Thursday, May 31, 2012

President signs into law bill that helps U.S. exports (CNN)

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Symantec Launches SymEd for K-12 and Higher Education - Ulitzer

By Marketwire .

Article Rating:

May 30, 2012 08:00 AM EDT

Reads:

302

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/30/12 -- Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: SYMC) today announced the launch of SymEd, a new licensing model designed specifically to help academic institutions protect information while managing and securing their IT infrastructure.

SymEd combines essential solutions for threat management, data protection, virtualization, encryption and endpoint protection to support the growing technology demands in academia. The SymEd offering provides a standardized, enterprise-wide platform within the academic institution while providing the flexibility to select additional Symantec solutions to meet the needs of individual departments.

"SymEd enables academia to have confidence in the security of their connected experiences as the learning environment expands to accommodate and provide access to online reference material, assignments, collaboration and rich multimedia content wherever and whenever," said Mike Maxwell, national director, U.S. State & Local Government and Education at Symantec. "This model allows institutions to secure devices and applications in their environment, protect data and infrastructure from attack and manage inventory and configuration with scalability."

Reduced Costs and Scalable Solutions for Any Size Education Institution

As educational institutions of all sizes face tighter budgets while simultaneously trying to address the increasing number of devices introduced into the IT environment, IT departments are under pressure to streamline infrastructure and operational costs. SymEd provides a comprehensive centralized management platform and a means to secure and manage multiple endpoints: PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones for both faculty and students whether they are school-issued or personal devices.

A key feature of the SymEd offering is the new licensing model based on full-time employee (FTE) count rather than per device. This gives institutions the ability to plan budgets by counting FTEs once per year and to better estimate costs year to year. Other key benefits include:

  • Secure e-Learning environment for physical, virtual and cloud platforms
  • Reduced licensing costs with application streaming for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) initiatives
  • Centralized standards to allow institutions to automate the deployment, security and management of devices with central management
  • Support for multiple operating systems including Windows?, MAC OS?, iOS?, Android?, Linux? and others
  • Critical data protection with advanced local backup and recovery for Windows desktops and laptops
  • Simplified method to ensure license compliance across the institution
  • Home use rights for faculty and staff
  • Student usage add-on option available for Endpoint Protection

"With the continual budget pressure in the K-12 and higher education marketplace, SymEd offers top notch solutions at reasonable prices in an easily understood licensing model," said Frank Fabianski, licensing account executive at CDW-G. "With these bundles, a partner can now have a fuller, more involved discussion with customers around topics like security, mobile device management, deployment and desktop lifecycle management."

University of South Florida Pilots SymEd Bundle

One such institution benefiting from the SymEd offering is the University of South Florida (USF), which embarked on an effort to standardize the University's IT environment and address the growing number of mobile devices used on campus. USF chose the SymEd Secure bundle giving them Mobile Management for a centralized device management platform, Ghost Solution Suite for computer imaging capabilities ensuring rapid deployment of OS, along with data and system applications for campus, student and faculty home use. The FTE licensing model allowed USF to easily project costs and align with their other critical contracts. Ultimately, USF experienced reduced infrastructure costs by standardizing on a single vendor management platform, resulting in improved operational efficiencies.

"At USF we are facing budget issues like many state universities. SymEd saves us money in the long run, and gives us increased functionality across departments," said Craig Woolley, assistant vice president for Administration and Support Services for Information Technology at USF. "In addition, the Mobile Management solution offered through SymEd will give us the ability to protect our ever-growing population of mobile devices."

About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at http://www.symantec.com/news. All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.

Symantec and the Symantec Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change. Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality, or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions.

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Sudan, South Sudan press on with talks

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Is It Worth Buying The Cheapest Web Hosting and Domain Online ...

?

If you?ve ever made an internet site then you are aware that the design side of the method is only the start. In fact, without trusty site hosting and a professional web site name, your internet site can languish on your computer forever without ever getting the chance to be seen by its millions of potential fans. For this reason, getting inexpensive and finding the cheapest web hosting and domain should be on the very top of the list to do when publishing a new web site.

For many entrepreneurs or new web marketers, the concept of using inexpensive website hosting domain services brings a few names to mind. Services like WordPress and Blogger remain preferred down to the fact that they offer free hosting and website names and it does not get any less expensive than free. Naturally, there are more services that also offer free hosting and web site names, but those 2 remain among the most generally recognized.

One might ask is free adequate for your wishes? Well, that may truly rely on what you hope to do. If you?re new to the web selling world, you might find it cheaper to chop your teeth on such free services in order to maintain a low level of investment in your undertaking. Nevertheless if you have an established business and desire your online foothold is to be regarded seriously by shoppers and rivals alike, the cheapest web hosting and domain firms are not very likely to help you attain those goals. To get the best out of your site, you?ll need more control of its appearance and functionality than any one of these free services provide. Getting your made internet site printed on an inexpensive website hosting domain service will not cost way more than the free sites, it will permit you bigger creative control of how your website looks and acts.

However, you should also read the reviews online because sometimes you can still find a website that offers free services, domains and hosting and they might have a high reputation. The trick is not to go with someone that people might not know about online but stick with popular hosting companies and only go with services that you know might work out for you.

Additionally, paid services customarily offer a range of site templates and contraptions that may significantly improve the usefulness of your website, permitting you to realize more interplay with your clients. Such stuff as checkout carts, feedback polls, and even games are among the more common resources that these inexpensive website hosting domain corporations can supply. Many of these type of companies provide hosting for slightly less than a buck a day. These inexpensive website hosting domain suppliers can make the method of getting the all important website name as straightforward as a few clicks of the mouse. Better yet you can mostly get a website name that meets your business wishes for just a couple of dollars annually.

Be certain to select one name that adequately describes either your firm name or the business type to help your consumers to easier associate the name with your internet site. Ultimately, remember that even the cheapest web hosting and domain is not actually worth the cash you spend unless it can give you the service you want. Review all of the services that comes with the package that you want to make sure that you are picking out the very best one for your website.

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Stock Market Investing ? Where Do You Begin?

I?ve been on the investment recreation for some time now and I?ve reached the stage where I choose to invest in the stock market through individual stocks reasonably than collective investment autos like unit or funding trusts. The primary purpose for this is that I might prefer not to pay other individuals to do something that I do know I can do better myself.

Of course, it wasn?t at all times this way. It?s taken me a quarter of a century of expertise enjoying the markets to evolve my own worthwhile funding strategy. Once I first began out although, like most people, I did not have the arrogance to take my very own decisions. More important than that, I did not have a large lump sum to play with so as to diversify my holdings sufficiently and build in a measure of safety. I believe that is the place that the majority newcomers to the world of stock market investing discover themselves in.

So I am not ashamed to confess that my first foray into the markets all these years in the past was by means of one of many common financial savings schemes run by the large investment trusts. Twenty-5 years on I?d must say that if I were simply beginning out on my funding journey now, I would do exactly the same thing.

Why Investment Trusts?

Notice that I chose investment trusts, not unit trusts. Although these funding vehicles both allow buyers to entry a diversified portfolio of stocks with comparatively small amounts of cash, in my view, funding trusts have three clear advantages over their unit trust rivals:

1. Their management fees are lower.

2. Their long run efficiency is generally far better.

3. They?ll typically be bought at a reduction to their internet asset value.

So for those who?re now scratching your head and wondering why, regardless of all these advantages, you?ve by no means heard of funding trusts, you?re in excellent company. Though issues are slowly changing, investment trusts remain a closed ebook to most buyers because, not like their unit trust cousins, they do not pay commission to monetary advisors. As a result, they?re nearly ignored by the monetary press. Let?s face it, high commissions equal high advertising budgets and since the Sunday papers depend on promoting to boost gross sales, they?ll fortunately provide beneficial protection of their money dietary supplements to merchandise promoted by excessive-spending advertisers. That feels like a nice cosy relationship between the big investment houses and the monetary media, however it leaves the small investor out in the chilly as ordinary ? deprived of details about one in every of at present?s greatest-kept investment secrets. Hopefully, I am about to help change all that.

If I?ve satisfied you that funding trusts are value investigating further, and also you?re able to put your foot on that first rung of the investment ladder, then I?ve dug out a number of choices under which I believe would make best solutions for first-time traders like you. I?ve chosen a range of vintage trusts with impeccable pedigrees from the broad global growth sector. These trusts provide a very low-value solution to entry a broad, globally diversified portfolio. Relaxation assured that they all supply an everyday month-to-month savings possibility for investors of extra modest means:

Foreign & Colonial Funding Belief

1. First up is a trust that was my first selection once I started investing a quarter of a century in the past and it is still going strong. It?s the International and Colonial Investment Trust, it permits minimal monthly financial savings of ?50 per thirty days and it?s presently trading at a discount of 9.6% to web property ? which implies that for each ?90.40 invested, you are getting ?100 value of shares. Now these discounts can fluctuate a bit. It might be that subsequent month the discount widens to eleven% or 12% ? which merely implies that if you happen to?re an everyday monthly investor, you get much more discounted shares to your money. Alternatively, the low cost might slim and even slip over into a premium as generally happens if a trust is particularly in style with investors ? thus giving your investments a boost for those who purchased at a discount. Over the long run, however, whether or not you?re a lump sum investor or an everyday saver, it could be laborious to go flawed with this belief as, during the last 3 years, your funding would have elevated by 52.7% ? not unhealthy, although past returns are no guarantee of an analogous efficiency in future.

Witan

2. An alternative choice to the Foreign and Colonial Belief, however one which does just about the identical job, is a trust referred to as Witan. It?s performed even better than the International and Colonial Belief with a return of 64.2% to traders during the last 3 years. It?s also slightly cheaper, trading at a 10.14% low cost to NAV (Net Asset Value). On paper then, a barely better bet. Once more, you can begin saving from just ?50 per month.

SAINTS

3. Finally, you would take a look at another outdated and nicely established stalwart, this time from the global development and income category, and that?s SAINTS, or the Scottish American Funding Trust. This too allows minimum month-to-month investments of ?50 per thirty days by means of its father or mother company, Baillie Gifford, and has carried out outstandingly over the past 3 years, returning 107.6% to its lucky investors. The draw back is that this performance didn?t go unnoticed and the trust now stands at a premium to net property of 4.1%. Should you?re on the lookout for earnings although, this trust at present yields over 4%, so not a nasty alternative to a building society provided you are ready to risk your capital.

Whichever option you choose, supplied you?re within the markets for the long run, as you should be if you want to make respectable returns, I believe it could be very tough to lose money with any of these trusts. That is doubly true in the event you?re making regular monthly investments as you get the benefit of pound price averaging, which suggests you buy extra shares when prices dip, thus rising your returns when shares subsequently rise. A number of years down the road, once you are feeling you?ve amassed enough in these properly-diversified, low cost trusts, you can start dabbling in particular person shares like I did.

So if you happen to were pondering of dipping a toe in at the moment?s relatively choppy investment waters, but either don?t yet have a large enough lump sum, or are too scared to dive in and commit it right now, then I do not assume you can do worse than comply with my example: play it protected and arrange an funding trust month-to-month savings scheme.

Until Subsequent Time, Blissful Investing

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Opposing DOMA ? OutServe Magazine

Charlie Morgan?s voice has been muted by cancer. It has spread and is putting pressure on her vocal cords. But while she speaks with a soft whisper now, her voice has never been louder. Her fight to ensure her small and loving family is taken care of in the event the cancer overcomes her life is being heard loudly. From the local papers in New Hampshire to the halls of Congress, Charlie and Karen Morgan are the national faces of resistance to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Charlie, now a chief warrant officer in the New Hampshire National Guard, met her wife to-be, Karen, in 1997 while working for the local newspaper in Lexington, Ky. They were introduced through a mutual friend on casual terms. Their first date was to a Lilith Fair concert?a fitting beginning to their 15-year relationship where their family enjoys activities based on musical events, especially at wineries.

As soon as Vermont made civil unions available in 2000, the two tied the knot there. ?We thought civil unions were equal to marriage until last year,? relayed Karen, who spoke for both her and Charlie through the interview, given Charlie?s difficulty speaking. The two officially wed only recently in a small ceremony among family and friends in New Hampshire on the same day their civil union was dissolved. They wanted no gap in time for their relationship. ?It was very important to us emotionally.?

The two changed their name to Morgan during their original commitment. They had talked about hyphenating their name, but decided a new name was symbolic of starting a new life together. They chose Morgan because of its water element symbolism and the water?s references to strength and commitment. In the dawn of their biggest fight later in life, they have found that water has provided them solace and comfort.

Charlie is the first woman Karen had ever been with and she came out to her family after the two made a commitment to each other. ?At that point, I realized I?d tell the people important in my life. I was going to be who I am, and I?m very happy with who I am,? said Karen.

Charlie, on the other hand, came out much earlier in life. She had been on active duty as a motor pool clerk and returned from her post in Germany to Fort Hood, Texas in 1984, at only 19 years old. Before signing in, she visited her mother and brought a friend with her. She wanted to talk to her mom about her friend, but her mom replied before Charlie could say anything, ?If you?re going to tell me you?re gay, then I already know that.? Charlie was speechless and maintains a good relationship with her family today.

The two met while Charlie was a civilian, having separated from the Army in 1992, but she hadn?t been a civilian for long. ?I remember when we met, she still did things like she was in the military, folding her clothes and organizing her drawers,? said Karen.

MAKING OF A FAMILY

During the winter, the two live in a quaint, ranch-style home overlooking the sea coast in Rye, N.H., just outside of Portsmouth. From their kitchen table, they enjoy the calming view of the sea. On warmer nights, the two enjoy a glass of wine on their deck where they listen to the bell buoys ring in the ocean. In the summer, when their daughter Casey Elena, 5, is out of school, they stay with Karen?s elderly parents in the lakes region, making their winter rental near the beach affordable. Water is indeed an important element in their family.

It was Casey Elena, though, that brought the family north from Kentucky, where the three had built a home. There, Charlie had been a business teacher in a rural community, and Karen worked in equine management and at the newspaper. Before Casey Elena was born, the two had been foster parents.

?Being foster parents was something we felt strongly we needed to do to give back to the community,? they said. ?We knew we wanted to be parents and it absolutely changed our lives in a positive way.?

But working didn?t suit the parental lifestyle Karen had fallen into, so she became a full-time mom, while Charlie became the family?s full-time breadwinner. Charlie re-entered the Army as a National Guard soldier in 2004, while still teaching high school business.

?I love my family. I love Charlie. And I love my country,? said Karen. ?I?m so proud of Charlie?s service.?

Wanting to move to a place where they could find more acceptance of their family and be closer to grandparents and cousins, they headed to New Hampshire. Casey Elena attends a small Montessori school with a diverse curriculum, and they now live in a more supportive community.

?She has the best possible place to grow up,? the couple said. ?As a family, we love to do outdoorsy things like hiking, biking and going to the beach. Our daughter loves to bowl, and within a few years, she is going to be better than either of us. We do things that draw us together as a family.?

Karen takes Casey Elana to the beach almost every day, while Charlie?s unit has accommodated her health issues by allowing her to telecommute from home. There, she is able to manage the state Guard?s education services. On days she isn?t up to it, she curls up on the couch under a blanket that Casey Elena brings her ?mama? and watches the sea from their large picture window as Casey Elena frolics in the sand. Charlie is mama while Karen is mommy.

?She?s a really creative child,? they said. ?She?s very into painting, drawing and projects. She also does gymnastics, dance, and she loved her preschool soccer camp last summer. We want her to grow up honest and proud. After ?Don?t Ask Don?t Tell? (DADT), we could teach her those lessons.?

A TRIP TO REMEMBER

The family also loves to travel when they can, learning about new people and cultures. In fulfilling something on the family?s bucket list, OutServe raised money for them to go to Hawaii over Valentine?s Day 2012, as they didn?t have the financial resources for such a trip. People donated airline miles, paid for their hotels, gave them tickets for activities, and lent them a Jeep.

?This is the way the military takes care of its own,? they said. ?OutServe took care of us the way the rest of the military does for others. We want to say thank you to everybody, especially Jeffry Priela-Tam, one of the OutServe Hawaii chapter leaders, and Sue Fulton, who facilitated so much of the trip. It was life-changing and created a whole new book of family memories for us.?

LIVING UNDER DADT

To the casual observer, there is nothing different about their family than any other. But they have had their trials and tribulations, especially living under DADT.

?Before DADT, we really had two separate lives,? they said. ?We had our personal life with our family, and Charlie had her military life. We didn?t let the two mingle.?

It was an isolating time for Karen because she didn?t have the ability to freely converse about her experiences as a military wife to other military spouses. This emotion really came to a head when Charlie was given less than 24-hours notice to deploy for three weeks to the gulf coast in response to Hurricane Katrina. There, she supported a unit that hauled food and water to people in need. Charlie, the ever-organized professional, quickly made her business class lesson plans available to a substitute in a scramble.

But from Karen?s perspective, it was scary. ?What if something happens while she?s away? Will they know to contact me? The answer was no,? she said.

Hurricane Katrina happened only a year after the couple deliberated what it meant for Charlie to re-enter service after a 12-year break. At the time, the couple was living openly.

?We were true to ourselves. Everybody in our life knew about our relationship and our family,? they said. ?What that meant, essentially, was that for the first time, we couldn?t be a part of each other?s life.?

The two endured another deployment as Charlie left for a year in September, 2010. She had just been given a clean bill of health from her first bout of cancer and the brigade needed an equal opportunity officer in Kuwait. It was an interesting deployment as she got an inside view of the demise of DADT, given her official duties.

With eight months? notice, the two also had more in place for this deployment, especially communication. At Casey Elena?s stage of development, it was important for the couple to ensure the bond remained strong between momma and daughter. At the same time, communication for Karen and Charlie was difficult because they were on constant guard, even afraid to sign cards ?with love.?

To other couples facing deployment, the two advise, ?Plan your communications as much as you can in advance and make that commitment to each other. It?s really important to take that time. You?re living two different lives, apart. As a married couple, our priority was the few minutes we had to talk.?

They also said it is important for each person in the relationship to have a source of support. For Charlie, it was her first-line supervisor and her roommate, 1LT Jenifer Donovan. Lieutenant Donovan?s experience as a conservative person against same-sex marriage changed upon meeting Charlie. Her story is told in a sidebar to this article.

For Karen, she applauds the end of DADT as spouses at home will be able to access family readiness groups as a source of support in the future.

Charlie redeployed during DADT?s 60-day certification period in August 2011. The family celebrated in Boston like it was New Years? Eve. The eve of the Repeal, Charlie was approached by OutServe to be on MSNBC, where she came out nationally on Sept 20, 2011.

?I felt really proud to do that,? said Charlie. ?It was the first time I could, in a professional capacity, say that I was a lesbian in the military and that I loved my family and my country.?

The two kept Casey Elena home from school that day, as it was a family celebration. ?She understands in some capacity that it was a very special day,? they said.

STRENGTHENING MARRIAGE

The couple?s first experience as LGBT advocates occurred when Charlie requested an exception to policy to allow Karen to attend the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program from New Hampshire?s Adjutant General, Air Force Maj Gen William N. Reddel. The Yellow Ribbon Program exists for all services? guardsmen and reservists who return home to civilian life after deployment and must reintegrate into their former lives. Whereas active duty soldiers have such resources on their bases and from their units, citizen soldiers often spread with the four winds upon returning and don?t have easy access to such programs and resources.

General Reddel, acting on inaccurate information from his lawyers, returned a letter to the Morgans denying the exception to policy and barring Karen from attending the program, citing DOMA.

?It was heartbreaking,? they said. ?The purpose of Yellow Ribbon is to support families. We wanted to go as a married couple and attend a specific session called ?Strengthening Marriage.??

Note that this denial occurred after DADT repeal certification but before Sept. 20?s repeal. New Hampshire Sen. Jean Shaheen got wind of the situation and intervened on the couple?s behalf, allowing Karen to attend.

?I was so nervous about going after the hoopla,? said Karen. ?It became a big deal. I wondered if it would be hostile or friendly. But the brigade commander and deputy adjutant general welcomed us and were very supportive and cordial. On the way out, the general told us, ?Please don?t stop here. Continue to fight what you?re fighting for.??

Ironically, the contractor hired to teach the Strengthening Marriage session was a lesbian, using her own experiences with her partner as examples during the class.

Returning from the desert, it was nice for Charlie to return to her seaside home. ?It?s uplifting and spiritual to live near the ocean,? they said.

CANCER STRIKES AGAIN

But after her return, Charlie?s cancer came back. She has a reoccurrence of stage IV breast cancer, which has spread to her lymph nodes. It is metastatic. It is incurable. Today, the last session of chemotherapy is working its way out of her body and she is feeling a little better. But doctors say this last treatment wasn?t effective. By the time of this publication, the couple will have travelled to Boston for a second opinion, but Charlie has already decided she doesn?t want to go through chemo again.

?It completely takes you down. It?s exhausting. I don?t feel like myself,? she said. ?I?m willing to listen to what they have to say. And we?ve talked about our needs, physically and spiritually.?

A typical appointment now is an all-day affair. By the time they get home, they are whipped, but their family, community, Unitarian Universalist church, and Casey Elena?s school have rallied in support. Together, they provide logistical help like preparing meals and watching their daughter. Charlie?s unit and her family readiness group have also helped.

?People have reached out with those really practical needs, but also on an emotional level,? they said. ?The commitment we?ve made to each other is really strong and that carries us through.?

ADVOCATES FOR CHANGE

But despite the love, strength and support that exists for the Morgans, their biggest worry is that they could lose Charlie without resolution to the question of future support for her family, which Charlie has clearly earned through her service to the country.

Despite being legally married (and being the epitome of a loving, stable family in every way), Karen, who is a full-time, stay-at-home mom today, will not have the luxury of health insurance, Veterans Administration benefits, access to base, or social security that a straight couple in their situation would have if Charlie dies. Next year, Karen plans to begin teaching special education, having earned another degree to become the new breadwinner for the family.

Together, these benefits, known as ?survivor benefits,? are the same things Charlie?s mother used to sustain her family when growing up after losing Charlie?s military father. Survivor benefits are a monthly allotment meant to help care for family in cases where a military spouse passes away during service or in retirement.

These benefits do not exist for gay and lesbian military families because DOMA prevents the Department of Defense from officially recognizing such relationships, effectively creating a two-tier system of benefits that divides gay and straight families.

Charlie took her story to Congress to advocate repeal of DOMA. When she met with her district?s congressman, Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH), he wasn?t aware that gay couples were denied federal benefits. He had thought that because his state recognized same-sex marriage, military and federal employee spouses were entitled to the same benefits to which a straight couple in New Hampshire had access. But that?s not the case, and Charlie relayed to him her frustration with DOMA.

She then took her message directly to Speaker of the House John Boehner.

?I would like the Speaker to know, as a member of the Active Guard, that I laid my life on the line for my country,? said Charlie. ?Now I need my country to protect and take care of my family. My wife and daughter face an uncertain future, unable to receive the same family support and services as our counterparts who render the same service, take the same risks, and make the same sacrifices. Time is of the essence.?

After a public status-check to Speaker Boehner?s office by the Huffington Post regarding Charlie?s request for an audience with him, she was able to personally deliver her message to his chief policy advisor, but not directly to the Speaker himself. The meeting went well, and she left behind a pamphlet for the Speaker with photos and information about her and her family.

Charlie?s former business students, with whom she left a positive, lasting impression, joined in the Morgans? advocacy efforts, writing to Speaker Boehner?s office.

LAWSUIT

Because of Charlie?s cancer, the Morgans are one of the better-known co-plaintiffs among eight other couples in McLaughlin v. Panetta, a lawsuit filed on behalf of gay troops and veterans by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, pending before the District Court of Massachusetts.

Despite the Obama Administration?s refusal to defend DOMA in court, Republican leaders have spent more than $750,000 defending the law, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that figure to soar to $1.5 million by the end of 2012.

Despite the ongoing litigation, their lawyers have advised that there are things the military can do to ease the burden, but they couldn?t comment further, given the ongoing legal proceedings.

Before entering this fight so publicly, the Morgans discussed it. ?This was a family endeavor, and we support each other in it,? they said. ?It needs to be done. It is an important issue in our life, but it reaches so far beyond our lives. There are other families out there who can?t speak openly because of where they live, their rank or other factors. We can speak, so we should.?

Time really is of the essence for the couple, given Charlie?s declining condition.

?We are optimistic that we?ll have a positive outcome, but the truth is we don?t know for sure,? they said. ?We want to stay optimistic, enjoy life, and not take any moment for granted.?

To help pass the time, Karen and Charlie have worked on a memoir of their life and experiences, titled, ?Personal Courage,? for which they are currently seeking a publishing agent.

For more on Charlie Morgan?s story, including photos, letters from friends, and a moving story about her trip to Hawaii, view the May/June issue of OutServe Magazine here.

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Updated trends in law firm marketing | Guest Law Blog | YouBlawg

The UK is often described as being 5 years behind the US when it comes to following popular trends. This figure is greatly narrowed when referring to internet trends, which can become popular nationally overnight.

The same can therefore be said for the adoption of certain trends by UK law firms, taken from their US equivalents. In 2010, Lawyer SEO Marketing made a number of predictions concerning what lawyers could expect in the next few years from the expansion of social media and their impact on marketing trends.

Prediction #1: Google Places

One of the Lawyer SEO Marketing?s first predictions was that Google Places, and other local search services, will replace the yellow pages and other directories.

Whilst it is true that services such as Google Services and Google Maps are increasingly being used to find and locate firms, they have yet to replace yellow page listings and other more conventional search methods.

Prediction #2: Both Individual Lawyers and Law Firms will Have a Greater Online Presence

Lawyers and law firms alike are discovering that the greater online presence they have, the more publicity they will receive. In the last few years, many law firms, particularly London-based solicitors like Darlingtons or Adams law, have developed their websites so that they not only provide information on the services the law firm offers, but also provide details about their latest deals, news and information.? Commercial law firms are generally further behind than personal injury sites which, like this site often include immediate ways to take action as well as offering information.

Smaller law firms have been slow to develop their online presence, with many having just a basic web template design providing their contact information.

Prediction #3: Law Firms will Become ?App-Aware?, Increasing Smartphone Usage

This prediction has certainly come true for personal injury lawyers and law firms. Although personal injury lawyers and firms can often be criticised within the industry, they are one of the only sectors of law who are effectively harnessing advertising campaigns and social media to advertise their legal services.

There are now personal injury apps which can help users find a personal injury lawyer/firm in their area.

It is interesting to note, however, that other areas of law are yet to fully develop and take advantage of the benefits an online presence can bring.

Prediction #4: The Incorporation of Videos and Shareable Media on Law Firm Websites will Become Commonplace

Although there has been an increase in the use of video and shareable media on law firm websites, it has yet to become commonplace.

Firms such as Mayer Brown have a number of law-related accessible videos on their site (which can be found here: http://www.mayerbrown.com/publications/?PublicationTypes=70253494-bc27-4583-95f9-79548079228e).

One of the most innovative firms who are really getting to grips with social media and social marketing is Eversheds. They have a wide array of videos on their website which are highly informative, providing detail about the firm and the type of work they get involved in. These can be found here: https://www.eversheds.com/uk/home/publications/videos.page?.

Prediction #5: Law Firms will receive More Stringent Rules relating to Advertising and Social Media Marketing

Now that social media is playing an increasingly important role in law firms, firms have been using more stringent rules when it comes to social media marketing.

Prediction #6: Law Firms will Adopt Clearer Social Media Policies

?Many independent companies have created social media policy templates that law firms can adopt and then adapt to their individual firm, which saves a lot of time for lawyers, and is also more subject specific seeing as they are written by experts on social media and its impact.

As a result, there has been a clearer and more effective adoption of social media policies by law firms, which are also of course important for all businesses with growing employment law implications.

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Monday, May 28, 2012

Apple iPad market share: New iPad share tops original in U.S.

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