Samsung (005930) is reportedly quietly replacing faulty Galaxy S III devices according to many users on XDA Developers. The issue appears to be related to the NAND becoming corrupted and killing off the Galaxy S III’s mainboard, which causes the phone to essentially “brick” itself. Users have reported the issues have affected some devices after 150-200 days after purchase. Users on XDA Developers and Reddit are also saying Samsung is replacing affected smartphones (rooted or not) with new ones that could potentially be just as faulty in another 200 days. The Galaxy S III made headlines last week when an XDA forum member discovered that a security hole in its Exynos-4 processor was vulnerable to app-based malware attacks. Samsung has since said it will patch the hole as soon as possible.
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Insight: Security fears dogged Canada debate on China energy bid
Labels: TechnologyOTTAWA (Reuters) - In September, two months after China's state-owned CNOOC Ltd made an unexpected $15.1 billion bid for Canadian energy company Nexen Inc, Canada's spy agency told ministers that takeovers by Chinese companies may threaten national security.
The rare warning from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which was disclosed to Reuters by intelligence sources, did not stop the takeover. That was approved by Canadian authorities earlier this month.
But the intervention and an influential U.S. lawmaker's warning in October that Canadian companies should be careful about doing business with Chinese telecom equipment companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp made the approval process for the deal more difficult than initially expected.
"CSIS did not like the Nexen bid and thought it was a bad idea for Chinese firms to be investing in the oil sands. It all played into their greater fears about firms like Huawei," said one person familiar with the agency's concerns. "They do not want to wake up one day and realize a crucial sector of the economy is under the control of foreign interests."
And after listening to the spy service, which usually keeps a low profile, Canada drew up surprisingly tough foreign investment rules that were unveiled when approving the Nexen deal, China's biggest-ever successful foreign takeover. In a clampdown on companies it deems influenced by foreign governments, Canada will block similar purchases in the future.
CSIS has been silent about what it said to Ottawa on the Nexen transaction, and it declined to comment for this story. It didn't specifically recommend the CNOOC deal be blocked, but rather warned more generally about such deals with Chinese entities, the person said.
In reality, the government was unlikely to want to block the CNOOC bid, given a high-profile push by Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier in the year to boost ties with China, and given that a lot of Nexen's assets are outside Canada, and it has underperformed other energy companies.
SPECIFIC WORRIES
By pushing back aggressively, CSIS ensured that it got foreign investment policy tightened significantly to deter similar such takeovers by companies under the sway of foreign governments.
"I think people at CSIS and elsewhere are going 'Good. That was a very good response by the government'," said Ray Boisvert, a former CSIS assistant director of intelligence, who retired this year after almost three decades at the agency.
"It did reflect some of those deep strategic concerns that practitioners have had about this kind of investment."
Specific worries include theft of Canadian intellectual property, espionage, computer hacking and foreign companies gaining too much influence over crucial sectors of the economy, said the person familiar with the agency's views.
The government could, in theory, nationalize assets if it thought foreign control was problematic. But the pro-business Conservatives would likely find it politically unpalatable to take such a step.
"To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead," Harper said as he announced the new investment rules.
In October, the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee urged U.S. firms to stop doing business with Huawei and another Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE on the grounds that Beijing could use products made by the two companies to spy.
The House Intelligence Committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, urged Canada to take a similar stance, and two days later, the Canadian government indicated it would not let Huawei help build a secure government communications network because of possible security risks.
"The Huawei business caused a lot of political complications for the CNOOC bid," another person familiar with the CNOOC deal said of the U.S. committee's report.
Both Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the allegations in the report, and China's foreign ministry dismissed as "baseless" the idea that security concerns could impede commercial ties.
"We hope that the relevant party can objectively and justly treat Chinese companies' overseas investment and cooperation plans, and stop actions which harm Chinese companies' image and do more to benefit the promotion of bilateral trade and business cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
CLANDESTINE SUPPORT
In its annual report, released in September, CSIS noted risks that included espionage and illegal technology transfers, and said some foreign state-owned enterprises had "pursued opaque agendas or received clandestine intelligence support for their pursuits" in Canada.
The agency did not give details, but added: "When foreign companies with ties to foreign intelligence agencies or hostile governments seek to acquire control over strategic sectors of the Canadian economy, it can represent a threat to Canadian security interests."
CSIS, hit by controversy in 2010 after its head suggested China had too much influence over some Canadian provincial politicians, did not mention any country or firm in its report.
It is unclear how much, if any, influence the United States had on the Canadian authorities' foreign investment policy.
Fen Hampson, head of the global security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario, said he had learned that a U.S. official visited Ottawa in the last few months to discuss mutual concerns about foreign state-owned enterprises.
U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson told Reuters he was not aware of such a meeting, but he noted that officials from the two countries met constantly. "I would be surprised if almost any issue you could think of has not come up in one or more of those conversations," he said. "The United States has not sought to influence Canada's decision with respect to that (CNOOC's bid)... We respect that decision."
The Canadian government did not respond to a request for a comment.
Chinese companies have bought up smaller Canadian energy firms before, but the July 23 bid for Nexen was their first attempt to buy one of the larger players.
Nexen has assets in Canada, the North Sea, Nigeria and the Gulf of Mexico. Technology that Nexen and its partners use for deep sea drilling could interest CNOOC. [ID:nL4N09N3R5]
Asked about the CSIS concerns, a spokeswoman for Industry Minister Christian Paradis replied: "The government has the authority to take any measures it considers necessary to protect national security."
Yet two people close to the deal noted that the Canadian government did not exercise its option to do a separate review of the potential security risks of the CNOOC-Nexen bid, again signaling its concerns were tied to overall Chinese investment rather than to this particular deal.
Under the new rules, which Paradis is responsible for enforcing, foreign state-owned enterprises can no longer buy controlling stakes in assets in the oil sands, the biggest reserve of crude oil outside Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Such enterprises can buy minority stakes in the oil sands, or majority stakes in companies outside the oil sands. Companies deemed to have strong government links will be treated with particular caution wherever they propose to invest.
"When it comes to our security and intelligence services, they would rather pull up the drawbridge than let it down," said Hampson, co-author of a report on trade ties between Canada and emerging nations that he discussed with Harper in June.
Read More..
The rare warning from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which was disclosed to Reuters by intelligence sources, did not stop the takeover. That was approved by Canadian authorities earlier this month.
But the intervention and an influential U.S. lawmaker's warning in October that Canadian companies should be careful about doing business with Chinese telecom equipment companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp made the approval process for the deal more difficult than initially expected.
"CSIS did not like the Nexen bid and thought it was a bad idea for Chinese firms to be investing in the oil sands. It all played into their greater fears about firms like Huawei," said one person familiar with the agency's concerns. "They do not want to wake up one day and realize a crucial sector of the economy is under the control of foreign interests."
And after listening to the spy service, which usually keeps a low profile, Canada drew up surprisingly tough foreign investment rules that were unveiled when approving the Nexen deal, China's biggest-ever successful foreign takeover. In a clampdown on companies it deems influenced by foreign governments, Canada will block similar purchases in the future.
CSIS has been silent about what it said to Ottawa on the Nexen transaction, and it declined to comment for this story. It didn't specifically recommend the CNOOC deal be blocked, but rather warned more generally about such deals with Chinese entities, the person said.
In reality, the government was unlikely to want to block the CNOOC bid, given a high-profile push by Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier in the year to boost ties with China, and given that a lot of Nexen's assets are outside Canada, and it has underperformed other energy companies.
SPECIFIC WORRIES
By pushing back aggressively, CSIS ensured that it got foreign investment policy tightened significantly to deter similar such takeovers by companies under the sway of foreign governments.
"I think people at CSIS and elsewhere are going 'Good. That was a very good response by the government'," said Ray Boisvert, a former CSIS assistant director of intelligence, who retired this year after almost three decades at the agency.
"It did reflect some of those deep strategic concerns that practitioners have had about this kind of investment."
Specific worries include theft of Canadian intellectual property, espionage, computer hacking and foreign companies gaining too much influence over crucial sectors of the economy, said the person familiar with the agency's views.
The government could, in theory, nationalize assets if it thought foreign control was problematic. But the pro-business Conservatives would likely find it politically unpalatable to take such a step.
"To be blunt, Canadians have not spent years reducing the ownership of sectors of the economy by our own governments, only to see them bought and controlled by foreign governments instead," Harper said as he announced the new investment rules.
In October, the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee urged U.S. firms to stop doing business with Huawei and another Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE on the grounds that Beijing could use products made by the two companies to spy.
The House Intelligence Committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, urged Canada to take a similar stance, and two days later, the Canadian government indicated it would not let Huawei help build a secure government communications network because of possible security risks.
"The Huawei business caused a lot of political complications for the CNOOC bid," another person familiar with the CNOOC deal said of the U.S. committee's report.
Both Huawei and ZTE have repeatedly denied the allegations in the report, and China's foreign ministry dismissed as "baseless" the idea that security concerns could impede commercial ties.
"We hope that the relevant party can objectively and justly treat Chinese companies' overseas investment and cooperation plans, and stop actions which harm Chinese companies' image and do more to benefit the promotion of bilateral trade and business cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
CLANDESTINE SUPPORT
In its annual report, released in September, CSIS noted risks that included espionage and illegal technology transfers, and said some foreign state-owned enterprises had "pursued opaque agendas or received clandestine intelligence support for their pursuits" in Canada.
The agency did not give details, but added: "When foreign companies with ties to foreign intelligence agencies or hostile governments seek to acquire control over strategic sectors of the Canadian economy, it can represent a threat to Canadian security interests."
CSIS, hit by controversy in 2010 after its head suggested China had too much influence over some Canadian provincial politicians, did not mention any country or firm in its report.
It is unclear how much, if any, influence the United States had on the Canadian authorities' foreign investment policy.
Fen Hampson, head of the global security program at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario, said he had learned that a U.S. official visited Ottawa in the last few months to discuss mutual concerns about foreign state-owned enterprises.
U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson told Reuters he was not aware of such a meeting, but he noted that officials from the two countries met constantly. "I would be surprised if almost any issue you could think of has not come up in one or more of those conversations," he said. "The United States has not sought to influence Canada's decision with respect to that (CNOOC's bid)... We respect that decision."
The Canadian government did not respond to a request for a comment.
Chinese companies have bought up smaller Canadian energy firms before, but the July 23 bid for Nexen was their first attempt to buy one of the larger players.
Nexen has assets in Canada, the North Sea, Nigeria and the Gulf of Mexico. Technology that Nexen and its partners use for deep sea drilling could interest CNOOC. [ID:nL4N09N3R5]
Asked about the CSIS concerns, a spokeswoman for Industry Minister Christian Paradis replied: "The government has the authority to take any measures it considers necessary to protect national security."
Yet two people close to the deal noted that the Canadian government did not exercise its option to do a separate review of the potential security risks of the CNOOC-Nexen bid, again signaling its concerns were tied to overall Chinese investment rather than to this particular deal.
Under the new rules, which Paradis is responsible for enforcing, foreign state-owned enterprises can no longer buy controlling stakes in assets in the oil sands, the biggest reserve of crude oil outside Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Such enterprises can buy minority stakes in the oil sands, or majority stakes in companies outside the oil sands. Companies deemed to have strong government links will be treated with particular caution wherever they propose to invest.
"When it comes to our security and intelligence services, they would rather pull up the drawbridge than let it down," said Hampson, co-author of a report on trade ties between Canada and emerging nations that he discussed with Harper in June.
Huawei shows off 6.1-inch Android phablet ahead of CES [video]
Labels: TechnologyIt looks like things are going to get worse before they start to get better. Further blurring the line between a smartphone that is too big to be used comfortably and a tablet the is too small to be used efficiently, Huawei has plans to unveil a new smartphone-tablet hybrid device at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. The Android “phablet” was recently shown off by a Huawei executive outside of a Huawei store in Guangzhou, China, and Engadget lists among the device’s key specs a 6.1-inch 1080p display with a pixel density of 316 ppi, a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, a 4,000 mAh battery and a case that measure just 9.9 millimeters thick. A video of the device follows below.
Read More..
Private Investigator in West Palm Beach Now Offers Child Support Investigations Services to Help Track Down Dead Beat Parents and Collect Back Child Support
Labels: BusinessSouth Florida Private Investigators Inc in West Palm Beach, Florida now offers new services, which includes back child support investigations, including employment searches and asset, bank searches to find dead beat parents.
West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
South Florida Private Investigators Inc now offers full background checks, asset, bank searches, and full child support investigations in securing back child support owed, employment searches, and collection of back child support.
Private Investigator in West Palm Beach, Florida has many tricks to find dead beat parents in relation to collecting back child support. South Florida Private Investigators offers a new service in which the most high tech resources are used to find dead beat parents. Whether the subject is being employed by family members, getting paid under the table, or simply living off the government, South Florida Private Investigators can open a case and get the results needed at an affordable price.
South Florida Private Investigators Inc offers new services and affordable prices. Many new services include pre employment checks, bug sweeps, infidelity surveillance, background checks, and GPS vehicle surveillance. South Florida Private Investigators serves the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach area.
John Bairunas is the Lead Investigator at South Florida Private Investigators Inc. Author John Bairunas discusses many ways fraud is on the rise in South Florida and tips on how to prevent infidelity, ripoffs, and scams
Read More..
West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
South Florida Private Investigators Inc now offers full background checks, asset, bank searches, and full child support investigations in securing back child support owed, employment searches, and collection of back child support.
Private Investigator in West Palm Beach, Florida has many tricks to find dead beat parents in relation to collecting back child support. South Florida Private Investigators offers a new service in which the most high tech resources are used to find dead beat parents. Whether the subject is being employed by family members, getting paid under the table, or simply living off the government, South Florida Private Investigators can open a case and get the results needed at an affordable price.
South Florida Private Investigators Inc offers new services and affordable prices. Many new services include pre employment checks, bug sweeps, infidelity surveillance, background checks, and GPS vehicle surveillance. South Florida Private Investigators serves the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach area.
John Bairunas is the Lead Investigator at South Florida Private Investigators Inc. Author John Bairunas discusses many ways fraud is on the rise in South Florida and tips on how to prevent infidelity, ripoffs, and scams
Sector Glass Shower Enclosures by DreamLine, SHEN-7031316 and SHEN-7035356 are the Newest Addition to Warehouse USA’s Inventory
Labels: BusinessThe Sector shower enclosures are the newest in style enclosures based on a half-circle shape that have been introduced to Warehouse USA’s inventory.
Aiken, SC (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
The Sector line of shower enclosures by DreamLine compliments the shapes and sizes of shower enclosures already in Warehouse USA’s inventory. The Sector enclosures are designed to be installed in a corner against finished walls; they are crafted from 1/4” tampered glass. The enclosures come in two sizes with three types of glass: clear, frosted, and “rain glass”. The “rain glass” is the newest type of glass introduced by DreamLine; it is semi-transparent with a textured surface on one side. The Sector enclosure is based on a half-circle shape surrounded by an anodized aluminum frame with polished chrome finish. It consists of two stationary panels mounted on both sides adjacent to the walls, and the door (in the middle of the enclosure) is made of two molded pieces that swing open to the sides. The door is sealed with a magnetic door latch running the full length of the door’s edge. The enclosure is 72 7/8” tall, including the frame.
The Sector enclosures come in two sizes:
SHEN-7031316-01 with clear glass (SHEN-7031316-01-FR frosted glass, and SHEN-7031316-01-RN rain glass) is designed to enclose walls (from the inside corner) 30 3/4” x 30 3/4”. Each stationary panel is 8 5/8” wide; when the door is fully opened it leaves a 16 1/2” walk-in opening. This enclosure can be installed on a corresponding DreamLine white acrylic shower base: model SHTR-7032320-00.
SHEN-7035356-01 with clear glass (SHEN-7035356-01-FR frosted glass, and SHEN-7035356-01-RN rain glass) is designed to enclose walls (from the inside corner) 34 3/4” x 34 3/4”. Each stationary panel is 16 1/2” wide; when the door is fully opened it leaves a 21 1/4” walk-in opening. This enclosure can be installed on a corresponding DreamLine white acrylic shower base: model SHTR-7036360-00.
DreamLine Sector shower enclosures are now available at Warehouse USA – http://warehouse-usa.com. They are on sale with free shipping throughout 48 contiguous states. For more technical information or if in doubt, please do not hesitate to call 888-693-8066.
Read More..
Aiken, SC (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
The Sector line of shower enclosures by DreamLine compliments the shapes and sizes of shower enclosures already in Warehouse USA’s inventory. The Sector enclosures are designed to be installed in a corner against finished walls; they are crafted from 1/4” tampered glass. The enclosures come in two sizes with three types of glass: clear, frosted, and “rain glass”. The “rain glass” is the newest type of glass introduced by DreamLine; it is semi-transparent with a textured surface on one side. The Sector enclosure is based on a half-circle shape surrounded by an anodized aluminum frame with polished chrome finish. It consists of two stationary panels mounted on both sides adjacent to the walls, and the door (in the middle of the enclosure) is made of two molded pieces that swing open to the sides. The door is sealed with a magnetic door latch running the full length of the door’s edge. The enclosure is 72 7/8” tall, including the frame.
The Sector enclosures come in two sizes:
SHEN-7031316-01 with clear glass (SHEN-7031316-01-FR frosted glass, and SHEN-7031316-01-RN rain glass) is designed to enclose walls (from the inside corner) 30 3/4” x 30 3/4”. Each stationary panel is 8 5/8” wide; when the door is fully opened it leaves a 16 1/2” walk-in opening. This enclosure can be installed on a corresponding DreamLine white acrylic shower base: model SHTR-7032320-00.
SHEN-7035356-01 with clear glass (SHEN-7035356-01-FR frosted glass, and SHEN-7035356-01-RN rain glass) is designed to enclose walls (from the inside corner) 34 3/4” x 34 3/4”. Each stationary panel is 16 1/2” wide; when the door is fully opened it leaves a 21 1/4” walk-in opening. This enclosure can be installed on a corresponding DreamLine white acrylic shower base: model SHTR-7036360-00.
DreamLine Sector shower enclosures are now available at Warehouse USA – http://warehouse-usa.com. They are on sale with free shipping throughout 48 contiguous states. For more technical information or if in doubt, please do not hesitate to call 888-693-8066.
Dr. Lou’s 2013 Weight Loss and Fitness Challenge Pays Cash To Get In Shape
Labels: BusinessPortland, ME chiropractor offers a chance to win big while losing big
Portland, ME (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Lose Weight, Get Paid. What a perfect way to start off the New Year. For those who made a resolution to trim off that extra weight, Portland, ME chiropractor and acupuncture specialist, Dr. Lou Jacobs is offering all the support you need as well as the extra incentive to win big and help out those in need. It’s win-win all the way around.
For the past six years Dr. Lou’s Weight Loss Challenge has helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds. In 2013 participants will pay $50 to enter. Of that $50, $15 will go toward classes and diagnostics. $5 of every entry fee will be donated to The Center for Grieving Children. The other $30 will be put toward the winnings. The cost will rise $5/day after January 1, and all additional fees will be given back to the winner(s). There are three categories. Greatest percentage of original body weight lost, greatest transformation, and new for 2013, the family category. In 2012 a family of four that participated lost a total of 180 lbs and under the guidance of their medical doctors, they were able to come off all of their medications. Previous winners have used the money won for down payments on cars, vacations and a host of other fun things. There is no limit to the amount of prize money that can be won; the final amount is determined by the number of entries.
In order to help people in their pursuits, several supportive meetings are held each month for participants and their guests. Topics include nutrition, exercise, and personal improvement. Meetings are facilitated by a licensed professional in the particular field. The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013.
The sixth annual “Dr. Lou’s Weight Loss Challenge” motivates, educates, inspires and holds people accountable for their weight loss and fitness. Last year, hundreds of pounds were lost among the top 5 participants alone. Sixty percent of Maine residents are considered overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and a host of other painful and expensive health problems. Maine’s healthcare system is crumbling, we are first in the country for addiction to pain killers and most of Maine’s healthcare financial burdens are due to preventable disease that are directly related to weight.
Dr. Lou’s 2013 Weight Loss Challenge is poised to help individuals, the community and the state economy!
Details:
$50 Cash or Check
*Shorts or bathing suits recommended for weigh in pictures
Weigh-in
January 1, 2013 from 8 am -12 noon
January 2,3,7,8 from 9-1 and 3-6
Weigh out
March 31, 2013
Location:
138 St. John Street
Portland, Maine 04102
For more information
Dr. Lou Jacobs
Office: (207) 774-6251
Email: drj(at)drloujacobs(dot)com
About Dr. Lou Jacob’s Chiropractic & Acupuncture: Dr. Lou Jacobs is a licensed chiropractor in Portland, ME with an additional specialization in acupuncture treatments. Jacobs Chiropractic Acupuncture helps patients treat chronic pain, various injuries, headaches, and more.
Read More..
Portland, ME (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Lose Weight, Get Paid. What a perfect way to start off the New Year. For those who made a resolution to trim off that extra weight, Portland, ME chiropractor and acupuncture specialist, Dr. Lou Jacobs is offering all the support you need as well as the extra incentive to win big and help out those in need. It’s win-win all the way around.
For the past six years Dr. Lou’s Weight Loss Challenge has helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds. In 2013 participants will pay $50 to enter. Of that $50, $15 will go toward classes and diagnostics. $5 of every entry fee will be donated to The Center for Grieving Children. The other $30 will be put toward the winnings. The cost will rise $5/day after January 1, and all additional fees will be given back to the winner(s). There are three categories. Greatest percentage of original body weight lost, greatest transformation, and new for 2013, the family category. In 2012 a family of four that participated lost a total of 180 lbs and under the guidance of their medical doctors, they were able to come off all of their medications. Previous winners have used the money won for down payments on cars, vacations and a host of other fun things. There is no limit to the amount of prize money that can be won; the final amount is determined by the number of entries.
In order to help people in their pursuits, several supportive meetings are held each month for participants and their guests. Topics include nutrition, exercise, and personal improvement. Meetings are facilitated by a licensed professional in the particular field. The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013.
The sixth annual “Dr. Lou’s Weight Loss Challenge” motivates, educates, inspires and holds people accountable for their weight loss and fitness. Last year, hundreds of pounds were lost among the top 5 participants alone. Sixty percent of Maine residents are considered overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and a host of other painful and expensive health problems. Maine’s healthcare system is crumbling, we are first in the country for addiction to pain killers and most of Maine’s healthcare financial burdens are due to preventable disease that are directly related to weight.
Dr. Lou’s 2013 Weight Loss Challenge is poised to help individuals, the community and the state economy!
Details:
$50 Cash or Check
*Shorts or bathing suits recommended for weigh in pictures
Weigh-in
January 1, 2013 from 8 am -12 noon
January 2,3,7,8 from 9-1 and 3-6
Weigh out
March 31, 2013
Location:
138 St. John Street
Portland, Maine 04102
For more information
Dr. Lou Jacobs
Office: (207) 774-6251
Email: drj(at)drloujacobs(dot)com
About Dr. Lou Jacob’s Chiropractic & Acupuncture: Dr. Lou Jacobs is a licensed chiropractor in Portland, ME with an additional specialization in acupuncture treatments. Jacobs Chiropractic Acupuncture helps patients treat chronic pain, various injuries, headaches, and more.
OverallHealth.org Presents a Detailed Review of Popular Fat Burning Supplement, RealDose Weight Loss Formula No. 1
Labels: BusinessBy removing all four fat burning hormonal barriers, RealDose Weight Loss Formula No. 1 helps the human body burn more fat. This is the claim of RealDose Nutrition regarding their popular weight loss supplement, and today, http://OverallHealth.org releases a revealing product review.
(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Weight loss and fat burn remain one of the top consumer products in today's retail market, likely because of the emphasis this culture places on image. The result has been a flood of weight loss supplementation onto the market, which makes a purchase decision all the more difficult for sincere weight loss discerners. OverallHealth.org goes over the RealDose Nutrition weight loss supplement, Weight Loss Formula No. 1, with a fine tooth comb, in a review released today.
Summarily, the RealDose supplement unlocks the body's natural fat burning potential by acting upon the hormones that normally prompt weight gain. The result is that real people in RealDose Nutrition's double-blind clinical studies are losing more than twice the amount of weight versus placebo when following the exact same diet plan.
In fact, two separate ingredients in this formula are both proven in human double blind studies to double weight loss, and RealDose has effectively combined them together with a third component, also effective even by itself. For more information about the ingredients and effectiveness, OverallHealth.org has made a detailed review available here.
Further, weight loss seekers also want to know that a product is safe. RealDose Weight Loss Formula No. 1 is stimulant-free, decaffeinated, and non-addictive. It can be taken with any meal plan and weight loss program, without conflict. Finally, it contains only natural ingredients - no GMO, gluten, dairy, eggs, or soy.
It is important to understand what makes the RealDose forumla effective, in contrast to the myriad "gimmicky" and incomplete products burdening the retail shelves these days. To this ends, OverallHealth.org emphasizes a visit to its website for the RealDose Weight Loss Formula No. 1 review.
Here's the RealDose website link, where plenty of information on the product is available.
OverallHealth.org is a free-spirited site where author and chief editor Henry Rearden enjoys profiling and reviewing fresh – sometimes trendy - new products to hit the health market. Anything in the periphery of health and well-being is fair game for Henry to pull off the shelf for a look-see!
Read More..
(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Weight loss and fat burn remain one of the top consumer products in today's retail market, likely because of the emphasis this culture places on image. The result has been a flood of weight loss supplementation onto the market, which makes a purchase decision all the more difficult for sincere weight loss discerners. OverallHealth.org goes over the RealDose Nutrition weight loss supplement, Weight Loss Formula No. 1, with a fine tooth comb, in a review released today.
Summarily, the RealDose supplement unlocks the body's natural fat burning potential by acting upon the hormones that normally prompt weight gain. The result is that real people in RealDose Nutrition's double-blind clinical studies are losing more than twice the amount of weight versus placebo when following the exact same diet plan.
In fact, two separate ingredients in this formula are both proven in human double blind studies to double weight loss, and RealDose has effectively combined them together with a third component, also effective even by itself. For more information about the ingredients and effectiveness, OverallHealth.org has made a detailed review available here.
Further, weight loss seekers also want to know that a product is safe. RealDose Weight Loss Formula No. 1 is stimulant-free, decaffeinated, and non-addictive. It can be taken with any meal plan and weight loss program, without conflict. Finally, it contains only natural ingredients - no GMO, gluten, dairy, eggs, or soy.
It is important to understand what makes the RealDose forumla effective, in contrast to the myriad "gimmicky" and incomplete products burdening the retail shelves these days. To this ends, OverallHealth.org emphasizes a visit to its website for the RealDose Weight Loss Formula No. 1 review.
Here's the RealDose website link, where plenty of information on the product is available.
OverallHealth.org is a free-spirited site where author and chief editor Henry Rearden enjoys profiling and reviewing fresh – sometimes trendy - new products to hit the health market. Anything in the periphery of health and well-being is fair game for Henry to pull off the shelf for a look-see!
New Dental Marketing Packages From IDA are Field-Tested By Practicing Dentists
Labels: BusinessThe new dental marketing packages from Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. (IDA) include targeted websites and internal training that have been tested by practicing dentists.
(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
These days, plenty of web marketing companies claim to build websites for dentists. But there's a big difference between those websites and the new dental marketing packages developed by Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. (IDA). The IDA New Patient Marketing Machine™ includes dental websites and other tools that have been successfully field-tested over the past decade by practicing dentists throughout North America.
"My Internet Dental Alliance marketing program is extremely effective and cost efficient. We are currently averaging approximately 20 new patients per month via the website," says Missouri dentist
Dr. Mark Mancin. "The only other form of marketing in my practice that is more effective is my direct referral program for my existing patient base."
IDA takes this kind of feedback seriously, so there's a bonus referral marketing tutorial included in the multi-site versions of its New Patient Marketing Machine™. The tutorial helps dentists train their front desk team how to ask existing patients to refer their friends and family. It provides phone scripts and three videos that role play successful interactions.
According to Jim Du Molin, founder of Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. and a dental marketing expert with 25 years of consulting experience, some dentists can lose up to half of their new patient prospects as a result of poorly trained front desk staff. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to increase cases is to invest time in training that team.
“We designed IDA Portals, or dental websites, to generate leads and encourage new patients to contact the dental office," says Jim Du Molin, founder of Internet Dental Alliance and a dental marketing expert. "IDA's New Patient Marketing Machine™ goes one step further and includes training for the front desk team to convert those leads into new dental patients."
For more information about IDA's New Patient Marketing Machine™ packages, visit http://InternetDentalAlliance.com/
About Internet Dental Alliance, Inc.
IDA is the largest provider of dental directories, websites for dentists and online dental marketing tools in North America. In 2012, it completed its unique Lead Fire lead generation system, which automates dental SEO and content marketing. LeadFire technology allows doctors to begin generating new patient leads within minutes of set up. It uses organic geo-targeted local search which is customized and optimized for each dental office. The Internet Dental Alliance provides dental practices with internet dental marketing services such as dental website design and other dental management advice and resources.
Read More..
(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
These days, plenty of web marketing companies claim to build websites for dentists. But there's a big difference between those websites and the new dental marketing packages developed by Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. (IDA). The IDA New Patient Marketing Machine™ includes dental websites and other tools that have been successfully field-tested over the past decade by practicing dentists throughout North America.
"My Internet Dental Alliance marketing program is extremely effective and cost efficient. We are currently averaging approximately 20 new patients per month via the website," says Missouri dentist
Dr. Mark Mancin. "The only other form of marketing in my practice that is more effective is my direct referral program for my existing patient base."
IDA takes this kind of feedback seriously, so there's a bonus referral marketing tutorial included in the multi-site versions of its New Patient Marketing Machine™. The tutorial helps dentists train their front desk team how to ask existing patients to refer their friends and family. It provides phone scripts and three videos that role play successful interactions.
According to Jim Du Molin, founder of Internet Dental Alliance, Inc. and a dental marketing expert with 25 years of consulting experience, some dentists can lose up to half of their new patient prospects as a result of poorly trained front desk staff. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to increase cases is to invest time in training that team.
“We designed IDA Portals, or dental websites, to generate leads and encourage new patients to contact the dental office," says Jim Du Molin, founder of Internet Dental Alliance and a dental marketing expert. "IDA's New Patient Marketing Machine™ goes one step further and includes training for the front desk team to convert those leads into new dental patients."
For more information about IDA's New Patient Marketing Machine™ packages, visit http://InternetDentalAlliance.com/
About Internet Dental Alliance, Inc.
IDA is the largest provider of dental directories, websites for dentists and online dental marketing tools in North America. In 2012, it completed its unique Lead Fire lead generation system, which automates dental SEO and content marketing. LeadFire technology allows doctors to begin generating new patient leads within minutes of set up. It uses organic geo-targeted local search which is customized and optimized for each dental office. The Internet Dental Alliance provides dental practices with internet dental marketing services such as dental website design and other dental management advice and resources.
Syria to discuss Brahimi peace proposals with Russia
Labels: WorldSyrian President Bashar al-Assad sent a senior diplomat to Moscow on Wednesday to discuss proposals to end the conflict convulsing his country made by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, Syrian and Lebanese sources said.
Brahimi, who saw Assad on Monday and is planning to hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials and dissidents in Damascus this week, is trying to broker a peaceful transfer of power, but has disclosed little about how this might be done.
More than 44,000 Syrians have been killed in a revolt against four decades of Assad family rule, a conflict that began with peaceful protests but which has descended into civil war.
Past peace efforts have floundered, with world powers divided over what has become an increasingly sectarian struggle between mostly Sunni Muslim rebels and Assad's security forces, drawn primarily from his Shi'ite-rooted Alawite minority.
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad flew to Moscow to discuss the details of the talks with Brahimi, said a Syrian security source, who would not say if a deal was in the works.
However, a Lebanese official close to Damascus said Makdad had been sent to seek Russian advice on a possible agreement.
He said Syrian officials were upbeat after talks with Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy, who met Foreign Minister Walid Moualem on Tuesday a day after his session with Assad, but who has not outlined his ideas in public.
"There is a new mood now and something good is happening," the official said, asking not to be named. He gave no details.
Russia, which has given Assad diplomatic and military aid to help him weather the 21-month-old uprising, has said it is not protecting him, but has fiercely criticized any foreign backing for rebels and, with China, has blocked U.N. Security Council action on Syria.
"ASSAD CANNOT STAY"
A Russian Foreign Ministry source said Makdad and an aide would meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Mikhail Bogdanov, the Kremlin's special envoy for Middle East affairs, on Thursday, but did not disclose the nature of the talks.
On Saturday, Lavrov said Syria's civil war had reached a stalemate, saying international efforts to get Assad to quit would fail. Bogdanov had earlier acknowledged that Syrian rebels were gaining ground and might win.
Given the scale of the bloodshed and destruction, Assad's opponents insist the Syrian president must go.
Moaz Alkhatib, head of the internationally-recognized Syrian National Coalition opposition, has criticized any notion of a transitional government in which Assad would stay on as a figurehead president stripped of real powers.
Comments on Alkhatib's Facebook page on Monday suggested that the opposition believed this was one of Brahimi's ideas.
"The government and its president cannot stay in power, with or without their powers," Alkhatib wrote, saying his Coalition had told Brahimi it rejected any such solution.
While Brahimi was working to bridge the vast gaps between Assad and his foes, fighting raged across the country and a senior Syrian military officer defected to the rebels.
Syrian army shelling killed about 20 people, at least eight of them children, in the northern province of Raqqa, a video posted by opposition campaigners showed.
The video, published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, showed rows of blood-stained bodies laid out on blankets. The sound of crying relatives could be heard in the background.
The shelling hit the province's al-Qahtania village, but it was unclear when the attack had occurred.
STRATEGIC BASE
Rebels relaunched their assault on the Wadi Deif military base in the northwestern province of Idlib, in a battle for a major army compound and fuel storage and distribution point.
Activist Ahmed Kaddour said rebels were firing mortars and had attacked the base with a vehicle rigged with explosives.
The British-based Observatory, which uses a network of contacts in Syria to monitor the conflict, said a rebel commander was among several people killed in Wednesday's fighting, which it said was among the heaviest for months.
The military used artillery and air strikes to try to hold back rebels assaulting Wadi Deif and the town of Morek in Hama province further south. In one air raid, several rockets fell near a field hospital in the town of Saraqeb, in Idlib province, wounding several people, the Observatory said.
As violence has intensified in recent weeks, daily death tolls have climbed. The Observatory reported at least 190 had been killed across the country on Tuesday alone.
The head of Syria's military police changed sides and declared allegiance to the anti-Assad revolt.
"I am General Abdelaziz Jassim al-Shalal, head of the military police. I have defected because of the deviation of the army from its primary duty of protecting the country and its transformation into gangs of killing and destruction," the officer said in a video published on YouTube.
A Syrian security source confirmed the defection, but said Shalal was near retirement and had only defected to "play hero".
Syrian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar left Lebanon for Damascus after being treated in Beirut for wounds sustained in a rebel bomb attack this month.
Read More..
Brahimi, who saw Assad on Monday and is planning to hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials and dissidents in Damascus this week, is trying to broker a peaceful transfer of power, but has disclosed little about how this might be done.
More than 44,000 Syrians have been killed in a revolt against four decades of Assad family rule, a conflict that began with peaceful protests but which has descended into civil war.
Past peace efforts have floundered, with world powers divided over what has become an increasingly sectarian struggle between mostly Sunni Muslim rebels and Assad's security forces, drawn primarily from his Shi'ite-rooted Alawite minority.
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad flew to Moscow to discuss the details of the talks with Brahimi, said a Syrian security source, who would not say if a deal was in the works.
However, a Lebanese official close to Damascus said Makdad had been sent to seek Russian advice on a possible agreement.
He said Syrian officials were upbeat after talks with Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy, who met Foreign Minister Walid Moualem on Tuesday a day after his session with Assad, but who has not outlined his ideas in public.
"There is a new mood now and something good is happening," the official said, asking not to be named. He gave no details.
Russia, which has given Assad diplomatic and military aid to help him weather the 21-month-old uprising, has said it is not protecting him, but has fiercely criticized any foreign backing for rebels and, with China, has blocked U.N. Security Council action on Syria.
"ASSAD CANNOT STAY"
A Russian Foreign Ministry source said Makdad and an aide would meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Mikhail Bogdanov, the Kremlin's special envoy for Middle East affairs, on Thursday, but did not disclose the nature of the talks.
On Saturday, Lavrov said Syria's civil war had reached a stalemate, saying international efforts to get Assad to quit would fail. Bogdanov had earlier acknowledged that Syrian rebels were gaining ground and might win.
Given the scale of the bloodshed and destruction, Assad's opponents insist the Syrian president must go.
Moaz Alkhatib, head of the internationally-recognized Syrian National Coalition opposition, has criticized any notion of a transitional government in which Assad would stay on as a figurehead president stripped of real powers.
Comments on Alkhatib's Facebook page on Monday suggested that the opposition believed this was one of Brahimi's ideas.
"The government and its president cannot stay in power, with or without their powers," Alkhatib wrote, saying his Coalition had told Brahimi it rejected any such solution.
While Brahimi was working to bridge the vast gaps between Assad and his foes, fighting raged across the country and a senior Syrian military officer defected to the rebels.
Syrian army shelling killed about 20 people, at least eight of them children, in the northern province of Raqqa, a video posted by opposition campaigners showed.
The video, published by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, showed rows of blood-stained bodies laid out on blankets. The sound of crying relatives could be heard in the background.
The shelling hit the province's al-Qahtania village, but it was unclear when the attack had occurred.
STRATEGIC BASE
Rebels relaunched their assault on the Wadi Deif military base in the northwestern province of Idlib, in a battle for a major army compound and fuel storage and distribution point.
Activist Ahmed Kaddour said rebels were firing mortars and had attacked the base with a vehicle rigged with explosives.
The British-based Observatory, which uses a network of contacts in Syria to monitor the conflict, said a rebel commander was among several people killed in Wednesday's fighting, which it said was among the heaviest for months.
The military used artillery and air strikes to try to hold back rebels assaulting Wadi Deif and the town of Morek in Hama province further south. In one air raid, several rockets fell near a field hospital in the town of Saraqeb, in Idlib province, wounding several people, the Observatory said.
As violence has intensified in recent weeks, daily death tolls have climbed. The Observatory reported at least 190 had been killed across the country on Tuesday alone.
The head of Syria's military police changed sides and declared allegiance to the anti-Assad revolt.
"I am General Abdelaziz Jassim al-Shalal, head of the military police. I have defected because of the deviation of the army from its primary duty of protecting the country and its transformation into gangs of killing and destruction," the officer said in a video published on YouTube.
A Syrian security source confirmed the defection, but said Shalal was near retirement and had only defected to "play hero".
Syrian Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar left Lebanon for Damascus after being treated in Beirut for wounds sustained in a rebel bomb attack this month.
Tunisia seeks gold in former dictator's assets
Labels: WorldOn a crisp December morning in Tunis, a finance ministry official named Mohamed Hamaied was demonstrating the horsepower of maroon V-12 BMW on the runway of a national guard airfield. Beside him sat an agent for a potential buyer.
“You know, this is the same runway that Ben Ali fled from,” remarked another passenger, automotive expert Mourad Bouzidi, from the back seat.
The BMW is among the seized possessions of deposed Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his inner circle that the government is selling to help fill depleted treasury coffers. But the sale of regime assets, which are often hard to track down and obtain, is not going to be enough. Long-term prosperity needs real reforms.
In Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, the fall of dictators has triggered a scramble for cash as new governments struggle to restore stability amid high expectations and damaged economies.
Think you know Middle East? Take our geography quiz.
In Tunisia, high unemployment has fueled labor strikes and rioting, which in turn provoke political squabbling. Last month, clashes in the rural town of Siliana between stone-throwing protestors and police – who fired birdshot – prompted some opposition politicians to demand Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali’s resignation.
Economic woes stem partly from last year’s revolution, which spooked tourists and foreign investors while the eurozone crisis hobbled key trading partners. But the roots of trouble go deeper, to a regime that spent years neglecting rural regions and letting unemployment rise while amassing great wealth for itself.
“Seemingly half of the Tunisian business community can claim a Ben Ali connection through marriage,” wrote then-US Ambassador Robert F. Godec in a June 2008 diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks, describing an extended family seen as “the nexus of Tunisian corruption.”
TIGERS AND FRENCH ICE CREAM
A year later, Mr. Godec got a taste of regime opulence when Ben Ali’s son-in-law and heir-apparent, Sakher El Materi, invited him for dinner at his seaside villa. Godec’s July 2009 cable notes an infinity pool, ice cream flown in from St. Tropez, and a pet tiger named Pasha.
Ben Ali and most of his family fled Tunisia in January 2011 as protests brought down his regime. Two months later, then-interim president Fouad Embazaa ordered the seizure of assets belonging to 114 top regime figures, including Ben Ali and his wife, Leila Trabelsi.
It’s unclear how much the assets – from cars, yachts, and palaces to major stakes in Tunisian companies – are worth. One estimate last September by a government commission put their total value at around $13 billion.
Think you know Middle East? Take our geography quiz.
Ben Ali’s personal wealth is even harder to gauge, with most of his assets believed to be stashed abroad, says acting finance minister Slim Besbes. Many countries that froze his assets last year have been slow to unfreeze them – the European Union only did so last month – while other legal challenges remain.
The two largest known concentrations of Ben Ali wealth outside Tunisia are around $65 million in Switzerland and $28 million in an account under Mrs. Trabelsi’s name at Lebanon’s central bank, says Mr. Besbes. But while governments are cooperating, Ben Ali and his family's lawyers are fighting back.
Ben Ali’s Beirut-based lawyer, Akram Azoury, argues that a March 2011 seizure of his client's assets was illegal and says Ben Ali has no assets in his name outside Tunisia. Those in the country “are limited, to my knowledge, to his personal residence and a bank account whose value I cannot estimate, contrary to what Tunisian authorities have told the public,” he said by e-mail.
BIG NEEDS
Meanwhile, Tunisia relies heavily on foreign money. Last month it borrowed $500 million each from the World Bank and African Development Bank.
The government has also begun liquidating regime assets: 1.2 billion dinar ($776 million) generated from asset sales helped pay for a 2.5 billion dinar ($1.6 billion) increase in this year’s budget.
Latest on the block are thousands of personal items, including cars, jewelry, and fine art, which went on sale this week at a ritzy hotel near Tunis. To oversee things, the finance ministry tapped Mr. Hamaied, an old hand in commerce.
One morning earlier this month, Hamaied and Mr. Bouzidi, the car expert, were at the national guard facility in Tunisia, giving a preview of cars to the buyer’s agent. There was Ben Ali’s Maybach town car, with massage seats in back, a mini-fridge stocked with Evian, and a yard of leg room. Nearby was a black Aston Martin bearing a small plaque that read, “Handbuilt in England for Sakher El Materi.”
The scout was drawn to the BMW, seized from a Trabelsi. Hamaied popped the hood so he could photograph the big V-12 engine. The odometer showed 2,587 kilometers (about 1,600 miles).
“They’re all like that; these cars didn’t roll much – just between La Marsa and Hammamet,” Hamaied said, naming chic beachside towns near Tunis. Then he proposed a test drive. The men got in, Hamaied gunned the engine, and the BMW tore down the runway as the needle shot to 100 kilometers per hour (about 60 miles per hour).
Authorities hope the sale, which will last at least a month, will generate about $13 million. The government says the proceeds will be spent on development projects.
Ultimately, however, Tunisia has more work ahead to revitalize the economy, says Antonio Nucifora, lead economist on Tunisia for the World Bank. It must reform laws such as those governing foreign investment and labor, cut red tape, and combat a lingering penchant for cronyism.
“At present it is connections that make the system work,” he says. “They need to change from a system based on privileges and connections to one based on merit and competition.
Read More..
“You know, this is the same runway that Ben Ali fled from,” remarked another passenger, automotive expert Mourad Bouzidi, from the back seat.
The BMW is among the seized possessions of deposed Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his inner circle that the government is selling to help fill depleted treasury coffers. But the sale of regime assets, which are often hard to track down and obtain, is not going to be enough. Long-term prosperity needs real reforms.
In Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, the fall of dictators has triggered a scramble for cash as new governments struggle to restore stability amid high expectations and damaged economies.
Think you know Middle East? Take our geography quiz.
In Tunisia, high unemployment has fueled labor strikes and rioting, which in turn provoke political squabbling. Last month, clashes in the rural town of Siliana between stone-throwing protestors and police – who fired birdshot – prompted some opposition politicians to demand Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali’s resignation.
Economic woes stem partly from last year’s revolution, which spooked tourists and foreign investors while the eurozone crisis hobbled key trading partners. But the roots of trouble go deeper, to a regime that spent years neglecting rural regions and letting unemployment rise while amassing great wealth for itself.
“Seemingly half of the Tunisian business community can claim a Ben Ali connection through marriage,” wrote then-US Ambassador Robert F. Godec in a June 2008 diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks, describing an extended family seen as “the nexus of Tunisian corruption.”
TIGERS AND FRENCH ICE CREAM
A year later, Mr. Godec got a taste of regime opulence when Ben Ali’s son-in-law and heir-apparent, Sakher El Materi, invited him for dinner at his seaside villa. Godec’s July 2009 cable notes an infinity pool, ice cream flown in from St. Tropez, and a pet tiger named Pasha.
Ben Ali and most of his family fled Tunisia in January 2011 as protests brought down his regime. Two months later, then-interim president Fouad Embazaa ordered the seizure of assets belonging to 114 top regime figures, including Ben Ali and his wife, Leila Trabelsi.
It’s unclear how much the assets – from cars, yachts, and palaces to major stakes in Tunisian companies – are worth. One estimate last September by a government commission put their total value at around $13 billion.
Think you know Middle East? Take our geography quiz.
Ben Ali’s personal wealth is even harder to gauge, with most of his assets believed to be stashed abroad, says acting finance minister Slim Besbes. Many countries that froze his assets last year have been slow to unfreeze them – the European Union only did so last month – while other legal challenges remain.
The two largest known concentrations of Ben Ali wealth outside Tunisia are around $65 million in Switzerland and $28 million in an account under Mrs. Trabelsi’s name at Lebanon’s central bank, says Mr. Besbes. But while governments are cooperating, Ben Ali and his family's lawyers are fighting back.
Ben Ali’s Beirut-based lawyer, Akram Azoury, argues that a March 2011 seizure of his client's assets was illegal and says Ben Ali has no assets in his name outside Tunisia. Those in the country “are limited, to my knowledge, to his personal residence and a bank account whose value I cannot estimate, contrary to what Tunisian authorities have told the public,” he said by e-mail.
BIG NEEDS
Meanwhile, Tunisia relies heavily on foreign money. Last month it borrowed $500 million each from the World Bank and African Development Bank.
The government has also begun liquidating regime assets: 1.2 billion dinar ($776 million) generated from asset sales helped pay for a 2.5 billion dinar ($1.6 billion) increase in this year’s budget.
Latest on the block are thousands of personal items, including cars, jewelry, and fine art, which went on sale this week at a ritzy hotel near Tunis. To oversee things, the finance ministry tapped Mr. Hamaied, an old hand in commerce.
One morning earlier this month, Hamaied and Mr. Bouzidi, the car expert, were at the national guard facility in Tunisia, giving a preview of cars to the buyer’s agent. There was Ben Ali’s Maybach town car, with massage seats in back, a mini-fridge stocked with Evian, and a yard of leg room. Nearby was a black Aston Martin bearing a small plaque that read, “Handbuilt in England for Sakher El Materi.”
The scout was drawn to the BMW, seized from a Trabelsi. Hamaied popped the hood so he could photograph the big V-12 engine. The odometer showed 2,587 kilometers (about 1,600 miles).
“They’re all like that; these cars didn’t roll much – just between La Marsa and Hammamet,” Hamaied said, naming chic beachside towns near Tunis. Then he proposed a test drive. The men got in, Hamaied gunned the engine, and the BMW tore down the runway as the needle shot to 100 kilometers per hour (about 60 miles per hour).
Authorities hope the sale, which will last at least a month, will generate about $13 million. The government says the proceeds will be spent on development projects.
Ultimately, however, Tunisia has more work ahead to revitalize the economy, says Antonio Nucifora, lead economist on Tunisia for the World Bank. It must reform laws such as those governing foreign investment and labor, cut red tape, and combat a lingering penchant for cronyism.
“At present it is connections that make the system work,” he says. “They need to change from a system based on privileges and connections to one based on merit and competition.
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