Monday, February 11, 2013

Texas governor in California to lure businesses

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry is visiting California, and he hopes to return home with something more than a Disneyland souvenir.

The former Republican presidential candidate starts meeting with business leaders Monday, trying to persuade them to move jobs to Texas. He will visit the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and Orange County through Wednesday.

The trip follows a radio ad in which Perry criticized California's business climate. Perry has been touting his state's low taxes and lax regulations.

California Gov. Jerry Brown says California has been adding more jobs than any other state. Non-farm payrolls increased by nearly 226,000 jobs in 2012.

He also wondered whether Perry might have a change of heart after arriving: "A lot of these Texans," Brown says, "they come here, they don't go back."

Source: http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/02/11/3169144/texas-governor-in-california-to.html

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The Celtic Manor Resort | Guide of Traveller

The Celtic Manor Resort 300x225 The Celtic Manor ResortOpened in 1999 on a 1,400-acre estate rich with scenery and history, the Forum Health Club and Spa capped development of the most complete resort in Wales. Combining exceptional golf, leisure, and convention facilities, the Celtic Manor Resort includes a 400-room hotel and three championship golf courses.

Crossing the Severn estuary on a dramatic new bridge, you can?t miss the Manor. An in-your-face newly built megalith dominating the M-4 motorway, the resort is all about thinking big. Canadian telecommunications tycoon Terry Matthews invited golf course designer Robert Trent Jones Sr.?both were born in Wales?to launch the project in 1995. At the resort?s center is a refurbished nineteenth-century manor house. Set into a hillside, the hotel?s soaring central atrium links three wings of bedrooms to the spa and leisure club, and to a high-tech convention center.

The Forum Health Club and Spa surpasses many European resorts. Taking up most of the hotel?s lower floor are a 20-meter swimming pool, fifty-person whirlpool with underwater sound and light beneath a constellation of fiber-optic stars, and luxurious changing rooms with sauna and steam room, plunge pool, and whirlpool. The sixteen therapy rooms are spacious and well-equipped for a range of treatments by Clarins, Elemis, and Guinot, including sports massage and skin care for men. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the spa?s rasul chamber, where mud-caked guests socialize as they steam out impurities under a star-studded dome.

Spacious and elegantly appointed, the Forum?s wide corridors, high ceilings, and light-filled exercise studios are a pleasant environment, even when the weather isn?t. The fifty-four-station gym allows you to watch TV or enjoy music while you work out on cross-trainers, steppers, bikes, rowers, free weights, and treadmills. Personal trainers are on hand, and scheduled sessions of yoga and aerobics are held in a wood-floored studio. The gym also offers fitness assessment and counseling packages from Fitech. Kids up to age fifteen have their own Hideaway Club, with gym,?swimming pool, whirlpool, computer, and cinema. Taking care of the entire family are an Aveda concept hair salon, run by local-TV celeb Philip Mungeam, and a spa cafe.

Accommodations: 400 luxury rooms, thirty-two suites in contemporary hotel, most with balcony. All have private bath and shower, air-conditioning, speaker phone with voice mail, desk with fax modem and dual voltage power, CD player, TV. Amenities include hair dryer, trouser press, iron and board, tea- and coffeemakers, robe, toiletries. Library lounge.

Meals: A la carte menu in two restaurants and spa cafe. Also available at golf clubhouse, conservatory and terrace, games room and library, and piano bar.

Facilities: Two indoor swimming pools and whirlpools, sixteen treatment rooms including hydrotherapy, dry flotation bed, rasul chamber, two fitness centers with cardiovascular and strength equipment, aerobics/dance studios, men?s and women?s changing rooms with sauna/steam rooms, plunge pool. Hideaway Club for kids. Admission is free to hotel guests.

Services & Special Programs: Skin care, facials, massage, G5 machine massage, body wrap, aromatherapy, Cathiodermie, hair and nail care; jet shower, hydrotherapy tubs. Fitness evaluation, personal trainers.

Best Spa Package: Elemis aromatherapy, top-to-toe, two-hour treatment for $80, plus gratuity. Spa Energizer package with room, treatments, meals for two, $416-$603 daily (three-night minimum).

What?s Nearby: Cardiff Bay, Wentwood Forest, Caernarfon Castle, Tintern Abbey.

Source: http://www.guideoftravels.com/the-celtic-manor-resort.html

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Your Home Need A Facelift? Try These Home Improvement Ideas ...

If you have thousands of dollars in required home improvements staring you in the face, you may wonder if going the DIY route could make them a bit more affordable. You can do it on your own, but it?s important that you know how to do so. The article below will give you some valuable ideas on how to make the right choices.

If you are a homeowner with central air and heat, try upgrading after seven years. Newer central heat and air conditioning systems can reduce energy consumption by as much as 20%. Older heating and cooling systems are also not nearly as quiet as new ones.

Improvement Project

Using bowls of lemons or a bouquet of flowers are simple ways to spruce up a kitchen. Arrange some flowers into an classy vase or place some colorful fruits in a bowl. This cheap fix can lighten up any kitchen quickly. Fresh flowers can make your kitchen appear more lively.

TIP! Put a peephole in outside doors! Know who is knocking on the door without having to open it! An inexpensive, easy to install option for home security is a door peephole. A drill is required and you can finish the project in less than a day.

If your home improvement project is taking place near or around the kitchen, fireplace or anything else with a gas line, find the shutoff switch prior to starting. Be extremely careful if you are going to work near any gas installation. You would not want to have an explosion or fire put a damper on your home improvement project.

When making improvements on your home, you should make sure that things are personalized without becoming too different than other properties in the area. You don?t want the house to stand out so much that it becomes awkward. This can make selling your place very hard.

Be certain to highlight the selling points of your house. Don?t block any of your windows that have a view. Whatever you wish to do, you really have to show off the main selling points. When you do this, potential buyers are able to easily see the special features of your home.

Houses that have an inviting view often sell for more than comparable house without such a view. Always remember that the premium price brought by the view might not be thought of as a smart investment. But, because beauty is often in the eye of the beholder, the impact of your house?s view on its value may vary from potential buyer to buyer.

TIP! Always check with your contractor so that you fully understand any guarantees he makes on his work. Having a guarantee from your contractor ensures that they will fix any problems that arise quickly.

Wallpaper and art additions can make a bathroom look better. Wallpaper trim is not expensive, and the wide range of designs can complement any decor that you can imagine. In addition, it?s easy to install. Add some nice, inexpensive artwork and you can completely transform your bathroom.

Appliance Paint

Appliance paint can be used to update the appearance of your kitchen in just hours. Update your appliances with black, white or metal colored appliance paint. Instead of buying new appliances, buy spray paint. This can dramatically improve the style of your kitchen in just a day?s time.

If you?d like to make an old bathroom look modern and new, look into buying matching metal fixtures. There are complete sets out there that include a full array of hardware: drawer pulls, cabinet knobs, towel racks, curtain rods, and even toilet paper holders. In many cases, a coordinated set of hardware comes in a single, handy package. Installing one of these sets is a simple one-day (or even one-afternoon) project.

TIP! Avoid removing necessary items during construction. It is essential to investigate what is behind your walls prior to tearing them out.

Hire an interior designer if you can afford it. they will help you get the best look at the best price for your budget. You don?t have to renovate alone; you can hire a pro.

Analogous color schemes could be used in your home to create a restful feel. Analogous colors sit next to each other on a color wheel, such as red and orange, green and yellow or violet and blue. A room featuring an analogous color scheme, tends to be more restful and relaxing, so it is suitable for a family room or bedroom.

If you are researching contractors for your home improvement project, make sure you find out if they have the licenses that are required by your state. You can find this out through government websites, or by making a few phone calls. Unlicensed contractors can be scam artists or they could have done something wrong to have their license revoked.

Stay on an even keel! Make sounds easier to stand in your house. A loud, unbalanced fan blade usually just needs some minor adjustments. Tighten the screws attaching the blades and blade holders to make sure your fan is properly secured. When tightening the screws, it is a good idea to clean the fan blades in order to remove any dust that could unbalance your fan.

TIP! Compost to reduce your garbage amount. It is easy to start a compost pile; simply designate a spot in your back yard and start putting compostable garbage such as coffee grounds, vegetable peels and eggshells there.

When you are thinking about home improvements, have you considered the condition your porch is in recently? Your porch makes the first impression on any guest who is visiting your home. Keep your porch clean and add tasteful enhancements. Flowers, nice furniture and great lighting can be used to dress up an otherwise boring and bland porch. This will pay off in real dollars, as a nice porch increases the value of a home.

Avoid contractors who offer bonuses for cash payments, as they are involved in illegal acts. You will not have documentation if you pay with cash, so it will make it difficult to prove your case in court if you run into problems with the contractor.

Deck making and painting are two home improvement projects that you could do outdoors that could have big effect to your house?s value. So consider doing these projects when working outside of your home. If you have a deck, you have a great place for relaxing and entertaining in the warm months of the year.

Does your vinyl floor covering have a bubble in it? If so, then pop it! It is a simple way to release all of the air. This part of the fix is only temporary, however. To keep the floor from coming back up, you will need to add some glue under the slice to secure the vinyl to the floor. Glue, prepackaged in syringes, is perfect for this job.

TIP! If you plan to hire a professional to work on your home, always get references. Think of this as hiring someone to work for a business.

Window Frame

It is important to measure your windows correctly before you buy new blinds and attempt to install them. Ill fitting blinds will not hand properly and will not look good. Blinds can be installed inside your window frame as well as outside your window frame.

Replacing an old roof can prove to be expensive for any homeowner. Talk to at least three different roofers to secure estimates ? and call their references. There are many different styles of roofing materials available today, from lightweight tiles to traditional shingles. Have your contractor help you make a decision.

Motion detector lights are a good option to consider if you are planning to install exterior lights on your property. Motion sensor lights make your home more secure because they light up when potential criminals enter the property. You will also see lower electric bills.

TIP! Plumbing and electrical issues should be fixed before you begin doing cosmetic improvements. As these repairs will actually cause damage to your home, you should do them first.

Taking on a home improvement project can be a great opportunity to improve specific skills, as well as adding customized elements to your project that reflect your taste. You?ll find that you can do some amazing things as home improvement projects that won?t break your bank account. Sometimes, you?ll need an expert and this article can help you figure out when to call them.

Source: http://drawerdishwasherreviews.com/your-home-need-a-facelift-try-these-home-improvement-ideas

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Curiosity drills into Mars rock, collects samples

NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

At the center of this image from NASA's Curiosity rover is the hole in a rock called "John Klein" where the rover conducted its first sample drilling on Mars. The drilling took place on Feb. 8.

By Mike Wall, Space.com

NASA's Curiosity rover has drilled into a Martian rock and collected samples, marking the first time any robot has ever performed this complicated maneuver on the surface of another planet.

The 1-ton Curiosity rover used its arm-mounted drill to bore a hole 0.63 inches (1.6 centimeters) wide and 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) deep in a section of sedimentary bedrock on Friday. The activity paves the way for the first-ever analysis of fresh Martian subsurface material and provides the last major checkout of the robot's gear and instruments, researchers said.

"The most advanced planetary robot ever designed now is a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement Saturday. "This is the biggest milestone accomplishment for the Curiosity team since the sky-crane landing last August, another proud day for America."


Curiosity will process the sample over the next few days, researchers said. The rover will use some of the material to scour its sample-handling hardware clean of any residues that may remain from Earth before transferring any powder to the analytical instruments on the rover's body. [Curiosity Rover's Amazing Mars Photos]

"We'll take the powder we acquired and swish it around to scrub the internal surfaces of the drill bit assembly," said Curiosity drill systems engineer Scott McCloskey, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. "Then we'll use the arm to transfer the powder out of the drill into the scoop, which will be our first chance to see the acquired sample."

Drilling so deep into a Red Planet rock is a complex and unprecedented maneuver, so the mission team worked its way up to the first effort in a steady, stepwise fashion.

About two weeks ago, Curiosity began assessing the target rock, which is part of an outcrop called "John Klein" that was exposed to liquid water long ago. The rover first pressed down on the rock with its arm-mounted drill in a series of "pre-load" tests. It then used the drill's percussive action to hammer the outcrop without spinning the drill bit, which cleared the way for a recent "mini-drill" that bored into rock but didn't collect samples.

Getting Curiosity ready for all these steps ? and for yesterday's successful full-up drilling run ? also took a lot of prep work here on Earth, researchers said.

"Building a tool to interact forcefully with unpredictable rocks on Mars required an ambitious development and testing program," said JPL's Louise Jandura, chief engineer for Curiosity's sample system said Saturday. "To get to the point of making this hole in a rock on Mars, we made eight drills and bored more than 1,200 holes in 20 types of rock on Earth."

Curiosity landed inside Mars' huge Gale Crater on the night of Aug. 5 to determine if the area has ever been capable of supporting microbial life. Along with its 10 science instruments and 17 cameras, the rover's drill is considered key to this quest, for it allows scientists to peer deep into Martian rocks for evidence of past habitability.?

Follow Space.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall?or Space.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook?and?Google+.?

? 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/09/16912720-in-a-first-curiositys-rover-drills-into-mars-rock-collects-samples?lite

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Northeast storm disrupts travel for sports teams

Grounds crews clear the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport in New York Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. Airlines scratched more than 3,700 flights in the Northeast through Saturday as snow began falling in what was predicted to be a huge blizzard that could dump 1 to 3 feet of snow from New York City to Boston and beyond. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Grounds crews clear the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport in New York Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. Airlines scratched more than 3,700 flights in the Northeast through Saturday as snow began falling in what was predicted to be a huge blizzard that could dump 1 to 3 feet of snow from New York City to Boston and beyond. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Several professional and college sports teams were forced to rearrange their travel plans as a massive storm swept through the Northeast, dumping a few feet of snow in some areas.

The NBA's New York Knicks were stuck in Minnesota after playing the Timberwolves on Friday night, hoping to try to fly home sometime Saturday. The San Antonio Spurs were also staying overnight in Detroit after seeing their 11-game winning streak fall to the Pistons, awaiting word on when they might be able to fly to New York for their game Sunday night at Brooklyn.

"We can't get there tonight ? we know that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "So we're going to stay here tonight and try to get there (Saturday). Hopefully, we will be able to get there, but at this point, we don't know."

Airlines canceled more than 5,300 flights through Saturday, and New York City's three major airports and Boston's Logan Airport closed.

The Brooklyn Nets planned to take a train home instead of flying from Washington D.C. after losing to the Wizards on Friday night.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said before a 100-94 victory that his team initially planned to fly home after the game, but the flight had already been postponed. New York is scheduled to play the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

The NHL's Boston Bruins pushed back the start of Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning by six hours because of the blizzard. The game originally slated for 1 p.m. was rescheduled for 7 p.m., but Boston was expected to be one of the cities hit hardest by the storm.

The storm had dumped more than 2 feet of snow on New England by early Saturday and knocked out power to 650,000 customers. The National Weather Service said up to 3 feet of snow is expected in Boston, threatening the city's 2003 record of 27.6 inches.

The Bruins and Lightning each already had road games scheduled for Sunday night.

The New Jersey Devils were still scheduled to host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 1 p.m., while the New York Islanders were slated to play at home against the Buffalo Sabres at 7 p.m.

Two Ivy League men's college basketball games that were scheduled for Saturday night were moved back to Sunday because of treacherous travel conditions.

Dartmouth will play at Cornell at noon on Sunday in Ithaca, N.Y., and Harvard will visit Columbia at 2 p.m. Sunday in New York. Dartmouth played at Columbia on Friday night, and Harvard played at Cornell. Two other Ivy League games were still scheduled to be played Saturday night, with Yale visiting Princeton and Brown playing at Pennsylvania.

Aqueduct also called off Saturday's card because of the storm. The track and Belmont Park were expected to remain open for wagering on out-of-town races, with racing scheduled to resume Sunday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-09-Northeast-Storm-Sports/id-cf7401a73674431b8ec3373bfc162172

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Friday, February 8, 2013

Site news: Cagewriter is on vacation

Before we start a long and fun stretch of MMA, Cagewriter will be off from now through Tuesday. I'll return on Wednesday, Feb. 12 to talk about the latest episode of "The Ultimate Fighter," the upcoming Bellator and UFC fights, and whatever other craziness may come up in MMA. In the meantime, follow Yahoo! Sports MMA and enjoy one of the few slow times that happen in MMA.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/news-cagewriter-vacation-141836439--mma.html

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Apartment Careers: jobs, Brownsville jobs, Texas jobs, Business ...

About Pinnacle.

We invest in great people. That's why clients trust us with their real estate investments!
At Pinnacle, we consider our employees our most valuable asset. In fact, our number one key business objective is to attract and retain the best talent in the industry! At Pinnacle, the key to our continued success and competitive advantage is our people.

We offer a total compensation and benefits package to help with your needs today and build for your future tomorrow. We recognize that each employee is an individual with individual needs, lifestyles, and interests. Our benefits package was created with the flexibility to support employees who are at different places in their lives and careers.

Pinnacle values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. We offer a safe, healthy work environment for employees through a commitment to maintaining a drug-free workplace.
Pinnacle has ongoing employment opportunities at our headquarters in Seattle, our more than 40 branch office locations nationally and our many managed communities throughout the country.

Pinnacle is the national leader in third-party fee management of investment real estate encompassing multi-family, commercial space, affordable housing and military housing. Pinnacle is built on four basic principles:

  • Quality people
  • Strong customer service
  • Solid market knowledge
  • Superior systems and support capabilities

    At Pinnacle, success is about more than having a healthy bottom line. Guided by our principles and values, we are committed to making Pinnacle an amazing and unique place to work for each member of our team.

    About the job..

    As a Business Manager at Pinnacle, youll put your outstanding leadership and savvy business skills to work at one of the most respected apartment companies in a management opportunity that offers real leadership, innovation and support.
    Our Business Managers are the cornerstone of our team. Theyre responsible for keeping our communities in the top-notch condition our residents have come to expect, building motivated and trustworthy teams who consistently deliver a notably higher level of service and maximizing the operating performance of our community. Be ready to be busy! This challenging position includes:

  • Operations. Ensuring the smooth running of our community in a fast-paced environment. Overseeing all operations including maintenance, capital improvements, lease administration, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, collections, evictions, vacancy anticipation, marketing, lease renewals, service contracts, expense control, audits, etc.
  • Customer service. Providing superior customer service and communication to our residents and prospects to enhance customer satisfaction and increase renewals, revenue, reputation and profitability.
  • People development. Developing, mentoring, leading, and managing a high-performing, cohesive team, including leasing, customer service, maintenance and management personnel, in order to maximize their engagement and minimize turnover.
  • Marketing. Driving revenues with your thorough understanding and analysis of competition and development of creative marketing programs.
  • Leading by example. Instilling, maintaining and modeling the Pinnacle mission to be the best national management company.

    Essential Responsibilities:

  • Supervise day-to-day operations of entire on-site team, ensuring that all Pinnacle policies and procedures are being followed.
  • Maintain effective on-site staff through interviewing, hiring, and terminating as necessary.
  • Maintain a positive living environment for community residents through prompt conflict resolution and consistent follow-up.
  • Manage and maintain all aspects of overall community budget and finances
  • Work with leasing staff to ensure that leasing/marketing goals are being met.
  • Maintain positive relations with all community vendors.
  • Coordinate special projects as requested by Investment (Regional) Manager.

    Personal Competencies:

  • A competitive spirit
  • High-energy
  • Demonstrated leadership and strategic thinking skills
  • Supervisory experience
  • Warm, friendly and service-oriented philosophy
  • High degree of flexibility and tolerance for change
  • Ability to train, develop, lead and mentor
  • Superior written and verbal communications skills
  • Extremely computer literate
  • Organized and detail-oriented
  • Customer-service driven
  • Able to multitask
  • Financials experience/experience working with a budget

    Qualifications:

  • Minimum of a high school diploma, Bachelors degree preferred
  • 3+ years of on-site property management experience
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Experience in supervisory role and managing staff
  • Experience in writing and maintaining budgets
  • Proficient in Yardi property management software or other similar property management software.
  • General office, bookkeeping and sales skills
  • Computer literate, including Microsoft Office Suite

    Pinnacle has grown to become America's largest apartment manager through many different successes. Yet, in today's ultra-competitive market, each success must fuel the next and speed is essential in the ongoing race to lead the industry.

    If you are ready to work hard and be empowered and encouraged to innovate, contribute ideas and discover solution to provide current and potential residents with unparalleled, world class customer service please click Apply Online.


  • Source: http://jobs.apartmentcareers.com/jobs/5128752/business-manager

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