UFC 145 picks from Kevin Iole, Cagewriter and you

With UFC 145 finally (almost) here, we asked Cagereaders to give us your main card picks to run next to Kevin Iole's and mine. Read on for all of our picks. If you want to join in next time, follow Cagewriter on Facebook.

Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio

Kevin Iole, columnist:? I have wondered when the UFC would bring back Alessio, who has improved greatly since his previous stint with the promotion. But Joe Silva gave him no bargain in Bocek, Bocek is one tick off the top tier and usually wins unless he's fighting a legitimate title contender. I say Bocek neutralizes Alessio's standup and wins a decision. Pick -- Mark Bocek W3 John Alessio

Maggie Hendricks, Cagewriter: Alessio has taken his last three, but they were out of the UFC and he's taking on the very tough Bocek on two weeks' notice. Bocek should be able to grind out a decision win. Pick -- Mark Bocek W3 John Alessio

Jackson Torres, fan: This one is tough to call, Alessio is a veteran and has a lot of wins, but a lot of losses as well. What stands out as his weakness to me is 7 of his 14 losses are by submission. I feel if Bocek can get this to the ground quickly, he can finish it there. Pick -- Bocek Sub R2.

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin

Kevin Iole:? Hominick is one of the division's best fighters, which he proved in his loss to champion Jose Aldo. His knockout loss to the Korean Zombie his last time out can be discounted. He got caught on the button just as the bout began. I think he's a cut above Yagin skill-wise and will break him down before stopping him. Pick -- Mark Hominick TKO2 Eddie Yagin

Maggie Hendricks: After two losses in a row, Hominick needs a big win. He has been training with Jeff Curran and his team to shake things up for this bout, which shouldn't last too long. Pick -- Mark Hominick KO2 Eddie Yagin

Jackson Torres, fan: Hominick needs a win badly as he has suffered back to back losses and a 7 second knock out at the hands of the Korean Zombie. Yagin has 15 wins with an equal amount of Subs, KO's and Decisions. How ever I feel Hominick will come out strong and this one and get back in the mix with a win. Pick -- Hominick R3 D

Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald

Kevin Iole: This is potentially a great fight and one I'm looking forward to with great interest. I could make a case for both guys, but I'll go with experience and take Torres. Torres also has to be hungry and motivated after he was briefly cut by the UFC and I think his experience advantage and his motivation will help him pull out a win in a fight that truly could go either way. Pick -- Miguel Torres W3 Michael McDonald

Maggie Hendricks: The classic match-up of young buck vs. veteran will turn on how Torres handles his first fight back since being cut from the UFC for an offensive tweet. If he plays it smart and doesn't charge in recklessly, he can hold off McDonald for three round. Pick -- Torres W3 Michael McDonald

Jackson Torres, fan: Miguel hasn't fought for a while and McDonald is on a roll right now coming off of that brutal KO of Soto. I feel Miguel will show some ring rust while McDonald utilizes his striking early and finishing it. Pick -- McDonald R2 TKO

Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell

Kevin Iole: When Schaub is clicking, he's a handful for any heavyweight. He makes mistakes that cause him troubles, but I think he'll land something flashy and stop Big Ben. Pick -- Brendan Schaub KO2 Ben Rothwell

Maggie Hendricks: Schaub's loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Brazil was tough to take, and he'll want to erase that memory as soon as possible. His speed will be too much for Rothwell. Pick -- Brendan Schaub KO1 Ben Rothwell.

William Corral, fan: I'm going out on a limb here and picking Big Ben Rothwell. Not that I think he's a better fighter, but Schaub will break his hand from repeated punches to Big Ben's Noggin, and then Rothwell will collapse from exhaustion on top of Schaub in the 2nd round. You could classify that as a submission.

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills

Kevin Iole: I believe MacDonald is a future champion and this bout is a huge showcase for him. Though MacDonald may look to use his jiu-jitsu, he's also go excellent hands and I see him wearing Mills down and stopping him late. Pick -- Rory MacDonald TKO3 Che Mills

Maggie Hendricks: Though Mills impressed with a 40-second TKO of Chris Cope, MacDonald is quite the jump up in competition. MacDonald's well-rounded game will be much too much. Pick -- MacDonald TKO2 Che Mills

Jackson Torres, fan: This is a very interesting match as Mills destroyed Cope in his UFC debut, how ever Cope isn't that highly ranked in the division and we still don't know what Mills can really do. I feel Rory has the experience when it comes to opponents and that he will get away with the win. I expect this to be fight of the night. Pick -- MacDonald R3 D

Champion Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans

Kevin Iole: I think the long odds favoring Jones are ludicrous. I've been writing for a long time that Evans is a terrific fighter who, for some reason, doesn't get enough credit. I think his quickness and his power will cause Jones a lot of issues. But it's hard to see Evans winning given Jones' takedown defense, his length and his ability to land hard shots from any position. Evans gives him some anxious moments, but Jones is worthy of the hype and should pull it out to retain his belt. Pick -- Jon Jones W5 Rashad Evans

Maggie Hendricks: Thank heavens this fight is finally happening. More than a year of build-up is plenty. If Evans can hold off Jones' attacks to last five rounds, he should win. Unfortunately for Evans, I don't think he will. Jon Jones Sub3 Rashad Evans

Timothy Milloff,? fan: Rashad Evans has always been underrated. He came up the ranks the hard way, thanks to Dana. He is a great fighter and a great guy, always the fighter the fans boo. He will upset Jones like Ali did Liston.

Agree? Disagree? Tell us in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook.

mega millions winning numbers autism speaks ubaldo jimenez ncaa final country music awards celebrity apprentice autism awareness

Internet Marketing ? How To Make And Use Podcasts ? Tourism And ...

When recording a podcast, you know, it can be difficult.?You need a good microphone and clear, a good topic to talk for 30 to 60 minutes, and a way to distribute your podcast all over the internet.?If you are new to the use of podcasts are so I guess today?s lesson will be of some use to you.

The first thing you should know is that podcasting is very simple to do.?You can create a podcast, and use it to back a ton of new visitors to your site on a daily basis.?You should know that the best way to lead your podcast is about to undertake themselves.?You are not using one of these inexpensive ?text to speech? software.?I assure you it is not good for your business.

Take time for your company so you can avoid the podcast.?It will not last long, and there is the chance that someone back and listen to your podcasts to enhance return.?The most common information you give, the more people come back for more, and your popularity will grow your fan base with podcasting.

After you record your podcast, you want to marketing do for them.?The first place you must submit your podcast on iTunes.?iTunes is the number one podcast directory on the Internet, and it receives many visitors to their site every day.People come to this site daily with new podcasts which you can download to improve their lives, or just some information and music that is pleasing to hear.

Make sure you get a good microphone to record your podcast.?There is something to do when you want to have the greatest success with your podcast today.?You do not want to save on a low quality webcam that a lot of noise and static in the background has.?This is just bad for business.

Instead, buy a high quality microphone, and use a good program, there is, is it lets you record your podcasts long easy and convenient.?But of course if you do not want the podcast for yourself ??You can always trust to someone else.?The downside is that you pay someone to do it for you, but if you?re a busy entrepreneur who wants to get more attention for your website, this can be a good option for you ? especially if you lower a price?made.

Podcasts are a great way to make your site or blog to market online.?You should consider them and makes them more money for your company today.?Make sure you convert your podcasts in MP3 format, so they have a small file, but still makes a lot of quality in it just to hear.

If you wanted to make records and make money in your business you were looking for, you want to take on podcasting in your business right away so you can have the best chance of success as possible when it comes to promoting your site online.

survivor dog show best in show bret michaels bret michaels pekingese ups

Samsung To Unveil Galaxy S III on May 3rd [Samsung]

Finally, after much rumour and speculation, a "new Samsung Galaxy" is officially coming. It'll be showing its presumably pretty face on the 3rd of May in London at a "Samsung Mobile Unpacked" event—if that doesn't scream Galaxy S III I don't know what does. More »


acm passover recipes 2012 kids choice awards kansas ohio state wrestlemania results womens final four josh hutcherson

Google finally grabs Gmail domain and trademark in Germany: users can drop the 'oogle'

Image

Google has offered its email client to willing Germans since 2005, however the typical Gmail domain had already been snapped up by a local businessman in Germany and the company had to plump for the longer googlemail.de addresses. Now, according to the Financial Times, both the Gmail trademark and domain were transferred across to Google earlier this month, although there are no specifics as to how much money changed hands in the deal. With that minor issue sorted, Google packs its backs for its next destination -- maybe it should try Iran.

Google finally grabs Gmail domain and trademark in Germany: users can drop the 'oogle' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFinancial Times Germany (translated)  | Email this | Comments


osu football oklahoma state santonio holmes raheem morris winter classic mt rainier caucus

An Introduction to Impact Investing ? Impact Entrepreneurs at ...

April 16, 2012 at 7:48 am Impact Entrepreneurs at Portland State University

By Jacen Greene, Ames Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship at Portland State University

Impact Entrepreneurs?at Portland State University and Ater Wynne LLP are co-hosting an impact investing panel?the morning of April 19. The panel, moderated by Cindy Cooper of Impact Entrepreneurs, will feature Kipp Baratoff of Meyer Memorial Trust, Bill Campbell of Equilibrium Capital, and Patrick Maloney of Imprint Capital. If you?re an entrepreneur, investor, or foundation interested in investment for blended social, environmental, and financial return, you should consider attending (register here). If you?re unable to attend, have no idea what we?re talking about, or (gasp!) reading this in the future and missed the event, don?t worry: we?ve got you covered with a short primer on impact investment.?

Impact Investing: a Definition

Antony Bugg-Levine and Jed Emerson, who respectively coined the phrases ?impact investing? and ?blended value,? provide a succinct definition in their new book Impact Investing:

Impact investors intend to create positive impact alongside various levels of financial return, both managing and measuring the blended value they create.

We can unpack this statement to reveal four key items: positive impact, intention, management, and measurement. An impact investment is intended to generate positive financial, social and environmental outcomes.?Accidental good that results from an investment decision isn?t part of impact investing; the positive impact must be intentional. Management requires an active involvement in investment decisions?no blind trusts here. Finally, accurate measurement is key to verifying, replicating, and scaling impact. Good intentions alone aren?t enough.

A Brief History of Impact Investing

The field of impact investing has a storied history, from Quaker prohibitions against profiting from slavery, to anti-apartheid boycotts, to the modern microfinance and?social enterprise movements. The nonprofit Acumen Fund was an early pioneer in making investments to support businesses that generate a positive social and environmental impact.?Only recently, however, was the term ?impact investing? coined to unify these seemingly disparate approaches. The field gained further definition with the publication of impact investing reports by the Monitor Institute and J.P. Morgan.

Bill Campbell,?Principal and CFO of Equilibrium Capital Group, describes the evolution of impact investing and its intersection with socially responsible investing:

We think of socially responsible investing (SRI) as the first generation of impact investing?don?t invest in ?bad actors,? where bad actors tended to be identified with particular causes (e.g., apartheid). SRI was impact investing 1.0. Initially it carried the premise that responsible investors should be willing to forego returns?[the choice was] returns OR impact.

More recently impact investing has broadened out; mainstream practices now assert that one should affirmatively select ?good actors.? Good actors are known for following best practices in their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies.? ESG investing is impact investing 2.0; it encompasses SRI as a subset. In general it asserts that ?good actors? allow investors to get returns AND impact.

We are pursuing a category of investing we think of as impact investing 3.0?returns FROM impact. Our premise is simple: by identifying business models that are more profitable because they have found how to monetize the value of positive impact, and creating financial products that express that value for investors.

Not all impact investors believe that impact investments can, or should, be as profitable as other investment opportunities. A central debate in the community is whether greater social impact can be achieved by accepting a lower rate of return, as business revenue is reinvested in scaling impact rather than paid out to investors.?(See ?Impact Investment Spectrum? diagram below).

Bugg-Levine and Emerson argue for the concept of ?additionality,? which ?calls on investors to target businesses that would not otherwise be capitalized by private investors,? thereby enhancing impact. In this way, clean energy and debt capital (such as microfinance) may no longer be significantly impactful, given the increasing willingness of traditional investors to participate in those sectors.

Measuring and Making Impact

To be considered truly successful, an impact investment must generate not only financial returns, but also significant social or environmental benefits that can be directly attributed to the activities of the organization receiving the investment. Accurate measurement thus becomes critical, but the vast diversity of investees made comparing impact across sectors prohibitively difficult. The Global Impact Investing Ratings System?(GIIRS),?created with that need in mind, now provides one possible solution for measurement and reporting. A detailed questionnaire generates a numerical score for each participating organization, with random audits ensuring accuracy. A number of organizations have formally adopted the system, and the first GIIRS analytics report was issued earlier this year.

So?how can you become an impact investor? Microplace offers retail investors access to a range of both domestic and international impact investment notes, with minimum investments starting as low as $20.?The?RSF Social Investment Fund?targets U.S. and Canadian organizations, and requires a minimum investment of $1000. If you?re an accredited investor?i.e., wealthy?the?Global Impact Investing Network?s?ImpactBase?provides access to data on impact investment funds and products.?The recently-signed JOBS Act will enable businesses to offer shares to investors without being listed on a stock exchange, providing an opportunity for social entrepreneurs?businesses created to generate significant, positive social and environmental impact?to raise money directly from the public.

To learn more, sign up for the April 19, 2012 PSU Business Briefing Breakfast panel on impact investing, or follow some of the links above and explore the rapidly expanding, globally transformative field of impact investing.

Impact Investment Spectrum, based on materials by Brian Walsh, Scott Lawson, and Laurie Lane-Zucker.

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Entry filed under: Events. Tags: Equilibrium Capital, ESG, impact entrepreneurs, impact investing, impact investor, Imprint Capital, Meyer Memorial Trust, retail impact investing, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, SRI.

dancing with the stars baa dodgers triple play samoyed kenny powers kenny powers north country

Scott Graf Joins Boise State Public Radio as 'Morning Edition' Host ...

April 16th, 2012 ?|? Published in Boise State News, Boise State Radio News

Boise State Public Radio welcomes Scott Graf as the station?s ?Morning Edition? host and senior editor. Graf comes to BSPR from WFAE in Charlotte, N.C., where he served as local host of NPR?s ?Morning Edition? for the past eight years. He began his new position on April 9.

?This is a very exciting opportunity,? said Graf. ?I am thrilled to be in Boise and really look forward to helping take the station to a new level.? He joins an award-winning BSPR news team led by news director Sadie Babits.

?We?re building one of the best news radio stations in Idaho and beyond,? said Babits. ?Scott Graf brings experience, a conversational on-air presence, a great personality and outstanding journalism skills to Idaho. I am thrilled to welcome him to BSPR?s news team.?

Graf is a multi-award winning host and reporter who was named the North Carolina Journalist of the Year in 2007. He has produced several feature stories for NPR news magazines and he contributes to WBUR?s ?Only a Game? sports program.

Boise State Public Radio is a valued cultural asset for central and southern Idaho, reaching more than 100,000 listeners throughout the region?s metropolitan and rural areas. As a source of quality public radio news, classical music, jazz and unique cultural programming, BSPR radio stations are distinct in their mission, their audience and their partnerships.

-30-

Media Contact: Kathleen Tuck, University Communications, (208) 426-3275, kathleentuck@boisestate.edu

About Boise State University
As an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction, Boise State University plays a crucial role in the region?s economic development and famed quality of life. Idaho?s largest institution of higher education offers nearly 200 degrees and certificates in seven colleges. While remaining committed to the strong teaching legacy that has resulted in 11 Idaho Professor of the Year awards since 1990, Boise State?s added emphasis on innovation and creativity is fueling the fastest growing research program in Idaho.

?

?

jennifer nettles giants vs saints suh suh lindsey vonn lindsey vonn josef stalin

Canonical's AWSOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both

Canonical's AWESOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both
New features and services that improve Canonical's latest version of Ubuntu seem to keep rolling in. The latest addition being the announcement of its AWSOME proxy service. No, that's not us getting over excited about it, that stands for Any Web Service Over Me, and it includes APIs that smooth the transition to OpenStack from Amazon cloud services. Although not open source, Amazon's Web Service has such a large market share, that Canonical clearly want to make integrating with it as smooth as possible. The AWSOME proxy will only provide basic functionality for the AWS side of things, with users still encouraged to adopt the OpenStack infrastructure for deeper capabilities. Still, if you're currently working with Bezos' platform, and this was the last barrier to hopping aboard the Precise Pangolin ship, you're in luck.

Canonical's AWSOME API bridges OpenStack and Amazon clouds, Ubuntu has its head in both originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Inquirer  |  sourceCanonical  | Email this | Comments


black friday ads 2011 black friday ads 2011 pacquiao vs marquez pacquiao vs marquez junior dos santos junior dos santos evelyn lauder

Ask Engadget: best heavy-duty cloud-storage solution?

Image
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from is from is from Joe, who needs to backup half a terabyte of data to the cloud, as you do. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"I'm looking for an online backup solution for between 100GB, up to 500GB of data. New options are popping up everywhere recently, but what's the best cloud storage backup solution that'd allow for easy drag-and-drop backup, syncing across multiple computers both Mac and Windows, access from Android devices and at a reasonable price? Thanks!"
Well, he doesn't want much, does he? Just world-class storage, universal device access and all for a rock-bottom price. There's plenty of contenders in this particular competition, from Dropbox all the way through to, erm, Box. It's kinda clear that Joe's not just backing up his holiday photos, so even enterprise-level offerings are worth suggesting. Still, the floor's now open to you, so fire away.

Ask Engadget: best heavy-duty cloud-storage solution? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

peyton florida state meghan mccain wilson chandler bristol motor speedway bryce harper puerto rico

Stocks rebound after Tuesday's big slide

The Dow jumped 89 points to close at 12805, a stark turnaround from yesterday's free-fall.

Investors on Wednesday all but forgot the previous day's burdens and sent stocks soaring. It was a stark turnaround from the day before, when they'd pushed the market into a free-fall on worries about European debt and corporate earnings in the U.S.

Skip to next paragraph

Those fears about problems festering on both sides of the Atlantic were calmed thanks to a surprising profit from Alcoa and news that borrowing costs in Spain had edged down, a potential sign that investors have more faith ? for now, anyway ? in that country's financial health.

The result was a U-turn on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed as much as 129 points in early trading before settling at 12,805.39, up 89.46 points. The previous day, it had lost 214 points, the cap to its biggest and longest losing streak this year.

European markets rose, too. Stocks climbed roughly 1 percent in major capitals, excluding Greece, after losing 2 to 3 percent the day before. Treasury prices fell, signaling that investors are more willing to put money in stocks.

Other U.S. indexes also erased much of the previous day's losses. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 10.12 points to 1,368.71 after losing 24 points the day before. The Nasdaq composite climbed 25.24 points to 3,016.46 following a 56-point loss Tuesday.

Alcoa rose more than 6 percent after reporting late Tuesday that it turned a profit in the first three months of the year and handily beat the expectations of Wall Street analysts, who were predicting a loss. Since Alcoa is the first company in the Dow average to report earnings, its results have a greater ability to move the market compared with companies that report later. More first-quarter results will be released over the next few weeks.

Market watchers were divided over how long the gains would last and whether Alcoa's profits actually mean anything for the rest of the earnings season.

"I'm not predicting we're going to have a blowout earnings quarter," said David Armstrong, managing director of Monument Wealth Management in Alexandria, Virginia. "But I think if people thought earnings season was going to be bad, they may be pleasantly surprised."

"One earnings report?" countered Uri Landesman, president of the New York hedge fund Platinum Partners. The boost "will last until the first bad number."

Among stocks making big moves:

?Titan Machinery, which sells agricultural and construction equipment, jumped nearly 17 percent after reporting a big increase in quarterly profit.

?Cell phone maker Nokia plummeted nearly 16 percent after warning that heavy competition will hurt first-quarter results.

andy rooney dies bank transfer day daylight savings 2011 us geological survey us geological survey oklahoma fall back