MissionIR's  Instablog

As an always on-the-go, fast-paced, and overwhelmingly busy culture, it's interesting the amount of time we dedicate to social networks while crying out for more hours in the day. According to Experian Marketing Services, Americans spend an average of 16 minutes out of every hour browsing, shopping, playing games, or watching entertainment online via social media - that equates to more than two hours during business hours, or more than three hours during average waking hours.

The study also found that 27% of users' time online is spent on forums and social networks, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - that's a hefty chunk of the day that, arguably, is often a waste of time and resources.

On the other hand, the reach and measure of social media trends and capabilities offers the business world a trove of opportunity to grow business, attract customers and clients, increase brick and mortar visibility as well as online presence, disseminate messages, and raise capital. The investment community is also benefitting from rampant social media use. Not only can social media simplify due diligence, but the SEC recently approved the use of social media platforms as a means for publicly traded companies to release news to shareholders.

While social media can be a strong vacuum of spare time, it has also birthed services unique to the 20th and 21st centuries. Consider the position of a social media manager, a role that didn't even exist 10 years ago. Media/public relations aren't new services, but the strategy of these industries has evolved into an intricate integration with social networks to create social media relations.

SocialMediaRelations.us is a full-service social media relations company formed in response to the high demand of the convenience and capabilities of social media for businesses and investors. The company combines traditional communication with the latest social media platforms to develop powerful, far-reaching social media relations platforms that cater to an array of businesses and shareholders.

Keeping pace with the rest of the online world is vital for survival in this now highly competitive industry - by offerings strategic social media relations, investor relations, public relations, and integrated marketing paired with Web site design, development, and branding, SocialMediaRelations.us is rolling with the tide.

While some people spend 16 minutes of every hour shopping or browsing status updates, successful organizations and investors are realizing there's money to be made and more than enough social media to go around.

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Tasman Metals, which has assembled an impressive mineral portfolio of claim holdings across Sweden, Finland, and Norway, the very region where rare earth elements (REEs) were first discovered (widely known as the home of REEs), reported some excellent news today out of their Norra Karr zirconium-yttrium REE project, as the mining lease and full mineral rights have been granted by the Swedish Mining Inspectorate (Bergsstaten) for an initial 25 year period, with 10-year increment renewal so long as the mine continues to operate.

President and CEO of TAS, Mark Saxon (B.Sc. Geology), an 18-year exploration and resource geology veteran who is also a founding director over at Mawson Resources and manages their uranium projects across Europe (as VP Exploration), broke today's news to markets and called reception of the mining lease a major milestone for Tasman. Saxon was eager to thank staff and consultants who helped make this a reality, noting the rigorous social impact studies done thus far in order to fully highlight positive regional impact from the developments at Norra Karr. The lease comes in after considerable stakeholder consultation and while, as per standard practice for all such new mining leases, said stakeholders will have a five-week interval to appeal, this is a clear green light given how the extensive independent environmental/social impact assessment process played out.

Regular community meetings, several years of data compilation looking at flora/fauna (biogeochemistry of local plant life) and water quality in streams/lakes for the environmental baselines, study of lake, river, and soil sediments, even waste-rock and tailings composition analysis were done to bring TAS to this point. They even did the leaching analysis and made determinations about where to put future tailings, engaging local and regional government officials at every step, with zero impediments to project furtherance kicked up at any point during this in-depth research process.

The 100%-owned Norra Karr (1 claim of some 1,359 acres) is a premium REE site and one of only two NI 43-101 compliant resources in the EU, making the development a no brainer for the entire EU region from a strategic growth standpoint, especially amid REE curtailment of output by major global producer China at the start of 2013. The best part is TAS owns the only other such REE site outrightly as well, a sizeable hydrothermal (metasediment-associated), xenotime-rich heavy REE resource named Olesrum (also apatite, monazite, and minor allanite), just 62 miles or so east of Norra Karr, which has been validated by 24 holes of drilling to date. Norra Karr is very analogous to REE mines in Russia's Lovozero province and bears a striking geological resemblance to the rich REE, niobium, and zirconium well-known to be found in abundance there. Inferred Mineral Resource is 60.5M tonnes at 0.54% TREO (total RE oxides) and 1.72% ZrO2 (zirconium oxide), with 53.7% of the TREO being the higher value heavy rare earth oxide.

The economics here are delicious, with denser values for the key REEs dysprosium, neodymium, terbium, and yttrium making Norra Karr one of the biggest and most feasible projects among potential peers, especially considering the advantages of having infrastructure already in place and an easy-to-process mineral profile (ambient temperature pressure processing will suffice nicely). This is an REE bonanza in the heart of the EU (about 9 miles northeast of Granna, some 186 miles southwest of Stockholm) with superb access to markets and logistics (operating ports, power, road, rail, and even skilled personnel sources). The extremely short interval of time elapsed from initial discovery to application for the lease should tell markets everything they need to know about the advantages of operating in a mining friendly jurisdiction like this, where political stability, a long history of government working with industry, and a transparent Mining Act all contribute to promoting operational momentum for developers like TAS.

Saxon was happy to assert that Norra Karr can handle the EU's demand for REEs for some 40 years or so and couldn't help his pride over the fact that the supply security this project will create for EU industries will no doubt have a profound, long-term impact on European markets as a whole. With some 95% of much-needed REEs coming into EU markets from China, TAS is poised to deliver the high-tech metals that EU markets will require moving forward via a low-risk, stable locale where the deposit is also exceptionally low in radioactive content (under 15ppm uranium/thorium).

Learn more about Tasman Metals at www.TasmanMetals.com

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Affymetrix recently announced the appointment of Gavn Wood to the positions of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, after having served as VP of Finance and International Controller. Wood will report to president and CEO Frank Whitney. Current CFO Tim Barabe is expected to retire from Affymetrix effective June 28, 2013.

Santa Clara, CA-based Affymetrix is focused on developing technology that enables multiplex and parallel analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene level. The company maintains a portfolio of transitional and clinical solutions that enable scientists to translate their research into understanding underlying disease mechanisms, identifying biomarkers for personalized medicine, creating new molecular diagnostic tests, and improving genetic marker-assisted breeding programs in agriculture.

Wood joined Affymetrix in 2006; beyond his VP Finance and International Controller duties, he has managed the integration and consolidation of a number of European acquisitions (most recently eBioscience), as well as restructuring the support organization and providing leadership to the European commercial team.

"I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead our global finance organization," said Wood. "Our priorities are clear, including returning to growth and sustained profitability and strengthening our balance sheet. I look forward to working with the executive team to deliver on our strategic plan to grow the business in translational medicine, clinical diagnostics and the applied markets."

Frank Witney, president and CEO of Affymetrix, said, "I firmly believe that we need a CFO that understands the dynamics of our business and has the knowledge and energy to drive change in an organization that is in transformation. As a senior leader of our international team since 2006, Gavin has consistently proven that he can do that. I'd like to extend a welcome to Gavin and his family who will be relocating to California. I would like to thank Tim [Barabe] for the contributions that he has made to Affymetrix and wish him well in his future endeavors."

For more information, visit www.affymetrix.com

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