Higher but not lower doses of vitamin D are effective in fracture risk reduction in older adults

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 5-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Andrea Grossman
617-636-3728
Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus

BOSTON (July 5, 2012) Based on the results of a pooled analysis of 11 unrelated randomized clinical trials investigating vitamin D supplementation and fracture risk in more than 31,000 older adults, Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, says higher doses of Vitamin D may be the most beneficial in reducing bone fractures in this age group.

As part of the study, published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dawson-Hughes and colleagues divided the subjects into quartiles ranging from 0 to 2,000 International Units (IUs) of daily vitamin D intake. In the top quartile, there was a 30% reduction in hip fracture risk and a 14% reduced risk of fracturing other bones, compared to the control groups.

"Taking between 800 IUs and 2,000 IUs of vitamin D per day significantly reduced the risk of most fractures, including hip, wrist and forearm in both men and women age 65 and older," said Dawson-Hughes, the study's senior author. "Importantly, we saw there was no benefit to taking Vitamin D supplements in doses below 800 IUs per day for fracture prevention."

Dawson-Hughes and colleagues analyzed each participant's vitamin D supplementation within and independent of the study protocol, controlling for age, vitamin D blood levels at baseline, additional calcium supplementation and whether the person lived independently or under medical care.

"Evaluation of individual-level data is the gold-standard of meta-analysis," said lead author Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, MD, D.Ph., director of the Centre on Aging and Mobility at the University of Zurich and Waid City Hospital and a visiting scientist in the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA. "Our results make a compelling contribution to the existing data on Vitamin D and fracture risk in men and women age 65 and older, whose vulnerability to bone density loss and osteoporosis leave them prone to fractures resulting from thinning bones."

The current Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for vitamin D in older adults set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is a minimum of 600 IUs per day for adults between 51 and 70 years-old and 800 IUs in adults over 70.

"Vitamin D supplementation is an efficient intervention for a costly injury that affects thousands of older adults each year," said Dawson-Hughes, who is also a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. "The average recovery is long and painful and deeply impacts quality of life. After a fracture, older patients may only regain partial mobility, resulting in a loss of independence that is personally demoralizing and that can place added stress on family members and caregivers"

Financially, Vitamin D supplements cost pennies a day, Dawson-Hughes said, whereas the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimated the cost of treating a hip fracture was $26,912 in 2007.

Dawson-Hughes adds that older adults, unless they are exposed to bright, year-round sunlight, require supplementation to meet their vitamin D needs. Typically, adults consume 150 IUs per day from food sources such as tuna or salmon or fortified milk. On average, multivitamins contain 400 IUs of vitamin D and there are individual vitamin D supplements with 400, 800 or 1,000 IUs. While vitamin D toxicity is rare, the IOM suggests capping intake at 4,000 IUs per day.

Dawson-Hughes said the results of the current study would be strengthened by large interventional trials investigating the impact of vitamin D supplementation on fracture risk. She and the authors also call for further investigation of the impact of combining calcium supplementation with high doses of vitamin D, as their data was inconclusive.

###

This study was supported by a Swiss National Foundations Professorship Grant and a small investigator initiated and independent grant by DSM Nutritional Products to Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari.

Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. A Pooled Analysis of Vitamin D Dose Requirements for Fracture Prevention. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:40-49.

About the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

For three decades, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has studied the relationship between good nutrition and good health in aging populations. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies.


[ 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: 5-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Andrea Grossman
617-636-3728
Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus

BOSTON (July 5, 2012) Based on the results of a pooled analysis of 11 unrelated randomized clinical trials investigating vitamin D supplementation and fracture risk in more than 31,000 older adults, Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, says higher doses of Vitamin D may be the most beneficial in reducing bone fractures in this age group.

As part of the study, published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dawson-Hughes and colleagues divided the subjects into quartiles ranging from 0 to 2,000 International Units (IUs) of daily vitamin D intake. In the top quartile, there was a 30% reduction in hip fracture risk and a 14% reduced risk of fracturing other bones, compared to the control groups.

"Taking between 800 IUs and 2,000 IUs of vitamin D per day significantly reduced the risk of most fractures, including hip, wrist and forearm in both men and women age 65 and older," said Dawson-Hughes, the study's senior author. "Importantly, we saw there was no benefit to taking Vitamin D supplements in doses below 800 IUs per day for fracture prevention."

Dawson-Hughes and colleagues analyzed each participant's vitamin D supplementation within and independent of the study protocol, controlling for age, vitamin D blood levels at baseline, additional calcium supplementation and whether the person lived independently or under medical care.

"Evaluation of individual-level data is the gold-standard of meta-analysis," said lead author Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, MD, D.Ph., director of the Centre on Aging and Mobility at the University of Zurich and Waid City Hospital and a visiting scientist in the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA. "Our results make a compelling contribution to the existing data on Vitamin D and fracture risk in men and women age 65 and older, whose vulnerability to bone density loss and osteoporosis leave them prone to fractures resulting from thinning bones."

The current Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for vitamin D in older adults set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is a minimum of 600 IUs per day for adults between 51 and 70 years-old and 800 IUs in adults over 70.

"Vitamin D supplementation is an efficient intervention for a costly injury that affects thousands of older adults each year," said Dawson-Hughes, who is also a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. "The average recovery is long and painful and deeply impacts quality of life. After a fracture, older patients may only regain partial mobility, resulting in a loss of independence that is personally demoralizing and that can place added stress on family members and caregivers"

Financially, Vitamin D supplements cost pennies a day, Dawson-Hughes said, whereas the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimated the cost of treating a hip fracture was $26,912 in 2007.

Dawson-Hughes adds that older adults, unless they are exposed to bright, year-round sunlight, require supplementation to meet their vitamin D needs. Typically, adults consume 150 IUs per day from food sources such as tuna or salmon or fortified milk. On average, multivitamins contain 400 IUs of vitamin D and there are individual vitamin D supplements with 400, 800 or 1,000 IUs. While vitamin D toxicity is rare, the IOM suggests capping intake at 4,000 IUs per day.

Dawson-Hughes said the results of the current study would be strengthened by large interventional trials investigating the impact of vitamin D supplementation on fracture risk. She and the authors also call for further investigation of the impact of combining calcium supplementation with high doses of vitamin D, as their data was inconclusive.

###

This study was supported by a Swiss National Foundations Professorship Grant and a small investigator initiated and independent grant by DSM Nutritional Products to Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari.

Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. A Pooled Analysis of Vitamin D Dose Requirements for Fracture Prevention. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:40-49.

About the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

For three decades, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has studied the relationship between good nutrition and good health in aging populations. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies.


[ 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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/tuhs-hbn070512.php

black friday violence black friday violence il postino il postino online black friday deals college football scores maggie daley

Today on New Scientist: 6 July 2012

Computer that could outlive the universe a step closer

The heat-death of the universe need not bring an end to the computing age, if the blueprints for a time-crystal computer can be realised

Higgs in Comic Sans: the right font for physics?

Font fans were upset by the use of Comic Sans to present this week's Higgs results, but perhaps it wasn't such a bad choice

South Korea must be dissuaded from resuming whaling

Tourists gorging on whale meat intended for indigenous peoples and South Korea's bid to resume whaling are worrying developments, says Mark Simmonds

Nature Publishing Group wins libel trial

The journal Nature has won a libel case brought against it in by an Egyptian physicist

Want cheap food? Don't let the climate change

Climate change will drive up food prices, making staple foods too expensive for many people - even in affluent countries like the UK

When it comes to defence, our priorities are wrong

A tiny fraction of the money spent on weapons could keep a genuine defence project from being mothballed

Out-of-body experience highlights clues to consciousness

Brain scans of people with depersonalisation disorder - feeling disconnected from the body - hint how our sense of self relates to the external world

Sex endows evolutionary advantage in tough conditions

For yeast, sexual reproduction is better than asexual reproduction when it comes to rapidly adapting to unfavourable environments

How did humankind tame the wolf?

Documenting the dog's domestication and the plus side to procrastination

Feedback: Elephant obsessions

Stacking up elephantine units of pressure, what Namibian road signs say about their elephants, and more

Vital eye for killer asteroids could shut imminently

A lack of cash is threatening the only southern sky survey dedicated to searching for Earth-grazing asteroids

Better than sunshine: See life in an improved light

Artificial lighting is making us sick - but a new generation of LEDs could give you the right light to keep you rested, alert and happy, says Jeff Hecht

Air France 447 downed as crew ignored alarms

Alarms blared, signalling the plane was in a stall. But the crew ignored them, according to a report on why AF 447 crashed

Gene switch that turns bacteria into mighty Hulk

Parasitic worm guts contain bacteria that glow red and kill the host when the worms vomit them up - finding out why could help tackle human infections

Unofficial report ramps up Higgs significance

An independent physicist has jumped the gun and combined the two Higgs results presented on Wednesday - massively upping their statistical significance

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/492992/s/2116b87a/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A120C0A70Ctoday0Eon0Enew0Escientist0E60Ejuly0E10Bhtml/story01.htm

stoudemire jordan hill tony nominations dark knight trailer dallas mavericks washington capitals elizabeth warren

Verizon's Galaxy S III looks to have a protected bootloader

Verizon SGS III

Oh Verizon, why must you constantly mess with perfection? Hackers with early access to the Verizon Galaxy S III have discovered that the phone has a protected bootloader -- meaning no easy hacking or flashing unsigned images. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the Galaxy S III phones, or previous phones in the Galaxy series, or any other Samsung-built Android phone known to mankind. 

Not all hope is lost, but things are looking pretty bleak. It's possible a different version of Odin is needed, or there's an issue with the way the images are being packed, but it truly looks like the bootloader is locked up in typical Verizon fashion. Now this doesn't mean the phone won't ever get rooted or hacked. It just means that it won't be as easy as is typical with Samsung phones, and trickery will need be involved like HTC or Motorola phones on Big Red. 

And no, we don't know what prompted Verizon's decision to go this way, but I've asked for some clarification. My guess is that they will point to the Galaxy Nexus when they hear the word "hacking". Hell of a way to start the weekend, isn't it?

Source: XDA. via Android Central forums

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/F_MsOGqe_Pc/story01.htm

beverly hilton hotel whitney houston found dead i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards powerball results pebble beach golf beverly hilton

Kaching comes to Android, but without NFC

The Commonwealth Bank has finally released a version of its Kaching mobile banking app for Android phones, almost seven months after the app debuted on Apple's iPhone. However, the much heralded NFC payment feature is not available.

Kaching for Android will allow Commonwealth Bank customers to make peer-to-peer payments (P2P) via mobile, e-mail and Facebook, but lacks the ability to make payments using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. The ability to make NFC wireless payments is the key feature of the iPhone version of the app.

The lack of NFC payments in Kaching comes despite the fact that many Android phones sold in Australia include an NFC chip. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC One X and One XL, and the Sony Xperia P all utilise NFC technology.

Neither the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S smartphones have a built-in NFC chip but use a compatible iCarte case to provide the required NFC technology for contact-less payments.

The Kaching for Android app links to the phone's address book to enable mobile and e-mail payments, while the app links directly to your Facebook ID to enable payments via the social networking service. The Kaching for Android app also enables mobile, e-mail and Facebook payments to non Commonwealth Bank customers by directing these users to a secure, external site to collect payments.

Outside of P2P payments, the Kaching for Android app enables access to all basic banking transactions including account balance check. Users can also top up credit and debit cards linked to their account, pay bills through the BPAY service and locate nearby ATMs.

Kaching for Android requires Android version 2.3 or greater to run, but only a spattering of phones are currently supported by the bank, from Samsung and HTC. The Commbank site lists the following models as being compatible straight off the bat:

? Samsung Galaxy S
? Samsung Galaxy S II
? Samsung Galaxy S III
? Samsung Galaxy Nexus
? Samsung Nexus S
? Samsung Galaxy Ace
? Samsung Galaxy Note
? Samsung Galaxy Gio
? Samsung Galaxy W
? HTC Desire HD
? HTC One X
? HTC Sensation
? HTC Incredible S

A notice on the bank's Web site says that Kaching will "progressively be made available to other Android phones", but for now, unless you own one of the listed HTC or Samsung phones, you won't be able to use the app.

Interestingly, we managed to install Kaching on an HTC Rhyme Android phone (not listed by CommBank as a compatible device), which runs Android version 2.3.5, through the Google Play store on a PC Web browser. The phone was initially listed as a compatible device and we were able to install the app without any issues. When we tried to use it, however, we received an error message informing us that the app would not run on that phone.

The error message received when trying to use Kaching on an HTC Rhyme Android phone.

The CommBank Kaching app can be downloaded through Google's Play Store now.

Elias Plastiras also contributed to this story.

Related content

? Commonwealth Bank officially launches 'Kaching'

Source: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/429602/kaching_comes_android_without_nfc/?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=authorfeed

thomas kinkade brewers pat summit courtney stodden matt cain adastra holocaust remembrance day

Zombie Android phones send spam: reports

32 min.

Android smartphones are powerful little machines.

They can crunch numbers, render complex websites, play high-definition video, run thousands of applications and connect to far-flung networks. Many models have the processor speeds and storage capacities of low-end laptops.

And now there's one more thing Android phones can apparently do: Like PCs, they can join botnets to pump out spam emails.

Researchers at Microsoft and at England's Sophos Labs have independently found evidence that an Android-based botnet, or network of "zombie" machines secretly controlled by criminals without the phone owners' knowledge, is sending out rogue pharmaceutical spam, promising Viagra and the like.

"We've all heard the rumors, but this is the first time I have seen it," wrote Microsoft researcher Terry Zink in a blog posting. "A spammer has control of a botnet that lives on Android devices."?(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBCUniversal.)

? [The Top 10 Threats to Your Smartphone]

You get what you don't pay for
The proof isn't definite, but all the spam emails bear signatures of Android-based devices, along with Internet Protocol addresses of mobile-network providers in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and South America.

The emails also all seem to have been sent from Yahoo Mail's Android app, using either hijacked or manufactured Yahoo accounts.

"I am betting that the users of those phones downloaded some malicious Android app in order to avoid paying for a legitimate version, and they got more than they bargained for," wrote Zink. "Either that or they acquired a rogue Yahoo Mail app."

To both Zink and Sophos' Chet Wisniewski, it's telling that the spam seems to originate in countries such as Russia, Chile, Thailand, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, where average yearly incomes are a fraction of what they are in the West.

Such "middle-income" countries have plenty of educated, affluent customers, but even to those users, the price difference between a $2.99 app on Google Play and its 99-cent pirated knockoff in an "off-road" app store is a significant savings.

"Most Android malware is not downloaded from Google Play but localized 'off market' download sites," wrote Wisniewski. "Google, Amazon and others may not be perfect at keeping malware off of their stores, but the risk increases dramatically outside of their ecosystems."

Not so fast
Some security researchers were skeptical of Sophos' and Zink's claims, pointing out that just because the emails claim to come from mobile devices doesn't mean they really do.

"The evidence put forward to claim that this is an Android botnet is based on data which is easily spoofed/forged," Denis Maslennikov, a researcher with Moscow's Kaspersky Lab, told PC World.

"What we do know is that spam emails featuring these characteristics are being sent out," Roel Schouwenberg, a colleague of Maslennikov's at Kaspersky, told PC Magazine. "But it seems like currently nobody knows what malware/botnet on which OS is responsible for that."

A Google spokesman told Information Week that the Android-botnet conclusion was flat-out wrong.

"The evidence does not support the Android botnet claim," the unnamed spokesman said. "Our analysis suggests that spammers are using infected computers and a fake mobile signature to try to bypass anti-spam mechanisms in the email platform they're using."

Whether or not this truly is the first Android-based spam botnet, many security experts consider such a development inevitable. Android phones are ideal machines for botnets because unlike PCs, they're always on.

"At the moment, there are more than 1 billion smartphones activated in the world, and most of them are always connected to the Internet at all times, so they can pump up spam 24/7," researcher Bogdan Botezatu of BitDefender in Bucharest, Romania, told PC World.

Copyright 2012 SecurityNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/zombie-android-phones-pump-out-spam-reports-865155

sharia law new hampshire primary results ron paul molly sims hostess brands nh primary david crowder band

Olympus announces MEG4.0 wearable display prototype, skips the skydive

Olympus announces MEG4.0

While Google may have grabbed headlines for its recent wearable tech stunt, Olympus is doggedly forging ahead with its own similar prototypes, seven years on. Unlike Project Glass, the MEG4.0 isn't a standalone structure and needs a glasses frame to hang on, although the sub-30g unit shouldn't tax it too much. The QVGA (320 x 240) display can connect to devices through Bluetooth 2.1, with Olympus pointing to a smartphone hook-up to provide both the processing power and internet connectivity -- which sounds different to what we're expecting from Google's effort. The current prototype can squeeze out eight hours of intermittent use, or two hours of non-stop projection. While the device is being pitched at everyday users, Olympus isn't offering any suggestions of launch dates or pricing, but you can check on what the company is willing to share in the (Google-translated) press release below.

Continue reading Olympus announces MEG4.0 wearable display prototype, skips the skydive

Olympus announces MEG4.0 wearable display prototype, skips the skydive originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Akihabara News  |  sourceOlympus Japan (translated)  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xxFqgYNimnI/

john derbyshire kinkade thomas kinkade paintings easter bunny navy jet crash virginia beach isiah thomas passover

Romney, Family in Tow, Steals the Show at the Wolfeboro Parade

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-family-tow-steals-show-wolfeboro-parade-182438358--abc-news-politics.html

oceans 11 ferris state hockey mary poppins john derbyshire kinkade thomas kinkade paintings easter bunny

Does Social Media Make You Happier? ? Bring It On

I read this awesome post about the most popular people on Google+. They have a couple of billion followers apiece. I even have most of them circled.

I?m a marketing person, so I?ve been playing around with social media almost as long as there?s been social media. I spent quite a time on Google+,? though that?s dropped off lately. Strangely, I?m thinking, because I just got this cool Android phone with my apps, so you?d think I?d be posting more G+. That was certainly my intention when I bought the thing. Instead, I find myself posting more on Facebook, using Instagram and Foursquare. Why? Why am I not promoting myself as a business more? Why am I just playing with this phone like it?s a new toy?

First of all, it?s a new toy. And second of all, it?s fun.

I don?t know about promoting myself as a brand. Now, that?s a scary thing to say as a marketing person. Shouldn?t I be promoting myself as a business? As an expert? As the amazing consultant and speaker that I am? Yeah, maybe. But it?s not fun. Posting a silly picture of my son dressed up as Ophelia for the Hamlet production in school, that?s fun. I?m not necessarily going to post that to G+, at least not publicly. And between you and me, my actual friends and family don?t use G+ much. If I post it just to those circles, it will get to 2% of my actual friends in the circles. If I post it to Facebook, my whole family will see it and laugh and comment. That?s fun.

Promoting my business, well, that?s not as fun.

Writing this blog, definitely fun. I love writing the blog. In fact, whenever I?m writing, it?s good. I?m swamped with work these days. Mostly writing work. I enjoy that. I enjoy the selling part too. I like meeting new customers, hearing about their marketing challenges, and letting them know it?s all under control when I?m on the job. I enjoy it when they are happy. I like looking at my billing at the end of the month, and saying, wow, I made these people happy.

But when I post to the social networks, in particular to Google+ or Twitter, it feels contrived. According to everything I?ve read on the topic, it is my mission and purpose to create value for my audience. People will follow me and comment on my if I continue to create value.

Here are some choices when I am about to post something to a social network:

  • Original content. I write a blog, and it feels right to put that on my personal channel. People won?t read a blog every week and I won?t write one every week, so I can also post original content that isn?t my blog. This would mean I would have to have an original thought or opinion, something of value to my audience, and I would put that out there for people to see. And of course, this something of value needs to speak to my audience. If I take a picture of my kids in the airport, that?s original content, but not of much value to my audience.
  • Oh, but I do have to have some personal stuff because you never know what will connect people. Don?t be contrived about it, but if you have a healthy hobby, use that rather than cute baby photos if you are a business person.
  • Re-posting other people?s stuff, and of course, adding my original thought or opinion. So I?m supposed to spend some time scouring the web to make sure I curate good stuff for my audience. Spreading this stuff is good for the original author and good for my audience because they?ll see this great stuff.
  • Commenting on other people?s stuff either on the social media or on their site/blog. This is good for me because I can maybe get fans among their followers. Or get the author to friend me or ask me to guest blog for them.

I hate to be the one who says this, but doesn?t most of this sound like total BS to you? Spend time thinking of personal thoughts in order to add value to the community is fake. Writing on someone else?s blog post in the hope of being noticed is fake. Reposting something that has already been written, also somewhat fake.

Really.

Too top this off, the social media gurus will emphasize the importance of being authentic as you are sweating an hour or two every day to come up with something original to say.

Why isn?t it enough anymore to just be myself? This is an awesome blog. A bit wordy at times, I admit. But I?m just having fun. I have a couple of hundred people following it, which is a shame, because I?m sure there are more people who could benefit from it .

When I?m just being myself, I do contribute my opinion to other people?s blogs and promote other people?s articles and stuff, when it is of interest. Sometimes I have a slow week and I do this every day, or I have a slow day or an interesting day and I do this every hour.. Some weeks I totally blow it. My Clout score suffers.

Do I really need to make sure I do this at particular times every day and find something that will contribute to my channel?

I guess that depends on my goals.

If I want to make a lot of money and get on the speaking circuit, apparently, I need to do all that stuff. If I want to build a fan base and sell stuff, it would be helpful. If I want to feel loved, well, probably I should just get a boyfriend. Social media is lovely but it doesn?t actually hug me. Being a speaker is great, but I?m not sure it?s going to pay the bills. And selling stuff is good, but I?m not producing anything much these days and I love my day job.

So if you are wishing me to be more consistent in speaking to my community, don?t look forward to that happening any time soon. In my blog 2 weeks from now, I?ll tell you my real opinion about social media marketing. It?s not going to be pretty but it will be pretty honest.

So before I tell you what I think about social media marketing, I want to hear from you. I want to hear the truth. What?s your ROI? What do you get in return for all the time you spend in social media? How much have you been able to make per hour/day/week in sales by investing in social media? What kinds of stuff have you sold?

Source: http://rebeccarachmany.com/2012/07/does-social-media-make-you-happier/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-social-media-make-you-happier

arsenic and old lace leslie varez ward solar storms uganda the parent trap invisible children kony 2012

The most expensive internet in America: fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa

The most expensive internet in America fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa

"You could argue that there's some value in it."

That's New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, speaking candidly during a recent interview at D10 in California. The topic of conversation? Widespread WiFi, and whether or not the government should be the one thinking about its future ubiquity. More specifically, if WiFi hotspots should be treated like "roads or water supply," as aptly stated by AllThingsD's Kara Swisher.

This obviously isn't the first time such an idea has crossed the minds of those connected to Washington, D.C. Muni-Fi (municipal wireless networks) projects were all the rage a few years back, but one spectacular failure after another swiftly extinguished that momentum. In more modern times, America (as well as other nations) has sought to solve the "rural broadband" problem, bringing high(er)-speed internet connections to places with a higher bovine population than human.

But bringing broadband to places like rural North Dakota seems like an easy chore to a small, but passionate, group of 60,000 sitting some 4,770 miles from San Diego, California. American Samoa may be an unincorporated US territory located closer to pure bliss than the hustle and bustle of Wall Street, but it's no doubt being taken into consideration in recent mapping projects aiming to pinpoint the areas most lacking in terms of digital infrastructure. Unbeknownst to most mainlanders, this fragile island chain is home to the most expensive internet in America, and the political issues surrounding it are astonishing. Head on past the break to learn more on what I discovered.

Continue reading The most expensive internet in America: fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa

The most expensive internet in America: fighting to bring affordable broadband to American Samoa originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAmerican Samoa Broadband Map, One Economy  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/iR4WbdP5SjY/

resolute national enquirer whitney houston casket photo jk rowling qnexa kingdom of heaven national enquirer whitney houston arizona republican debate