can hurt you," Wells said. "They don't have to piece together single after single, they have guys who can leave the ballpark in a hurry."

NOTES: Twelve of Arencibia's 18 hits this season have been for extra bases. ... Lind matched a team record with four walks. It's the 16th time in Blue Jays history a player has walked four times in a game. ... Bautista returned to right field after two starts at DH. He missed four games last week with a sore back, and had not been expected to play the outfield again until Monday's game at Baltimore. ... Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller attended the game.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

Buck's seventh blast powers Mets past Nationals

NEW YORK (AP) - John Buck hit his seventh home run of the season, Dillon Gee earned his first win and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Sunday to take two of three games from the NL East champions.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51614574/ns/sports-baseball/

space shuttle nyc monkeypox nick perry 30 rock live nfl draft picks 2012 space shuttle enterprise ryan leaf

Trinidad James Loves Justin Timberlake Like He Loves Jesus!

'The Justin Timberlake spoof, that was pretty much the dopest one,' MC tells MTV News of the countless 'All Gold Everything' parodies.
By Rob Markman, with reporting Cortney Wills

Trinidad James
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706094/justin-timberlake-trinidad-james-music.jhtml

Beach Volleyball Olympics 2012 Jessica Ennis Aliya Mustafina Kirk Urso London 2012 Javelin roger federer Olga Korbut

'Devastating' quake strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, kills 20

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits near the port city of Bushehr, Iran, raising concerns about the safety of the nuclear power station located 11 miles south. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

By Alastair Jamieson and John Newland, NBC News

A magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck near Iran's only nuclear power station Tuesday, killing 20 people and injuring 500, according to one report, and generating tremors that were felt on the other side of the Persian Gulf.

The quake struck about 60 miles southeast of the city of Bushehr on Iran's south coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Initial reports suggested the city's nuclear plant had not been affected, but the southern province where the quake struck is vast and remote and details were not immediately clear.

Government news agency IRNA described the quake as "devastating" and reported that the 20 dead were in the villages of Shanbe and Tasouj. One hundred ambulances were being sent to the area from the capital Tehran, it said.

Earlier reports had the death toll at only three.

IRNA said Iran's Red Crescent Society had sent five assessment teams to the area to coordinate rescue operations, and that helicopters from Fars and Khuzestan provinces were airlifting supplies required by rescue teams.?

One Bushehr resident told Reuters by telephone that her home and her neighbors' homes shook but were not damaged.

"We could clearly feel the earthquake," said Nikoo, who asked to be identified only by her first name. "The windows and chandeliers all shook."

The quake was felt in Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain on the other side of the Persian Gulf, according to The Weather Channel.?Twitter users in Bahrain and Qatar said buildings there had been evacuated.

In a preliminary report, the USGS said the magnitude-6.3 quake struck at 6:52 a.m. ET at a depth of just under 8 miles.

The Iranian Seismological Center?at the University of Tehran put the magnitude at a lower 6.1 and said the epicenter was in Kaki, an inland town around 60 miles southeast of Bushehr.

A series of five aftershocks followed within an hour of the initial temblor, the strongest of which measured at a magnitude of 5.4, the USGS reported.

On?its website, the USGS estimated that?only about 3,000 people would have felt most violent shaking from the quake, and said another 80,000 live in areas that would have experienced strong tremors. In the region?s largest city, Shiraz, home to about 1.5 million people, the earthquake would have been felt as light shaking.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces his country "has gone nuclear" as Iran starts production at two uranium mines and a yellow-cake plant. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

The nuclear plant's operations were unaffected, an official with the Russian company that built the facility told Iran's RIA news agency, according to Reuters. "The earthquake in no way affected the normal situation at the reactor, personnel continue to work in the normal regime and radiation levels are fully within the norm,'' RIA quoted an official at Atomstroy as saying.

Iran insists its nuclear plant at Bushehr is for civilian purposes, but there is international concern that the regime may be building nuclear weapons.

Western experts and Gulf Arab countries have worried about the plant being in an area with such high seismic activity, but Iran has repeatedly maintained that it is safe.

Related:

'Gone nuclear': Iran ramps up uranium production

Diplomat: Iran, West 'a long way apart'

Full Iran coverage from NBC News

?

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 9, 2013 8:52 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a8495a0/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C0A90C17670A3710Edevastating0Equake0Estrikes0Enear0Eirans0Ebushehr0Enuclear0Eplant0Ekills0E20A0Dlite/story01.htm

vincent jackson vicki gunvalson pierre garcon brown recluse spider wiz khalifa taylor allderdice eddie royal iditarod

PlayStation Vita's firmware update 2.10 adding folders, enhanced video playback

Tired of all those messy icons cluttering up your PlayStation Vita's home screen? Sony's providing a solution in its next update, firmware version 2.10, which enables folders of up to 10 items to be organized on the screen. That means you could potentially take those 100 max applications allowed and stuff them all into folders on the home screen, effectively condensing your various home screens from 10 to one. The rest of the update isn't so thrilling -- namely, being able to identify which SD card you've got in the device, some email app enhancements, and video support which "allows you to play video within the browser." There're a few more minor tweaks, which we've included in the full list past the jump -- the full list of updates in gritty detail will show up here when the update goes live at some point "later this evening."

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Software, Sony

Comments

Source: Sony (1), Sony (2)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/09/playstation-vita-firmware-210/

the river dr dog ke$ha earl csco big bend national park leon russell

North Korea warns foreigners to leave South

Tensions on the Korean peninsula are on the rise as the U.S. believes that North Korea may conduct another missile test. NBC News' Tracie Potts reports.

By Christine Kim and Joyce Lee, Reuters

SEOUL - North Korea warned foreigners in South Korea on Tuesday to leave the country because they were at risk in the event of conflict, the latest threat of war from Pyongyang.

Soaring tensions on the peninsula have been fuelled by North Korean anger over the imposition of U.N. sanctions after its last nuclear arms test in February, creating one of the worst crises since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

"We do not wish harm on foreigners in South Korea should there be a war," said the KCNA news agency, citing its Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee.

Pyongyang last week advised embassies there to consider pulling out in case of war. Earlier on Tuesday, North Korean workers failed to turn up at a factory complex operated with South Korea, effectively shutting down the last major symbol of cooperation between the hostile neighbors.

The North Korea government pulled thousands of workers from an industrial factory ? jointly run with South Korea ? a dramatic move for an extremely impoverished country ? as fears mount that the North is poised to test fire two missiles. Amb. Nick Burns discusses.

Few embassies in Seoul have advised their citizens to quit. The United States, which has also been threatened by Pyongyang, has said there were no imminent signs of threats to American citizens.

Pyongyang has shown no sign of preparing its 1.2 million-strong army for war, indicating the threats could be partly intended for domestic purposes to bolster Kim Jong Un, 30, the third in his family to lead the reclusive country.

South Korea's president said she was disappointed at North Korea's decision to halt operations at the Kaesong industrial park, which generates $2 billion in trade for the impoverished state.

News of the Kaesong closure diverted attention from speculation that the North was about to launch some sort of provocative act this week -- perhaps a missile launch or new nuclear test. However, residents of Seoul carried on with daily activities with no trace of anxiety.

Few experts had expected Pyongyang to jeopardize Kaesong, which employs more than 50,000 North Koreans making household goods for 123 South Korean firms.

World leaders have expressed alarm at the crisis and the prospect of a conflict involving a country claiming to be developing nuclear weapons.

Amb. Dennis Ross discusses the rising tensions with North Korea and the role China plays in the conflict ?as well as Secretary of State John Kerry's trip to Israel to revive Mideast peace.

China, the North's sole diplomatic and financial ally, has shown increasing impatience with Pyongyang. Russian President Vladimir Putin said hostilities could create a cataclysm worse than the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

The North is also angry at weeks of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises off the coast of the peninsula, with B-2 stealth bombers dispatched from their U.S. bases.

But the United States announced the postponement last weekend of a long-planned missile launch, a move officials said was aimed at easing tensions on the peninsula.

North Korean authorities told embassies in Pyongyang they could not guarantee their safety from Wednesday, after saying conflict was inevitable amid the joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises due to last until the end of the month. No diplomats appear to have left the North Korean capital.

Related:

Full North Korea coverage from NBC News

Who is North Korea's secretive leader? Here is what we know

North Korea's overseas apologists dismiss 'propaganda'

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a7fcc04/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C0A90C176660A650Enorth0Ekorea0Ewarns0Eforeigners0Eto0Eleave0Esouth0Dlite/story01.htm

Tippi Hedren Big Tex Sweetest Day optimal Samantha Steele Espn goog Sylvia Kristel

AP PHOTOS: Michigan wins over Syracuse 61-56

Michigan players including Time Hardaway Jr., right, and Nik Stauskas (11) celebrate after defeating Syracuse in their NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game on Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Michigan won 61-56. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Michigan players including Time Hardaway Jr., right, and Nik Stauskas (11) celebrate after defeating Syracuse in their NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game on Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Michigan won 61-56. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Syracuse's Rakeem Christmas (25) handles the ball as Michigan's Spike Albrecht (2) looks up during the first half of a semifinal in the the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Final Four, Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Syracuse's Brandon Triche (20) charges into Michigan's Jordan Morgan (52) during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Triche was called for charging. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams (1) falls to the court as Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) vies for the ball during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Michigan's Caris LeVert (23) passes the ball as Syracuse's C.J. Fair (5) looks on during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Michigan will advance to play Louisville in the NCAA championship game after beating Syracuse 61-56 in the Final Four. Earlier, Louisville beat Wichita State, 72-68. Here are some images from both games.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-07-NCAA%20Finals-Photo%20Gallery/id-e6d487e5f0c549d082ceec1ba7382f8d

power ball livan hernandez soledad o brien mega ball lottery winner lottery numbers mega millions lottery

AP source: US delays missile test as tensions rise

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Amid mounting tensions with North Korea, the Pentagon has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test that had been planned for next week at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a senior defense official told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The official said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel decided to put off the long-planned Minuteman 3 test until sometime next month because of concerns the launch could be misinterpreted and exacerbate the Korean crisis. Hagel made the decision Friday, the official said.

The test was not connected to the ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises that have been going on in that region and have stoked North Korean anger and fueled an escalation in threatening actions and rhetoric.

North Korea's military warned earlier this week that it was authorized to attack the U.S. using "smaller, lighter and diversified" nuclear weapons. And South Korean officials say North Korea has moved at least one missile with "considerable range" to its east coast ? possibly the untested Musudan missile, believed to have a range of 1,800 miles. U.S. officials have said the missile move suggests a North Korean launch could be imminent and thus fuels worries in the region.

Pyongyang's moves come on the heels of the North's nuclear test in February, and the launch in December of a long-range North Korean rocket that could potentially hit the continental U.S. Added to that is the uncertainty surrounding the intentions of North Korea's new young leader, Kim Jong Un.

Meanwhile, North Korea has been angered by increasing sanctions and ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which have included a broad show of force ranging from stealthy B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters to a wide array of ballistic missile defense-capable warships. The exercises are scheduled to continue through the end of the month.

This past week, the U.S. said two of the Navy's missile-defense ships were moved closer to the Korean peninsula, and a land-based system is being deployed to the Pacific territory of Guam later this month. The Pentagon last month announced longer-term plans to beef up its U.S.-based missile defenses.

While Washington is taking the North Korean threats seriously, U.S. leaders continue to say that they have seen no visible signs that the North is preparing for a large-scale attack.

The defense official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the Minuteman 3 test delay and requested anonymity, said U.S. policy continues to support the building and testing of its nuclear deterrent capabilities. And the official said the launch was not put off because of any technical problems.

The globe-circling intercontinental ballistic missiles make up one of the three legs of America's nuclear arsenal. There are about 450 Minuteman 3 missiles based in underground silos in the north-central U.S. The other two legs of the nuclear arsenal are submarine-launched ballistic missiles and weapons launched from big bombers, such as the B-52 and the stealthy B-2.

The traditional rationale for the "nuclear triad" of weaponry is that it is essential to surviving any nuclear exchange.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-06-Missile%20Test%20Delayed/id-8edcc3eae9004791abe0f88c0b327072

taylor swift Ed Sheeran Fun ll cool j Presidents Day 2013 jack white wiz khalifa

Clayton Christensen Talks Venture Capital, Crowd Funding, And How To Measure Your Life

Editor?s note:?Derek?Andersen?is the founder of?Startup Grind, a 40-city community bringing the global startup world together while educating, inspiring, and connecting entrepreneurs. There are few people whose impact on entrepreneurs and business in general you hear about as frequently as Clayton Christensen. Clay’s body of work includes co-founding a?publicly?traded company, being a Rhodes Scholar,?writing one of the most influential?business books?of our generation,?fighting cancer?and a stroke that forced him to relearn to speak, teaching thousands at the Harvard Business School, and raising five children. He has accomplished gigantic things, not to mention he stands 6 ’8″ and today is also his birthday so please wish?him?well. When I heard he would speak at Startup Grind 2013, excitement and then panic raced through my bald head. Luckily one of the very best in the business, Mark Suster of GRP Partners was gracious enough to come and represent the startup community at the interview. Mark has written?a great recap?of his conversation, but it seems appropriate to followup with this audience and share the entire interview from a few weeks ago. The Innovator’s Dilemma?as you might know outlines how companies with historically successful products and market share will be disrupted and beaten unless they are innovative again and again. Clayton also recently co-authored?How Will You Measure Your Life??which explains how like in business you need to plan in order to be successful in your personal life or you run the risk of failing your family and betraying your values. Read or watch the?fascinating?interview below. ———————– MARK:? Welcome to StartUp Grind!? I thought we would start with the disruption of education.? Because you?re a professor and I thought that would put me on more comfortable grounds. CLAYTON: Perfect. MARK:? We?ll come right back to venture capital, I promise.? What are your feelings about education in America ? the doubling over the last few years of consumer debt over education, and the fact that technology might just make what you do much more available at a lower cost for more people, which in itself matches I think your definition of disruption, and what?s going on with Udemy and Stanford and other places.? I?d love to hear that. CLAYTON:? Boy, it?s a great question.? I wrote my first piece about the disruption of the Harvard Business School in 1999.? Because you could see this coming.? I haven?t yet done the one about the disruption of the Stanford Business School.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/qaBImNFpoB8/

super bowl commercials wheres my refund Fast And Furious 6 superbowl ads Super Bowl Ads 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Superbowl Start Time

Local sports digest: San Jose Giants beat Visalia 8-7 in opener

Clayton Blackburn pitched five shutout innings, Mac Williamson had three hits including a home run, and the San Jose Giants held off host Visalia 8-7 in a California League Single-A season opener Thursday.

Williamson had an RBI double in a four-run first, a solo homer in the fifth and a single in a three-run seventh. The outfielder was a third-round draft pick in 2012 out of Wake Forest.

Blackburn, a 16th-round pick in 2011 from Edmond, Okla., allowed two hits and struck out six.

Colleges

The championship series of the College Basketball Invitational is down to a winner-take-all third game. Santa Clara (25-12) couldn't close out the series in Game 2, falling 73-66 at George Mason (22-15) on Wednesday. Game 3 on Friday will be in the 10,000-seat Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. Tipoff is 4 p.m. (Pacific). AXS TV and KDOW (1200-AM) will broadcast the game. The Broncos, who won the CollegeInsider.com tournament in 2011, saw their nine-game postseason win streak snapped when they lost in front of 1,280 fans at the RAC Center in Fairfax. The Patriot Center was busy with a career fair.

The Santa Clara baseball team (8-19, 0-7 WCC) lost 3-1 to visiting BYU (15-14, 3-4). Reece Karalus (0-6) took the loss, allowing two earned runs in seven innings. Greg Harisis was 2 for 4 with an RBI for Santa Clara.

Pieter Lehrer, who spent eight seasons on the Cal men's soccer staff, was named coach of Harvard. He was also an assistant at Stanford (1999-2001 and 2003).

MLS

The Earthquakes announced the signing of forward Alexandre Gonzalez Emerson, a San Jose native who grew up in Mexico. He played for Necaxa of the Mexican League before pursuing an MLS career this year. He is expected to be part of the Quakes' reserve team this season.

Basketball

Archbishop Mitty girls coach Sue Phillips was named head coach of the 2013 U.S. women's under-16 team, USA Basketball announced. The team will compete at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship on June 19-23 in Cancun, Mexico. "This will be a definite highlight in my career as a coach," Phillips, who also coaches the San Jose Cagers AAU program, said in a statement.

AFL

The SaberCats were assigned offensive lineman Devin Clark on a one-year deal. He played with the Philadelphia Soul last season.

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/other-sports/ci_22959049/local-sports-digest-santa-clara-is-pushed-limit?source=rss

Dumpster Diaper the beach Fear Airport Terminal michigan basketball easter bunny

UN condemns targeting of insurgents in Afghanistan

Afghans bury their dead loved ones on the outskirts of Farah, western Afghanistan, Thursday, April 4, 2013. Suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse Wednesday in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban prisoners in western Afghanistan, officials said. Scores of people, including the attackers were reported killed in the fighting. The assault in Farah province was the latest example of the Taliban's ability to strike official institutions despite tight security measures. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Afghans bury their dead loved ones on the outskirts of Farah, western Afghanistan, Thursday, April 4, 2013. Suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse Wednesday in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban prisoners in western Afghanistan, officials said. Scores of people, including the attackers were reported killed in the fighting. The assault in Farah province was the latest example of the Taliban's ability to strike official institutions despite tight security measures. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Afghan army soldiers stand around a killed Taliban, dressed as an Afghan Army soldier, in the destroyed courthouse in Farah, western Afghanistan, Thursday, April 4, 2013. Suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse Wednesday in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban prisoners in western Afghanistan, officials said. At least 53 people, including the nine attackers were reported killed in the fighting. The assault in Farah province was the latest example of the Taliban's ability to strike official institutions despite tight security measures. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Afghan army soldiers stand around a killed Taliban, dressed as an Afghan army soldier, in the destroyed courthouse in Farah, western Afghanistan, Thursday, April 4, 2013. Suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse Wednesday in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban prisoners in western Afghanistan, officials said. Tens of people, including the nine attackers were reported killed in the fighting. The assault in Farah province was the latest example of the Taliban's ability to strike official institutions despite tight security measures. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

An Afghan army soldier stands guard in the destroyed courthouse in Farah, western Afghanistan, Thursday, April 4, 2013. Suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse Wednesday in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban prisoners in western Afghanistan, officials said. Tens of people, including the nine attackers were reported killed in the fighting. The assault in Farah province was the latest example of the Taliban's ability to strike official institutions despite tight security measures. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Afghan Army soldiers search the main courtroom in the destroyed courthouse in Farah, western Afghanistan, Thursday, April 4, 2013. Suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse Wednesday in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban prisoners in western Afghanistan, officials said. Scores of people, including the attackers were reported killed in the fighting. The assault in Farah province was the latest example of the Taliban's ability to strike official institutions despite tight security measures. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Afghan officials released harrowing new details on Thursday about an attack in a western province where assailants shot everyone in their path, sending terrified people jumping from windows trying to escape the assailants who killed at least 46 civilians and security forces.

Civilians have frequently been caught up in the fighting between militants and Afghan and U.S.-led combat forces, but the U.N. condemned Wednesday's attack, saying civilians were deliberately targeted at the courthouse and other government offices in Farah province. Two judges, six prosecutors, administration officers and cleaners working at the site were among the dead, the U.N. said.

Also Thursday, NATO reported that an American F-16 fighter jet had crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing the U.S. pilot. The U.S.-led military coalition did not release further details about Wednesday's crash.

"While the cause of the crash is under investigation, initial reporting indicates there was no insurgent activity in the area at the time of the crash," the coalition said in a statement.

Illustrating other dangers, an airstrike by U.S.-led forces mistakenly killed four policemen and two brothers as their car was being searched at a checkpoint in eastern Afghanistan, an Afghan official said Thursday.

The strike occurred in the Deh Yak district of Ghazni province, according to district chief Fazel Ahmad Toolwak. He said NATO troops were fighting Taliban militants about 10 kilometers (six miles) away, but those killed in the strike were not involved in that battle.

A NATO spokesman, U.S. Army Maj. Adam Wojack, said the international military coalition was looking into the report, adding it "takes all allegations of this type seriously."

According to a recent U.N. report, 2,754 Afghan civilians were killed last year ? down 12 percent from 3,131 killed in 2011. But the number killed in the second half of last year rose, suggesting that Afghanistan is likely to face continued violence as the Taliban and other militants fight for control of the country as foreign forces continue their withdrawal.

The U.N. said the Taliban and other insurgents were responsible for 81 percent of the civilian deaths and injuries last year, while 8 percent were attributed to pro-government forces. The remaining civilian deaths and injuries could not be attributed to either side.

The number of casualties blamed on U.S. and allied forces decreased by 46 percent, with 316 killed and 271 wounded last year. Most were killed in U.S. and NATO airstrikes, although that number, too, dropped by nearly half last year to 126, including 51 children.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Farah, the capital of the province of the same name near the border with Iran.

The hospital in Farah was so overwhelmed with casualties that helicopters had to ferry some of the wounded to other hospitals in nearby areas.

Provincial Gov. Akram Akhpelwak said two more people had died from the attack, raising the death toll to 55 ? 36 civilians, 10 Afghan security forces and nine attackers. More than 100 people also were wounded, he said.

One of the province's members of parliament, Humaira Ayobi, said one elderly man was found hiding in a bathroom, afraid to come out.

"Farah is a city of sadness," she said in a telephone call after attending a funeral for some of the victims. "The stores are closed. There's no traffic in the streets."

The attack began when two suicide bombers detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near the courthouse, shattering windows and devastating several buildings. Seven others jumped out of the pickup and ran toward the courthouse and attorney general's office, prompting an eight-hour gunbattle that left many buildings pockmarked from bullets and rocket-propelled grenades.

Ayobi said the attackers went from room to room shooting people, including nearly two dozen people who had taken refuge in a basement. She also said two judges were singled out to be killed in a separate room, and that their bodies were burned.

The attackers were wearing military-style uniforms easily bought in Afghan markets and had painted a pickup in camouflage to disguise it as an Afghan National Army vehicle so it could bypass checkpoints, she said.

An Associated Press photo shows a group of soldiers standing over the body of one of the slain attackers who was lying in a pool of blood and wearing a uniform nearly identical to theirs.

Local officials said Wednesday that they believed the attackers were trying to free 15 Taliban prisoners who were about to stand trial. But Ayobi said the initial target might have been the governor's compound until heavy security there forced the attackers to redirect themselves to the courthouse.

In New York, the U.N. Security Council condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and called for the perpetrators, organizers and financiers to be brought to justice. The council reiterated its "serious concern at the threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and illegal armed groups to the local population, national security forces, international military and international assistance efforts in Afghanistan."

___

Follow Kim Gamel on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kimgamel

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-04-AS-Afghanistan/id-4c340a9c16fd456998792fb12b01c5f6

aaron rodgers Joe Webb Fiesta Bowl Jeanie Buss NFL playoff schedule 2013 Bronson Pelletier andy reid

Gov. Corbett mulls using private insurance to expand health care ...

HARRISBURG ? Gov. Tom Corbett revealed Wednesday that he is exploring whether Pennsylvania should use private insurance exchanges to expand health care coverage to the working poor, rather than simply adding more than 500,000 people to the Medicaid rolls.

?Until we know whether or not significant reform is possible, I continue to have concerns that Pennsylvania?s Medicaid program will be able to serve, in a sustainable manner, the approximately one in four Pennsylvanians that would be covered under a full expansion,? Corbett said in a written statement released after his meeting Tuesday night with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Corbett, a Republican, said he requested information around using the private insurance market to expand coverage in Pennsylvania, similar to what Arkansas and Tennessee are pursuing, coupled with significant reforms to Pennsylvania?s current Medicaid program.

But the staff at the Commonwealth Foundation, a free-market think tank, cautioned that the Arkansas plan is ?fake flexibility? because the federal government is requiring that if the private insurers do not provide all the benefits of Medicaid, then the government-run insurance program must be used to fill in the gaps.

Officials estimate the plan will cost taxpayers 13 to 14 percent more than regular expansion, but no one really knows the true cost, said Elizabeth Stelle, a policy analyst at the Commonwealth Foundations. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will cost an additional $3,000 per enrollee, she said.

The idea of buying private insurance with Medicaid money was first broached by Arkansas' Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe as a way to get his Republican-controlled Legislature on board with the expansion. The plans would be bought through the insurance marketplaces being created under the federal health care law.

Stelle, at the Commonwealth Foundation, said that real flexibility would allow the state to run Medicaid in a manner that plans could be tailored so that people would only need to get the benefits they need. Allowing states to tailor the plans more efficiently would make Medicaid less expensive, she said.

Advocates for Medicaid expansion have argued that the move would create 39,000 jobs, as well as providing insurance to the working poor. Advocates have also argued that if Pennsylvania does not expand Medicaid, taxpayers in the commonwealth would be subsidizing the expansion in other states without benefiting from it themselves. The way Medicaid expansion was designed, though, if a state does not expand, the federal government does not spend the money that would have gone toward providing medical insurance to those residents, Stelle said.

A Congressional Budget Office report, which was released after the Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to opt out of Medicaid expansion, estimated that the federal government would save $84 billion because not all states would participate.

The Affordable Care Act promises the federal government will pay for 100 percent of the newly eligible Medicaid enrollees for the first three years of an expansion, beginning in 2014.

Officials in more than half the states are either against the expansion or undecided about it.

Finnerty reports from Harrisburg for Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.?s Pennsylvania newspapers, including The Meadville Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @cnhipa.

- The Arkansas plan: Under a proposal in the Arkansas Legislature, people who earn up to 138 percent of the poverty line would receive private insurance purchased using federal Medicaid dollars.

- The Tennessee plan: Those who earn up to 138 percent of the poverty line would receive health insurance from private providers. That would include a provision that would force people to pay some amount of co-pay if the government determines they can afford it. Includes a sunset provision so that the expansion would end unless the state re-approves it, and reform the payment structure so that providers are paid based on outcomes, not just based on services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not approve the Tennessee plan, so Gov. Bill Haslam announced the state will not expand Medicaid this year. The state continues to negotiate.

Source: http://meadvilletribune.com/x2055657197/Gov-Corbett-mulls-using-private-insurance-to-expand-health-care-coverage

bridge to nowhere primary results dale earnhardt jr michigan primary daytona 500 winner cleveland plain dealer john scott

Julie?s Gadget Diary ? Qi inductive wireless charging, more trouble than it?s worth?

My first experience with inductive charging was way back in 2004 when I reviewed one of?Microsoft’s SPOT watches. The watches themselves were kind of clunky, but I thought it was so cool that they could be charged just by being placing on a cradle. The fact that no ?cables had to be plugged directly into [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/03/julies-gadget-diary-qi-inductive-wireless-charging-more-trouble-than-its-worth/

ryan reynolds Star Trek: The Original Series Carlton Morgan Freeman Dead Stand Up to Cancer Azarenka NFL fantasy football

Watch Your Mouth!

Apr 3, 2013 9:05am

Katie?s Take

Taking a seat in the dentist chair goes far beyond maintaining a healthy smile. Our mouths are the gateways to our bodies and can tell us more about our health than we may think. A dentist can detect nearly 120 medical conditions in their early stages.? Dr. Jonathan Levine, an oral health expert and aesthetic dentist practicing in New York City, talked to Katie Couric about how good oral health can affect our overall health.

Not caring for our teeth can lead to periodontal (gum) disease which has become all too common in our country, with one in every two Americans suffering from some form of gum disease. The inflammation caused by gum disease can be linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pancreatic cancer and preterm birth. Research also suggests that oral bacteria may be linked to heart disease, arterial blockages and stroke.

Unfortunately, 31 million Americans do not have access to dental health care. This is what Dr. Levine calls ?the unspoken epidemic? but suggests fighting it with prevention and education. By teaching children at a young age the importance of good dental care, they can fight long-term problems later in life. Visiting your dentist one to two times a year is vital to maintaining good oral hygiene. ?While a dentist visit can provide clues about your overall well-being, it is important to connect your dentist and your general physician to be sure that there are no gaps in your healthcare.
Creating healthy habits can help reduce your risk of gum disease. Focus on fighting plaque by flossing daily and staying away from sugar and foods that are high in protein and acidity. The average American spends around forty five seconds brushing their teeth, far shorter than the recommended two minutes. As Dr. Levine says, ?Don?t rush the brush? as the consequences go far beyond your smile.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/04/03/watch-your-mouth/

google project glass google goggles one tree hill projectglass stock act new york auto show khalid sheikh mohammed

Mullah Mohammed Omar, Taliban Leader, Could Run For Afghan President, Says Karzai

Afghan special forces hold their guns after a gun battle near the Afghan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. A brazen, 18-hour Taliban attack on the Afghan capital ended early Monday when insurgents who had holed up overnight in two buildings were overcome by heavy gunfire from Afghan-led forces and pre-dawn air assaults from U.S.-led coalition helicopters. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

A soldier, part of the NATO forces, carries a sniffing dog after a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan special forces are seen on top of a building that was occupied by militants, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

NATO soldiers run during a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 15, 2012. The Taliban launched a series of coordinated attacks on as many as seven sites across the Afghan capital on Sunday, targeting NATO bases, the parliament and Western embassies. Militants also launched near-simultaneous assaults in three other eastern cities. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan woman cries as she talks on the phone to her family during a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

An Afghan soldier aims his rocket launcher toward a building, unseen, occupied by militants during a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahmad Nazar)

NATO soldiers run during a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan soldier stands guard as a helicopter flies low over the scene of a suicide attack on the U.S.-led provincial reconstruction team (PRT) compound in the Behsood district of Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Phot/Rahmat Gul)

An Afghan man examines the remains of a car after three suicide bombers were killed before they reached Jalalabad airport, which security forces say was their target, in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Phot/Rahmat Gul)

U.S. Army soldiers respond after a suicide attack on the U.S.-led provincial reconstruction team (PRT) compound in the Behsood district of Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Phot/Rahmat Gul)

Gunfire and smoke is seen coming out of a building occupied by militants during a battle with Afghan-led forces, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. The Afghan capital awoke Monday to a second day of explosions and heavy gunfire as Afghan-led forces worked to defeat insurgents holed up in the building in the heart of the city and another near parliament. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

The body of an alleged militant is seen on the ground after a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

Afghan police officers pass a building that was used by militants in a gun battle, near the Afghan parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

The bodies of alleged militants are seen on the ground after a gun battle in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/mullah-mohammed-omar-could-run-for-president_n_2999274.html

sacramento kings alex jones Google Docs Huell Howser Justin Bieber Smoking Weed Katherine Webb Cut for Bieber