The Economist: Japan refuses to admit it’s experiencing a slow-motion train wreck, and that’s why it’s doomed.

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U.S. equity markets are mixed this morning. S&P 500 futures are down 1 point in pre-opening trade.

Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the February U.S. trade deficit report. Consensus was $39.0 billion versus $37.3 billion in January. Actual was $39.7 billion.

Alcoa slipped 1% after UBS downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral. After the close yesterday, Alcoa reported adjusted first quarter earnings in line with consensus at $0.10 per share. However, revenues were less than consensus.

Selected energy stocks are trading higher this morning following analyst upgrades. Royal Dutch Shell added 1% after UBS upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy. ConocoPhillips gained 1% after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock from Perform to Outperform. Late yesterday ConocoPhillips announced sale of its 9% interest in Syncrude for $4.65 billion.

Selected regional bank stocks are slightly lower after UBS downgraded the sector.

Thomson Creek Metals slipped 1% after UBS downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral.

Expedia gained 5% after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Conviction Buy. Target price is $31.

Harley Davidson eased 2% after Deutsche Bank downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold.

Don Vialoux, chartered market technician, is the author of a free
daily report on equity markets, sectors, commodities, equities and
Exchange-Traded Funds. For more visit Don Vialoux's Web site   

If the observations, memories, and pop culture references here weren’t so obviously recognizable in our post-9/11 western world, you might have read this graphic memoir as a hack comedy. The black-and-white panels initially seem almost unfinished, as if still in rough-draft mode. The contents might easily be construed as just plain ridiculous: an email reminder sent by a frightened sister to shave on 9/11, a 13-year-old being investigated by the FBI because of a nervous neighbor, learning that “camel jockey” does not mean a horse jockey on a camel even while being called every wrong racist name, wearing a shirt with a Mexican flag to “play it safe at the airport.” Is this what really happens in the good ‘ol US of A?

Welcome to the world of Toufic El Rassi, born in Beirut to an Egyptian mother and a Lebanese father, raised in the U.S. from age one. Even after decades of living an American life, calling El Rassi himself ‘American’ (in spite of his U.S. passport!) seems unfairly far-fetched.

He discovers his brown skin in 8th grade, the same year his beard grows in: “Imagine my shock upon discovering that, in sharp contrast to the angelic white faces arrayed in the chorus, the dark splotch on the grainy tape was me!”

From The Bangles’ dismissable “Walk Like an Egyptian” to The Cure’s more threatening “Killing an Arab,” El Rassi’s childhood soundtrack is filled with guilt. “I felt like I should hide or apologize for something … like I did something wrong and should be ashamed.” Classmates and neighbors harass him in his youth, and as he gets older, his attackers age right along with him.

The ignorance El Rassi encounters is appalling at the very least, but no less life-threatening as “the average American couldn’t distinguish Arabs & Muslims from other nationalities & faiths.” From Rudolph Valentino to Hollywood’s current portrayals, anti-Arab images pervade the big and little screens with racist depictions, continuing to fuel misconceptions of the Arab American identity.

El Rassi attempts to educate the public: “Since there is so much confusion and ignorance it may be useful to explain what an Arab actually is.” From history to semantics to pronunciation lessons, El Rassi places current world events into a less biased context. His battle is still ongoing … because being Arab in a “you’re either with us or with the terrorists”-America remains a contemporary challenge.

In spite of his English-as-a-primary-language existence, El Rassi never stops having to answer, “Do you speak English?” Nope, not with that bearded face! English-speakers of all backgrounds would do well to read this graphic memoir … and someday (soon), perhaps El Rassi’s experiences truly will fall into the realm of the ridiculous rather than the reality he (and too many others like him) face every day.

Readers: Young Adult, Adult

Published: 2007

Filed under: ..Adult Readers, ..Young Adult Readers, .Graphic Novels/Memoir/Manga/Manwha, .Memoir, .Nonfiction, Arab American Tagged: Assimilation, Betrayal, Civil rights, Cultural exploration, Family, Friendship, Identity, Immigration, Personal transformation, Politics, Race

Mean Girls arrives on Nintendo’s handheld DS system later this month, but there’s an even bigger buzz brewing over one very glaring omission from the game’s cover art: actress Lindsay Lohan.

The 2004 teen comedy featured a group of mean-spirited high school princesses who set out to destroy Lohan’s Cady. The box art for the game features only the bitchy posse of teen terrors known as “The Plastics” (Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams, and Lacey Chabert) — LiLo is nowhere to be seen. In the game, players will guide Cady on her quest to defeat “The Plastics” and become prom queen. Although Lohan’s character is the featured, the troubled starlet’s likeness will be absent from all promotional materials for Mean Girls for Nintendo DS, which goes on sale next week.

No reason has been given for the snub, but we’re willing to bet Lindsay’s alleged recent drug relapse has something to do with it.

The following games are now available for direct download from Xbox LIVE: 

 

Content: Tomb Raider:Legend
Price: Check pricing for your region
Availability: North America
Dash Text:  (Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB) Download the manual for this game by locating the game on http://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting “See Game Manual". Lara Croft, one of the greatest explorers of our time, is on the path of one of History’s greatest legends, a weapon with the power to command peace or destroy. In hostile locations around the globe, diabolical traps, ancient guardian machinery and a figure from Lara’s past stand between her and the powerful relic. In this thrilling adventure for the truth behind a Legend, Lara will discover the key to her own past, and her future. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

 
Add Tomb Raider:Legend to your Xbox 360 download queue

 

Content: Devil May Cry 4
Price: Check pricing for your region
Availability: Now available in Australia, Europe and New Zealand
Dash Text:

(Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB) This game supports English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Download the manual for this game by locating the game on http://marketplace.xbox.com and selecting “See Game Manual". A new Devil May Cry story starring an all new hero, Nero! What dark power resides in his right arm? There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

 
Add Devil May Cry 4 to your Xbox 360 download queue

Byron Wien, senior managing director of Blackstone, has released his yearly list of surprises to be ready for. While we’ve written about those 10 things before, we have a whole new look at his rationale by getting a hold of the entire presentation.

It includes an extensive outlook by one of the world’s leading asset managers at not just his ten surprises, but also the facts and figures that helped Wien get to those conclusions.

Included are breakdowns of the U.S. economy, oil markets, and emerging markets.

Check Out Wien’s Presentation For Blackstone On The Ten Surprises To Watch For In 2010 >

Via: MarketFolly

Source: Blackstone via Market Folly

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Now Check Out Why Stocks Are About To Blow Away Earnings Estimates AGAIN This Season

Here’s Why Citi Sees Stock Earnings Soaring In Q1 >

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What specs we’ve seen of the HTC Incredible so far have pretty much left us convinced that its name is well-deserved, but if we needed any final persuasion then the full leaked spec sheet is easily sufficient.  Acquired by BGR, the Verizon-sourced document – which lists the handset as the HTC Incredible ADR6300 – confirms the 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 3.7-inch WVGA OLED touchscreen and 8GB of onboard storage.

There’s also an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, WiFi b/g/n, 512MB of both ROM and RAM and dualband EVDO Rev.A.  The Incredible runs Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI, and measures in at 4.63 x 2.3 x 0.47 inches and weighs 4.59oz.

All in all it’s working out to be a great device, and we’re wondering exactly who’ll be plumping for the also-imminent Verizon Nexus One rather than picking up the better-spec’d Incredible.  Last we heard, the HTC Incredible will arrive on Verizon come April 29th.

KNOXVILLE — More than 150 UT Knoxville students are spending this week working at Camp Koinonia, a weeklong residential outdoor education program for 120 East Tennessee children with disabilities.

The camp started Sunday and runs through Friday at the Clyde M. York 4-H Training Center in Crossville.

The UT students come from a variety of academic programs including therapeutic recreation, special education, child and family studies and psychology. Prior to staffing the camp, the UT students take a 14-week course to learn how to work with children with disabilities.

The campers come from special education programs and special schools in Anderson, Blount and Knox counties. All of them have multiple disabilities, including hearing and visual impairment, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal bifida and autism.

Camp Koinonia was developed in 1977 at Virginia Tech under the leadership and direction of Gene Hayes, now a UT professor of exercise, sport and leisure studies. The idea was to provide a meaningful, experiential learning opportunity for university students while involving children and young adults, some with severe disabilities, in outdoor activities that they would not be able to do otherwise.

In 1984, Hayes moved to UT Knoxville and brought Camp Koinonia with him. The name Koinonia comes from the Greek and means “fellowship” and “caring community.”

Some of the activities campers participate in include horseback riding, canoeing, nature crafts, sport and games, ropes course activities, music and movement, and cooking. Throughout the week there will be special events such as hay rides, an ice cream social and a dance — the students’ favorite activity.

C O N T A C T :

Jamil Price, (615-517-0332, [email protected]) — at the camp

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, [email protected])

Originally posted on Washington Wire.

The Obama administration is intensifying its push on new financial rules, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner penned an editorial in the Washington Post Tuesday to try and drive home his argument.

Here are some quotes from the op-ed followed by Washwire analysis in parentheses:

1. “America is close to turning the page on this economic crisis…It is simply unacceptable to walk away from this recession without fixing the system’s basic flaws that helped to create it.” (Geithner is saying fixes must be made before everyone forgets about what happened).

2. “Signs of bipartisan support for action seem to be emerging in Washington, including for an independent consumer financial-protection agency.” (Many Republicans would question whether “bipartisan support” is in fact emerging, but its clear Democrats think they have splintered the Republicans. Unclear if this passage is meant as a poke in the eye to Republicans or as a clear indication that the White House has this bill right where it wants it — or both.)

3. “The best way to protect American families who take out a mortgage or a car loan or who save to put their kids through college is through an independent, accountable agency that can set and enforce clear rules of the road across the financial marketplace.” (This is important, as there’s a clash over whether auto loans should be covered by the new consumer-protection rules. Here Geithner is saying they will absolutely be covered. Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas is working on an amendment to carve them out, so expect a fight on that).

4. “Major global financial institutions — whether they look like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup or AIG — will be required to operate with less leverage and less risk-taking.” (This is Geithner trying to counter a criticism from some lawmakers that the bill won’t stop banks from becoming too big to fail. He’s essentially saying, “No more bad old days,” and he’s including a swath of U.S. companies to ensure folks that no one will be immune.)

5. “Transparency will lower costs for users of derivatives, such as industrial or agriculture companies, allowing them to more effectively manage their risk. It will enable regulators to more effectively monitor risks of all significant derivatives players and financial institutions, and prevent fraud, manipulation and abuse. And by bringing standardized derivatives into central clearing houses and trading facilities, the Senate bill would reduce the risk that the derivatives market will again threaten the entire financial system.” (This is an important section of his editorial. Many U.S. companies argue that the White House’s plan to regulate derivatives will cost them money and could end up forcing them to cut jobs. Geithner is saying the transparency will help industrial and agricultural companies manage risk. What he doesn’t do, though, is define who these “significant derivatives player” are that will be subject to tougher standards).

6. “The best strategy for stability is to force the financial system to operate with clear rules that set unambiguous limits on leverage and risk. We need that to happen here and around the world. Importantly, with the Senate bill, the United States would have a strong hand in negotiating a global agreement on new capital requirements by the end of the year. Such an agreement would establish a level playing field with minimum requirements for capital, and compliance would be open to scrutiny by regulators and the markets.” (Geithner is putting his cards on the table here. He’s essentially saying, “If we want to be taken seriously by our foreign counterparts — who, incidentally, are all here in Washington today — we need to get this done.” This will give Geithner more leverage — pardon the pun – to negotiate with other countries about how their banks should be regulated.)

Big news from Jeff Bader, the National Security Council director for Asia, reporting on President Obama’s meeting yesterday with Chinese President Hu Jintao following the Washington Nuclear Security Summit. From the transcript of Bader’s press briefing:

During the meeting President Obama and Hu underscored their agreement that Iran must meet its international nuclear non-proliferation obligations.  The two Presidents agreed to instruct their delegations to work with the P5-plus-1 and U.N. Security Council representatives on a sanctions resolution.  The resolution will make clear to Iran the costs of pursuing a nuclear program that violates Iran’s obligations and responsibilities. The discussion was as [sic] sign of international unity on Iran.  The Chinese are actively at the table in New York in discussions with Ambassador Rice, as well as the other (inaudible) the P5-plus-1.  The meeting today is another sign of international unity on this issue.  It’s also I think a strong indication of the way in which the U.S. and China are working together in a positive way on Iran and other issues.

Bader wouldn’t specify the substance of the Chinese commitment on the sanctions resolution. But what the Obama administration has been looking for is a clear indication from the Chinese, who hold veto power at the United Nations Security Council, that they’ll work on a resolution with Obama, and here it is. The New York Times helpfully adds the caveat that the Chinese agreed to comparable steps during the last administration. But back then the Chinese had the support of Russia for essentially protecting Iran, and this time around, the Russians are on board with the U.S.-French-British effort. The question now is whether China will want to be isolated among the veto-wielding Security Council members in again protecting the Iranian leadership from economic sanctions.

Terry says his UHaul rental wouldn’t register the amount of gas he pumped into it, forcing him to either fill the tank with more gas than he used or pay a $30 fee.

He writes:

Yesterday I rented a UHaul truck for an 80-mile round trip. When I rented the truck, the agent told me there was a half tank of gasoline and that I’d need to bring it back filled to a half tank; if it were below that, UHaul would charge me $30.00 plus $3.00/gallon to fill it to the halfway mark. The trip took less than a quarter tank of gas. When I tried to replace what I’d used, the tank wouldn’t read any more than slightly below a half tank. I drove the truck around a bit to make sure the gauge wasn’t just like my son’s car, which doesn’t indicate the true amount of gas in the car unless you drive a few feet after you put the gas in.

The gauge didn’t budge, so I put more gas into the truck. Still, no movement of the gauge. I added gas until the gauge read that the truck was half full. As soon as I drove off, the gauge rose to almost a full tank! I was pissed, to say the least. I mentioned it to the agent when I returned the truck, and he didn’t have anything to say about it. I’ve never rented a moving van that wasn’t full when I got it, and I’m wondering if this is just some kind of scam or if I just ‘lucked’ into this?

Have you found a similar snafu on a vehicle rental?

The Fatal Assumptions blog post series will review some assumptions Android application developers may make, and why those assumptions may harm their app’s acceptance, immediately or in the near future.

Right now, every major Android device has a touchscreen. I say “major” because while there are a few netbooks without touchscreens, none have exactly caught fire in the marketplace.

Hence, right now, it seems safe for an Android developer to assume that all Android devices will have touchscreens. However, in the near future, that may be a fatal assumption…particularly if you don’t set up your manifest properly.

It is fairly likely that devices sans touchscreens will be hitting the market more substantially in 2010. Beyond the rumored Google TV running Android, there are other set-top box manufacturers at least experimenting with Android. It would not shock me to see some low-end smartphones being made without touchscreens, to cut the costs even further, particularly when aiming at markets that value simpler phones. Combine those with more netbooks and other new segments, and it’s reasonable to think that something running Android and without a touchscreen will be a significant player.

Ideally, your applications should not require a touchscreen, so they can be used on these newer devices. Standard Android widget-based UIs support navigation by D-pad or trackball — just test your app this way and confirm that it is indeed usable.

If you specifically need a touchscreen for your game or soundboard or whatever, that’s fine. However,  you really should consider adding one or two <uses-configuration> elements to your AndroidManifest.xml file, with android:reqTouchScreen attributes. This way, you can indicate that your app indeed needs a touchscreen (designed for fingers, styluses, or both). This should prevent your app from being installed on devices without a touchscreen, so those users will not get frustrated and leave you with poor ratings on the Market. You might even do this if you intend to support a touchscreen but do not have time to test it thoroughly at this time.

Might We Suggest…

• Google adds Universal Search to Suggest to Mobile Platforms
  On their official blog, Google is announcing that they have rolled out Universal Search to their Suggest functionality for mobile platforms.  This feature has been enabled for users on the Google home…

For many years I worked in overnight retail management. Let me tell you, it was as glorious as it sounds. Dirty boxes, dim lighting, long hours and in general, a lack of anything non-consumer based — it was every girl’s dream job. Working odd hours is rough to begin with, but having something fresh for lunch (at 2am) was tricky and I’m here to share what I learned along the way.

Read Full Post

Dumbphones are dead, right? So why—at the time of the great Windows Phone 7 resurrection—is Microsoft pushing a totally separate phone platform that doesn’t even run apps? The answer is borderline insane, but just might work. More »

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Unemployment Insurance Continuous Weekly Claims: Week Ending March 20 2010
• Number of Discouraged Workers: March 2010
• Unemployment Insurance Initial Weekly Claims: Week Ending March 27, 2010

Today's special guest is a regular visitor around here, and someone who has a lot of fun in life and in his writing.  When he's not saving lives or out for a long run, you can find him as a regular contributor over at the CalorieLab website.  Please help me welcome Dr. J, as he shares a very special story about his sister, and what her presence has meant in his life.

A little bit about Dr. J, in his own words:
I am a Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate.  I run 50 miles a week and fly a Cherokee Arrow 200.  Of course it wasn’t always like this. I once had a carefree life, riding my bike, playing with my dog, but then school educated me and there was no turning back.

Eventually I had more letters after my name than in my name, a mortgage and a job at a major university with a lizard as it’s mascot and known better for it’s football team than most any other accomplishment. In my spare time I have added some skills which are both useful and fun, became a runner and found the Internet. Thanks to CalorieLab, I have been lucky enough to have been writing the Dr. J will see you now column for almost two and a half years. This has allowed me to go beyond the surgical arena and offer my irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on life, health, and fitness.

A Brother's Story

 

photo credit: Arwen Abendstern

“Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” ~ Michael Jordan

I don’t think anything can ever surpass the joy parents feel with the birth of a child! I know it was a special day for my parents when the J-Sister was born. My mom had several miscarriages prior to that blessed day as my folks wanted a girl to complete and balance their family vision, already having two driving-them-crazy growing young boys! Mom however was not able to conceive again. Because of this situation, there was a difference with this child, because unlike the random chance of my brother and I, the J-Sister was a chosen child.

Yes, she was adopted, although for all of us, this is merely a description, not an emotion. She was a lovely child, and unlike with my brother and I, those first few years were an effortless voyage for my happy parents. Then small differences began to arise. She was not talking as soon as my brother and I had, but then we were very early talkers. She was not responding as quickly to external stimuli as my brother and I had, but then we were boys. She was not the same as my brother and I, but then she was adopted and we were not. Eventually, however, the differences became too great, and the rationalizations became less comforting and answers needed to be found.

When my sister was four years old she underwent a very comprehensive evaluation of her situation and the result of this was that she was deemed mentally retarded, hopeless, and the recommendation was made to be prepared to institutionalize her for life because of her deficiencies and inability of be a normal person.

Whether retarded, or handicapped, or developmentally delayed, or any other politically or non-politically termed phrase is used, I can’t imagine it being any less devastating to a parent to hear that their child will never be normal.

I’m sure for my parents, that moment felt like a car going full speed and suddenly running into the side of a mountain! The thing was, my parents, with dreams shattered, faced this moment with a courage almost beyond what I can imagine. Rather than sit feeling sorry for themselves in that car wreck and settle for this diagnosis of hopelessness, they decided that it was their chosen mission to raise this child. My parents began at that moment, using every skill and facility that they could summon to aid in this unimaginable endeavor, to dig a tunnel through that mountain, though there was no light in sight in that slow moving burrow, yet they persisted with a consistent strong determination to get to that other side, that imagined better place.

So the process began, one vowel and consonant at a time, one button and button hole at a time, one shoe lace and one grommet at a time. I’m sure when Velcro came along my parents felt it was one of the greatest of humankind’s inventions!

With this magnificent effort, my sister began to show progress, albeit very slowly, but it was enough of a reward to help keep the process going.

As my sister's abilities grew, she ventured out onto the street where we lived. I can sadly recall her running home, tears on her cheeks yelling with her limited vocabulary, “Yeve me ayone” to the neighborhood children who had noticed her difference, and she was different, as they picked on her without mercy. My brother and I had probably contributed previously, as any older brothers might, though not with cruelty, to her practice with that useful defensive phrase.

My parents stayed steady with that mission, spending every available moment working with my sister, finding schools and outreach programs that specialized for children with these obstacles. She eventually attended a special high school established by the Kennedy family in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, and went on to be married in Salinas, California, after meeting a young man in Oakland while attending a special program there. My wedding present for the happy couple was a honeymoon in Carmel, which I chaperoned for them. (very discretely I might add)

Today my sister is a completely self sufficient, fully employed, socially exceptional individual with numerous friends and accomplishments. Yes, she is still different, that can not be hidden, but it does not deter her. On a family vacation not that long ago, I personally witnessed her walk into a room with fifty people, and within 15 minutes every one of them knew her, and liked her!  She has not let her differences keep her from being all the person she could be. When we talk, I may mention some challenge or difficulty I am facing and it is not uncommon for her to say, “You can do it, J!” This coming from someone who certainly knows what it is to do it when only a select few believed in her.

So if you are thinking that, perhaps with your weight and fitness, or any other challenge that is in your path, that this mountain in front of you is insurmountable, think of that mountain that my sister climbed, and is still successfully climbing, and if you feel that you just can’t, remember her words to me, “You can do it,” because you know, like her, you really can!

The Altimeter group was pre-briefed by COO Dick Costolo of Twitter direct last week about this upcoming launch, we’ve had some time to think over what it means to the industry as well as to brand marketers.

Summary: Twitter has launched promoted tweets
Brands can now advertise promoted tweets on search pages, however the community has power over which tweets will appear measured by Twitter’s new metric called “Resonance” which factors in behaviors like the retweet, at, hash, avatar clicks. Brands can now purchase CPM based ads to promote these popular tweets at the top of a Twitter search term –even in categories they aren’t well known in spreading awareness and influence.  Unlike traditional advertising or social marketing this is both a combination of earned media and paid media.  This is a smart move for Twitter it taps into deep pockets of online advertisers without jeapordizing santity of the community as users will self select which tweets will resonate and thereby become promoted ads.

How it will work, a likely use case scenario:

1. Users will continue to interact with each other, and popular tweets will receive a high ‘resonance’ score from Twitter.  Some of these Tweets will be created by brands, and some by the users themselves.
2. Tweets with heavy resonance can be purchased by advertisers in a CPM basis to appear as the first ’sponsored’ Tweet on a search term.  The sponsored tweets will be clearly labeled and have a different background color.
3. These promoted tweets will only stay if users continue to resonate with them, those that don’t will disseappear and a different tweet with resonation will appear.

Matrix: What Twitter’s Promoted Tweets Business Model Means to the Ecosystem
This has several implications to the ecosystem as a whole, we’ve broken down the impacts to the various players in this matrix:

Player	Direct Impacts	What They Will Do	What No One Tells You
Twitter	Finally gets a business model beyond search deal partnerships with potential to scale.  Taps into deep pockets of online advertisers.	Experiment. Expect black and gray hat marketers to try to game this system, in order to obtain resonance. Twitter will constantly tune algoryhthem like Google does.	Expect this to cascade to their partners and grow into the ecosystem as Twitter aggregates resonation on other 3rd party sites
Social Marketers	Brands can now finally buy influence over users by using using promoted tweets in the search page.	Brands will ask their customers to retweet to increase their resonance. Will build an inventory of top promotable tweets	Don’t go overboard, make sure you think of this in the larger context of integrated marketing. Avoid shiny tool syndrome.  Must pay close attention to what terms are resonating with community to build inventory
Direct Marketers and Advertisers	Finally.  Beyond traditional advertising direct marketers have skin in the social game	Flail. Many will try to buy their way in and obtain resonation without asking why a tweet resonates.  Will fight over top searched terms in Twitter, expect a lot of contests to promote tweet engagement.	Expect tension between this marketer and the social marketer if education is not completed.
Users	Have power over which promoted ads will stay visible	Initially be shocked by changes, then learn they can help self select tweets that will be promoted..  In the real time resonace world users have a lot more power	Power tweeters like celebs and digerati will be targeted by marketers to engage and resonate tweets.  Twitter users that retweet tweets may  be surprised to see their promoted tweets in search engine results ads.
Developers and Agencies	Finally, a goal they can aim for will focus business models to glean ‘resonance’	Developers are waiting with baited breathe for Chirp developers conference this week to see how this will be tied in.  Twitter has indicated that promoted tweets will spread to clients, expect revenue sharing to be offered	Expect half a dozen vendors and agencies to approach brands in the next quarter offering the ability to increase ‘resonance’ and case studies will show increase in resonance.
Competitors and Search Engines:	Beyond a new player being in town a new form of advertising is afoot changing the game.	Expect nervous deals to come to the table on how search engine results can factor in Twitter’s resonance.  Yet expect players like MSFT and Yahoo to quickly launch their version of defining how the social web should be categorized.	They will have the advantage of built in ad base of advertisers and millions more users.  Google and Bing will fold this in and reward resonance and combine with page rank, or will create their own metric to reward social engagement

For Resonation, Brands Must Pay Closer Attention To Users –This Isn’t Traditional Spray And Pray
Power continues to be in the hands of the users, however brands that pay attention to why tweets resonate will have a leg up.  Recognize this is early days, many will experiment, here’s how you should approach this space.

• Change your mindset: This is a combination of organic and paid ads, you’ll need skills from both worlds to be successful. Direct marketers should educate social marketers, and social marketers should explain how resonation occurs in the conversational web. Remember, this gives top tweets staying power beyond the constant stream of chatter.
• How to pick which tweet to promote: First, monitor which tweets are already resonating with your brand, take note of what is causing it to resonate and in what context. Secondly, recognize that these tweets should have long term impact, not a daily special as the tweet is promoted, users will interact with it, forcing it into a viral loop.  For best results, experiment with promoting tweets from your customers –not just those that you create.
• Twitter users have power over which promoted Tweets will work: Remember they get to choose which tweets can be put into the advertising inventory as their interaction will self select which tweets can become promoted. Secondly, promoted tweets that don’t yield community engagement will also fall off the stream. is that in the real time resonace world users have a lot more power.
• A New Yardstick: ‘Resonance’ is the Page Rank of Microblogging: Advertising agencies and social marketing agencies will come out of woodwork, most will do it wrong.  Look for a sophisticated partner that knows the value of social conversational marketing to create an inventory and the long term experience of an advertising agency that knows the value of advertising placement. Expect resonation to also cascade to other social networks like Facebook and even community platforms and content management systems to derive what content should surface.  Twitter has made nods to new dashboards to appear, expect your agency partners to align around resonation as the ROI.

This post is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Altimeter team including Charlene Li (Leadership), Alan Webber (User Experience/Government), Michael Gartenberg (Mobile) and Christine Tran (Research). See Twitter blog, AdAge, and NYT for details.

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There had been a 23% rise in the number of Austin foreclosed homes for the month of March 2010. According to property market analysts, the rise in the numbers had been due to the continuous rise of delinquent loans in the city.

The development can be considered good news for people who plan on moving to the area as there would be more foreclosed homes for sale in Texas. However, this is not good news for people who are already living in the city.

According to monthly housing reports, the number of foreclosed residential real estate in the city totaled 1,114 as of the last day of March. There are also more than 8,000 houses that are being offered for short sales, resale and foreclosure auctions.

The month in focus also showed that 1,451 notices of foreclosure have been sent to Austin homeowners. This means that the city has had more than 1,400 foreclosure notices sent to borrowers for four months in a 10-month period.

The March 2010 statistics also showed that the rise in the number of Austin foreclosed homes is 118% compared with the same month a year ago and 11 % higher than a month ago (February 2010).

Along with Austin, cities like Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, Crystal City and Houston have also contributed to the jump in the statistics of foreclosed homes for sale in Texas. The only area that produced good results is Hays County which recorded a 19% decline in foreclosure for the period of March 2010.

Real estate analysts have stated that the continuous rise in foreclosure numbers means that the city and the rest of the state is still facing the worst of the foreclosure crisis. Foreclosed homes for sale in Texas are expected to increase further during the summer of the current year.

The prediction was made based on the expectation that the number of homeowners who will default or will become delinquent in their mortgage loan payments will continue to climb in the coming months.

Austin foreclosed homes continue to rise in number due to the escalation of delinquent loans in the area. The city and the rest of Texas are expected to continue recording high foreclosure numbers in the remaining months of 2010.

Find more foreclosure listings in Austin, TX:

• Home Auctions in Austin
• Foreclosure Investing in Austin

Last week a sculpture commissioned by the Dogwood Arts Festival and created by two UT Knoxville students was vandalized beyond repair. A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the vandalism, which took place in James Agee Park in Fort Sanders.

The sculpture was created over a six-month period by students Seth Collins and Zac Benson. Collins and Benson received a $1,000 grant for materials to create the sculpture, which was part of a class learning project in which students submitted proposals for public art projects to be installed for the Dogwood Arts Festival. Collins and Benson’s project was selected and commissioned.

Last week, Knoxville City Councilman Nick Pavis, offered a $500 reward for information leading to those responsible for the incident. On Monday, that amount was matched by local businessman David Shiflett. Pavis represents South Knoxville and Fort Sanderson the City Council. Shiflett is a partner in Parker Shiflett and Co.

If you have information regarding the vandalism, contact the Knoxville Police Department at 215-7000.

Three universities are getting pumped to hand out free iPads to students and faculty with hopes that Apple’s tablet will revolutionize education.

[Source: Wired]