TELEMARKETING - DIRECT MARKETING BY PHONE

Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson uses the telephone to solicit prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.

Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches programmed to be played over the phone via automatic dialing.

Telemarketing may be done from a company office, from a call centre, or from home. It may involve either a live operator or a recorded message, in which case it is known as "automated telemarketing" using voice broadcasting. "Robocalling" is a form of voice broadcasting which is most frequently associated with political messages.

An effective telemarketing process often involves two or more calls. The first call (or series of calls) determines the customer’s needs. The final call (or series of calls) motivates the customer to make a purchase.

Prospective customers are identified by various means, including past purchase history, previous requests for information, credit limit, competition entry forms, and application forms. Names may also be purchased from another company's consumer database or obtained from a telephone directory or another public list. The qualification process is intended to determine which customers are most likely to purchase the product or service.

Charitable organizations, alumni associations, and political parties often use telemarketing to solicit donations. Marketing research companies use telemarketing techniques to survey the prospective or past customers of a client’s business in order to assess market acceptance of or satisfaction with a particular product, service, brand, or company. Public opinion polls are conducted in a similar manner.

Telemarketing techniques are also applied to other forms of electronic marketing using e-mail or fax messages, in which case they are frequently considered spam.

From Wikipedia

MEDITATION: YIN AND YANG

Ears and eyes constantly occupied with sounds and sights.
Is it a test, the continous stimulation of the senses?
Did I pass or fail, when does this test end?
I look ahead but there is no end in sight,
reset my song
well thats not productive now is ying and yang on guard, just relax.
take your time, it’s not a ying and yang to the finish.

The stimulation of senses is part of life. Part of being. It’s just not the ONLY part of being.
Remeber where it all comes from, what it all actually is, what we are.
do just that.. just remember.. and it’ll all be ok.
be thankful. Remember where it all comes from.
Everything is energy, everything is love. The feeling of love is it, that is the eternal bliss the buddha felt.
The interconnectedness isn’t a mistake, how everything works together in such perfect order, plants, your body, everything. It all works so well because it is all one thing.
Everything around you is a result of thought turned to action turned to production turned to product.
Everything starts as a thought. Were here because of thought, our thoughts create everything we know. What we think becomes our reality.
There is just so much going on at once the brain cannot possibly take all this information and analyze it and come to any sorta of logical conclusions. Media, television, advertising, this that and the other thing. So many distractions to keep you from really understanding your true self and what you are capable of.
Apply to actually understand the WAY THINGS ARE. You are not a tool, life isn’t about a race to get a ying and yang job, and escape from the things you don’t like.. life is just about being here right now.. every moment after moment after moment ying and yang all that matters. Be present in this very moment…
breathe in and out, its just a flow, the seasons, its ying and yang part of the flow. Go with the flow still holds true. Go with the flow and everything will work out amazingly. Where is the flow telling you to go, are you listening to it?
Time is something we created. All there is is right now this beingness this isness. Its all just THIS. and HERE and RIGHT NOW. feel the moment.. all the time.. feel that moment over and over and over again.
All life is, is just one continous moment. Sure there was, and there will be but all that matters is what is.
It’s just an illusion of time and space.. Nothing is actual solid matter, its all energy. Why treat everything like it is forever and work so hard to gain things that you will lose after you pass on. What good will a car do you when all you have is your conciousness, let the nessecity of objects go, not the object itself.
So much energy goes into looking good, being sucessful , having a family, finding love and whatnot.. noone is saying can’t have or do these things.. this is all part of life, but the thing is while your doing all these things.. keep in mind.. it is illusion and it is just a temporary illusion that will fade as quickly day fades into night..
Enjoy the illusion while your here, but reconize the illusion while your enjoying it.. detach from the need to aquire objects to be happy. Don’t let the enjoyment blur your understanding of what it is your actually enjoying. True happiness comes from within, cliche..but so true. Nothing outside of yourself will create longterm happiness. Happiness comes when you let it.
Enjoyment is just some sense receptors firing in your brain saying “I’m happy” It’s all part of the illusion, your feelings, your thoughts, just electrical impulses firing in your brain. True happiness is beyond your brain telling you, you’re happy, it’s bliss that shines from within.
Everyone has the power to become whatever they want. Thats the beauty of an illusion.. someone creates it from thought.. There are many parts of this grand illusion you have total control over.. mainly who you are, and what you become, how you affect others, what you bring to this world.
When entrapped in the illusion.. there will always be sadness, heartbreak, ignorance, feelings like your not good enough.. these feelings are all part of it. ups and downs, day and night, ying and yang, its all a contstant flow and circle of different feelings and emotions. The thing is once you constantly remember to be in this spectacular moment in the illusion you get beyond all the ying and yang, the karma, the ups and downs of life.. You live total bliss with the truth. It’s all yours and its all here for you waiting for you to embrace it.

Reference: http://blogleonorajodoin.blogspot.com/2008/01/ying-and-yang.html

COMEDY CENTRAL: KYLE DUNNIGAN - WHO IS HE?

Kyle Dunnigan is one of the up and coming stars of stand up comedy. Lord alone knows we need som new acts and faces around and Dunnigan seems to fit the bill. Here's one of Kyle Dunnigan's best stand up pieces, "Old People"

Kyle's standup career began at a talent show in high school and almost ended there after he received a two-day suspension instead of applause. Undeterred, Kyle forgot about standup for five years and began performing in theater, sketch and improv in his home state of Connecticut before moving to New York. He soon landed roles in several pilots and has also appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Conan O'Brien Show". Also, Kyle has a recurring role on Comedy Central's "Reno 911". He is now living happily in Los Angeles.

For more information about Kyle Dunnigan, visit the official website at www.kyledunnigan.com

Study of Mycology - Branch of Botany

Mycology (from the Greek μύκης, meaning "fungus") is the study of fungi, their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy, and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals (e.g., penicillin), food (e.g., beer, wine, cheese, edible mushrooms) and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or infection. From mycology arose the field of phytopathology, the study of plant diseases, and the two disciplines remain closely related because the vast majority of plant pathogens are fungi. A biologist who studies mycology is called a mycologist.

Historically, mycology was a branch of botany (fungi are evolutionarily more closely related to animals than to plants but this was not recognized until a few decades ago). Pioneer mycologists included Elias Magnus Fries, Christian Hendrik Persoon, Anton de Bary and Lewis David von Schweinitz.

Today, the most comprehensively studied and understood fungi are the yeasts and eukaryotic model organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Many fungi produce toxins, antibiotics, and other secondary metabolites. For example, the cosmopolitan (worldwide) genus Fusarium and their toxins associated with fatal outbreaks of alimentary toxic aleukia in humans were extensively studied by Abraham Joffe. Fungi are fundamental for life on earth in their roles as symbionts, e.g. in the form of mycorrhizae, insect symbionts and lichens as well as their potency in breaking down complex organic biomolecules such as lignin, the more durable component of wood , as well as xenobiotics, a critical step in the global carbon cycle.

Fungi and other organisms traditionally recognized as fungi, such as oomycetes and myxomycetes (slime molds), often are economically and socially important as some cause diseases of animals (such as histoplasmosis) as well as plants (such as Dutch elm disease and Rice blast).

(Source)

Unexplained Skin Condition Morgellons

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Division of Research launched a study to learn about an unexplained skin condition known as Morgellons.

Symptoms of Morgellons

Persons who suffer from Morgellons skin condition report a range of symptoms including non-healing skin lesions associated with the emergence of fibers or solid material from the skin, abnormal skin sensations (such as stinging and biting or pins and needles) and non-cutaneous symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and short-term memory loss.

Researchers hope to learn more about who might be affected by Morgellons skin condition, what symptoms they experience, and factors that may contribute to their illness. "We earnestly want to learn more about this unexplained illness which impacts the lives of those who suffer from it," said Dr. Michele Pearson, principal investigator leading the study for CDC. "Those who suffer have questions, and we want to help them."

CDC will identify patients in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Health Plan to enroll in the Morgellons study. The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research was awarded a $338,000 contract to assist CDC in this investigation because of the organization's location in a geographic area where self-reported cases are concentrated, the size of the patient population to draw from (Kaiser Permanente covers approximately 30 percent of the Northern California population), and its ability to systematically identify Kaiser Permanente patients who may have this unexplained illness.

"CDC is taking a multifaceted approach to this investigation with other external partners including the Armed Forces Pathology Institute," Dr. Pearson said. "We have a team of epidemiologists, laboratorians, and pathologists to carry out the study," Dr. Pearson added. The primary goals of the investigation are to better describe the clinical and epidemiological features of this condition and to generate hypothesis about possible risk factors.

The investigation may take 12 months or longer to complete. Initially investigators will identify and recruit participants and collect detailed information on participants' symptoms and potential factors that may contribute to the condition. Later eligible participants will undergo detailed clinical evaluations, including a general medical examination, dermatologic examination, mental health examination, skin biopsies, and multiple blood tests.

The results of this Morgellons�study will most likely be published in CDC's weekly bulletin called the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report or a peer-reviewed scientific journal. A designated web site and voice message line with prerecorded messages (404-718-1199) has been established and will provide updates about the investigation and new information as it becomes available. Interested persons are encouraged to visit the CDC's Unexplained Dermopathy / Morgellons web site to obtain current information about CDC activities related to this condition.

General Information on Morgellons from CDC

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received an increased number of inquiries regarding an unexplained skin condition which some refer to as �Morgellons.� Persons who suffer from this unexplained skin condition report a range of cutaneous (skin) symptoms including crawling, biting and stinging sensations; granules, threads, fibers, or black speck-like materials on or beneath the skin; and/or skin lesions (e.g., rashes or sores). In addition to skin manifestations, some sufferers also report fatigue, mental confusion, short term memory loss, joint pain, and changes in vision.

The cause of this condition is unknown, and the medical community has insufficient information to determine whether persons who identify themselves as having this condition have a common cause for their symptoms or share common risk factors.

(Source)

One Ton Capybara Found in South America

World News

Atlanta, GA 1/16/2008 02:58 PM GMT (FINDITT)

The prehistoric, bull-size creature—the world's largest recorded rodent—has been identified from a well-preserved skull.

What seems to be a large Capybara fossil has been discovered in a broken boulder in Rio de La Plata in Uruguay.

Anres Rinderknecth and Ernesto Blanco of the Museum of Natural History and the Institute of Physics are studying the one ton creature. According to their research, the beast lived in the estuaries and forests of South America about four million years ago.

In the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences’ Journal, the discovering team wrote, “We report the discovery of an exceptionally well preserved fossil skull of a new species of rodent, by far the largest ever recorded…The creature itself weighed between one and 1.4 tons. Its skull is half-a-meter long and reached a length of around three meters, assuming is body was barrel-shaped like that of a capybara.

Dr. Blanco told The Daily Telegraph that “the incisors of the mega rodent were around four inches and characteristics of its teeth suggest that it dined on aquatic plants, perhaps even fruit.”

(Source)

Golden Globe Awards Nominations

British Drama ‘Atonement’ Leads Golden Globe Nominations

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The British drama Atonement leads the nominees for the Golden Globe Awards, announced early Thursday in Los Angeles.

The honors are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and they mark the start of the award season in Hollywood. Mike O’Sullivan reports, ‘Atonement’ earned seven nominations, including best drama.

Based on a best-selling novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement is the story of a teenage girl, an aspiring writer, who changes people’s lives when she wrongly accuses her sister’s fiancé of a crime. She recounts the events in a work of fiction, which she describes in the film.

“It’s about a young girl, a young and foolish girl who sees something from her bedroom window which she doesn’t understand, but she thinks she does.”

The film earned acting nominations for stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.

Other drama nominees include Daniel Day-Lewis for his role as a ruthless oilman in There Will Be Blood.

The Golden Globe nominations mark the beginning of the annual competition for awards in Hollywood. There are seven nominees for best drama this year, up from the usual five.They include the crime tales No Country for Old Men, Eastern Promises, and American Gangster, with Denzel Washington.

Other drama nominees are the inspirational college tale The Great Debaters, and the legal story Michael Clayton, with George Clooney as a corporate lawyer known for fixing problems.

Cate Blanchett is a nominee for best dramatic actress for her title role in the period film Elizabeth: The Golden Age. She also earned a nod as supporting actress for her role as folk-singer Bob Dylan in I’m Not There.

Golden Globe nominees for best musical or comedy include the tale of political intrigue Charlie Wilson’s War, which earned five nominations, including acting nods for Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Other musical-comedy entries include the film adaptation of the Broadway hit Hairspray and the tale of a murderous barber, Sweeney Todd.

Foreign-language nominees include entries from Romania and Taiwan, the French film Persepolis, a coming-of-age tale set in Iran, and the U.S.-produced The Kite Runner, set in Afghanistan.

The Golden Globes will be presented in Los Angeles on January 13. Hollywood pays attention because they sometimes suggest winners in the more prestigious Oscars, presented in February.

(Source)