GM names Peck director of Chevrolet advertising in U.S

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gm-names-peck-director-chevrolet-advertising-u-221318917--finance.html

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Scrub jays react to their dead, bird study shows: 'Funerals' can last for up to half an hour

ScienceDaily (Sep. 11, 2012) ? Western scrub jays summon others to screech over the body of a dead jay, according to new research from the University of California, Davis. The birds' cacophonous "funerals" can last for up to half an hour.

Anecdotal reports have suggested that other animals, including elephants, chimpanzees and birds in the crow family, react to dead of their species, said Teresa Iglesias, the UC Davis graduate student who carried out the work. But few experimental studies have explored this behavior.

The new research by Iglesias and her colleagues appears in the Aug. 27 issue of the journal Animal Behaviour.

Western scrub jays live in breeding pairs and are not particularly social birds.

"They're really territorial and not at all friendly with other scrub-jays," Iglesias said.

Working in the backyards of homes in Davis, Calif., Iglesias set up feeding tables to encourage visits from the jays. Then she videotaped their behavior when she placed a dead jay on the ground. She compared these reactions with the birds' behavior when confronted with a dead jay that had been stuffed and mounted on a perch, a stuffed horned owl, and wood painted to represent jay feathers.

On encountering a dead jay, prostrate on the ground, jays flew into a tree and began a series of loud, screeching calls that attracted other jays. The summoned birds perched on trees and fences around the body and joined in the calling. These cacophonous gatherings could last from a few seconds to as long as 30 minutes.

Jays formed similar cacophonous gatherings in response to a mounted owl, but ignored painted wood. When confronted with a mounted jay, the birds swooped in on it as if it were an intruder.

Jays typically gathered within seconds of the first bird calling, Iglesias said. If they did not, the first jay would often fly higher into a tree, apparently to call more widely.

"It looked like they were actively trying to attract attention," she said.

The purpose of the calls seems to be to alert other birds of danger, Iglesias said. But why the calls summon others, rather than warning them off, is unclear. Having more jays present might mean more eyes to locate a predator, or more numbers to drive it away, she speculates.

There might also be a learning component to the gatherings, if they help teach young jays about dangers in the environment, Iglesias said.

While reactions of animals to their dead are sometimes called "funerals," that does not imply that there is an emotional or ritual element to the behavior, Iglesias said. We simply don't know enough about the emotional life of animals to understand that.

But Iglesias isn't ruling it out. "I think there's a huge possibility that there is much more to learn about the social and emotional lives of birds," she said.

Co-authors of the paper are UC Davis scientists Gail Patricelli, a professor of evolution and ecology, and Richard McElreath, an associate professor of anthropology.

Their work was supported by a Gates Millennium Graduate Scholarship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UC Davis funds to support graduate students.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Davis.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. T.L. Iglesias, R. McElreath, G.L. Patricelli. Western scrub-jay funerals: cacophonous aggregations in response to dead conspecifics. Animal Behaviour, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.007

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/cTxnnak-cWw/120911162031.htm

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Win a Year?s Supply!

Ben & Jerry's ice cream displayed at a Ben & Jerry's store in Burbank, California.

Ben & Jerry's ice cream displayed at a Ben & Jerry's store in Burbank, California.

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Most people are inundated with advertisements and contest announcements. Some of those promotions?like this one from Starbucks or this one from Ben & Jerry?s?promise the chance to win a year?s supply of a product in exchange for a person?s contact information. How do companies determine how much is in a year?s supply?

Using common sense. There is no legal definition of ?a year?s supply,? which means that companies may choose an amount they think will last a year. Legally, an offer of a year?s supply must be accompanied by a disclaimer defining exactly what that supply entails: how much it is, its retail value, when and how it will be delivered to the winner, and whether the winner must meet any requirements to receive the prize. Offers of a year?s supply must also pass a ?reasonableness test? to comply with advertising laws. This means that a reasonable person would agree that the amount defined in the disclaimer would last an average individual for a year. Most large companies that hold sweepstakes have lawyers on hand to make sure that their claims pass legal muster.

Usually, companies define a year?s supply based on the assumption of regular daily or weekly consumption of a product. For instance, a year?s supply of Ben & Jerry?s is defined as 52 pints, one for each week of the year. For the Starbucks K-Cup giveaway, a year?s supply is defined as 52 10-count packages of K-Cups. The winners of a Zone Bar promotion receive 365 ZonePerfect bars in their three favorite flavors. Hy-Vee, a Midwestern grocery chain, gave away 365 Tide Pods this year. (A pod suffices for one load of laundry.) You might eat more than a pint of ice cream a week or do less than one load of laundry per day, but it?s easy to see how all of these examples pass the reasonableness test. Less intuitive are some cumulative rather than incremental amounts: For instance, ClickInks.com estimates a year?s supply of printer ink to be worth $100.

Sometimes when people win a year?s supply of something, they receive not the product itself?shipping 52 pints of Cherry Garcia would be a logistical challenge?but coupons redeemable in stores for the product. Other times, as with the ZonePerfect bars, the manufacturer sends the product itself to the winner. Whether the winner receives vouchers or the product itself should be made explicit in the official contest or sweepstakes rules.

What about when companies offer a lifetime?s supply of something? As with a year?s supply, the amount is finite and must be explained in the official sweepstakes or contest rules. Sometimes, as with this gumball giveaway, the sweepstakes creators use average human lifespan and average rate of consumption to calculate a typical lifetime supply (in this case, 22,083 gumballs). Other times, as with the Center for Biological Diversity?s condom giveaway from 2010, the lifetime supply is a round number presented without explanation. The Center for Biological Diversity pinned a lifetime supply at 1,000 condoms, which, assuming a 60-year adult lifespan, breaks down to about 17 condoms a year.

Got a question about today?s news??Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Greg Goodson of rafflecopter.com and attorney Adam Solomon.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=3f4677dc9062502110975f69ff610bd3

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Panetta hints punishment for bin Laden book author

From left are Dennis Redenbach, the regional director of National Park Service's Northeast region, Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of the Flight 93 Nat'l Memorial, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Patrick White, president of Families of Flight 93, shown during Panetta's visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa., Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Tribune-Democrat, John Rucosky)

From left are Dennis Redenbach, the regional director of National Park Service's Northeast region, Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of the Flight 93 Nat'l Memorial, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Patrick White, president of Families of Flight 93, shown during Panetta's visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa., Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Tribune-Democrat, John Rucosky)

(AP) ? Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is suggesting that a retired Navy SEAL be punished for writing a book giving an insider's account of the U.S. raid that killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

Asked in a network interview if he thinks the writer should be prosecuted, Panetta replied, "I think we have to take steps to make clear to him and to the American people that we're not going to accept this kind of behavior."

Panetta was referring to the newly published account of the U.S. SEAL raid that led to bin Laden's killing in May 2011 in Pakistan. The book was written by a retired SEAL under the pseudonym of Mark 0wen. He was subsequently identified in media accounts as Matt Bissonnette.

In the interview, broadcast Tuesday on "CBS This Morning," Panetta told co-host Norah O'Donnell that if the Defense Department failed to take any action in response to the book, "then everybody else who pledges to ensure that that doesn't happen is gonna get the long signal, that somehow they can do it without any penalty to be paid."

Asked if the revelations could put future such operations at risk, Panetta said, "I think when someone who signs an obligation that he will not reveal the secrets of this kind of operation, and then does that and doesn't abide by the rules, that when he reveals that kind of information, it does indeed jeopardize operations and the lives of others that are involved in those operations."

The secretary stopped short of accusing the author of revealing classified information, but said Pentagon officials "are currently reviewing that book to determine exactly, you know, what is classified and what isn't, and where those lines are."

Panetta said the book, which went on sale this week, raises troubling national security questions.

"Well, I think when somebody talks about the particulars of how those operations are conducted, it tells our enemies, essentially, how we operate and what we do to go after them," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-09-11-Bin%20Laden%20Book/id-b0f7566cbd9d4a9e950c30041426b19e

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Self Help Tips That Can Help You Get Out Of Your Rut | Internet ...

How about taking a few minutes of your time in order to learn simple steps on improving the rest of your life? If you pay attention to what we have to say, that is what this article can do for you. Read the tips and tricks that we have provided for you, so that you can start to reach your true potential.

Leaders are powerful, yet not hungry for power. Be rebuking yet gentle, and always remember in order to lead, you must know how to serve. A leader is virtuous and honest, and practices what he preaches. He holds himself up as an example for others to follow.

For people with serious problems, therapy may be the best answer. While self-help books can be helpful, a therapist can propose targeted, customized advice to help you achieve your goals. Even the simple act of having someone impartial that you can talk to can improve your chances for success. Books can be useful tools but a psychiatrist is able to respond and answer your questions.

Make a list of your priorities, and plan your life around these elements. If you focus all of your thoughts on the things that really matter and quit dwelling on the negative things that do not matter at all, you are sure to find a greater inner peace.

Discipline is one of the cornerstones of a successful personal development plan. You should strive to control your temptations and increase your self control. Do not give into things that are bad for you such as greediness or overeating. You can keep vices from harming you in body and spirit if you learn to control yourself and resist them.

Ultimate happiness may lie in assuming a manageable amount of risk. Most people avoid risks because they don?t want to fail or feel bad about their capabilities. This means that they become stuck in a rut where they do the same things over and over, and do not find fulfillment. Having the courage to stretch beyond your usual comfort zone by trying something new can be very rewarding, and can increase your happiness.

Always remember as you work on developing yourself that you deserve to be better, and that it will benefit you more than anyone else. Know that you owe it to yourself to do your best. By doing this, you can live a life that is free from regret.

One aspect of personal development is becoming a leader. There are many different facets of leadership, but the one people talk about most is the ability to win friends and influence people. Examine the events in your life related to leadership. Are there any events that have had an impact in your life? How have these events shaped your life? What qualities make you an effective member of the team? Thinking deeply about these issues can bring awareness of the level of your leadership and team member skills.

Figure out your goals in life, and go after them. If you sit in your chair thinking about how you would like your life to be, and you do nothing to make it happen, you will never get that life. You need to do everything in your power to make your dreams come true.

Do you feel like you drink too much alcohol? The harmful ingredients in cigarettes can cause COPD, cancer and a huge list of other diseases. Your body can best be described as a temple; make sure you treat it as such. Sometimes, eliminating bad habits is what it takes to make your life better. Look at your life, what you are doing that may be harmful, and work on omitting things that need to be removed from your life.

Aim to make each day better than its predecessor. Set a goal of continuous improvement through steady efforts. Try your hardest to achieve something different today than what you achieved yesterday.

Stress and happiness do not go together. When the human mind is preoccupied with a state of stress, damage can be caused to both physical and mental aspects of the body. In order to reach your goals, the stress in your mind must be destroyed. Set aside time daily to relax and be by yourself. This refreshing time can improve your self-image and peace.

You may experience excess stress when you overreact to difficult situations. Analyze your situation with care and manage stress. Even if you made a mistake, there is always a way to fix it or live through it. Instead of focusing on the things you?ve lost, remind yourself of everything you have.

Having written goals can help you experience more personal growth. Record the behaviors and character traits you wish to have; for example, you might list patience or gratitude. After, quickly brainstorm a few ideas that could improve your confidence. Find opportunities to practice the traits you desire. You will have a high degree of success if you attack this methodically.

Start giving other people compliments. When you focus on the good in others, you will find that they return the favor.

Spend time with people who look at life the same way you do. The right people will help you stay motivated to pursue your goals. Avoid people who have no respect for what you are trying to achieve.

It isn?t possible to care for someone else at your own expense. No matter how much progress you have made in your personal development, always make resting and restoring yourself a top priority.

Hopefully, you found the information you?ve read in this article to be of use. A measure of diligence in adapting these principles to your own life will pay off in years to come. Determination, hard work and time are required to apply the advice, but the sacrifices will be worth it in the end

Are you tired of not getting the results you want in your business? What if I told you that there is a way for you to actually attract an endless stream of new distributors and customers directly to you with credit card in hand ready to join, and actually get paid from all the people who say ?no? to your opportunity? Would that peak your interest? Click here now to see details.

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Source: http://emmanueladegbola.com/self-help-tips-that-can-help-you-get-out-of-your-rut/

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Bangor youth soccer keeps Under-9 boys team as separate entity ...

BANGOR, Maine ? In the youngest age groups for club sports, the emphasis is on skill-building rather than winning.

With that in mind and the relative scarcity of Under-9 youth soccer teams north of Waterville, the fall travel programs in the North Division have included their U9 players with the U10 team.

Except one. The Bangor Soccer Club U9 team competes in the U10 division, but it has one team made up of only U9 players.

?We did that intentionally,? said Bangor Soccer Club President Rod Towne.

?We evaluate them to see if they have the ability [and the numbers] to play up [an age group]. We did the same thing with our U9 girls last year as well as the boys this year.?

They certainly have the numbers. The combined total for the U9 and U10 boys teams is 32 players, according to the team?s website. The two U10 teams also include some U9 players. Games are 6-on-6, including each team?s goalie, and there are 11 players on the U9 team.

The setup seems to be working as hoped, according to Peter Richmond, one of the team?s two coaches.

?There are probably 6-8 kids that have played together the last couple of years, but some of the additions have just really fit right in. They?re meshing very well,? he said.

The major upside to maintaining them as a unit is that experience.

?They get the opportunity to play more years together,? said Towne. ?They learn each others? moves, who the best passer is, the best dribbler, who has the best shot. They learn to play together better.

?They get an extra year with their own [age group] on the team.?

It doesn?t happen every year, but, said Towne, ?When we can do it, we like to do it.?

?I?m hoping we can keep this team together through all of the age groups,? said Richmond.

The other factor in making the decision is the emphasis on skill-building rather than wins and losses.

?The U9, U10 and U11 teams are noncompetitive. They don?t keep score [except in tournaments],? said Towne, then added with a chuckle, ?The kids know who had the goals and what the score was, but that?s not what?s important.?

And at this age, the size difference tends to be insignificant.

?I coach a U9-U10 mixed girls team this year,? said Towne, ?and except for a couple who might be taller than the others, you can?t tell the difference.?

The same applies to the boys, but not for much longer.

?When they get older, for instance from the U-12 to the U-13 teams, a year makes a big difference,? Towne said.

The younger kids, who are 8, are not intimidated playing against 9-year-olds.

?Not really, unless the kids are much bigger,? said head coach Troy Neale. ?They?re only a year older or so, but they?re not really intimidated at this point. ? In their mind they?re just trying to figure out the game. It?s kind of hard to worry about more than one thing.?

?We do it only because it?s noncompetitive,? said Towne. ?They?re only out there to learn skills. The coaches are there to find something to focus on besides the score.?

Richmond is encouraged by how well the team has picked up new skills or improved on the ones they learned previously.

?I think that we thought this was going to be a little bit of a learning year for them because they?re 8 years old playing against teams that are mixed with 8- and 9-year-olds,? he said. ?I think we thought we were going to take our lumps this year a little bit, but we ? lost our first three and have gone 6-0-1 since, so obviously the kids are doing really, really well.?

Neale and Richmond have learned long explanations are not the best approach.

?They?re usually receptive, but they?re attention span is not very long,? said Neale. ?You have to get your point across and do it quick.?

That?s where having experienced players helps.

?The first week or two, even our first few games, the kids were all over the place in that traditional grouping and running and following,? said Richmond. ?Since then, we had a few kids that knew to spread out and stay in their positions and they?ve been helping teach some of the kids that don?t have as much experience.?

Towne enjoys seeing that progress.

?It?s kind of fun to see their early development,? he said.

Some of these boys and girls eventually will play at the high school level.

?Both John Bapst and Bangor High have benefited? from the fall travel program, Towne said.

And there will be more than enough players to go around, based on this year?s turnout.

?I think we have a record turnout. I?ve been saying that a lot lately,? said Towne, who also oversaw a record-setting turnout of more than 900 players for the Bangor Parks and Recreation Department?s spring program. ?This just naturally follows that.?

Eastern Maine Youth Lacrosse wishes Murphy well

A key supporter of the rebirth of the Eastern Maine Youth Lacrosse program this year has taken a new job out of state.

Former Husson University lacrosse coach Tim Murphy extended excess equipment to the group, and some of his players ? men and women ? ran demonstrations of the sport during registration, and he conducted coaching clinics later.

This summer, Murphy took the men?s lacrosse post at Curry College in Milton, Mass., and the Eastern Maine Youth Lacrosse has extended its well wishes and thanks.

Tell us your stories

The Bangor Daily News produces youth club sports reports year-round and we are asking team coaches, league administrators and others involved to let us know of potential stories.

The stories generally will be centered on the travel level rather than the house level. Ideas could include team stories, league stories, tournament features and possible features on players, coaches, officials and so on.

Sports include, but are not limited to, hockey, soccer, football, basketball, baseball and softball.

Coaches and league administrators also will be able to submit their own stories and photos to the BDN website.

Email ideas to dbarber@bangordailynews.com or bdnsports@bangordailynews.com.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/11/sports/youth-sports/bangor-youth-soccer-keeps-under-9-boys-team-as-separate-entity/

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Chicago teacher strike a high-profile test for unions

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The massive teacher strike in Chicago offers a high-profile test for the nation's teacher unions, which have seen their political influence threatened as a growing reform movement seeks to expand charter schools, get private companies involved with failing schools and link teacher evaluations to student test scores.

Union leaders are taking a major stand on teacher evaluations, one of the key issues in the Chicago dispute. If they lose there, it could have ripple effects around the country.

The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association ? the nation's two largest teacher unions ? have been playing defense in jurisdictions around the country as Republicans and Democrats alike seek greater concessions in a bid to improve ailing public schools.

After decades of growth in membership and influence, the unions now are in a weaker position, said Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute, a nonpartisan think tank.

"They are playing on more hostile terrain and they are facing opponents the likes of which they have not had to face before," Hess said.

The strike also has implications for the presidential race because it pits the Chicago Teachers Union ? the AFT's oldest local ? against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to President Barack Obama. Obama is counting on the strong support of unions to help his re-election campaign, but his administration has sided with some of the reforms unions are railing against.

Teachers walked off the job Monday for the first time in 25 years over issues that include pay raises, classroom conditions, job security and teacher evaluations. Emanuel is trying to extract more concessions from teachers while the school district faces a nearly $700 million deficit.

Major teacher strikes have been rare in recent years, compared with the 1960s and 1970s, when teachers went on strike frequently for better pay and improved bargaining rights. While unions generally got what they wanted in the past, they face a tougher climate today.

With the weak economy, unions have seen massive teacher layoffs, increased class sizes and school districts unable or unwilling to boost teacher salaries. Like other public employee unions, they are also under attack from Republican governors like Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who signed a measure last year to curb collective bargaining rights and limit benefits for state workers.

The 2.2-million member NEA has lost more than 100,000 members since 2010, as fewer public school teachers are hired and more charter schools open, most of which are not unionized. At the 1.5 million-member AFT, years of steady growth have leveled off.

"They certainly are on the defensive," said Richard Ingersoll, a professor of education and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. "They are under attack. A lot of times they are demonized. On the other hand there's really smart and progressive elements in the teacher's movement who want to get out ahead of this and do it in a way that's fair."

In the past, teachers unions could count on a Democratic White House to fight back on their behalf. But Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan, is a former head of Chicago Public Schools who has pushed for many of the changes that unions oppose.

"In many ways the Obama administration has signed onto the very conservative set of reforms that the education community is imposing on teachers," said Richard Kahlenberg of the Century Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington.

Both the NEA and the AFT have strongly endorsed Obama's re-election despite his administration's support of policies to expand charter schools, weaken tenure and base teacher evaluations on how much student performance improves. The Chicago strike could test that alliance, as Obama declines to take a public stand supporting the union.

Evaluating teachers on how much their students improve is a key component of Obama's education policy. His administration has approved waivers freeing many states from the most onerous requirements of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law. In order to get a waiver, each state had to promise to show in other ways that its students and schools are improving, and to more closely link teacher evaluations to student test scores.

The Chicago union argues that the new teacher evaluation system relies too heavily on standardized test scores without considering outside factors such as student poverty, violence and homelessness that can affect performance.

Hess said the Chicago strike has become an important test case after unions lost their effort to recall Wisconsin's governor.

"If it looks like the union folds, especially on the heels of Wisconsin, it's a huge blow for the unions," Hess said. "If the union seems to win, that's going to be a blow to reform-minded mayors and puts some wind into the sails of unions."

There are major differences, though, between the cases in Wisconsin and Chicago.

While Walker effectively challenged public employee unions' collective bargaining rights, both sides in Chicago have been negotiating over traditional labor-management issues. The district proposed a 16 percent raise over four years and the two sides have essentially agreed on a longer school day. But job security and a new teacher evaluation system remained in dispute.

AFT President Randi Weingarten said the union didn't want to strike, but did so only as a last resort after negotiations "that left CTU members feeling disrespected." Among the issues she cited was the mayor's decision this year to strip teachers of an agreed-upon 4 percent raise.

"This is a long-term battle that everyone's going to watch," said Eric Hanuskek, a senior fellow in education at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. "Other teachers unions in the United States are wondering if they should follow suit."

Teacher unions also are growing nervous about how they are portrayed in an upcoming Hollywood movie called "Won't Back Down," set to open in theaters on Sept. 28. The film tells the story of a mother's quest to take control of her daughter's failing elementary school.

Weingarten has blasted the movie as "using the most blatant stereotypes and caricatures I have ever seen" and unfairly blaming unions for the nation's school woes. Union leaders were even more outraged that the movie was screened at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., and that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ? the convention chairman ? attended the screening.

___

Follow Sam Hananel's labor coverage at http://twitter.com/SamHananelAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-teacher-strike-poses-test-unions-071221549.html

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Market Size - Constantly Learning

Market Size

Photo: Perpetualtourist2000

This is one section of a series on the the business plan outlined by Sequoia Capital. This business plan will be the foundation of any Entrepreneur's financing slide deck. In order to help other Entrepreneurs, this series will go into greater detail on each section.

One of the questions you will be asked again and again when financing is, "How large is your market?" Market size is an incredibly important metric for measuring the opportunity of a startup.

In order to identify and calculate market size you need to first identify the customers you cater to. If you are b2b startup, who are you selling to? Who will sign off on the purchase. If you are a consumer focused startup, what does the typical profile of your customer look like? Market sizes can be calculated using a top-down and bottoms-up approach. Both of these methods though are estimates. This is important to keep in mind while pitching.

Calculating Total Addressable Market

The TAM is calculated using a top down approach. This method is used for understanding how many users there are in the world which can use this product.

Let's say we are selling baby food online. The TAM would be the total number of internet users who have babies. There are 2.2 Billion internet users. Current birth rates sit around 20 per 1,000 people. So out of 2.2 Billion internet users, 2% have had babies in the past year. This makes our total addressable market at 44 Million people.

This calculation used unit market share. Rather than calculating units, you could also calculate dollar market share. Dollar market share is the total amount of money waiting to be captured.

Calculating Serviceable Available Market

The SAM represents how much of the TAM you can actually serve. It is used as the bridge between how many users there are and how many users would actually use your product or service. If you are selling baby food online, how many people would actually purchase baby food online? The result of this calculation will be your SAM.

Calculating Share of Market

The SOM is used to figure out how much of the market isn't captured. This takes a lot of competitive analysis and hopefully some of the metrics are available to you. You need to understand who the incumbents are and how much market share they control. Take into consideration the countries they serve and their sales and distribution channels.

Once you understand the current market, you take the SAM and subtract the already served market from it. This result is the Share of Market you can capture. The importance of share of market cannot be overstated. In order to have a strong forecast for what you can actually accomplish you need to understand the competitive landscape and how much of it your competition have already captured.

Assumptions, Good Data, and New Markets

Remember, these calculations are estimates. Calculated guesses as to how large the opportunity is. When pitching these numbers realize you will be challenged on your assumptions. The data you use should be rock solid and unquestionable. If you use rock solid data, ney-sayers will only be able to challenge your assumptions and not the data you base your assumptions on.

Don't pitch investors with the concept of being in a "new" market. Although it seems venture capitalists should be investing in new markets, there is actually too much risk involved. If you were to tell this to a hedge fund manager, he would laugh you out of the room. The purpose of an limited partner putting money into a venture capital fund is to invest in emerging markets. The venture capitalists as investors though are still trying to back there bets and invest in opportunities which are known.

If you think you are in a new market, which hasn't been defined, it is your responsibility as an entrepreneur to demonstrate how you fit into current markets.

Is Our Market Large Enough to Obtain Capital?

Just because you have a hard problem to solve with paying users, doesn't mean it can be a venture backed business. Venture capitalists require really large markets in order to make profits. Although you could be sitting on an easy $50mm or $100mm per year opportunity, venture capital will have no problem telling you no.

In order to get venture backing consumer markets should be at least 1B potential users. With the amount of users available to you, you can get a lot of people using your products. A lot of people means a lot of eyes to see ads.

Business markets (B2B), by definition, won't have the same size of opportunity as consumer-based businesses. Those business however make up for it in average sale price. The cost of having a direct sales or direct marketing team however needs to be cost effective.

Your market size is the most important part of your investor slide deck. Make sure the answer to your market-size question is data backed and rock solid.

Source: http://bretthard.in/2012/09/investor-deck-market-size/

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Review: The Imposter | Film Reviews | Gambit New Orleans News ...

It only takes a couple of minutes for British documentarian Bart Layton's The Imposter to make viewers feel uneasy. As the film begins, home movies and photos of a 13-year-old San Antonio, Texas, boy named Nicholas Barclay ? who disappeared without a trace in 1994 ? are intercut with painful snippets of conversation with his still-distraught family. Soon it all gives way to staged scenes of a runaway teen found three years after Barclays' disappearance halfway across the globe in Linares, Spain, followed by footage of a full-grown man with a heavy accent casually describing how he perpetrated an epic theft of the boy's identity. How could a con man succeed at such a bizarre and horrible crime? And why is he allowed to sit calmly in front of a movie camera and explain his craft while exuding an obvious sense of pride in his accomplishment?

??That uneasy feeling grows into full-blown dread by the time this entrancing but troubling film draws to a close. The star of the show is real-life serial imposter Frederick Bourdin, a Frenchman who reportedly assumed as many as 500 false identities since launching his unusual career while still a child. Bourdin's life was fictionalized in a 2010 French movie called The Chameleon, which employed Bourdin as a consultant and set his story in Baton Rouge. The Imposter is another kind of film altogether. It's less interested in identity theft than in the self-deception and complicity required of Bourdin's victims ? in this case, the Barclay family ? and how people can force themselves to believe almost anything given the right set of desperate circumstances.

??Bourdin's brown eyes, dyed hair, thick accent, obviously advanced age and penchant for odd clothing that hid his facial features didn't stop the Barclays from accepting him as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Nicholas. Bourdin also fooled Spanish police and social workers, an entire Texas community and the FBI. But there's more to The Imposter's layered deceptions. In the film's final act, events take a sharp turn that alters the meaning of what came before and fairly justifies the seemingly inappropriate style in which the film tells its sordid tale.

??That style is a descendant of the early films of Errol Morris, who first blurred boundaries between narrative and documentary techniques in award-winning films like The Thin Blue Line. There are no shaky handheld shots in The Imposter. Instead we find slick widescreen photography, re-enactments by seasoned actors and an expensive soundtrack with familiar songs by David Bowie and Cat Stevens to accentuate the film's emotional peaks. In the end, all that gloss makes the audience feel like fellow victims of a grand deception. The Imposter demonstrates that anyone can be taken in by a skilled con artist, even one who's only wielding a movie camera. ? KEN KORMAN

Source: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/review-the-imposter/Content?oid=2069878

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