Transparency AZ ? Blog Archive ? Domestic Online Companies ...

Digital Marketing Company Oracle Digital exerts more stringent efforts to help local entrepreneurs maximise the potential of their businesses to gain substantial profits online through their latest innovations in SEO.

Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) April 05, 2012

Oracle Digital, the leading Internet Marketing Company in Western Australia, has re-affirmed their commitment to provide valuable results to their client by offering the best possible web solutions for a highly optimised online marketing campaign. This latest innovation is especially intended to help local businesses utilise the internet as a platform to entice more customers to support their respective products and/or services. Recent findings have shown domestic companies having a lions share of the entire online sales in the country.

The National Australia Bank has recently shown statistical data indicating the growth rate of online retailing. Local online retailers shared more than two-thirds of the total online sales in the country ? outselling those from international online companies, which only shared around 27%.

These recent results are a deviation from the past researches made by other surveys that showed international online companies overtaking small local businesses.

NABs recent index has shown that most online sales were made from online department stores, online auctions, fashion and variety stores. On the other hand, the smallest parts of online sales were made from online companies selling groceries, liquor and exotic cuisine.

The said index also showed that growth rate of online sales increased by 29% , while those from traditional retailers were just at 2.5%.

Dr. Gary Mortimer, a specialist in retail operations and consumer behaviour from the Queensland University of Technology, states that although online shopping has only 5% of the total sales in the retail industry which implies that every business must still consider using online strategies in order to reach a wider market and to accommodate more consumers.

Dr. Mortimer says, Consumers are certainly turning to online mediums to track and trace lower prices, but they are more often comparing domestic retailers and purchasing locally.

He further states, Retailers need to be more responsive to changes in consumers segments and be more aware of new and emergent markets.

On the other hand, Grant OBrien, Woolworths Chief Executive, released a statement saying that traditional retailers were getting intimidated by the surge of the demand for online services. He says that they are, terrified of the online monster lurking under their beds.

NABs head of consumers, David Thorn, in giving his opinion over the issue, says that retailers have to decide as to, Whether to introduce online as a compliment to their existing business model or continue to reinvigorate their physical store presence in the quest to generate sales.

In support to this seeming need for online marketing, James Corby, Business Development Director of Oracle Digital, says, The Internet is the best platform that a business can use to reach a wider market and to ensure that its customers are satisfied. And with all the Internet tools available for those who are interested ? then it can be honestly said that doing business with this platform is more efficient and will provide more success.

He further states, By using effective SEO procedures and strategies, a companys page ranking and web presence will go higher up in the ranks ? and this will mean that more people will be able to see what it actually offers. And again, this will result to more sales on the companys part.

It is in light of these developments in the business world that Oracle Digital has decided to release its most efficient SEO procedures, Social Marketing techniques and other online tools to help both online and traditional businesses.

Oracle Digital is a leading Digital Marketing Company in Perth, Wester Australia that specialises in numerous services meant to cater to clients from Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. If you want to know more about the company, call them at 1300 899 851, or visit their site at www.oracledigital.com.au

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/4/prweb9368586.htm

Tags: Online Services

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California Senate and Assembly Committees to Hear Firearm-Related Bills Tomorrow

?Contact?Members of?the state Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees?TODAY!

Tomorrow, April 10, the state Senate and Assembly Public Safety?Committees will hear?one pro-gun and two anti-gun bills.? These bills are of importance to California gun owners.? Anti-gun Senate Bill?1366 is scheduled to be heard by the state Senate Committee on Public Safety at 9:30 am in room 3191 of the state Capitol, while pro-gun Assembly Bill 2376 and anti-gun Assembly Bill 2333 will be heard in the state Assembly Committee on Public Safety at 9:30 am in room 126 of the state Capitol.

Senate Bill 1366, introduced by state Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-7), would require every person to report the theft or loss of a firearm he or she owns or possesses to a local law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction in which the theft or loss occurred within 48 hours of the time he or she knew or reasonably should have known that the firearm had been stolen or lost. (OPPOSE)

Assembly Bill 2333, introduced by state Assembly Member Jose Solorio (D-69), would expand the crime of bringing a BB gun onto school grounds, to include non-metallic projectiles, and would?impose an unnecessary and potentially severe criminal liability on everyday toys (not just BB guns and pellet guns) with severe penalties. Under this bill, a parent who inadvertently has a toy gun in their car when picking up their child from school can end up facing felony charges and up to a year in jail; the same is true for students who inadvertently have a toy that expels a plastic (or even a foam) projectile in their backpack or car.

AB 2333 would also create a negligent storage law for BB "devices," a person?who knows or reasonably should know that a minor is likely to gain access to that BB device without the permission of the minor's parent or legal guardian is subject to Civil Fines starting at $250. (OPPOSE)

Assembly Bill 2376, introduced by state Assembly Member Linda Halderman (R-29), would create "good cause" for the issuance of a CCW permit, if the applicant has a report on file with a law enforcement agency evidencing that he or she is a victim of a hate crime. (SUPPORT)

Please call AND e-mail the?respective?committee members?TODAY?and urge them to?OPPOSE SB 1366 and AB 2333 and SUPPORT AB 2376.? Contact information for both the state Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees can be found below.??Ask the Senate committee members to?OPPOSE SB 1366 and the Assembly committee members to OPPOSE AB 2333 and SUPPORT AB 2376.

Don?t forget to forward this alert to your family, friends and fellow gun?owners?across California?and urge them to also call and e-mail members of the respective committees to?OPPOSE AB 2333 and AB 2376 and SUPPORT SB 2376.

Members of the state Senate Committee on Public Safety:
?
Loni Hancock - Chairman
(916) 651-4009
E-mail here.

Joel Anderson - Vice Chairman
(916) 651-4036
E-mail here.

Ron Calderon
(916) 651-4030
E-mail here.

Tom Harman
(916) 651-4035
E-mail here.

Carol Liu
(916) 651-4021
E-mail here.

Curren Price
(916) 651-4026
E-mail here.

Darrell Steinberg
(916) 651-4006
E-mail here.

Members of the state Assembly Committee on Public Safety:
?
Tom Ammiano - Chairman
(916) 319-2013
E-mail here.

Steve Knight - Vice Chairman
(916) 319-2036
E-mail here.

Gilbert Cedillo
(916) 319-2045
E-mail here.

Curt Hagman
(916) 319-2060
E-mail here.

Holly J. Mitchell
(916) 319-2047
E-mail here.

Nancy Skinner
(916) 319-2014
E-mail here.

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Marketing Tips For Your Website | Millionaire Business Articles

?

In today?s internet-centric world, creating a positive and lasting online presence for your business is a must. While the concept of internet marketing may seem relatively straightforward, it is actually a rather nuanced process that requires planning and forethought to ensure the success of your online business venture. Here we?ve included five tips for making the most of the internet to promote and grow your business.

1. Design an Easy to Navigate Website
One of the most important first steps to take to ensure the success of an online business is to create an easy to navigate website that is clear and direct. Each page of the site should have a specific focus that is easily recognizable and connects clearly to your business? objectives. You might try a variety of website layouts or consider different marketing techniques like monthly sales, internet specials, or repeat customer discounts to attract new clients and keep the old ones. Whatever route you take, be sure to keep track of the results so you know what works best. You might also consider online marketing via today?s leading social media sites to interact with existing and potential clients.

2. Focus on How the Services or Products You Offer Will Help Your Clients
While it may be tempting to focus on what your business offers and why your online business is the best choice, this egocentric approach may actually backfire by turning off potential clients. A better approach is to focus on what your business? services and products can do for your clients. Word of mouth is extremely powerful, so consider offering happy customers a place to praise your services and products.

3. Contact Your Clients via Email
In addition to allowing customers to come to you through your website, a great way to generate and maintain interest in your business is to contact clients via email. There are a number of ways to do so. Offering clients internet specials via email is a wonderful option that will help generate sales. Newsletters or product or service recommendations tailored to each client?s needs will show your interest and give a personalized feel to your business. Autoresponders are a great way to save time while taking full advantage of email marketing by automating the process. For example, clients who purchase a particular product may automatically be enrolled in a particular newsletter related to that product, thereby generating more interest in future offerings.

4. Engage Your Clients on a Personal Level
While automating the email sending process is helpful, simply and exclusively sending form letters does little to build confidence. A better approach is to include a few personalized messages that demonstrate your genuine interest in your clients. If a client writes to thank you for a particular product or service, be sure to send a response thanking them for doing business with you. Video interviews with employees and clients provide an in depth look at how your business is run and add a personalized touch to any website.

5. Contract an Internet Marketing Company
Finally one of the best ways to make the most of the internet as a marketing tool is to contract a professional. Professional marketing agencies can offer targeted marketing campaigns to display your product or service in the best light, and in a way that attracts interested customers. Professional online marketing agencies can help take the guess work out of the process and help you propel your online endeavor into a successful business plan.

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Can a standard vision test predict nighttime driving performance?

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Apr-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Katrina Norfleet
knorfleet@arvo.org
240-221-2924
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Rockville, Md. Just because a driver has passed the motor vehicle administration's vision test may not mean he or she is safe to drive. A recent study found that the frequency and distance at which drivers with moderate levels of blurred vision and cataracts recognize pedestrians at night was severely reduced, even when the drivers have passed the required vision test.

"Optical blur and cataracts are very common and lots of people with these conditions continue to drive," said author Joanne Wood of the School of Optometry and Vision Science and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland University of Technology. "The aim of our study was to better understand how these visual conditions affect the ability to recognize and respond to roadside pedestrians at nighttime, and we also wanted to see if certain types of pedestrian clothing could improve the ability of a driver to recognize pedestrians at night, even when the driver had some level of visual loss."

In the study, Even moderate visual impairments degrade drivers' ability to see pedestrians at night, published in the Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science journal, 28 young adult licensed drivers who satisfied the minimum Australian driver's licensing criteria of 20/40 or better vision were used to measure a driver's ability to recognize pedestrians.

The participants drove at night on a closed road circuit wearing simulated refractive blur and cataract lenses. The pedestrians wore one of three different type of clothing: all black; all black with a reflective vest; and all black with reflectors on their wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, shoulders and waist to create a perception of human movement, known as biomotion. Sixteen of the 28 participants were asked to detect the pedestrian against simulated headlight glare.

Findings demonstrated that cataracts are significantly more disruptive than blurred vision. Drivers with simulated blurred vision recognized that a pedestrian was present 52.1% of the time and those with simulated cataracts recognized pedestrians only 29.9% of the time. The research team found that pedestrians wearing the reflective strips to create the biomotion condition were much more visible to drivers (82.3% of the time) than those wearing all black (13.5% of the time). Whether glare was present or not, none of the drivers with simulated cataracts recognized the pedestrian wearing black.

The results also show how these impairments reduce the distances at which drivers first recognize the presence of pedestrians at night. In the experiment, drivers with normal vision recognized pedestrians at longer distances: on average 3.6 times longer than drivers with blurred condition and 5.5 times longer than drivers with cataract conditions.

According to the researchers, the results have important implications and suggest that in order to maximize drivers' ability to see pedestrians from a safe distance, they should wear their optimum optical corrective lenses and cataract surgery should be performed early enough to avoid potentially dangerous driving conditions.

"Future studies should further explore the impact of uncorrected refractive error, cataracts and other forms of visual impairment on driving performance and safety as well as determine the value of some relatively new ways to measure visual abilities, such as straylight testing and contrast sensitivity," suggests Wood. "It is possible that measuring only visual acuity does not provide us with the best way to determine who is safe to drive."

###

The ARVO peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) publishes results from original hypothesis-based clinical and laboratory research studies, as well as Reviews, Perspectives, and Special Issues. IOVS 2009 Impact Factor ranks No. 4 out of 45 among ophthalmology journals. The journal is online-only (www.iovs.org) and articles are published daily.

The Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,500 eye and vision researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO encourages and assists research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology.

Visit us at:

Website: www.arvo.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ARVOinfo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ARVOinfo
Flicker: www.flickr.com/photos/ARVOinfo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ARVOinfo


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Apr-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Katrina Norfleet
knorfleet@arvo.org
240-221-2924
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Rockville, Md. Just because a driver has passed the motor vehicle administration's vision test may not mean he or she is safe to drive. A recent study found that the frequency and distance at which drivers with moderate levels of blurred vision and cataracts recognize pedestrians at night was severely reduced, even when the drivers have passed the required vision test.

"Optical blur and cataracts are very common and lots of people with these conditions continue to drive," said author Joanne Wood of the School of Optometry and Vision Science and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland University of Technology. "The aim of our study was to better understand how these visual conditions affect the ability to recognize and respond to roadside pedestrians at nighttime, and we also wanted to see if certain types of pedestrian clothing could improve the ability of a driver to recognize pedestrians at night, even when the driver had some level of visual loss."

In the study, Even moderate visual impairments degrade drivers' ability to see pedestrians at night, published in the Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science journal, 28 young adult licensed drivers who satisfied the minimum Australian driver's licensing criteria of 20/40 or better vision were used to measure a driver's ability to recognize pedestrians.

The participants drove at night on a closed road circuit wearing simulated refractive blur and cataract lenses. The pedestrians wore one of three different type of clothing: all black; all black with a reflective vest; and all black with reflectors on their wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, shoulders and waist to create a perception of human movement, known as biomotion. Sixteen of the 28 participants were asked to detect the pedestrian against simulated headlight glare.

Findings demonstrated that cataracts are significantly more disruptive than blurred vision. Drivers with simulated blurred vision recognized that a pedestrian was present 52.1% of the time and those with simulated cataracts recognized pedestrians only 29.9% of the time. The research team found that pedestrians wearing the reflective strips to create the biomotion condition were much more visible to drivers (82.3% of the time) than those wearing all black (13.5% of the time). Whether glare was present or not, none of the drivers with simulated cataracts recognized the pedestrian wearing black.

The results also show how these impairments reduce the distances at which drivers first recognize the presence of pedestrians at night. In the experiment, drivers with normal vision recognized pedestrians at longer distances: on average 3.6 times longer than drivers with blurred condition and 5.5 times longer than drivers with cataract conditions.

According to the researchers, the results have important implications and suggest that in order to maximize drivers' ability to see pedestrians from a safe distance, they should wear their optimum optical corrective lenses and cataract surgery should be performed early enough to avoid potentially dangerous driving conditions.

"Future studies should further explore the impact of uncorrected refractive error, cataracts and other forms of visual impairment on driving performance and safety as well as determine the value of some relatively new ways to measure visual abilities, such as straylight testing and contrast sensitivity," suggests Wood. "It is possible that measuring only visual acuity does not provide us with the best way to determine who is safe to drive."

###

The ARVO peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) publishes results from original hypothesis-based clinical and laboratory research studies, as well as Reviews, Perspectives, and Special Issues. IOVS 2009 Impact Factor ranks No. 4 out of 45 among ophthalmology journals. The journal is online-only (www.iovs.org) and articles are published daily.

The Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,500 eye and vision researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO encourages and assists research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology.

Visit us at:

Website: www.arvo.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ARVOinfo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ARVOinfo
Flicker: www.flickr.com/photos/ARVOinfo
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ARVOinfo


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


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NCCU Elder Law Project Wins 2012 NCBA Pro Bono Award ...

The North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) has selected the North Carolina Central University Elder Law Project (ELP) as recipient of its 2012 Law Student Group Pro Bono Service Award. This award is presented annually to an outstanding law student group whose pro bono project benefits low-income people in North Carolina. The 2011 NCBA Pro Bono Award recipient was the Driver?s License Restoration Project, making this the second year in a row that an NCCU Law student Pro Bono project has won the NCBA award.

Front row, left to right: Jim Purnell 2012; Elder Law Project student manager Kathy Blackburn 2012; supervising volunteer attorney Bill Moore ?94; Robyn Hicks 2013; Angel Simpson 2013. Back row: Andrea Canegata 2013; Chidera Ejim 2012; Bahiya Lawrence 2012; Pro Bono Program Director Page Potter.

Currently, 22 students are active in the Project. They are led by four student coordinators, each overseeing one of the Project?s main activities, and a student manager with responsibility for overall coordination, publicity, volunteer recruitment, organizing trainings, and case tracking. The trainings are conducted by NCCU Law alumnus and long-time Legal Aid volunteer attorney, William C. Moore ?94, who also supervises students in several aspects of the Project.

The Elder Law Pro Bono Project began in 2008-09 as a way for NCCU Law students to assist the Durham office of Legal Aid of North Carolina with the backlog of clients needing wills and advance directives (Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills). Since then, the Project has expanded to include additional activities reaching different populations.

In addition to conducting intake interviews and preparing drafts of wills and advance directives for Legal Aid clients as needed, Elder Law Project students now conduct intake interviews at Legal Aid?s regular monthly wills clinics, held at the Durham Senior Center, and assist with Wills for Habitat, a pro bono project of the Durham County Bar Association. In October 2011, Elder Law Project students partnered with the Wake County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division to put on Project Will Power, a wills clinic for low-income residents of Southeast Raleigh. Elder Law Project students also participated in a wills clinic for clients in Elizabeth City using the law school?s TALIAS telepresence technology.

Congratulations to all Elder Law Project volunteers, and congratulations and thanks to ELP student managers Kathy Blackburn 2012, Bahiya Lawrence 2012, Jim Purnell 2012, Robyn Hicks 2013, Andrea Canegata 2013, and to their supervising volunteer attorney, Bill Moore ?94!

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Free Article Directory ? 3 Life Giving Properties of Green Tea

Green tea has been delivering its healthy properties for over a thousand years to the people in various Asian countries. But the word has spread far and wide about this amazingly healthy plant, even though not all of the possibilities are known. Scientific research has revealed a number of disease conditions that can benefit from the regular intake of green tea. This food can be ingested as a tea or as simply a capsule form of supplement. This article will focus on some of the most important benefits you can enjoy by incorporating this natural food into your diet.

Practically everyone in Western countries has heard of cholesterol and all the attendant issues. There?s wonderful news about this because what happens is this plant can lower your total cholesterol count, and then it also increases levels of HDL cholesterol (the good stuff). Of course you can and should do your own verification, but these cholesterol studies have been demonstrated in animal and human research. Naturally, if you want the fastest and most powerful effects, then you?ll need to use green tea every day. In addition to giving your body energy to get through your day, it?s also good for your brain. Not only can drinking green tea (or taking a supplement that contains green tea) make you more alert, but there are promising studies that it may actually help to prevent memory loss, Alzheimer?s and other disorders that effect the brain as people age. Green tea has naturally occuring antioxidants that are implicated with memory support issues. Green tea would also greatly benefit younger people in school because it will help provide antioxidant support which everyone needs.

Consuming green tea is also a good method of detoxification, as it helps the liver to work more efficiently. What is more, there are other antioxidants within green tea called, catechins, and those babies support your immune system. Your liver is critical to life and health, and this kind of powerful ally found in green tea will make your body stronger. To get the most protection from green tea, you would ideally consume three to four cups every day, or the equivalent of this in supplement form.

Green tea is a completely natural and beneficial food, and one that is fairly inexpensive and easy to find. You can take green tea in a capsule, or you can make a great tea and drink it. Green tea does have caffeine in it, but it?s only about half as much as coffee, so that is appealing to some people. Keep in mind that we?ve only talked about a handful of benefits; so there really are a number of solid reasons to start drinking it every day. The effect of green tea for the entire body make it seem like an anti-aging food if taken regularly.

The benefits of green tea are enormous and powerful, and who knows what else will become known about it. As stated above, you can drink the tea or take it in alternative form. If you take it regularly, you will enjoy more of the benefits.

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Mariners in Texas, Where Bad Happens

The FIRST-PLACE Seattle Mariners (3-1), led by MVP candidate Chone Figgins (after four games, anyway), take their moveable feast to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Monday for the start of a four-game series against Texas, winner of consecutive American League pennants and a club that dominated Seattle for two years.

The Rangers defeated the Mariners 15 times in 19 meetings in 2011, including nine of 10 games in Arlington, cumulatively outscoring Seattle, 95-53. In 2010, the Rangers beat Seattle 12 of 19, by a combined score of 101-51. In the past 38 games between the two, Texas has won 27 and outscored Seattle 196-104.

If Seattle can sustain against Texas what it started last week against Oakland, the Mariners might be able to change their negative dynamic against the Rangers. The Mariners produced 15 runs vs. the A's on an astonishing (for them, given their feebleness of recent seasons) 26 hits in taking a pair, 7-3 and 8-7.

But Texas will throw a trio of pitchers at Seattle this week that went a combined 6-1, 2.88 ERA vs. the Mariners last year and have a combined career mark of 13-5, 3.10 against them.

The Rangers open the four-game set with Japanese import Yu Darvish, on whom the Rangers spent more money ($110 million in posting fees and contract value) to acquire last winter than Texas club president Nolan Ryan made in his own 27-year pitching career (1975-93), $25.7 million.

Darvish, making his major league debut, compiled a record of 72-28 with a 1.72 ERA in five years (2007-11) with Nippon Ham. He is a two-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player (2007, 2009), a three-time league strikeout champion (2007, 2010-11), a two-time ERA champion (2009-10) and a two-time Gold Glove winner (2007-08).

Darvish will oppose Hector Noesi, who will make his first start as a Mariner and only the third of his major league career.

Converted reliever Neftali Feliz, who opposes Blake Beavan Tuesday, has faced 14 of the 25 players on Seattle's roster. Those 14 are a combined 0-for-28, 0.00 ERA against him. The only Mariner with any success against Feliz: Alex Liddi, who has walked twice.

The Mariners will contest?Colby Lewis Wednesday. Lewis, who will be matched opposite former Ranger Kevin Millwood,?went 2-1, 3.63 in four starts against Seattle last year and is 6-4, 3.70 against them in his career. Don't expect much out of Seattle catcher Miguel Olivo here: he's 0-for-14 with six strikeouts against Lewis. On the other hand, Ichiro (.375) and Figgins (.313) have a record of banging Lewis around.

Thursday's Texas starter, Derek Holland, went 3-0, 2.77 in four starts against Seattle in 2011, whiffing 27 in 26 innings. Holland is 5-1, 3.17 in six career starts against the Mariners. Holland will match pitches with Jason Vargas (1-0), who defeated the A's? Friday.

With a 3-1 start, and a .410 batting average with runners in scoring position, the Mariners have a chance at their first winning April since 2009 (13-9 last year) and just their second in the past eight seasons.

If 2012 isn't going to be, as Sportspress Northwest columnist Art Thiel pointed out in a post last week, a 162-game battle with the Athletics for third place in the AL West, the Texas series is significant in terms of the Mariners sustaining their quality start.

At this time of year, many managers -- Lou Piniella especially comes to mind -- are fond of saying, particularly if their clubs stumble out of the gate,? "it's early yet," suggesting there is a lot of baseball still to be played, and that even a ship listing severely in April can be righted.

Sure, it happens, but not often. In fact, in their own case, the Mariners not only put the lie to this, they stand as nearly perfect examples of what happens to teams, especially in the AL West, that get off to bad starts.

Since 1994, when baseball created three divisions, 36 editions of the Mariners,?Angels, Rangers and Athletics have combined for losing records in March/April. ?We are not counting April of 1995, when the season did not commence until the end of that month due to the previous season's player strike (each AL West club played only a handful of April games that year).

Of the 36 losing March/Aprils suffered by the four AL West entries, 27 resulted in losing seasons.

Since 1994, April has been the most indicative month as to how the Mariners are going to perform throughout the season. Consider:

  • 7: The number of times (again, since 1994) that the Mariners have posted a winning record in March/April.
  • 7: The number of times that the Mariners finished with a winning record after having a winning March/April.
  • 8: The number of times the Mariners had a losing March/April.
  • 0: The number of times the Mariners recovered to post a winning record after a losing March/April.
In the AL West, the Athletics and Angels have each had four losing March/Aprils, but rebounded to end the season above .500. Oakland had the most remarkable turnaround, going 8-17 in March/April of 2001, but finishing with 102 victories compared to Seattle's record 116.

The following are the only AL West clubs that started out losing in March/April, and then finished with a winning seasonal record. Note that of the nine teams that recovered to end on a positive note, only three wound up in the postseason, and only two got past the American League Division Series.

YearTeamAprilSeasonPostseason
1999Angels10-1487-75Failed to make playoffs
2000Athletics12-1391-70Failed to make playoffs
2001Angels11-1399-6399 wins, but no playoffs
2001Athletics8-17102-60Lost to NYY in ALDS
2004Athletics11-1291-71Failed to make playoffs
2006Angels12-1389-73Failed to make playoffs
2009Angels9-1297-65Lost ALCS to NYY 4-2
2009Rangers10-1187-75Failed to make playoffs
2010Rangers11-1290-72Lost World Series to SF
A little recent history upon which to chew: The 2011 Mariners, like the 2012 edition, started the season on a positive note, taking two of three from the Athletics in Oakland. The Mariners then went to Texas for a three-game series and lost all by a combined margin of 16-7.

That launched a seven-game losing streak, which turned into a 13-15 April, which precipitated a 67-95 record, and the club's sixth last-place finish in eight years.

More Sportspress Northwest

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One Direction Prove Themselves During 'SNL' Debut

The boys also show off acting chops during 'Manuel Ortiz Show' sketch.
By James Dinh


One Direction performs on SNL
Photo: NBC

It's usually the more seasoned artists that take to the "Saturday Night Live" stage as musical guests, but this season of the late-night NBC show has welcomed newer acts to provide entertainment mid-laughs. Back in January, Lana Del Rey raised eyebrows for delivering a pair of performances that didn't sit right with critics. And on Saturday night, it was One Direction, who continued their Stateside domination with some smooth performances on the Sofia Vergara-hosted episode of "SNL."

Beginning with their mega-smash "What Makes You Beautiful," One Direction worked each side of the Studio 8H stage. Dressed in blazers, vests and cardigans, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan crooned the feel-good track while showing off their boyish charm.

When the boys reappeared later on for a performance of their song "One Thing," they came with a bit more playfulness. As one of the groups behind the recent boy-band resurgence, the guys proved they have more than enough talent, teenage allure and overall packaging to keep them on the charts.

1D also got into the acting action when they made a brief appearance on "The Manuel Ortiz Show" skit. With the help of some wigs and mustaches, the British pop band acted as Spanish children of a rather dysfunctional family. And like all guests on Manuel's show, the singers strutted onto the stage doing the skit's signature dance.

One Directioners got a double-dose of acting from the boys when they made their national television acting debut on Nickelodeon's "iCarly" earlier in the evening. MTV News recently caught up with some of the show's actors, who had nothing but positive things to say about the British music sensations. While iCarly herself, Miranda Cosgrove, found the bandmates "really funny," another castmate, Nathan Krauss, admitted his initial uncertainty in regards to their acting chops.

"Having One Direction on set was really cool. We didn't really know what to expect from them, because we had heard that they didn't really have any acting experience because they have a lot of lines and are almost in every scene," the actor explains. "But we were all very pleasantly surprised. They did very, very well, especially Harry, because he had to pretend to be sick the whole time."

What did you think of One Direction's "SNL" set? Tell us below!

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Witness: Islamist fighters execute Tuareg in Mali

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) ? Residents in Mali attempting to flee the northern city of Gao, occupied for the past week by rival rebel factions, said they saw Islamist fighters cut the throat of a gunman, who is assumed to belong to the secular rebel group.

The incident appears to show that the Islamists are asserting their control in Gao, the largest city in the north, a region as large as France that fell to the Tuareg rebels a week ago in the aftermath of a coup in Bamako, Mali's capital.

Dramane Maiga, an employee of a transport company, said a bus loaded with fleeing residents attempted on Sunday to leave Gao, located more than 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from Bamako. The bus was driven off the road by Tuareg fighters who wanted to rob the occupants, and who are assumed to belong to the secular faction, known as the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or NMLA.

The NMLA declared the independence of the nation of Azawad on Friday, but it remains unclear if they have the upper hand in the three largest cities in the north, or if an Islamist faction attempting to impose Shariah law has greater sway. Maiga said the Islamists had handed out a hotline number and encouraged residents to call if they were in trouble, apparently in an effort to instill confidence in the local population.

He said that as soon as the bus was driven off the road by a group of four Tuareg gunmen at the exit to Gao, people began calling the hotline. The Islamists arrived 30 minutes later, and an argument ensued.

Maiga said that he and everyone else on the bus saw the Islamists cut the throat of one of the Tuareg fighters, while shouting "Allah Akbar," or "God is Great," in Arabic.

There is growing international concern the Islamist faction is gaining ground in northern Mali. The Ansar Dine faction which is at the fore of the fighting is believed to be providing cover for an al-Qaida offshoot, known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM. Their growing footprint in the vast northern stretches of Mali is especially worrying. AQIM bankrolls its operation by kidnapping foreigners and is holding French, Italian and Spanish nationals.

In the ancient northern town of Timbuktu, Mayor Ousmane Halle said the Islamists had taken over the downtown core of the city, while the NMLA was camped out at the airport.

"I do not know who our master is," he told The Associated Press this week.

The Tuaregs have been attempting to claim control of the north of Mali since at least 1958, two years before Mali's independence from France. That year, Tuareg elders wrote a letter addressed to the French president, requesting that they be given a separate nation. Mali's north where the lighter-skinned Tuaregs live was instead made part of the same nation as the country's south, where the darker-skinned Bambaras control the capital and the government.

They have fought numerous wars to try to wrest the north free, but it was not until the chaos caused by a March 21 coup in the capital that they were able to make significant gains. In the confusion that followed the military takeover, the rebel factions moved on the three largest cities, which fell over a three-day period last weekend.

The military chiefs of 13 of Mali's neighbors have held several meetings to plan a military invasion to take back the north. France has promised technical and logistical support.

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Home Improvement For Bedrooms | Show Furniture Home

Home Improvement For Bedrooms

It is home improvement for bedrooms. Your room is your personal retreat and also the setting for relaxation of your home, so it is special. If your room look dull and monotonous, this implies that it is time to redecorate and improve it. There are few simple tips that can help him upset. First, you want to overflowing with a budget and a possible time to begin with. Another important aspect is to take a decision on the subject or the type of changes you just have to make to boost your bedroom. To do this, you can visit native interior designers or maybe search the net of new concepts. In the event that you propose to try to do everything by itself, then I feel that these suggestions are a valuable contribution.

Try to keep all garbage in the room as it is a source of negative energy. You will be able to expose all things unwanted and unused lying in your wardrobe with previous articles, books, etc. To succeed step is to get rid of television, in exercise gear and parts of the area because they are believed to form the negative, when kept in the room.

Paint your bedroom or use some clever wallpaper, bright to enhance the interior. Fight with the colors that are soothing and make peace. It now has matching curtains, carpets and bedding that go well with the wall paint. You will be able to amend its position along the bed, tables and furniture look different to the granting of the area a new look.

A few people, like putting burning candles and flowers are vital to set the mood. Small appliances such as handmade flowers or portraits of the family increase and improve the indoor atmosphere. keep in mind to use lighting to suit your wishes. The bedroom is the staff, so it should be in line with your style.

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