Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Otalo Expands to 1.6 Million Vacation Rentals in 164 Countries ...


Amherst, MA (PRWEB) February 04, 2012

Otalo has expanded its vacation rental search index to incorporate over 1.6 million vacation residence rental listings in 164 countries of the world. Otalo also announced the addition of partners such as airbnb.com, TripAdvisor.com, Flipkey.com, Holiday-Rentals.co.uk, iStopOver.com, HomeGetaways.com, Niumba.com, RedAwning.com, SkipJump.com, and PerfectFloridaVillas.com.

?No a single likes to show up on vacation and see a bunch of rental houses that you wish you had rented but never saw online.? said Baer Tierkel, one of Otalo?s founders. ?The important to finding the best rental is to be in a position to see all your options in a single click.

1.6 Million Vacation Rental Listings

Otalos internet site (http://www.otalo.com) enables travelers to use a single search for their vacation residence preferences and quickly search over 1.6 million vacation rental listings from the several distinct rental sites on the internet. There is no need to have to wade via hundreds of different web sites trying to locate a great vacation rental. Travelers can search employing their personal computer, iPad, or smartphone. Otalo also gives travelers a central place to save their favorites as nicely as share the houses theyve discovered with their pals and loved ones, making the vacation preparing procedure significantly simpler. Otalo has been named the kayak of vacation rentals.

?Searching for a vacation rental at the beach in the cold of February must be enjoyable and not tedious,? stated co-founder Mike Giles, ?It really is truly a lot of fun to browse via all the wonderful photos of cool houses in faraway warm locations.? As the world-wide economy continues to be tough on vacationers, rentals serve as a wonderful option to much more costly hotels and resorts

Otalos crawlers search the net constantly, seeking for vacation rentals to contain in its index. The search index at the moment contains 1,615,253 listings that represent 735,728 vacation rentals 79,003 homes with swimming pools 37,750 waterfront houses and condos 367,766 rentals that are smoking-free of charge 51,170 rentals that let smoking 353,637 rentals that do not permit pets and 149,934 that are pet-friendly.

The Otalo search index contains rentals in 164 countries. Europe leads the planet with 392,456 vacation rentals North America has 260,000 the South Pacific has 22,704 the Caribbean has 19,548 South America has 17,888 Africa has 7,818 Asia has five,072 Central America has four,873 Southeast Asia has 3,737 and the Middle East has the fewest with 1,632. The United States is the most popular country with 237,991 vacation rentals, and Spain is next with 107,661. The U.S.s most well-liked destination is Kissimmee, Florida, which is near Orlando, with four,097 vacation rentals. Spains most well-known destination is Barcelona with 4,834 rentals.

The most pricey vacation rental that Otalo has found on the net is Necker Island, which will expense you $ 273,000/week for your holiday. Accessible only by helicopter, it sleeps 28 in a Excellent Residence and many guest villas on the island with a number of pools, a beach house, and Crocodile Pavilion. Close behind in cost is Musha Cay which will only price you $ 263,000/week, but you do get room for 24 friends and family members to play on the 7 beaches on this 150 acres private island.

New Partners

With the addition of properties from airBnb.com, TripAdvisor.com, Flipkey.com, Holiday-Rentals.co.uk, iStopOver.com, HomeGetaways.com, Niumba.com, RedAwning.com, SkipJump.com, and PerfectFloridaVillas.com, Otalo is helping much more and a lot more vacation rental websites by delivering extremely qualified vacation renters directly to their web sites for bookings and details. Otalo has been described as the Kayak of vacation rentals, due to their model of providing a single point of search to travellers, while sending site visitors to the source websites of those rentals.

About Otalo

Otalo was founded by Baer Tierkel and Mike Giles, veteran software sector entrepreneurs who get pleasure from to travel ? but prefer staying in other people houses more than hotels. Otalo is a search engine built especially for travelers seeking for the excellent vacation rental by enabling the traveler to search 1.6 million vacation rental listings in a single click.

For extra information about the next-generation Otalo search engine for vacation rentals, you can speak to Baer Tierkel at +1 413 658 8133 or check out Otalo on the internet at:

Otalo ? http://www.otalo.com

The Otalo Weblog ? http://www.otalo.com/blog.jsp

Stick to Otalo on Twitter ? http://www.twitter.com/otalo

Otalo on Facebook ? http://facebook.com/vacationrentalsearch

###

Tags: Countries, Expands, Million, Otalo, Rentals, Vacation

Category: Spain Holidays

Source: http://cheapspainholidays.info/otalo-expands-to-1-6-million-vacation-rentals-in-164-countries/

man o war yankees red sox yankees red sox buffalo bills mixology sarah shourd sensa

Health and Fitness Articles ? Blog Archive ? The Key Reason Why ...

Surely enough, you must have read through or viewed many hundreds of content articles dotted all over the net discussing ergonomics and how important it is. Just how many times have you read before that ergonomics plays a massive role in the home office? Probably hundreds as well! But do you really understand how home office ergonomics can apply to you? Easy manipulations in what you currently own could save you plenty of pain and ultimately a lot of dough in dropped work and health and fitness expenses.

A lot of people miss it, but the key reason why proper ergonomics is vital to people who use computers is because ignoring it might eventually lead to many physical ailments and disorders.

For you to be able to see this, you need to take your workplace equipment into account. If you type lots, or work on your keyboard, you might have observed pains in your wrists or forearms. You should examine where your keyboard is. As far as possible, keep your computer keyboard from the table. In fact, it must be lower than the desk on a keyboard holder. This brings down risking potential you getting repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome .

Aside from the keyboard set, you should also make sure to position your personal computer monitor at the proper height as well. The top of the computer monitor should be at eye level or slightly below. You should not have to look up and strain your neck when you are looking at your computer screen. If you use a computer mouse frequently, you must put money into an ergonomically designed computer mouse that may minimize the tension on your wrist. A traditionally designed computer mouse demands that the wrist be held at an abnormal angle with a twist.

One of the most important things that you need to put in consideration is the seat you are sitting down on. With the knowledge that you sit on it almost all day to get your work accomplished, it must be well apparent that your chair needs to be as cozy as it possibly can be. Nonetheless, comfort shouldn?t be the very restriction. It should also be able to support you. You should have back support from your chair to protect your back from chronic pain . Also, you should be able to take a seat with your feet solidly placed on the floor. Assess the way you sit. Never lean back and use a support cushion should you have the need for it.

Many men and women opt to use ergonomic furniture instead of the regular ones since it supports their body much better and offers much more comfort ? one nice example of ergonomic furniture is the Aeron chair .

Aeron chairs may be on the hefty side in the beginning in terms of the price range, however it makes up for it with its top quality and its service. And not only are you obtaining something that will help you relieve you with just as much tension as possible since it supports your whole body as you work, you?re also buying a chic add-on that can liven up any normal working space and convert it into a modern day powerhouse work centre. Numerous people who have used Aeron chairs before have nothing but beneficial feedback about it. Use one now and you?ll realize precisely why your folks have been letting you know that ergonomics will do amazing things for you.

Aeron chairs are well regarded because of their versatility and comfort. In case you spend long hours sitting at the office, a great Aeron chair is exactly what you may need. Find out about it right now!

Tags: Aeron chair, Aeron chairs, Health and Fitness

Source: http://www.healthandfitnessarticlesblog.com/the-key-reason-why-good-ergonomics-is-vital-for-computer-users/

cedric benson playoff schedule pinewood derby cars charles addams republican debate tonight tinker tailor soldier spy rich forever rick ross

Saturday, January 28, 2012

St. Louis hosts 1st big parade on Iraq War's end

Niliah Banks, foreground, works with other students in her fifth grade class at Ross Elementary create hand-made signs Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, in Creve Coeur, Mo. The signs will be used when St. Louis hosts a "Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day" on Jan. 28 with a noontime parade through downtown to welcome veterans of the war in Iraq. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Niliah Banks, foreground, works with other students in her fifth grade class at Ross Elementary create hand-made signs Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, in Creve Coeur, Mo. The signs will be used when St. Louis hosts a "Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day" on Jan. 28 with a noontime parade through downtown to welcome veterans of the war in Iraq. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Ross Elementary fifth grade students, clockwise from left, Juilanna Bell, Mollie Weinberg, Courtney Turner and Mckenzie Thompson work to create a hand-made sign Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, in Creve Coeur, Mo. The sign will be used when St. Louis hosts a "Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day" on Jan. 28 with a noontime parade through downtown to welcome veterans of the war in Iraq. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

(AP) ? Since the Iraq War ended there has been little fanfare for the veterans returning home. No ticker-tape parades. No massive, flag-waving public celebrations.

So, two friends from St. Louis decided to change that. They sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. On Saturday, hundreds of veterans are expected to march in downtown St. Louis in the nation's first big welcome home parade since the last troops left Iraq in December.

"It struck me that there was this debate going on as to whether there should or shouldn't be a parade," said Tom Appelbaum, one of the organizers. "Instead of waiting around for somebody somewhere to say, 'Yes, let's have a parade,' we said, 'Let's just do it.'"

Appelbaum, a 46-year-old lawyer, and Craig Schneider, a 41-year-old school technology coordinator, said they were puzzled by the lack of celebrations marking the war's end. But, they wondered, if St. Louis could host thousands of people for a parade after their beloved Cardinals won the World Series, why couldn't there be a party for the troops who put their lives on the line?

The effort got help with donations from two corporations with St. Louis connections ? $10,000 from Anheuser-Busch and $7,500 from the Mayflower moving company. Individual donations have boosted the project's total budget to about $35,000. By comparison, more than $5 million was spent two decades ago on New York's welcome-home parade for Gulf War veterans who helped drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

Ticker-tape salutes to returning troops are part of the American culture, including parades in many cities honoring veterans of World War I and World War II.

Since the end of the latest war in Iraq, there have only been small events at military posts, gatherings of families at airports and a low-key appearance by President Barack Obama at Fort Bragg, N.C., a base that endured more than 200 deaths from fighting in the war.

In St. Louis, Army Spc. James Casey appreciates the handshakes he's gotten at local and often informal observances of his 11.5 years with the Army Reserve and three tours in Iraq, which included the 2003 invasion. But the 29-year-old father of a year-old daughter relishes attending the St. Louis parade he considers "the proper welcoming home we all know we deserve."

He hopes larger U.S. cities follow suit.

"For the longest time, St. Louis has been the east-meets-west society, so I'm not surprised it's happening here. Hopefully, everybody sees what we're doing and grabs onto this," Casey said Friday. "Something like this ? where it's showing support for those that have served ? is not just a thank you. It's an embracing of the sacrifice so many Americans have made."

Celebrating the end of the Iraq War hasn't been as simple as the outpourings after the world wars, said Wayne Fields, professor of English and American Culture Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. With 91,000 troops still fighting in Afghanistan, many Iraq veterans could be redeployed ? suggesting to some that it's premature to celebrate their homecoming.

"We're not celebrating the end of a war the way we were with V-E Day or V-J Day (after World War II)," Fields said. "Part of what this is trying to do is recognize the special service of those who were there even though we can't declare a victory over a clearly identified enemy."

In May 2003, then-President George W. Bush landed on an aircraft carrier to hail the end of major combat operations in Iraq. Behind him during that speech was a banner that read, "Mission Accomplished," yet U.S. troops remained in Iraq for 8 ? more years.

Even some of the festivities in St. Louis will serve as a reminder that Bush launched the Iraq War as part of the larger war on terror following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

As part of the weekend, a "Reading of the Fallen" will begin at 9:11 p.m. Friday at Soldiers Memorial downtown. It will continue until the names of the approximate 6,500 Americans killed since the attacks are read.

"Veterans have sacrificed so much for the safety and well-being of St. Louisans," Mayor Francis Slay said. "This is a chance to demonstrate our appreciation for them."

City officials agreed to waive permit fees and allow use of streets for the parade from the heart of downtown along Market Street to Union Station, the former train station that is now a shopping center and hotel. A "Resource Village" will be set up there that will include food, music and entertainment but will also connect returning vets with organizations to help ease transition to civilian life.

Organizers expect about 100 parade entries ? floats, marching bands, first-responders, veterans groups. Appelbaum said that while the parade marks the end of the Iraq War, any military personnel involved in post-Sept. 11 conflicts are welcome.

Appelbaum has no idea how many people will turn out to cheer on the troops but said response has been overwhelming despite the lack of any substantial marketing.

"It's significant that this is strictly a grassroots effort, and coming out of the heartland of the U.S., I think it really says something," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-27-Iraq%20War-Parade/id-0cb57a954f6c474ca4301a700dbb5c99

joseph gordon levitt katy perry russell brand kevin durant rutgers mark hurd new ipad 3 baylor

Friday, January 27, 2012

The days of the 15 percent tax rate are numbered

The top tax rate on long-term capital gains is currently 15 percent. That?s why Mitt Romney is talking so much about his tax returns.?Often overlooked is the fact that the days of the 15 percent tax rate are numbered.

The top tax rate on long-term capital gains is currently 15%. That?s why Mitt Romney is spending so much time talking about his tax returns.

Skip to next paragraph Donald Marron

Donald B. Marron is director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. He previously served as a member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers and as acting director of the Congressional Budget Office.

Recent posts

That revelation has set off a familiar debate about whether that low rate is appropriate. Often overlooked in these discussions, however, is the fact that the days of the 15% tax rate are numbered. As of this posting, it has only 342 left.

On January 1, 2013, capital gains taxes are scheduled to go up sharply.

First, the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are scheduled to expire. If that happens, the regular top rate on capital gains will rise to 20%. In addition, an obscure provision of the tax code, the limitation on itemized deductions, will return in full force. That provision, known as Pease, increases effective tax rates on high-income taxpayers by reducing the value of their itemized deductions. On net, it will add another 1.2 percentage points to the effective capital gains tax rate for high-income taxpayers.

And that?s not all. The health reform legislation enacted in 2010 imposed a new tax on the net investment income of high-income taxpayers, including capital gains. That adds another 3.8 percentage points to the tax rate.

Put it all together, and the top tax rate on capital gains is scheduled to increase from 15% today to 25% on January 1. That?s a big jump. If taxpayers really believe this will happen, expect a torrent of asset selling in November and December as wealthy taxpayers take final advantage of the lower rate.

Of course, the tax cuts might get extended for all Americans, including high-income taxpayers. That?s what happened in 2010. In that case, the increase in the capital gains rate will be smaller. Because of the health reform tax, the top capital gains tax rate will increase from 15% to 18.8%. That?s still a notable increase, but would likely set off much less tax-oriented selling this year.

The only way that the top capital gains tax rate remains at 15% will be if the tax cuts are extended for high-income taxpayers?and?the new health reform tax gets repealed. That?s a key distinction in the election: President Barack Obama opposes those steps, while the GOP presidential candidates favor them (and some candidates would cut the capital gains tax rate even further).

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on dmarron.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/1zDZGpsYf-k/The-days-of-the-15-percent-tax-rate-are-numbered

stuffing recipe happy thanksgiving dwts cnn debate kennedy assassination kennedy assassination jfk assassination

Obama: Republicans will struggle to defend economy

President Barack Obama shakes hands after a speech at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, Helen H. Richardson) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT

President Barack Obama shakes hands after a speech at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, Helen H. Richardson) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT

(AP) ? President Barack Obama is signaling he'll base part of his re-election campaign on an argument that Republicans are pushing discredited economic ideas.

In an interview with ABC News, Obama says the best strategy for economic revival is avoiding the Bush administration and financial community policies that led to the near-collapse of the U.S. economy in the fall of 2008.

Obama said the country has "an economy that was built on debt and flimsy financial deals." He added in the interview broadcast Friday that this is a strategy the Republican Party will have to defend this fall, "whether it's Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum, or somebody else,"

The president said, "Why we would want to adopt something that we just tried, and didn't work, doesn't make sense."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-Obama-Campaign/id-e1904f7421c948d5bdd9f71b7733cf58

brownback salvia cybermonday deals cybermonday deals steve johnson norman reedus norman reedus

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Russia assails US over Guantanamo prison (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia's Foreign Ministry has accused the U.S. of breaking international law by keeping terror suspects in indefinite custody without trial at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

In a statement posted on its website Sunday, the ministry said the prison at the U.S. Navy base in eastern Cuba represents a "flagrant violation of international law."

The Foreign Ministry also criticized the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on Dec. 31, which includes a provision allowing indefinite military detention without trial. The ministry claimed the act contradicts U.S. obligations under international humanitarian law.

Russia in the past has reacted angrily to the accusations of human rights breaches that the U.S. State Department has leveled at it in its annual reports.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120115/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_us_rights

debra messing ayaan hirsi ali rachel uchitel strait of hormuz new years eve party ideas mars needs moms gary johnson

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Whitner's hit on Thomas ruled legal - New Orleans Saints ...

The helmet-to-helmet hit by San Francisco safety Donte Whitner that sent Saints running back Pierre Thomas to the locker room early in Saturday?s NFC playoff game was legal.

Whitner was not penalized because the tackle was not against a defenseless player. Helmet-to-helmet hits are banned against defenseless players in eight categories, and a runner is not one of those categories. Thomas was considered a runner because he?d made a catch, turned and made a ?football move? before being hit.

The eight categories were incorporated into one new rule last March, and a new rule extended the protection for a receiver who has completed a catch until he has had time to protect himself or has clearly become a runner. Thomas had become a runner.

?Even though you get a little extra protection while trying to complete the catch, you are not a defenseless player once you have made that football move,? Mike Pereira, former director of officials for the NFL and now a Fox TV commentator said Sunday. ?The notion is the runner has the opportunity to clearly protect himself.?

The eight defenseless player categories are:

(1) A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass;

(2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player;

(3) A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped;

(4) A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air;

(5) A player on the ground at the end of a play;

(6) A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return;

(7) A quarterback at any time after a change of possession, and

(8) A player who receives a ?blindside? block when the blocker is moving toward his own end zone and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side.

The competition committee that recommends rules changes could re-examine such hits in the offseason.

?The committee always closely studies and analyzes anything having to do with player safety,? NFL spokesman Michael Signora said Sunday.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/01/15/3688208/whitners-hit-on-thomas-ruled-legal.html

the duchess spice katy perry mike starr gli ifl ufc 141 fight card