Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook while he was a student at Harvard University. Website membership was initially limited to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Ivy League. It later expanded further to include any university student, then high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 100 million active users worldwide.

Facebook has met with some controversy over the past few years. It has been blocked intermittently in several countries including Syria and Iran. It has also been banned at many places of work to increase productivity. Privacy has also been an issue, and it has been compromised several times. It is also facing several lawsuits from a number of Zuckerberg's former classmates, who claim that Facebook had stolen their source code and other intellectual property.

Contents
1 History
1.1 Funding
2 Website
2.1 Features
2.2 Platform
3 Reception and popularity
4 Potential future film
5 Controversy
5.1 Beacon
5.2 Privacy
6 Litigation
6.1 ConnectU
6.2 StudiVZ
6.3 Grant Raphael
7 References
8 External links

History
Mark Zuckerberg founded "The Facebook", originally located at thefacebook.com, on February 4, 2004[9] while attending Harvard University as a sophomore.[1] The company dropped The from its name after purchasing the domain name facebook.com in 2005 for $200,000.[10] Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College, and within the first month, more than half the undergraduate population at Harvard were registered on the service.[11] Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes soon joined Zuckerberg to help promote the website. In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Stanford, Columbia, and Yale.[12] This expansion continued when it opened to all Ivy League schools and gradually most universities in Canada and the United States.[13] In June 2004, Facebook moved its base of operations to Palo Alto, California.[12]

Facebook launched a high school version in September 2005; Zuckerberg called it the next logical step.[14] High school networks required an invitation to join.[15] Facebook later expanded membership eligibility to employees of several companies including Apple Inc. and Microsoft.[16] Facebook was then opened to everyone with a valid e-mail address, aside from people under the age of 13, on September 26, 2006.[17][18]

BusinessWeek has confirmed that Facebook, beginning in Autumn 2008, will allow its employees to sell stock at no more than a $3.75 billion valuation.[19]

Funding

Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, CaliforniaFacebook received its first investment of US$500,000 in June 2004 from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.[20] This was followed a year later by $12.7 million in venture capital from Accel Partners, and then $27.5 million more from Greylock Partners.[20][21] A cash flow statement was leaked, showing that during the 2005 fiscal year, Facebook had a net loss of $3.63 million.[22] Microsoft approached Facebook in September 2007, proposing an investment in return for a 5% stake in the company. Microsoft would pay an estimated $300–500 million for the share.[23] Microsoft announced on October 24, 2007 that it purchased a 1.6% share of Facebook for $246 million.[24] On November 30, 2007, Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing invested $60 million in Facebook.[25]

BusinessWeek reported on March 28, 2006 that a potential acquisition of the website was under negotiation. Facebook reportedly declined an offer of $750 million from an unknown bidder, and it was rumored the asking price rose as high as $2 billion.[26] With the sale of social networking website MySpace to News Corp on July 19, 2005, rumors surfaced about the possible sale of Facebook to a larger media company.[27] Zuckerberg had already said he did not want to sell the company and denied rumors to the contrary.[28] In late September, serious talks between Facebook and Yahoo! took place concerning acquisition of the social network, with prices reaching as high as $1 billion. Thiel, by then a board member of Facebook, indicated that Facebook's internal valuation was around $8 billion based on their projected revenues of $1 billion by 2015, comparable to Viacom's MTV brand, a company with a shared target demographic audience. Other companies, including Google, expressed interest in September 2007 to buy a portion of Facebook.[31] Amid the rumors, Zuckerberg claimed that selling Facebook was unlikely because he wanted to keep it independent, stating on July 17, 2007, "We're not really looking to sell the company. [...] We're not looking to IPO anytime soon. It's just not the core focus of the company."

Website

Facebook's new homepage features a login form on the top right for existing users and a registration form directly underneath for new visitors.Facebook users can choose to join one or more networks, organized by city, workplace, school, and region. These networks help users connect with members of the same network. Users can also connect with friends, giving them access to their friends' profiles.

The website is free to users, but generates revenue from advertising, including banner ads. Users can create profiles including photos and lists of personal interests, exchange private or public messages, and join groups of friends. The viewing of detailed profile data is restricted to users from the same network or confirmed friends only when the appropriate Privacy settings have been altered. Without altering the Privacy settings a Facebook profile is viewable by anybody on Facebook.

Microsoft is Facebook's exclusive partner for serving banner advertising, and as such Facebook only serves advertisements that exist in Microsoft's advertisement inventory. According to comScore, an internet marketing research company, Facebook collects as much data from its visitors as Google and Microsoft but considerably less than Yahoo! when compared with other web companies.

Features
Main article: Facebook features
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The media often compares Facebook to MySpace, but one significant difference between the two websites is the level of customization. MySpace allows users to decorate their profiles using HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), while Facebook only allows plain text.

Facebook has a number of features for users to interact with. They include the Wall, a space on every user's profile page that allows friends to post messages for the user to see, Pokes, which allows users to send a virtual "poke" to each other (a notification that tells a user that they have been poked), Photos, where users can upload albums and photos,[43] and Status, which allows users to inform their friends of their whereabouts and actions.[44] A user's Wall is visible to anyone who is able to see that user's profile, which depends on their privacy settings. In July 2007, Facebook began allowing users to post attachments to the Wall, whereas the Wall was previously limited to textual content only.

Over time, Facebook has added several new features to its website. On September 6, 2006, a News Feed was announced, which appears on every user's homepage and highlights information including profile changes, upcoming events, and birthdays related to the user's friends. Initially, the News Feed caused dissatisfaction among Facebook users; some complained it was too cluttered and full of undesired information, while others were concerned it made it too easy for other people to track down individual activities (such as changes in relationship status, events, and conversations with other users). In response to this dissatisfaction, Zuckerberg issued an apology for the site's failure to include appropriate customizable privacy features. Since then, users have been able to control what types of information are shared automatically with friends. Users are now able to prevent friends from seeing updates about different types of activities, including profile changes, Wall posts, and newly added friends.

One of the most popular applications on Facebook is the Photos application, where users can upload albums and photos. Facebook allows users to upload an unlimited number of photos, compared with other image hosting services such as Photobucket and Flickr, which apply limits to the number of photos that a user is allowed to upload. However, users are limited to 60 photos per album. Privacy settings can be set for individual albums, limiting the groups of users that can see an album. For example, the privacy of an album can be set so that only the user's friends can see the album, while the privacy of another album can be set so that all Facebook users can see it. Another feature of the Photos applications is the ability to "tag", or label users in a photo. For instance, if a photo contains a user's friend, then the user can tag the friend in the photo. This sends a notification to the friend that they have been tagged, and provides them a link to see the photo.

Facebook Notes was introduced on August 22, 2006, a blogging feature that allowed tags and embeddable images. Users were later able to import blogs from Xanga, LiveJournal, Blogger, and other blogging services. During the week of April 7, 2008, Facebook released a Comet-based instant messaging application called "Chat" to several networks, which allows users to communicate with friends and is similar in functionality to desktop-based instant messengers.

Facebook launched Gifts on February 8, 2007, which allows users to send virtual gifts to their friends that appear on the recipient's profile. Gifts cost $1.00 each to purchase, and a personalized message can be attached to each gift. On May 14, 2007, Facebook launched Marketplace, which lets users post free classified ads. Marketplace has been compared to Craigslist by CNET, which points out that the major difference between the two is that listings posted by a user on Marketplace are only seen by users that are in the same network as that user, whereas listings posted on Craigslist can be seen by anyone.

On July 20, 2008, Facebook introduced "Facebook Beta", a significant redesign of its user interface on selected networks. The Mini-Feed and Wall were consolidated, profiles were separated into tabbed sections, and an effort was made to create a "cleaner" look. After initially giving users a choice to switch, Facebook began migrating all users to the new version beginning September, 2008.

Platform
Facebook launched the Facebook Platform on May 24, 2007, providing a framework for software developers to create applications that interact with core Facebook features. A markup language called Facebook markup language was introduced simultaneously; it is used to customize the "look and feel" of applications that developers create. Using the Platform, Facebook launched several new applications, including Gifts, allowing users to send virtual gifts to each other, Marketplace, allowing users to post free classified ads, Events, giving users a method of informing their friends about upcoming events, and Video, letting users share homemade videos with one another.

Applications that have been created on the Platform include chess and Scrabble, which both allow users to play games with their friends. These games are asynchronous, meaning that a user's moves are saved on the website, allowing the next move to be made at any time rather than immediately after the previous move.

By November 3, 2007, seven thousand applications had been developed on the Facebook Platform, with another hundred created everyday. By the second annual f8 developers conference on July 23, 2008, the number of applications had grown to 33,000, and the number of registered developers had exceeded 400,000.

Within a few months of launching the Facebook Platform, issues arose regarding "application spam", which involves Facebook applications "spamming" users to request it be installed. Application spam has been considered one of the possible causes to the drop in visitors to Facebook starting from the beginning of 2008, when its growth had fallen from December 2007 to January 2008, its first drop since its launch in 2004.

Reception and popularity
According to comScore, Facebook is the leading social networking site based on monthly unique visitors, having overtaken main competitor MySpace in April 2008. ComScore reports that Facebook attracted 132.1 million unique visitors in June 2008, compared to MySpace, which attracted 117.6 million.

According to Alexa, the website's ranking among all websites increased from 60th to 7th in terms of worldwide traffic, from September 2006 to September 2007, and is currently 5th. Quantcast ranks the website 15th in US in terms of traffic, and Compete.com ranks it 14th in US. The website is the most popular for uploading photos, with 14 million uploaded daily.

Facebook is the most popular social networking site in several English-speaking countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom. However, in the United States, it has only 36 million users compared to MySpace's 73 million. The website has won awards such as placement into the "Top 100 Classic Websites" by PC Magazine in 2007, and winning the "People's Voice Award" from the Webby Awards in 2008. In a 2006 study conducted by Student Monitor, a New Jersey-based company specializing in research concerning the college student market, Facebook was named the second most popular thing among undergraduates, tied with beer and only ranked lower than the iPod.

Potential future film
Sony Pictures, and The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, have confirmed they are in the process of developing a movie "about the founders of social networking site Facebook." Sorkin has set up his own account on the site, stating, "I honestly don't know how this works, which is why I'm here." The film so far, is untitled, and will be produced by Scott Rudin. According to the Telegraph, the film is expected to focus on Zuckerberg, and 2,500 Facebook users have joined the movies group associated with Sorkin's film, suggesting "plot pointers, offering to help or even asking for a role in the film." Sony was quick to refute suggestions that the film is a hoax (especially after musings that it might be a fake Sorkin account of which there are a number already), with Steve Elzer saying, "We are developing the film that has been reported". However, a spokesperson for Facebook said that, "We are routinely approached by writers and filmmakers interested in telling the Facebook story... At this point, we have not agreed to cooperate with any film project, but we are flattered by the interest."

Controversy
See also: Criticism of Facebook and Use of social network websites in investigations
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Facebook has met with some controversy over the past few years. In October 2005, the University of New Mexico blocked access to Facebook from its campus computers and networks.[85] It cited a violation of the university's Acceptable Use Policy for abusing computer resources as the reason, stating the website forces use of the university's credentials for activity not related to the university. The school later unblocked Facebook after the website rectified the situation by displaying a notice on the login page stating the credentials used on the website are separate from the ones used for their school accounts. The Ontario government also blocked access to Facebook for its employees in May 2007, stating the website was "not directly related to the workplace".

A notable ancillary effect of social networking websites like Facebook is the ability for participants to mourn publicly for a deceased individual. On January 1, 2008, a memorial group on Facebook posted the identity of murdered Toronto teenager Stefanie Rengel, whose family had not yet given the Toronto Police Service their consent to release her name to the media, as well as the identities of her accused killers — despite the fact that under Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act, it is illegal to publish the name of an underage criminal. While police and Facebook staff attempted to comply with the privacy regulations by deleting posts mentioning her name, they noted it was difficult to effectively police individual users who repeatedly republished the deleted information.

Due to the open nature of Facebook, several countries have banned access to it including Syria and Iran. The Syrian government cited the ban was on the premise that the website promoted attacks on authorities. The government also feared Israeli infiltration of Syrian social networks on Facebook. Facebook was also used by Syrian citizens to criticize the government, and public criticism of the Syrian government is punishable by imprisonment. In Iran, the website was banned because of fears that opposition movements were being organized on the website.

Beacon
Main article: Facebook Beacon
Facebook announced Facebook Beacon on November 7, 2007, a marketing initiative that allows websites to publish a user's activities to their Facebook profile as "Social Ads" and promote products. When launching Beacon, Facebook stated "no personally identifiable information is shared with an advertiser in creating a Social Ad", and that "Facebook users will only see Social Ads to the extent their friends are sharing information with them." After Facebook was criticized for collecting more user information for advertisers than was previously stated, Zuckerberg publicly apologized on December 5, 2007 for the way Facebook launched Beacon, saying, "The problem with our initial approach of making it an opt-out system instead of opt-in was that if someone forgot to decline to share something, Beacon still went ahead and shared it with their friends."

Privacy
Several concerns have emerged regarding the use of Facebook as a means of surveillance and data mining. Two MIT students were able to download over 70,000 Facebook profiles from four schools (MIT, New York University, the University of Oklahoma, and Harvard University) using an automated shell script, as part of a research project on Facebook privacy published on December 14, 2005. The possibility of data mining remains open, as evidenced in May 2008, when the BBC technology program "Click" demonstrated that personal details of Facebook users and their friends could be stolen by submitting malicious applications.

Privacy proponents have criticized the site's privacy agreement, which states: "We may use information about you that we collect from other sources, including but not limited to newspapers and Internet sources such as blogs, instant messaging services, Facebook Platform developers and other users of Facebook, to supplement your profile." Another clause that received criticism concerned Facebook's right to sell a user's data to private companies, stating: "We may share your information with third parties, including responsible companies with which we have a relationship." This concern was addressed by Facebook spokesman Chris Hughes who said, "Simply put, we have never provided our users' information to third party companies, nor do we intend to."

Concerns have also been raised regarding the difficulty of deleting user accounts. Previously, Facebook only allowed users to "deactivate" their accounts so that their profile was no longer visible. However, any information the user had entered into the website and on their profile remained on the website's servers. This outraged many users who wished to remove their accounts permanently, citing reasons such as the inability to erase "embarrassing or overly-personal online profiles from their student days as they entered the job market, for fear employers would locate the profiles". Facebook changed its account deletion policies on February 29, 2008, allowing users to contact the website to request that their accounts be permanently deleted.

Litigation

ConnectU
Main article: Criticism of Facebook#Connectu.com lawsuit
In 2004 ConnectU, a company founded by classmates of Zuckerberg filed a lawsuit against Facebook, claiming that Zuckerberg had broken an oral contract for them to build the Facebook site, copied their idea,[105] and used source code that belonged to them. The parties reached a confidential settlement agreement in February, 2008. In 2008 they attempted unsuccessfully to rescind the settlement, claiming that Facebook had understated its valuation in connection with its settlement negotiations.

StudiVZ
On July 18, 2008, Facebook sued Studivz in a California federal court, alleging that Studivz copied its look, feel, features and services. StudiVZ denied the claims, and asked for declaratory judgment at the District Court in Stuttgart, Germany.

Grant Raphael
On July 24, 2008 the High Court in London ordered Grant Raphael to pay GBP £22,000 (about USD $44,000) for breach of privacy and libel. Raphael had posted a fake Facebook page purporting to be that of a former schoolfriend and business colleague, Matthew Firsht, with whom Raphael had fallen out in 2000. The case is the first successful invasion of privacy and defamation verdict against Facebook.

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^ Libel: Ex-friend's Facebook revenge costs £22,000 in damages at high court | UK news | The Guardian. Retrieved August 13, 2008
^ BBC NEWS | UK | Payout for false Facebook profile. Retrieved August 13, 2008
^ Businessman awarded £22,000 in landmark libel ruling over malicious fake Facebook profile| News | This is London. Retrieved August 13, 2008
^ Facebook Libel Case Won In High Court By Mathew Firsht Against His Former Friend Grant Raphael | Technology | Sky News. Retrieved August 13, 2008
^ Victim of fake Facebook profile wins thousands in damages - International Herald Tribune. Retrieved August 13, 2008
^ Businessman awarded £22,000 damages over fake Facebook site - Telegraph. Retrieved August 13, 2008

FacebookCanada, FacebookAbuja, FacebookAfghanistan, FacebookAkrotiri, FacebookAlbania, FacebookAlgeria, FacebookAmerican Samoa, FacebookAndorra, FacebookAngola, FacebookAnguilla, FacebookAntarctica, FacebookAntigua, FacebookArgentina, FacebookArmenia, FacebookAruba, FacebookAshmore and Cartier Islands, FacebookAustralia, FacebookAustria, FacebookAzerbaijan, FacebookBahrain, FacebookBangladesh, FacebookBarbados, FacebookBelarus, FacebookBelgium, FacebookBelize, FacebookBenin, FacebookBermuda, FacebookBhutan, FacebookBolivia, FacebookBosnia and Herzegovina, FacebookBotswana, FacebookBrazil, FacebookBritish Virgin Islands, FacebookBrunei, FacebookBulgaria, FacebookBurkina Faso, FacebookBurundi, FacebookCambodia, FacebookCameroon, FacebookCape Verde, FacebookCayman Islands, FacebookCentral African Republic, FacebookChad, FacebookChile, FacebookChina, FacebookColombia, FacebookComoros, FacebookCosta Rica, FacebookCote d'Ivoire, FacebookCroatia, FacebookCuba, FacebookCuracao, FacebookCyprus, FacebookCzech Republic, FacebookDemocratic Republic Congo, FacebookDenmark, FacebookDjibouti, FacebookDominica, FacebookDominican Republic, FacebookEcuador, FacebookEgypt, FacebookEl Salvador, FacebookEquatorial Guinea, FacebookEritrea, FacebookEstonia, FacebookEthiopia, FacebookFalkland Islands, FacebookFaroe Islands, FacebookFederated States of Micronesia, FacebookFiji, FacebookFinland, FacebookFrance, FacebookFrench Guiana, FacebookFrench Polynesia, FacebookGabon, FacebookGeorgia, FacebookGermany, FacebookGhana, FacebookGibraltar, FacebookGreece, FacebookGreenland, FacebookGrenada, FacebookGuatemala, FacebookGuinea, FacebookGuinea-Bissau, FacebookGuyana, FacebookHaiti, FacebookHonduras, FacebookHong Kong, FacebookHungary, FacebookIceland, FacebookIndia, FacebookIndonesia, FacebookIran, FacebookIraq, FacebookIreland, FacebookIsrael, FacebookItaly, FacebookJamaica, FacebookJapan, FacebookJordan, FacebookKazakhstan, FacebookKenya, FacebookKiribati, FacebookKuwait, FacebookKyrgyzstan, FacebookLagos, FacebookLatvia, FacebookLebanon, FacebookLesotho, FacebookLiberia, FacebookLibya, FacebookLiechtenstein, FacebookLithuania, FacebookLuxembourg, FacebookMacau, FacebookMacedonia, FacebookMadagascar, FacebookMalawi, FacebookMalaysia, FacebookMaldives, FacebookMali, FacebookMalta, FacebookMarshall Islands, FacebookMartinique, FacebookMauritania, FacebookMauritius, FacebookMexico, FacebookMoldova, FacebookMonaco, FacebookMongolia, FacebookMontenegro, FacebookMorocco, FacebookMozambique, FacebookMyanmar, FacebookNamibia, FacebookNauru, FacebookNepal, FacebookNetherlands, FacebookNetherlands Antilles, FacebookNew Zealand, FacebookNicaragua, FacebookNiger, FacebookNigeria, FacebookNorth Korea, FacebookNorthern Ireland, FacebookNorthern Mariana Islands, FacebookNorway, FacebookOman, FacebookPakistan, FacebookPalau, FacebookPalestine, FacebookPanama, FacebookPapua New Guinea, FacebookParaguay, FacebookPeru, FacebookPhilippines, FacebookPoland, FacebookPortugal, FacebookQatar, FacebookRepublic of the Congo, FacebookRomania, FacebookRussia, FacebookRwanda, FacebookSaint Kitts and Nevis, FacebookSaint Vincent and the Grenadines, FacebookSamoa, San Marino, FacebookSao Tome and Principe, FacebookSaudi Arabia, FacebookSenegal, FacebookSerbia, FacebookSeychelles, FacebookSierra Leone, FacebookSingapore, FacebookSlovakia, FacebookSlovenia, FacebookSolomon Islands, FacebookSomalia, FacebookSouth Africa, FacebookSouth Korea, FacebookSpain, FacebookSri Lanka, FacebookSt. Lucia, FacebookSudan, FacebookSuriname, FacebookSwaziland, FacebookSweden, FacebookSwitzerland, FacebookSyria, FacebookTaiwan, FacebookTajikistan, FacebookTanzania, FacebookThailand, FacebookThe Bahamas, FacebookThe Gambia, FacebookTimor-Leste, FacebookTogo, FacebookTonga, FacebookTrinidad and Tobago, FacebookTunisia, FacebookTurkey, FacebookTurkmenistan, FacebookTuvalu, FacebookUganda, FacebookUkraine, FacebookUnited Arab Emirates, FacebookUruguay, FacebookUS Virgin Islands, FacebookUzbekistan, FacebookVanuatu, FacebookVatican City, FacebookVenezuela, FacebookVietnam, FacebookWestern Sahara, FacebookYemen, FacebookZambia, FacebookZimbabwe

My expectations for this 4 bedroom, 4 bath home on stunning Avondale Road were high. Avondale Road, a circular street just to the west of the Huntington Gardens, is one of the best in San Marino, featuring large properties and stunning architecture. The 3,750 sq ft home is contemporary and has not been remodeled. It has a very workable floorplan, a large kitchen, and many windows to the absolutely beautiful 24,798 sq ft yard. The lot is lush, quiet, and extremely private, causing me to feel very far from the busyness of the city. At $2,780,000, this home could still use quite a bit of updating, but the location and incredible lot might be the ultimate selling point for this San Marino residence.

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

Estratto da LIBERTAS

Estratto da LIBERTAS

Estratto da SANMARINORTV

As a Realtor, when I'm previewing new listings, I love it when I walk into a home and think, “I could live here.” This bungalow, located at 1637 Rose Villa Street is what I like to call, “A happy home.” Flooded with natural light, high ceilings and beautiful hardwood floors, this house has a great vibe. The property was purchased by its current owners in November, 2001 and was tastefully and thoughtfully remodeled in 2004. The Listing Agent writes in the property brochure, “…restored with an eye to period detail.” I couldn’t agree more. Despite my love of cooking, the kitchen is where I would likely spend most of my time. It is incredibly inviting and very well appointed with soaring ceilings, a functional lay out, Viking range, Asko dishwasher and Shaw farm sink. The property features 1,770 square feet of living space and sits on a 6,694 square foot lot. There are 3 bedrooms and 1.75 bathrooms.

If you would like to see this home, I’d love to show it to you. You can reach me at 626-844-2273.

The first San Marino home was at 1290 Winston Avenue and has been on the market since early August.  It is offered for sale at $1,690,000 and is also available for lease.

It's marketed as a French Country Traditional and although this San Marino home looks very simple from the street, it's nicely updated inside and has quite a bit of space.  this home has 3 bedrooms with an office and 3 baths.  It sits on a large lot - over 12,000 sq.. ft. and the interior is almost 3,000 sq. ft.  It is situated North of Huntington Drive, minutes from the San Marino High School.  It has a nice back yard with a pool and a sports court!  Outdoor speaker system and BBQ make it a great place for entertaining.

It's been updated throughout and is priced at $577 per sq. ft.  One drawback of this home is that it sits on a T-intersection and feng shui buyers are very conscious of that fact.

The second home on broker caravan today was South of Huntington Drive at 1479 Van Dyke Road.  This San Marino home was just reduced by $36,000 and is priced at $1,299,000.  It is also 3 bedrooms and 3 baths with lots of closet sapce and a family room.

It's a very bright home with a beautiful back yard with a pool.  The floor plan is a bit fragmented though with an addition of a family room and a master bedroom.  It's priced at $525 per sq. ft, but given the fact that it's been on the market for over 2 months, I think that it will take another price reduction to move this San Marino home.

That's it for today.  Don't forget to stop by the homecoming parade tomorrow and don't miss the homecoming game at the San Marino High School!

Best Laptops Under $500
By Nick Mokey, Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad R61e
$487.69

Although ThinkPads have a reputation for being pricier premium notebooks intended for business travelers, a little smart shopping can land you this budget model on a shoestring. It's not as fast as the flagship T-series, or as light as the X-series, but the R61 has been reviewed favorably in its price range and includes many of the same features Lenovo rolls into those pricier ThinkPads. When ordering, make sure to choose the second-from-cheapest model to get an Intel Dual Core processor rather than a Celeron M (a bargain upgrade for only $32 more tacked onto the final price). Also make sure to select the cheapest Windows Vista option to sneak in under the $500 mark. The coupon code USP3PAYPAL will take an extra 15 percent off when ordering from Lenovo, lowering the notebook to $487.69.

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Dell Vostro 1000
$399.99

Dell's bottom-of-the-line notebook won't turn any heads, or win any head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but its $399 starting price makes it impossible to ignore. Since this isn't from a sale, mark-down or coupon, you're also free to add the options you really need. For instance, laying out $25 for the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor instead of the Sempron would be wise. But travelers beware: A starting weight of 6.26 pounds makes it heavy by modern standards, and the AMD's heat output will also make it a battery killer, so you may wish to look elsewhere if you'll be taking it anywhere besides around the home and office.

Acer Aspire AS4315-2535
$459.90

Looking for something a little smaller than the 15.4-inch notebooks that normally seem to hit the bargain bin? This Acer falls one notch down on the size and weight scale, making it a little more portable for the on-the-go user. However, in exchange for the 14.1-inch screen and 5.7 pound weight, you'll sacrifice some performance by moving to a single-core Intel Celeron processor. If you're the type of person who imagines using a laptop to surf the Web in a coffee shop or tap out documents on a plane, you probably won't notice much of a difference, though, and may favor the portability.

Gateway T-6815
$499.99

The priciest notebook in our roundup may be refurbished, but that's the only thing
moving this otherwise well-equipped notebook into the sub-$500 category. It gets the fastest processor, Intel's vaunted Core 2 Duo, and the largest hard drive, 160GB. With a 14.1-inch screen and weight of only 5.55 pounds, you're also looking at the lightest machine on our list. Individual opinions on refurbished items vary, but if you're willing to trust Gateway's recertification team, you can land a laptop comparable to far pricier units for much less cash. Just remember: the manufacturer's warranty lasts 90 days, so be sure to put it through its paces before you run out of time to discover potential problems.

Compaq C700T
$479.99

Compaq's cheapest notebook doesn't stand out too far from the crowd, but it makes a nice option for those who don't want to be bothered filling out rebates, using coupons, or chasing sales. You get a no-nonsense machine with a 1.73GHz Intel Dual-Core Processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. Spectacular? Not really, but you can snag one any time, and Compaq will allow you to round it out with whatever options you need. The only drawback would be the machine's 6.4-pound weight, which makes it even more of a desk anchor than Dell's cheaper (and slower) Vostro 1000.

This property is not in the Mulitple Listing Service.

For those of you who know South Pasadena or have wanted to buy a home in South Pasadena, you know there is always a limited supply of inventory. Because of the high demand to own a home in South Pasadena, it is usually quite a challenging process to be the successfull Buyer.

For those of you who aren't interested in competing with other Buyers and this is the type of home you want to purchase, this just may be your lucky day.

I know the owners want to retain their privacy, so I'm not at liberty to provide the address or share a photograph in this post. I can tell you the house is located in the Marengo District above Huntington Drive. Read: Great location. The property features 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, is beautifully updated and has lovely grounds with a fabulous pool. The price range is $1,800,000-$1,900,000.

If you would like more information, please don't hestiate to contact Lisa Ashworth at 626-844-2273 or email to: lisa@kelseyashworth.com

Vanuit de strandbedjes prachtig uitzicht

Elke vakantiebestemming moet een strand hebben waar je ’s middags heerlijk kunt relaxen. Heeft Rimini dat? Volgens Karlijn wel: ‘Het strand krijgt van mij een 8.0, want het is super goed in sfeer én stijl. Je moet daar wel betalen voor het strand, maar gelukkig is er via de jongerenreisorganisaties geregeld dat je minder betaald. Als je eenmaal binnen bent, is het top: je krijgt lekkere strandbedjes waarop je in slaap kunt doezelen en de zee is prima. En…’, zegt ze lacherig, ‘je hebt natuurlijk ook een prachtig uitzicht op de Italiaanse jongens.’ Het strand verdient dus een super acht. Een tien is te hoog gegrepen, gezien een kleine ergernis van Karlijn. ‘De verkopers op het strand zijn erg vervelend. Terwijl jij je heerlijk op het strand probeert te ontspannen, komen ze één voor één langs om je wat aan te smeren: van handdoeken tot tasjes.’

Een swingende negen voor het uitgaansleven

Alle jongeren willen op vakantie een goed feestje kunnen bouwen en volgens Karlijn kan dat in Rimini uitstekend. ‘Er zijn veel uitgaansgelegenheden en de sfeer is ideaal. ’s Avonds wordt hier veel gedanst: niemand schaamt zich op de dansvloer. Een leuk barretje is Copacabana: het zit vol met Nederlanders, wat zorgt voor een gezellige sfeer en dus een goed begin van de avond.’ En welke discotheek je voor geen goud mag missen? Altromondo! ‘Het is daar te gek: goede muziek, veel optredens, waaronder die van Gigi d’Agostino. De sfeer is geweldig!’ Maar net als het strand verdient het uitgaansleven geen tien: ‘Er zijn heel veel opdringerige Italianen die achter je komen dansen, daar ben ik niet altijd van gediend. De mannen hier hebben hun ogen niet in hun zakken zitten en zij zijn dol op vakantiemeisjes. Karlijn waarschuwt dan ook alle dames: ‘Kom voor jezelf op!’

Een pittig zeven-en-een-halfje voor de activiteiten

Voor alle jongeren die iets extra’s aan hun vakantie in Rimini willen beleven, naast het standaard zon-zee-strand-feest tafereel, bieden jongerenreisorganisaties activiteiten aan. ‘Baia Imperiale vond ik een echte tegenvaller. Het geheel was super mooi, maar het is veel te groot waardoor de gezelligheid verloren gaat. Verder gaat het daar meer om gezien worden, dan om lol maken.’ Toch verdienen de activiteiten een zeven-en-een-half. Waarom? ‘De meeste uitjes zijn heel leuk, zoals een bezoek brengen aan de stad Venetië of de Republiek San Marino. En voor een middag met totale ontspanning kan je mee met de “Lazy Cruise”: super!’

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De vakantie van Karlijn is dus met 100% geslaagd en van haar krijgt Rimini een mooie 8.2. Ben je het met Karlijn eens, of vond jij Rimini juist waardeloos? Laat gerust een berichtje achter.

[caption id="attachment_204" align="alignnone" width="445" caption="Holiday Decorations Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade 2007"][/caption]

Please give us a call at (949) 675-0551 with any questions when planning your holiday cruise and/or check out our website: www.christmasparadeboats.com

The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is the premier Christmas event not only for Orange County and Los Angeles but Southern California. This year marks 100 years of history for the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade and is viewed by over a million people each year, the Newport Beach Christmas Parade of Lights is not only the oldest but largest boat parade on the West Coast.

Newport Landing offers cruises in the parade which are very popular for company holiday parties. Along with the novelty of having a holiday party that is actually cruising in the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade , a holiday cruise is a great choice for cost conscious groups. There are some important details to know when planning your holiday cruise.

[caption id="attachment_237" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Company Christmas Party 2007"][/caption]

While Friday and Saturday night of the Christmas Boat Parade are the most requested dates for company holiday parties, the other days of the parade offer some distinct advantages. Parking can be especially challenging during the Friday and Saturday nights of the Boat Parade. We always recommend prepaying with the Newport Landing parking structure for parking. Another great option is to rent a bus and come in as one group. Unlike Friday and Saturday, the other nights of the parade offer all of the décor and parade happenings with less of the congestion traveling to the Balboa peninsula. Once the parking has been solved for the rest is smooth sailing.

When planning your Newport Beach Holiday Cruise the topic of food and what format is the best for maximizing your experience. Sit down dinner options are popular, but we find that buffets or even hors d’ oeuvres allow for more mingling and the flexibility to move around the boat to view all of the festivities. An added plus with the buffet option or hors d’oeuvres is the cost per person is usually much lower than a full sit down dinner.

[caption id="attachment_195" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Holiday Party Decor 2007"][/caption]

Along with the food come the drinks. A full service bar with bartender is included with every cruise. The question for many company holiday planners is how to structure the bar. An open bar or unlimited available drinks for your guests can sound like a very expensive proposition, but in reality rarely is. Most guests on a holiday cruise are not going to abuse complimentary drinks either for fear of later embarrassment or just as good form. The result is on average, open bars result in about 2 drinks per person. For guests that can push the drinking envelope we can provide a drink package with a fixed cost regardless of what is consumed. Other options include drink tickets or drink credit after which the guest pays or just a cash bar option. But for the added cost the open bar is a nice gesture and a good cost/benefit decision.

[caption id="attachment_264" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="One of hundreds of decorated boats in the parade 2007."][/caption]

A simple yet often overlooked detail that adds value during the holiday cruise and long after is pictures. There is nothing that creates more buzz than taking pictures of the parade, décor, and most importantly the guests. Pictures capture the moment and with all of the visuals and guests that are in a different element the resulting photographs take on a presence of there own. A number of companies that have come out with us were surprised and how long after the holiday season the pictures of their holiday party were the topic of discussion in the lunch room. And for those companies inviting key customers or vendors sending pictures to them even via email is a great way to tie the event into a long lasting memory. Nothing fancy is needed and sometimes is nice to have several individuals with digital cameras (recommended type) and you get a different flavor of photos from each individual.

We have several other suggestions to make the most of your holiday cruise event, but if you touch on the topics above when planning your holiday cruise you will be well on your way to a fun and memorable holiday company event.

Please give us a call at (949)-675-0551 with any questions when planning your holiday cruise or check out our website http://www.christmasparadeboats.com

Mobile post sent by pasadenaviews using Utterli.  Replies. ]]> http://romagnainformazioni.wordpress.com/?p=750 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:40:59 +0000 barto87 http://romagnainformazioni.com/2008/10/08/chocotitano-a-san-marino-un-week-end-dolce-come-la-cioccolata/ Dalla collaborazione con la Camera di Commercio di San Marino e l’associazione Chococlub è nata un evento pensato per i golosi e gli appassionati del cioccolato: Chocotitano. Giunta alla terza edizione nel territorio sammarinese, la manifestazione si terrà a Borgo Maggiore e vedrà come protagonista il dolce più amato, quello che viene definito da molte persone il “cibo degli dei”. Le strade di Piazza Mercatale saranno gremite di stand ricce di cioccolato, presente in novità originali con gustose varianti o nelle classiche produzioni locali, come la Torta Tre Monti e la Torta Titano; il dolce nettare al cacao sarà disponibile in tantissime forme: cremoso, liquido, caldo e nelle tradizionali barrette. Per i più golosi e i veri intenditori ci saranno degustazioni e mostre sul cacao e sulla sua storia per scoprire le sue origini e le curiosità ad esso legate.

Chocotitano a San Marino prevede anche tantissimi appuntamenti divertenti e culturali: oltre alle mostre ci saranno anche esposizioni di originali lavorazioni, delle vere e proprie opere d’arte realizzate esclusivamente con la cioccolata; per i più piccoli ci saranno anche giochi e animazione. Un evento importante di Chocotitano è fissato con la Banca del Cioccolato, associazione umanitaria che ha come scopo quello di aiutare anziani e bambini che si trovano all’ospedale con la dolcezza della cioccolata; iniziativa che nel 2007 ha avuto molti consensi grazie alla generosità dei pasticcieri sammarinesi che hanno donato oltre 80 kg di cioccolato in beneficenza. Chocotitano si terrà a San Marino il 25 e 26 Ottobre, due giornate cariche della dolcezza del dolce più amato nel mondo con appuntamenti che attireranno l’attenzione di tanti golosi, bambini e adulti.

The new system was an update on the Statuti Comunali (Town Statute) which had served San Marino from about 1300. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino (in Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino) is a country landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy.

One of the European microstates, San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe and one of the highest GDP per capita in the world.

Related On this day September 3, 301