Friday, December 7, 2012

Jay Miletsky Talks with Marketing Pilgrim About Getting Started in ...

In October 2012, 183 million U.S. Internet users watched more than 37 billion online content videos, while video ad views reached nearly 11 billion. (comScore) YouTube was responsible for a large portion of those views, but not all of them. Online video is growing all across the internet and on mobile and it can be a money-maker for small business.

On one side, business? can bring in new customers with informative videos and increase brand awareness. Then there?s the business of video ? earning money from ads and becoming a YouTube star.

I know that getting started with video can be intimidating, so I talked went to Jay Miletsky, CEO of MyPod Studios for some advice. MyPod is a portal that aggregates quality video under content categories with each brand getting its own ?Pod.? No piano playing cats and grandpop falling off the skateboard. They feature only videos you can use.

Here?s what Jay had to say about making your move into the thriving world of online video.

MP: A lot of small business owners want to try video as a way of promoting their business but it?s overwhelming. Where do you start?

JM:? Video is an excellent way of promoting your business, but it can feel overwhelming at the start. ?Don?t let that deter you ? it?s not always as daunting as you might think. ?Start with the basics ? what messages do you want your viewers to get from your video? ?What point do you want to make? ?What action (if any) do you want your viewers to take after watching? ?Once you have this info down, the next step is to write your script, put together a storyboard, and then you can deal with the production (that?s the fun part!)

MP: If all I have is a webcam or home camera, is it worth doing?

JM:? Absolutely, and don?t let an ad agency tell you any different. ?Audiences are pretty forgiving in terms of the quality of Web video, but even so, you don?t need the most expensive camera on the market to produce quality content. ?A lot of the quality comes from the lighting, the audio, the presentation, the script and the editing ? you can produce some great videos with a pretty inexpensive camera.

MP:?? What are your thoughts on allowing ads to run on videos? Is there a better way to monetize? Is branding more important than monetizing?

JM: 30 second ads tend to turn audiences off, so it?s not the ideal way to monetize; but on the flip side, standard pre-roll and mid-roll video ads are in abundance, so it?s likely that that?s going to be your best method for generating revenue against your videos. ?However, if your videos are for your company, in any way promoting your brand, product, services or messaging, running ads against them seems a bit much. ?The biggest benefit you should get from these type of videos should be an increase in brand recognition and ultimately sales.

MP:? Can you talk about the online video world outside of YouTube?s walls?

JM: YouTube is great for amateur video content. ?If you want to watch a South Korean dance around like he?s on a horse, or a cat falling off a shelf, YouTube is your absolute best resource. ?But to assume that YouTube is the only game in town is to assume that as long as there?s a CBS, there?s no need for an NBC, or an ABC, or any of the uncountable number of cable stations. ?Even when a show is in reruns ? you can watch shows like friends on Nick at Night, or TBS, or a bunch of other channels. ?It?s the same online ? different networks can offer their own, unique programming, or content that can be seems elsewhere, and ultimately, it?s the user experience, and individual viewer preference that will determine where they decide to watch their videos.

MP:? Will we ever get to the point where people will pay for online video content?

JM: Recently, someone in my office showed me a new online video network that asked people to pay for original, web-based content, and in return promised an ad-free environment. My knee-jerk response was ?that?s stupid,? and went on to focus on other things. ?Technically, people are already paying for online video content, through Amazon, Netflix, and a few others, but these aren?t to access original Web-based programming ? they?re to watch episodic programming that originally aired on TV or in theaters. ?In my opinion, any programming that originates on the Web, and is produced specifically for Web-based audiences will always be free.

MP:? What?s the secret to creating a marketing video that doesn?t sound like a 5 minute commercial?

JM: For one thing, don?t make it 5 minutes long. ?On the Web, few people want to watch programming that long, unless they?re watching an episode of their favorite TV show or a movie. ?Beyond that, give real information that users will find valuable ? that can support your brand without being too self-serving. ?For example, an online show that teaches people how to save money in 2 minute clips (make coffee at home for 50 cents per day, rather than spent $4 at Starbucks) can be sponsored by ?ABC Bank? as a way to show that their brand and set them up to be the experts when it comes to savings. ?But none of episodes should recommend that the best way to save is to visit your local ABC Bank branch and open an account ? that turns the whole thing into a commercial, and you?ll lose your audience almost immediately.

#?? #?? #

It?s time to get started. Plan and shoot a 2 minute informative video that ties into your brand over the next two weeks. Post it online, then come back here and give us the link. We?d be happy to be your first comment on your first video. Make it so!

And thanks to Jay Miletsky for taking the time to answer my questions.

Source: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2012/12/jay-miletsky-talks-with-marketing-pilgrim-about-getting-started-in-online-video.html

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Don't forget: Stuff your stocking with Android Central

Android Central ContestWe're now on Day 5 of our a monthly contest in which we're giving away a $10 Google Play Gift Card every day this month. That's 31 winners in 31 days, with an easy $10 to spend on apps, books, music -- whatever you want!

What's more is that each of the 31 winners will automatically be entered to win a free Nexus 4, which we'll choose and announce the first week of January.

We're going to change things up each week to keep it fresh. Here's the breakdown:

  • Dec. 1-8: Leave a post in the appropriate thread in the Android Central Forums.
  • Dec. 9-15: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. (You can subscribe now if you want, but only subscriptions during that time frame will count as an entry.)
  • Dec. 16-22: Comment on that day's giveaway blog post. (Look for our hatted friend you see here.)
  • Dec. 23-31: To be announced. It'll be fun one way or another.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/oyTSZt_Mx5Q/story01.htm

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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Bismuth provides perfect dance partners for quantum computing qubits

ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2012) ? New research has demonstrated a way to make bismuth electrons and nuclei work together as qubits in a quantum computer.

The discovery, published in Nature Materials, takes us a key step further to creating practical quantum computing which could tackle complex programs that would otherwise take the lifetime of the universe to finish.

The collaboration partners are based in the University of Warwick, UCL, ETH Zurich and the USA Sandia National Labs.

Information on our normal computers is stored as bits, which are either ones or zeros. Quantum bits work differently in that each quantum bit can try out being a one and a zero at the same time, which makes them much more powerful for solving certain problems.

Researchers have explored influencing the direction of spin in electrons to create those states but this approach has had its challenges.

Dr Gavin Morley from the University of Warwick's Department of Physics said: "Bismuth atoms in silicon crystals are great at working as quantum bits. Each bismuth atom has a spare electron, which has a "spin" that can be influenced by magnets.

"If we put the electron into a magnet, it lines up with the magnetic field, behaving like a compass needle.

"We can control the direction that the electron is pointing in, using microwaves. Microwaves let us flip the direction the electron is pointing in, and these "up and down" directions are what constitute the "one and zero" in our quantum bit.

"Unfortunately, our electron is constantly prone to interference from nearby atoms that are out of our control.

"And the more time we waste, the greater the chance that our poor electron will suffer from interference, making it unusable to us."

"Now, this electron is coupled to the bismuth nucleus, which has its own spin: a smaller compass needle. Using this as an extra quantum bit and flipping it at the same time as our electron, would really help out. We can control this smaller compass needle too, but as it's smaller, it takes longer to control, and we need to use radiowaves instead of microwaves to do this."

"The good news is that as it's slow to respond, our bismuth nucleus's smaller compass needle suffers less from interference by nearby rogue atoms than our electron's larger compass needle. Unfortunately in the time we spend controlling our bismuth nucleus, these rogue atoms interfere with our electron."

"However we found that if we reduce the magnetic field just enough, then the electron and the nucleus become hybridized. Our new experiments at ETH Zurich show that through hybridisation, we can flip both compass needles easily using microwaves."

Dr Morley compares it to the magnetic resonance imaging we find in hospitals.

He said: "MRI works by controlling the nuclear spins in your body.

"We have hybridized electron and nuclear spins and found that this makes it easier to control them.

"It's an easy new way to make slow and fast quantum bits work together. There are lots more challenges to face before anyone has a working computer with enough quantum bits to be useful, but with this hybridization as part of a computer's design, we are one step closer."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Warwick, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Gavin W. Morley, Petra Lueders, M. Hamed Mohammady, Setrak J. Balian, Gabriel Aeppli, Christopher W. M. Kay, Wayne M. Witzel, Gunnar Jeschke, Tania S. Monteiro. Quantum control of hybrid nuclear?electronic qubits. Nature Materials, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3499

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/matter_energy/physics/~3/PHR0YYBMToM/121202164321.htm

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Kipling Seoul Laptop Large Backpack Black ? Travel & Leisure

Kipling Seoul Laptop Large Backpack Black The Seoul Large Backpack from Kipling has laptop protection and padded shoulder straps making it great for travel or school. Main zipped compartment contains laptop pocket with Velcro closure, and a padded back and bottom panel. Zip-front pocket contains 2 pen sleeves, cell phone pocket, iPod/PDA pocket and large internal zippered pocket. Additional large zippered front pocket for more storage. Padded straps that are adjustable to a maximum length of 32 inches and top grip handle. Zippered pockets at the top and left hand side of bag are perfect for quick access to small items.

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Source: http://boyajianmarc.com/travel/2012/11/17/kipling-seoul-laptop-large-backpack-black/

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Source: http://ybulidocuby.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/kipling-seoul-laptop-large-backpack-black-travel-leisure/

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Monday, December 3, 2012

Kuwait elects new parliament, stocks rally

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwaitis have elected a parliament including many newcomers which may prove more government-friendly than its predecessor but could lack legitimacy in the eyes of some due to a low voter turnout.

Kuwait's stock index rose to a six-week high with retail investors more confident the government would be able to follow through on plans to develop the economy.

About 39 percent of the 422,569 eligible voters cast ballots, according to a Reuters calculation based on voting figures posted on Sunday on an Information Ministry website. It was not clear if the figures included invalid votes and ministry officials were not immediately available for a comment.

Opposition politicians said they believed the participation was lower than that figure. Turnout in the past three elections was about 60 percent.

Investors appear confident the new parliament will be more cooperative with the government, allowing it to pursue long due infrastructure projects, said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage at Global Investment House. "Overall sentiment is positive," he said.

The election, on Saturday, was divisive due to a change to voting rules announced six weeks ago by the ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, which cut the number of votes per citizen to one from four.

Tens of thousands marched on Friday in what organizers said was the largest protest in Kuwaiti history, to urge people to shun the ballot box in protest at the reform which they said would skew the outcome in favor of pro-government candidates.

The opposition refused to stand in the election, saying the new one-vote system would prevent its candidates winning the majority they had in the last vote in February, when they secured two-thirds of the 50 seats in the National Assembly.

Their boycott meant that many of the candidates running were new to parliamentary politics.

Political parties are banned in Kuwait and the affiliations of many of those who stood in the election were unclear, although political analysts said the fact they ran in the poll meant they were likely to be more sympathetic to the government than the opposition.

Shi'ite candidates won about a third of seats in parliament, Kuwaiti media reported. Shi'ite MPs have tended to be more supportive of the government than the opposition in the past.

Kuwait, a U.S. ally, has the most open political system among the Gulf Arab states with a parliament that has legislative powers and the ability to scrutinize ministers.

But the emir's Al-Sabah family, which has ruled Kuwait for 250 years, holds the main portfolios in the cabinet and Sheikh Sabah has the final say in state matters.

The election is the second this year in the oil-rich state, where a series of assemblies have collapsed due to a long-running power struggle between the elected parliament and hand-picked cabinet.

The political turmoil has held up economic reforms and investment in the OPEC member state, including a 30 billion dinar ($108 billion) development plan aimed at diversifying the heavily oil-reliant economy and attracting foreign investment.

The opposition, which includes Islamists, tribal politicians, liberals and leftists, formed a bloc that put pressure on the government after their February poll success, forcing two ministers from office. That parliament was dissolved after a June court ruling.

The 83-year-old emir said his emergency decree in October to change voting rules would fix a flawed system and ensure national unity.

(Additional reporting by Matt Smith in Dubai, Editing by Sami Aboudi and Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kuwait-elects-parliament-low-turnout-073832783--business.html

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Caribou veterans' clinic, first of its kind in US, celebrates 25th ...

CARIBOU, Maine ? Twenty-five years ago military veterans living in remote or rural parts of the country faced long trips for health care at Veterans? Administration hospitals.

Today, thanks to a program that got its start in Aroostook County, veterans have access to more than 900 VA community-based outpatient clinics around the country.

Earlier this week some of those veterans joined health care providers, VA officials and politicians to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the country?s first VA outpatient clinic at the Cary Medical Center Campus in Caribou.

?This [clinic] is a real success story because of the handful of veterans, Cary Medical Center and the [Aroostook County Congressional] delegation who worked to make it possible,? Ryan Lilly, director of the Maine VA Healthcare System, said at Thursday?s celebration. ?There are 11 of these clinics in Maine now and more than 900 in the country and it all came about thanks to this.?

Access to quality medical care is crucial for the country?s veterans, Lilly said, noting the majority in Maine live long distances from the Togus VA hospital in Augusta.

Among them is U.S. Navy and Vietnam-era veteran Ken Powers of Caribou.

?If not for the VA health care system and this clinic I?m not sure what I would do,? Powers said. ?I use this clinic religiously for everything.?

Powers started coming to the Caribou clinic when it first opened in 1987.

?I?ve been here longer than the staffers,? he said jokingly. ?If not for this clinic I?d have to drive all the way down to Togus.?

It makes sense the first-of-its-kind VA community-based clinic would come from Maine, Lilly said, noting the first VA hospital in the country opened its doors in Maine in 1866.

?The VA has been a great story here in Maine,? he said. ?And look how things have changed.?

The Caribou clinic, for example, has grown from two employees and a doctor ?housed in two broom closets back-to-back? to a 5,000-square-foot facility with 20 employees offering a broad range of health-related services, Lilly said, with additional clinics operating in Fort Kent and Houlton.

?We offer primary care, mental health care and treat chronic diseases here,? Lilly said. ?Many of our veterans are aging and are in need of these kinds of services.?

At the same time, many veterans seeking medical care are embracing new telemedicine technology over the Internet through which they can talk with health care providers, Lilly said.

?One of the biggest challenges we face is access to care,? Dr. Michael Mayo-Smith, New England VA network director, said.

?This celebration is really an impressive deal because the basic outreach clinic that started right here in Caribou has become a phenomenon across the country,? Mayo-Smith said. ?It has really changed how the VA delivers care [and] is very popular among the veterans.?

It was a change that took close to eight years of lobbying and advocacy, according to Kris Doody, RN, Cary?s CEO.

?Even when representatives in the VA system itself said that the chances for a VA outpatient clinic in Caribou were zero, the Aroostook County Veterans Medical Facility Research and Development, Inc. would not give up,? she said. ?This remarkable group of veterans representing multiple veterans organizations took off their hats and came together as one and won the day.?

That same group went on to secure a veterans? home and residential care facility at Cary, Doody added.

?I know I speak for everyone associated with Cary Medical Center when I say that we have been truly honored to serve veterans here in northern Maine over the past 25 years,? said Doody, who was a staff nurse at the hospital when the VA clinic opened in 1987.

A big part of the clinic?s success, Smith-Mayo said, is its staff.

?The people are here are excellent and very dedicated,? he said. ?Cary Medical Center is also dedicated to the veterans and is an excellent partner.?

Looking ahead to future care, Smith-Mayo said the clinic will soon unveil another pilot project and again be among the first in the nation.

Project ARCH ? standing for Access Recieved Closer to Home ? will allow veterans to receive specialized health care services through contractual arrangements with non-VA providers.

For veterans like Powers, it mean access to more health care options here in Aroostook County.

?I am absolutely happy with this kind of care with the VA,? Powers said. ?I tell every vet I meet if they haven?t already done it, enroll in the VA health system.?

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/01/health/caribou-veterans-clinic-first-of-its-kind-in-us-celebrates-25th-anniversary/

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Sunday, December 2, 2012

AP survey: Bonds, Clemens likely miss in Hall vote

FILE - At left, in a June 23, 2011 file photo, former San Francisco Giants baseball player Barry Bonds leaves federal court in San Francisco. At center, in a July 14, 2011 file photo, former Major League baseball pitcher Roger Clemens leaves federal court in Washington. At right in a May 13, 2009 file photo, former baseball player Sammy Sosa attends the People En Espanol "50 Most Beautiful" gala in New York. Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame when the vote is announced in January. An AP survey shows that Bonds and Clemens, as well as Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - At left, in a June 23, 2011 file photo, former San Francisco Giants baseball player Barry Bonds leaves federal court in San Francisco. At center, in a July 14, 2011 file photo, former Major League baseball pitcher Roger Clemens leaves federal court in Washington. At right in a May 13, 2009 file photo, former baseball player Sammy Sosa attends the People En Espanol "50 Most Beautiful" gala in New York. Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame when the vote is announced in January. An AP survey shows that Bonds and Clemens, as well as Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - This Aug. 7, 2007 file photo shows San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds, right, celebrating after hitting his 756th career home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning of their baseball game in San Francisco. Looking on at left is Nationals' catcher Brian Schneider. Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame when the vote is announced in January. An AP survey shows that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

FILE - In this June 29, 2001 file photo, New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens throws to the plate in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Yankee Stadium in New York. Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame when the vote is announced in January. An AP survey shows that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown. (AP Photo/Jeff Zelevansky, File)

FILE - This Aug. 4, 2004, file photo shows Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa watching a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Scott Dohmann during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Coors Field in Denver. Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame when the vote is announced in January. An AP survey shows that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

(AP) ? Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame in January. A survey by The Associated Press shows that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as slugger Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown.

With steroid scandals still very much on the minds of longtime members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America as they cast their ballots, the trio failed to muster even 50 percent support among the 112 voters contacted by the AP ? nearly one-fifth of those eligible to choose.

Candidates need 75 percent for election.

So Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, and Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young Award winner, are likely to remain outside the Hall along with career hits leader Pete Rose, who was banned for betting on baseball as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.

"I'm not going to vote for anybody who has been tainted or associated with steroids," said MLB.com's Hal Bodley, the former baseball columnist for USA Today. "I'm just not going to do it. I might change down the road, but I just love the game too much. I have too much passion for the game and for what these people did to it."

The current ballot was announced this week and Bonds, Clemens and Sosa were on it for the first time. Votes will be cast throughout the month and results will be released Jan. 9.

Among voters who expressed an opinion, Bonds received 45 percent support, Clemens 43 percent and Sosa 18 percent. To gain election, Bonds and Clemens would need more than 80 percent support among the voters not surveyed and Sosa would need to get more than 85 percent.

"No one would dare say that Bonds, a seven-time National League MVP with 762 home runs, isn't a Hall of Famer," Thom Loverro, a columnist for The Washington Examiner, wrote in a column that explained his decision. "Nor would anyone say that Clemens, with 354 career victories, 4,672 strikeouts and seven Cy Young Awards, shouldn't be enshrined in Cooperstown. The same goes for Sosa, who finished with 609 career home runs, including 243 of them from 1998 through 2001.

"Except they cheated ? all of them. And this Hall of Fame is not just about numbers. Three of the six criteria for election to Cooperstown are sportsmanship, integrity and character. Bonds, Sosa and Clemens fail on all three counts."

The Denver Post's Troy Renck doesn't plan to vote for them, either.

"I understand that everyone has their opinion on this issue and I respect those," he said in a telephone interview. "For me personally, having coached kids for the last decade and talked to them about doing things a certain way, I would feel very uncomfortable voting for anyone that is a known cheater."

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins took the opposite view.

"The Hall of Fame's 'character' clause should be stricken immediately, because it's far too late to turn Cooperstown into a church," he wrote in an email. "Whether it was gambling (rampant in the early 20th century), scuffing the baseballs, corking bats, amphetamines or steroids, players have been cheating like crazy forever. It's an integral, if unsavory, part of the culture. I've always had the same criteria: which players were the best performers of their particular era ? so absolutely, I'll vote for Bonds, Clemens and Sosa."

Bonds and Clemens gained far more support than Sosa in the survey.

"I will definitely vote for Bonds and Clemens. I still need to consider Sosa's resume," ESPN.com's Jim Caple said. "Steroid use has nothing to do with my vote. Steroids were not banned during the majority of their careers when they achieved the vast majority of their accomplishments. All we can go by is what they did on the field. If Gaylord Perry is in the Hall for violating a rule that was in place 40 years before his career began, how can you justify withholding a vote from someone for a rule that wasn't in effect? (And personally, I would rather face a pitcher on PEDs than a spitballer)."

Hall voters are BBWAA members who have been with the organization for 10 consecutive years at any point. The BBWAA does not release the full list.

About 8-10 percent of the approximately 600 Hall of Fame voters are employees of the AP or freelance writers who work for the AP, the BBWAA said.

The AP contacted known voters by telephone and email from Wednesday to Friday. They were asked only how they would vote on Bonds, Clemens and Sosa: yes, no or unsure. About half asked not to be identified, and only those who agreed to be identified by name are quoted in this story.

Bonds has denied knowingly using steroids. A positive test was introduced as evidence during his criminal trial last year, when he was convicted of obstruction of justice by a jury that failed to reach a verdict on charges he made false statements to a grand jury when he denied knowing using performance-enhancing drugs.

Clemens has repeatedly denied drug use and was acquitted this year on charges he lied to Congress when he said he didn't take steroids or human growth hormone.

Sosa was among the 104 positive tests in baseball's 2003 anonymous survey, The New York Times reported in 2009. He told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds and Clemens fared far better in the survey than Mark McGwire did when a sample of voters were questioned by the AP before his first appearance on the ballot in December 2006. The slugger with 583 home runs received 24 percent support in the survey and 23.5 percent in the BBWAA ballot.

Since then, McGwire's support has never topped 24 percent and dropped to 19.5 percent of the 573 votes cast last January.

Rafael Palmeiro, who topped 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, was suspended for 10 days in 2005 following a positive test for Stanozolol ? he said he didn't know what caused it. He received 12.5 percent in January.

Several voters said their decisions were for this vote only and they planned to reassess their position each year. Some said that they wouldn't consider voting for Bonds, Clemens or Sosa this year because they didn't want them to have the additional honor of being elected on their first ballot.

Players who have appeared in 10 seasons and have been retired for five years are eligible for consideration by a six-member BBWAA screening committee, and a player goes on the ballot if he is supported by at least two screening committee members. A player remains on the ballot for up to 15 elections as long as he gets 5 percent of the votes every year.

Ballots must be submitted to the BBWAA by Dec. 31. Inductions will take place July 28.

Voters were contacted by telephone and email from Wednesday to Friday.

Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling also are among the 24 first-time eligibles, and Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines are the top holdover candidates.

___

AP Sports Writers Janie McCauley, Noah Trister and Ben Walker contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-01-Hall-of-Fame-Survey/id-8e8fd66e5944472ca36ff3644284a9d1

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