However, in total, many more people mention either “the economy” or
“jobs/employment” than mention healthcare
NEW YORK — When asked to say, without being prompted or shown a list, what “are the
two most important issues for government to address,” more people (45%)
mention healthcare than any other issue. However, many more people, in
total, mention either the economy (32%) or employment or jobs (31%). No
other issue comes close.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,576
adults surveyed online between January 18 and 25, 2010 by Harris
Interactive.
The only other issues to be mentioned as most important by more than
five percentage points are government spending or the budget (7%), and
terrorism (6%). Five percent each mention immigration and education.
However, in total, many more people mention either “the economy” or
“jobs/employment” than mention healthcare
NEW YORK — When asked to say, without being prompted or shown a list, what “are the
two most important issues for government to address,” more people (45%)
mention healthcare than any other issue. However, many more people, in
total, mention either the economy (32%) or employment or jobs (31%). No
other issue comes close.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,576
adults surveyed online between January 18 and 25, 2010 by Harris
Interactive.
The only other issues to be mentioned as most important by more than
five percentage points are government spending or the budget (7%), and
terrorism (6%). Five percent each mention immigration and education.
DALLAS — Broadlane, the leading end-to-end cost-management partner for healthcare
providers, today announced that Bill Shepley has joined its sales team
as vice president of new business development.
Shepley comes to Broadlane from WakeMed Health and Hospitals where he
was responsible for creating one of the largest healthcare alliances
ever formed through the founding of the Southern Atlantic Hospital
Alliance. This alliance consists of 18 independent hospitals throughout
North Carolina.
“We are pleased to welcome Bill Shepley to Broadlane,” said Joe
Greskoviak, executive vice president, sales and client management,
Broadlane. “His experience cultivating relationships with hospital
leadership will be invaluable as we continue to pursue new relationships
and expand our client base.”
“I am excited about the opportunities Broadlane provides to introduce
unique cost-management solutions to our partners throughout the
country,” said Shepley. “Broadlane’s partnerships quantifiably impact
the economic performance of our clients through creative responses to
their individual and regional needs.”
Shepley earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and serves as Adjunct
Faculty for UNC.
PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF PG, 118 mins Opens Friday, February 12 THE STARS Logan Lerman, Pierce Brosnan, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Rosario Dawson. Teenager Percy Jackson (Lerman) discovers that his real father is Poseidon, god of the sea, and that he has also been accused of stealing the lightning bolt belonging to Zeus, god of all gods. But after a stint in demigod training camp Percy is soon off on a road trip with fellow demigod Annabeth (Daddario) and his satyr protector Grover (Jackson), to clear his name, to rescue his mother and recover Zeuss all-powerful lightning bolt.
QWE have a 32-year-old Paddington Bear in excellent condition. It has the original red hat, green coat and red wellington boots. It also includes the tag “please look after this bear, thank you,” the Gabrielle booklet and the Gabrielle label sown in the back of the bear. How much is it worth? – Ken Wirral, via email AIT was Paddingtons 50th anniversary in 2008 and the much-loved bear has never lost his appeal Naturally such a star attracts collectors and one of the most popular collectables are the figurines and plush toys made in his honour. Early and collectable bears make pounds 100 to pounds 150 and need the Dunlop wellies, not the later PB marked ones. Aunt Lucy is harder to find today and in good shape will cost pounds 200-pounds 250.
NANOXER has been selected to present at
CleanEquity Monaco 2010, the foremost event for next generation clean and
green technology. The conference takes place March 4th and 5th at the
Sporting dHiver, Monaco.
An expert selection of the worlds most inspiring cleantech companies will
be presenting to invited industry-specific financial and strategic
investors, policy makers, legislators and media.
Innovator Capital, London specialist investment bank, hosts the annual
invitation-only event. CleanEquity Monacos regional host is the Monaco
Chamber of Economic Development.
Other local partners include Prince Albert II of Monacos Foundation, the
Monte Carlo SBM, and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. Collaborators
for the 2010 event include Arup, Covington and Burling LLP, the Hugin
Group, Invest Securities, Royal Philips Electronics NV and the UNEP Fi.
Plenary sessions, led by sector experts, will discuss and identify key
industry themes, drivers and constraints, as well as forward looking
trends.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) today advised taxpayers dealing with
income tax liabilities to contact FTB for assistance if they are unable
to pay by April 15.
For people experiencing a financial hardship and cannot pay what they
owe, FTB specialists can establish payment plans, grant temporary relief
from state tax liens, or, in some cases, delay collection actions. FTB
generally approves installment payment requests if the balance owed is
less than $25,000 and can be paid within 60 months.
FTB can generally grant relief from state tax liens within two weeks for
financially distressed homeowners trying to sell or refinance their
homes. When a home sells for less than the loan balance, FTB can
sometimes remove its tax lien from the property to allow the homeowner
to complete the sale. Tax liens typically must be paid before a real
estate escrow can close. The tax lien remains in effect on any other
property the taxpayer currently holds or later acquires.
FTB can help people refinancing or modifying an existing home loan.
Homeowners can request that FTB allow the new or modified loan to have
priority over the tax lien. This allows prior home loans to be
refinanced or modified without first having to pay the lien.
More information is available at FTB’s website, ftb.ca.gov,
including ways to help taxpayers resolve their accounts through installment
agreement requests. For lien information, look under the “Bills and
Notices” tab and then under the Earnings Withholding and Collections
Action section, select: Individuals
– Liens.
PRINCETON, N.J. — NJ PURE announced today the selection of Ravello Solutions to upgrade
and convert its policy administration, claims management and billing
systems. Ravello is a leading provider of information management
technology to property and casualty insurers and is a specialist in
Medical Liability insurance.
Dr. Lena Chang, Co-founder and President for NJ PURE, states, “Ravello’s
technology and business model fit well with our strategic and tactical
needs. Furthermore, Ravello’s professional staff fully understands the
many intricacies of the insurance business and the complexity of the
Medical Liability line of business.”
Ravello Solutions’ standard product and its flexibility in
implementation allows its partners the ability to automate and
streamline many workflows that most policy systems cannot support. “We
look forward to partnering with NJ PURE and are very excited about the
project. Using our system, NJ PURE will increase the efficiencies of
their day to day workflows while obtaining data and market trend
information on a real time basis,” said Andrew J. Serowitz, President
and Chief Operating Officer of Ravello Solutions.
NJ PURE was founded by former NJ Insurance Commissioner James Sheeran
(1974-1982) and national award winning insurance actuary Lena Chang,
PhD., in 2002 as a solution to the medical malpractice crisis in New
Jersey. NJ PURE is the only true direct writer of medical malpractice
insurance in New Jersey, and by eliminating the use of agents and
brokers, NJ PURE is able to help save physicians premium costs. As a
not-for-profit reciprocal exchange, NJ PURE’s profits can only be used
to build the surplus level of the Exchange or to pay dividends to NJ
PURE subscribers.
The president has done it again: called Guantanamo Bay a “recruiting tool,” something that causes Muslims to join up with the jihad. He said, “Make no mistake: We will close Guantanamo Prison, which has damaged our national-security interests and become a tremendous recruiting tool for al-Qaeda.
Nevada officials said the state may drop out of Medicaid if the health-care bill passes. Instead it would help its low-income legal residents participate in the federally subsidized exchanges that the bill would establish. The resulting insurance policies would doubtless be more attractive to beneficiaries than Medicaid is.
VALLEJO — Vallejo police have arrested a 14-year-old boy they believe was an accomplice to Wednesdays brazen daytime shooting of an ice cream vendor, a department spokesman said today. The Vallejo boys name is not being released because of his age. Hes been booked into Solano County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of attempted robbery and attempted murder, police said. “We recovered the gun involved at the other kids address,” Bartlett said. Police are not releasing the address, he said. Montenegro, who is from Hayward but was living in a Vallejo foster home and attending Hogan High School, has seen himself on news reports, Bartlett said.
The following crime information affecting areas in or near the hills came from the Oakland Police Department: — Jan. 24 — 6800 block of Paso Robles Drive (4 p.m.) — Jan. 25 — 4100 block of Park Boulevard (12 a.m.)
If someone tries to rob you, do you care whether the policeman who stops him is black or white? The Department of Justice does. Using the standard of “disparate impact”–under which almost any test, no matter how carefully vetted, can be ruled illegally discriminatory if some group does not score high enough on it–DOJ has filed suit against New Jersey because of its exam for police sergeants.
A dentist clean at a drug store price™
PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. — Smile and the world smiles with you. Well, the folks at Global Ionics
LLC, makers of the Ionic ProClean toothbrush, are smiling a lot these
days; especially since receiving the impressive results of a clinical
evaluation conducted by THE DENTAL ADVISOR. In a clinical assessment,
the Ionic ProClean was evaluated by a team of dental professionals and
107 patients in over 11,100 uses. The results? Dental professionals
reported that they observed less tartar buildup and gingivitis, and
believed the toothbrush contributed to good oral hygiene: earning the
Ionic ProClean a 4 rating from THE DENTAL ADVISOR.
The findings of THE DENTAL ADVISOR reinforce what Dr. Scott Fine, D.D.S.
has known for the past year. Dr. Fine, a prominent Manhattan based
dentist, has been a big proponent of the Ionic ProClean toothbrush since
he started seeing the results of patient use. “Over the past 9 months,
we have given approximately 500 patients an Ionic ProClean toothbrush at
their regular cleaning and exam. Since then, weve documented tangible
improvements in patients home care.” Yilda Jiminian Taveras, Dr. Fines
hygienist, added, “There is less bleeding, less plaque, and less tartar
buildup between hygiene visits.”
The Future is Now. This Isnt Your Grandpas Toothbrush!
Its 2010! Isnt it time someone introduced a little technology to the
toothbrush? The Ionic ProClean has super-charged the oral care industry
by introducing the science of ions and polarity to the plain-old manual
toothbrush. Youve heard the expression “opposites attract”? Turns out
that plaque has a ( ) positive charge and tooth enamel has a (-)
negative charge – as opposites they attract and stick. This simple fact
has caused lots of trouble for people who desire a clean, white and
healthy smile. The Ionic ProClean offers the solution!
Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. (”Protectus
Medical Devices”) (OTCBB: PTMD), a developer and marketer of innovative
medical devices, announced today that the Company has filed a patent for
its “Living Hinge,” a critical component in the functioning of the
Companys Safety Dental Syringe, Safety IV Catheter and Safety Phlebotomy
devices. The innovative Protectus Safety Syringe is designed to
significantly reduce or eliminate accidental needlestick injuries that have
plagued the healthcare workplace for decades.
“The Living Hinge is a significant addition to Protectus Medical Devices
Intellectual Property portfolio,” said Dr. John Salstrom, President and CEO
of Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. “The Living Hinges unique, innovative
design by Jack Dillard, COO, has two opposing teeth that are spring-biased
and clamp over a lip that holds the protective sliding sheath back to
expose the needle during use, but which retracts automatically immediately
after use. This patent, when issued, will afford the Company an additional
layer of protection for our Safety Dental Syringe, Safety IV Catheter and
Safety Phlebotomy Devices. We intend to continue to add value to the
Company with additional patents in the near future.”
About Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. (formerly, E-18 Corp.)
Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. (”Protectus
Medical Devices”) (OTCBB: PTMD), a developer and marketer of innovative
medical devices, announced today that the Company has filed a patent for
its “Living Hinge,” a critical component in the functioning of the
Companys Safety Dental Syringe, Safety IV Catheter and Safety Phlebotomy
devices. The innovative Protectus Safety Syringe is designed to
significantly reduce or eliminate accidental needlestick injuries that have
plagued the healthcare workplace for decades.
“The Living Hinge is a significant addition to Protectus Medical Devices
Intellectual Property portfolio,” said Dr. John Salstrom, President and CEO
of Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. “The Living Hinges unique, innovative
design by Jack Dillard, COO, has two opposing teeth that are spring-biased
and clamp over a lip that holds the protective sliding sheath back to
expose the needle during use, but which retracts automatically immediately
after use. This patent, when issued, will afford the Company an additional
layer of protection for our Safety Dental Syringe, Safety IV Catheter and
Safety Phlebotomy Devices. We intend to continue to add value to the
Company with additional patents in the near future.”
About Protectus Medical Devices, Inc. (formerly, E-18 Corp.)
The president has done it again: called Guantanamo Bay a “recruiting tool,” something that causes Muslims to join up with the jihad. He said, “Make no mistake: We will close Guantanamo Prison, which has damaged our national-security interests and become a tremendous recruiting tool for al-Qaeda.
Tecan Group AG /Tecan and Enigma Diagnostics sign global manufacturing and supply agreement
for point-of-care Molecular Diagnostics instruments processed and
transmitted by Hugin AS. The issuer is solely responsible for the content
of this announcement.
The launch of Enigma ML and supply of commercial series systems for its
initial
use to identify specific influenza virus strains is anticipated in Q4
2010,
subject to successful clinical trials and regulatory approval. Enigma will
also
add additional tests for other areas such as infectious disease
management to
the ML system test menu in the future.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
John McKinley, Chairman and CEO of Enigma, said: “This is a milestone
agreement
for Enigma. We chose Tecan for its leading reputation as a
developer and
manufacturer of commercial medical instruments and its global range of
technical
and support services network. This represents the first of a number of
potential
additional agreements relating to Tecans support of the Enigma ML system.”
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swelling and pain are usually the result of a stretched or torn ligament.
The National Holistic Institute will donate all proceeds from massages given Thursday at their Emeryville and San Francisco campuses to a Haiti relief fund. The institute is a training school for massage therapists. The cost for a 50-minute massage is $35. Students, graduates, administrators and teachers are all donating their time and skills to help raise money for Haiti after the massive earthquakes earlier this month, said institute President Tim Veitzer.
The National Holistic Institute will donate all proceeds from massages given Thursday at their Emeryville and San Francisco campuses to a Haiti relief fund. The institute is a training school for massage therapists. The cost for a 50-minute massage is $35. Students, graduates, administrators and teachers are all donating their time and skills to help raise money for Haiti after the massive earthquakes earlier this month, said institute President Tim Veitzer.
Music Choice On Demand Will Feature Music Legends and Superstars
2Pac, Notorious BIG, Dr. Dre, Diddy, 50 Cent, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, John
Legend and Others
Music Choice’s RB Classics Music Channel to Pay Homage to the
Sounds of Philadelphia, Honoring Legendary Leading Man Teddy Pendergrass
and Featuring Patti LaBelle, The O’Jays and More
The video programming for Black History Month will be available to
millions of subscribers on Music Choice’s free On Demand network, the
number one video on demand network in the country, throughout the month
of February, and will include:
Hip Hop History – 2Pac, Notorious BIG, Dr. Dre and Diddy
headline this Video Playlist with a selection of their most memorable
videos.
To Bring Content from Publishers in Fifty Countries to the iPad
NEW YORK HYDERABAD, India — As soon as consumers lay their hands on Apple’s game-changing “iPad”,
they are going to be hungry for content. And, the news industry is
itching to fulfill this hunger while it waits for its own “iPod” moment
that changed the music industry forever.
Pressmart, a leading print-to-online content publishing service, today
announced its support for the Apple iPad. Publishers from over 50
countries use Pressmart service to deliver content to their subscribers
in Same-as-Print Online Editions, Web2.0 Interactive Community-Ready
Websites, Custom-Branded Mobile Apps and eReaders. Pressmart already
supports all major eReader devices like Kindle, Sony, Nook and Cool-er.
Publishers will now be able to use Pressmart’s Software-as-a-Service
platform to convert and distribute their print publications in an iPad
ready format and Custom Branded Apps. It opens up Publishers to the
massive content appetite that iPad will offer.
“With the iPad’s larger screen, the mobile consumption of news and
general content through websites and Apps is expected to surge heavily.
iPad is made primarily for content consumption and Publishers do not
want to lose out on this opportunity. Publishers who do not have a rich,
community-driven website or a Mobile App can now use Pressmart to create
one, and as a hosted, on demand offering,” said Sanjiv Gupta, Founder
and CEO of Pressmart.
Company Reaches $29 Billion in Premium Represented in Network
AUSTIN, Texas — ProspX,
Inc., developer of the only on-demand enterprise search and sales
collaboration platform for the commercial insurance industry, today
announced record results for 2009. These results show dramatically
increased premium volumes represented in ProspX’s subscriber network and
a rapidly expanding customer base.
As a $500 billion per year market, the competitive, complex commercial
insurance industry provides services for hundreds of thousands of
customers worldwide. To improve the flow of business, ProspX has
developed a Software-as-a-Service
(SaaS) solution that combines enterprise social networking, search,
and CRM technology. The result is a comprehensive solution that
automatically connects commercial insurance agents, brokers, marketers,
and carriers at the initial point of opportunity and throughout the
sales cycle.
Among ProspX’s achievements in 2009:
LOS ANGELES — Some of the boating industry’s most exciting innovations of the new
decade will be unveiled at the 54th Annual Los Angeles Boat
Show beginning Thursday, February 18 through Sunday, February 21, 2010,
at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the official
water craft insurance provider*, the annual event is one of the largest
and most prestigious boat shows in the western United States, having
drawn nearly 4 million attendees from across the nation over the last 53
years to view the most spectacular array of boats and marine accessories
available under one roof.
“This year’s show will display millions of dollars worth of new water
craft and products. Everything from affordable family-oriented boats, to
the most luxurious motor yachts and finely crafted sailing vessels,”
said Dave Geoffroy, Executive Director of the Southern California Marine
Association (SCMA), the show’s organizers. “The new four-day format also
promises to be jam-packed with fun and activities for the whole
family―all at a new low price.”
Home insurance claims are on the rise due to increasing numbers of accidents resulting from dinner parties.
Swinton, the UKs leading retailer of home insurance believes the popularity of TV shows such as Channel 4s Come Dine with Me could be contributing to the hike in claims.
An online survey of 1,200 customers found that 67% of homeowners had hosted a dinner party which resulted in an accident in the last six months.
Of those polled 28% had made a claim for damage to furnishings and electrical equipment caused by dinner guests. The most common accident during a dinner party was spilling red wine on the carpet.
Other common accidents cited by homeowners included spilling food on the carpet, breaking electrical items, cigarette burns in the carpet or sofa and scratching the dining room table.
Charter Oak Bank (OTCBB: CHOB), headquartered in
Napa, California, reported a net loss before-tax of $3.6 million for the
year 2009. According to President CEO Brian Kelly, “The loss, compared
to the banks net income before tax of $87,000 in 2008, reflected the
ongoing adverse effects of the economy on the banks borrowers, primarily
those with real estate holdings.” The banks capital ratios continue to
exceed that of a “well-capitalized” bank, the highest standard for capital,
as defined by bank regulators.
Kelly continued, “While we have never made sub-prime loans, the bank
extended credit a few years ago to a small number of customers that were
caught in the fallout from the recession and subsequently had difficulty
sustaining their borrowings. The loss for 2009 is due to the banks
decision to establish greater provision for loan losses and take loan
charge offs to reflect these developments.” The Allowance for Loan Losses
at year-end was 2.41% compared to 1.49% in 2008, which management feels is
a prudent reserve after charges.
The banks year-end results were strong and improving in all other
respects. Net operating income (before taxes and loans losses) showed
dramatic growth during 2009, increasing to $1.7 million as compared to $1.2
million in 2008. Deposits increased by 20% ($21 million) for the year,
totaling $128 million at year end. Loans grew to $130 million as of
December 31, 2009, an increase of $6 million. Total assets were $153
million as of December 31, 2009, an increase of $16 million over the past
twelve months.
Kelly reflected, “In the last year the team at Charter Oak Bank has shown
phenomenal dedication to the bank, its customers and each other –
reflected in minimal turnover. I thank them for their commitment to you –
our shareholders, our customers and our community.”
Mr. Kelly concluded, “In the near term we will continue to focus on
sustainable profitability, deposit growth, and supporting our clients here
in the Napa Valley. I believe that we are well positioned for long term
success, and have a strategy that combines the talent of our team and our
local ability to serve our clients and friends in the greater Napa Valley.”
VISTA, Calif. — California Community Bank (OTCBB:CABK), today announced that prominent
San Diego banker Steve Harrington has joined the Bank as Senior Vice
President, Business Banking at its Vista Office. Harrington is a veteran
commercial lender and has over 20 years of banking experience in the San
Diego and North County markets.
Harrington started his career with Wells Fargo Bank and in 1994 joined
First Pacific National Bank as a Commercial Loan Officer. After the
bank’s sale, he served as a Business Loan Officer with Fallbrook
National Bank and San Diego National Bank. Most recently he was the
Regional Manager for 1st Pacific Bank of California in
Oceanside.
“Steve’s strong reputation as a North County premier business banking
expert is a perfect addition to our high service and relationship
oriented banking philosophy,” commented Larry Hartwig, President and
CEO. “He has an excellent background in business and a strong history of
community involvement plus many long-term relationships in the San Diego
North County business community. We are most pleased to have him as a
lead member of our Vista Office banking team.”
Steve attended the University of California, San Diego and resides with
his wife in North County. He is active in various civic groups and
serves on the Board of the Vista Chamber of Commerce.
First bond issue closed in Florida under Treasurys new BCE program
BOSTON — CWCapital LLC (CW), a subsidiary of CW Financial Services and a
full-service, national lender to the multifamily and healthcare real
estate industries, announced it has arranged acquisition financing for a
324-unit multifamily development in Altamonte Springs, FL. The loan was
originated by Frank Baldasare, Senior Vice President in CW’s Atlanta
office, and was referred through ARA Finance, CW’s joint venture with
national multihousing brokerage firm Apartment Realty Advisors (ARA).
Kevin Judd, Senior Vice President with ARA, referred the transaction.
Built in 1985 and situated on 21 acres adjacent to the Little Wekiva
River, Chatham Harbor offers residents two swimming pools, a hot tub,
state-of-the-art fitness center, and tennis and volleyball courts.
Located 20 minutes north of downtown Orlando and 35 minutes north of
Orlando International Airport, the property enjoys excellent
accessibility from major transportation corridors, Interstate 4 and
State Road 436. The property was 93% occupied at the time of sale.
CW, an approved Seller/Servicer under Freddie Mac’s Multifamily Targeted
Affordable Housing Program (TAH Program) arranged for the credit
enhancement for the fixed-rate tax exempt bonds through Freddie Mac. The
bonds, in the amount of $15,200,000, were used to acquire the property
on behalf of Stoneleigh Companies, a national multifamily investment
firm.
The transaction was the first bond issue closed in Florida under the
Treasurys new Bond Credit Enhancement (BCE) program, and one of just
four closed nationwide. The 32-year acquisition/rehabilitation bonds
were issued by Orange County Housing Finance Authority under its 2009
allocation cycle.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Grammy Award winning artists The Roots teamed up with co-host John
Legend last night along with an all-star cast of musicians for the 6th
annual ROOTS JAM SESSION (RJS). Living up to its reputation, the
night featured impromptu musical sets with combination of talent from
every musical genre in order to celebrate the launch of environmental
coalition Green
Music Group and the newly re-launched VIBE magazine and VIBE
Lifestyle Network.
The 2010 Jam was once again the place to be the night before the Grammys
with attendees including The Jonas Brothers, Common, Slash, Ryan
Philippe, Elizabeth Banks, Nick Swardson, Jason Biggs, Sean
Paul, Asher Roth, Mena Suvari, Kelsey Grammar, George Lopez,
Macy Gray, and Grammy-Nominee for Best new Artist: Keri Hilson,
and performances by The Legendary Roots Crew with Estelle, Mos
Def, Jay Electronica, Mack Maine, Scott Storch, Shanell, DWoods,
Ledisi, Bilal, Foreign Exchange, Crystal Antlers, Linkin Parks Mike
Shinoda and John Legend
As in year’s past, the diversely eclectic invite-only crowd shared
similar opinions on the non-stop jam. Joe Jonas tweeted: “Just watched @questlove
and the roots crew with @johnlegend
rock it out tonight!!” while Slash wrote: “Watching the Roots.f$%ing
amazing!” The Roots Jam Session is produced by Kevin Seldon of Keldof and
Tina Farris of TF
Tours and 2010 title partners included Converse, Guitar
Hero® 5, Okayplayer, and DJ Hero, as well as the
generous support of Klipsch, Color Service, and Audi.
As always however, the night was not just about music – anchored in
social awareness, the annual live experience also celebrated the launch
of GREEN MUSIC GROUP (GMG), a large-scale, environmental coalition of
musicians from Dave Matthews Band and Sheryl Crow to Maroon 5 and The
Roots.all using their collective power to bring about widespread
environmental change within the music industry and around the globe.
Artists were invited to sign limited edition, numbered 6th
annual RJS Concert Posters to be auctioned off with 100% of proceeds
benefiting GMG.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Grammy Award winning artists The Roots teamed up with co-host John
Legend last night along with an all-star cast of musicians for the 6th
annual ROOTS JAM SESSION (RJS). Living up to its reputation, the
night featured impromptu musical sets with combination of talent from
every musical genre in order to celebrate the launch of environmental
coalition Green
Music Group and the newly re-launched VIBE magazine and VIBE
Lifestyle Network.
The 2010 Jam was once again the place to be the night before the Grammys
with attendees including The Jonas Brothers, Common, Slash, Ryan
Philippe, Elizabeth Banks, Nick Swardson, Jason Biggs, Sean
Paul, Asher Roth, Mena Suvari, Kelsey Grammar, George Lopez,
Macy Gray, and Grammy-Nominee for Best new Artist: Keri Hilson,
and performances by The Legendary Roots Crew with Estelle, Mos
Def, Jay Electronica, Mack Maine, Scott Storch, Shanell, DWoods,
Ledisi, Bilal, Foreign Exchange, Crystal Antlers, Linkin Parks Mike
Shinoda and John Legend
As in year’s past, the diversely eclectic invite-only crowd shared
similar opinions on the non-stop jam. Joe Jonas tweeted: “Just watched @questlove
and the roots crew with @johnlegend
rock it out tonight!!” while Slash wrote: “Watching the Roots.f$%ing
amazing!” The Roots Jam Session is produced by Kevin Seldon of Keldof and
Tina Farris of TF
Tours and 2010 title partners included Converse, Guitar
Hero® 5, Okayplayer, and DJ Hero, as well as the
generous support of Klipsch, Color Service, and Audi.
As always however, the night was not just about music – anchored in
social awareness, the annual live experience also celebrated the launch
of GREEN MUSIC GROUP (GMG), a large-scale, environmental coalition of
musicians from Dave Matthews Band and Sheryl Crow to Maroon 5 and The
Roots.all using their collective power to bring about widespread
environmental change within the music industry and around the globe.
Artists were invited to sign limited edition, numbered 6th
annual RJS Concert Posters to be auctioned off with 100% of proceeds
benefiting GMG.
The Dream Party for Football and Vivid Girl Fans Gets Spicier
MIAMI — Former Playboy Playmate and international TV actress/model Shauna
Sand-Lamas will join the Vivid Girls on Friday, February 5th at the peak
of Super Bowl week for a party at Tootsie’s Cabaret in Miami, believed
to be the largest gentlemen’s club in the United States
The party is being hosted jointly by Vivid Entertainment, the leading
adult movie studio, and Rick’s Cabaret International, Inc. (NASDAQ:
RICK) the nation’s premier operator of upscale gentlemen’s clubs.
Tootsie’s is part of the Rick’s Cabaret group of 19 clubs.
Tickets to the Vivid/Tootsie’s Cabaret party cost $300 and are available
on the Ricks website (ricks.com/tootsies/default.aspx) and at the
Tootsies Cabaret reception desk. Guests will receive “SWAG” bags filled
with Vivid DVDs and other gifts. Ticket holders will have access to both
the party in the plush Tootsie’s Cabaret VIP, as well as the rest of the
74,000 square foot, two-level club that features all nude dancing on
multiple stages, in private dance areas, plus sky boxes for viewing
dancers on the main stage with its 30-foot tall stripper poles.
The party starts at 10 p.m. at the club located at 150 NW 183rd St on
the southeast corner of 441 and Miami Gardens Drive.
A TRAILER for the new movie Daybreakers invites us to “imagine a world where almost everyone is a vampire.” That shouldnt be too hard. It seems like were already living in one. Vampires are everywhere. At the start of 2010, the four novels in Stephenie Meyers Twilight series ranked Nos. 2, 4, 5, and 9 on USA Todays list of bestsellers. Theyve held spots in this range for a couple of years–it might be said that theyve refused to die–and recently theyve spawned a pair of films that have grossed more than half a billion dollars combined. More are on the way. Plenty of other recent books (Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead) and movies (Cirque du Freak, Jennifers Body) also have featured the bloodsucking undead. On TV, The Vampire Diaries is the most-watched show on the CW network. True Blood has aired on HBO for two seasons and has commitments for two more. It recently launched a jewelry line. A clasp necklace with rubies shaped like drops of blood retails for $1,295. One of the hottest rock bands of the moment is Vampire Weekend. Its latest release, put out on January 11, quickly became the most downloaded album on iTunes. I dig vampires as much as the next guy who has read Bram Stokers Dracula three or four times, goes out of his way to watch monster movies, and thinks “Bela Lugosis Dead” by Bauhaus is one of the coolest songs ever recorded. Yet the present ubiquity of vampires is too much, even for me. Once upon a time, vampires were creepy and haunting. Now theyre yawn-inducing bores. Perhaps theyve finally reached their cultural expiration date. At the very least, they should crawl back into their coffins and give the rest of us a break. H. P. Lovecraft, the great 20th-century horror writer, explained the aesthetics of terror: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” The problem with vampires is that theres nothing left to fear because theres nothing left to know. At one point in their progression through pop culture, it took a purveyor of arcane wisdom like Abraham Van Helsing to defeat them. Nowadays, every fifth grader has memorized the fundamentals of vampire slaying: crucifixes, garlic, sunlight, and so on. Theyve become Halloween cliches.
Hollywood star and Celebrity Big Brother contestant Vinnie Jones is hoping he wont be two-tyred after the reality TV show when he stars in a new action-packed British film featuring motorbike stunts.
Jones will star alongside Ving Rhames and Danny Dyer as a squaddie who returns home after serving in the Royal Marine Commandos to find his neighbourhood crippled by gangs and violence.
Fight Back is due to start filming in May and according to the films producer, Martin J. Thomas, the lead character: “puts his military training to good use and embarks on a brutal crusade to take down corrupt police, drug dealers and organized crime”.
The ex-Wimbledon footballer bought a Harley-Davidson after starring in biker film Hell Ride reigniting his love of two-wheel transport after an a crash put him off motorcycles, recalling: “When I was 17 I bought a Kawasaki and nearly killed myself on it. I was just going around a country lane too fast, as you do, leaning right over, and a great big lorry was coming the other way and I went right into a barbed wire fence. I had to go to hospital, so I thought that was the end of my riding days.”
Jones latest film plans to use a Ducati Hypermotard , Victory Hammer S and KTM RC8R in the stunts.
TOKYO — Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC) (headquarter
Tokyo, Japan), a Toshiba Group company, today announced its
participation in the 3rd International Elevator Escalator
Expo in Mumbai, India, the companys first appearance at an elevator
expo in India. The Mumbai Expo will run from Feb. 3 through Feb. 5 and
TELCs display will put the spotlight on such innovations as the worlds
fastest elevator and state-of-the-art double-deck elevator technology.
Visitors will also be able to see a model of the elevator car capsule of
the worlds fastest elevator.
“We are very excited to be participating in the Mumbai Expo for the very
first time,” said Shunichi Kimura, President and CEO of TELC. “India is
a dynamic, fast growing market and we look forward to introducing new
customers to our innovative range of world-class elevators and
escalators. Our product line-up ranges from high speed elevators to hard
working people movers that can meet the demands of the busiest building.
We are sure they will be a hit with Indian customers.”
TELC is member of the Toshiba Group, and its parent, Tokyo-based Toshiba
Corporation, is a global leader in such product areas as industrial
products, social infrastructure, power plants, digital products,
electronic components and home appliances. TELC develops, manufactures,
distributes, sells, installs and maintains elevators and escalators, and
is Japans largest company able to handle all aspects of the elevator
and escalator business.
TELC was established 43 years ago, and is active in Japan, China,
Southeast Asia and the UAE. The company is now readying to enter the
fast growing Indian market, where strong growth is expected in coming
years. The company hopes to support this growth with its superior,
highly reliable products that combine advanced technologies with sharp,
eye-catching designs that add to building interiors.
TELC is a world leader in high-speed elevator technology, and installed
the worlds fastest elevators in Taipeis towering “TAIPEI 101″ in
Taiwan. TELC still holds the record for the worlds fastest elevators,
but also delivers mass transport solutions, including double-deck
elevators that it has installed in Japan and China. These elevators
offers floor height adjustment and can carry 1.9 times the mass of a
single-deck elevator.
CHRIS GELLERT A physical therapist and personal trainer for 19 years, Gellert is the founder of Pinnacle Training Consulting Systems in Germantown, Md. pinnacle-tcs.com Grasso has consulted for everyone from housewives to pro athletes. He is the founder of the International Youth Conditioning Association. iyca.org
CINCINNATI — Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (NYSE: SNI) has named Nick Thorogood
managing director of the recently created joint venture that’s bringing
Food Network to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Thorogood, who will step into his new role in the second quarter, will
head up the joint venture that was created by Scripps Networks
Interactive with Liberty Global’s ChelloZone. He is responsible for
establishing and expanding Food Network’s television, digital and
branded business activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa
(EMEA). The digital properties include Foodnetwork.co.uk and
UpMyStreet.co.uk.
“Nick brings extraordinary expertise and experiences, from having first
built UKTV’s lifestyle channels to his work with ITV Daytime, Five and
the BBC, that are relevant to Scripps Networks,” said Gregory Moyer,
president of the company’s international development division, Scripps
Networks International. “His background and knowledge are vital as we
enter the U.K., Europe, Middle East and Africa with strong brands and an
appetite for growing a bouquet of channels in those regions. I’m looking
forward to having a dedicated foodie like Nick collaborating with
producers, distributors and advertisers and sharing our passion for food
and lifestyle programming.”
Scripps Networks Interactive and Chello Zone created the joint venture
in the fourth quarter, 2009. Food Network already is available in 10
million homes on Sky in the U.K. and is expected to reach 15 million
subscribers across the EMEA during 2010. The joint venture also expects
to launch Fine Living Network in 2010.
Thorogood, 41, joins Scripps Networks Interactive from BBC Commercial
Agency, where he was head of factual, entertainment and formats and led
a team to generate value from BBC intellectual property. Previously, he
was a consultant for Tiscali TV in strategic development of on-demand
platforms; controller of Five Life and Five US helping to launch Five’s
multi-channel strategy; consultant and acting director of programs for
Astro Broadcasting, Malaysia; editor of ITV Daytime; head of Lifestyle
Channels for UKTV; and new business development executive at BBC
Birmingham, Lifestyle and Features.
THINK: What types of food, drink, and habits might damage teeth? What can people do to keep their teeth healthy and strong? PREDICT: Dentists recommend brushing teeth at least twice daily to keep food and bacteria from building up. Brushing prevents discolored teeth and cavities. An eggshell is made from a substance similar to tooth enamel, the hard covering that protects teeth. What would happen if an eggshell were left in soda overnight?
Columbus-based Pretium Partners, Inc., corporate sales training provider
and leading enabler of value
selling for business to business technology companies around the world,
will speak at the 2010 International Association of Outsourcing
Professionals (IAOP)
Outsourcing World Summit .
Outsourcing providers consistently struggle with quantifying the financial
benefits their solutions produce for their customers. New to this years
summit is the option for participants to select from one of two hands-on
practicums designed to help customers, providers and advisors get more
value, right now, out of their current outsourcing efforts.
Kyle Andrews and Bill Hall, Pretiums Founders, will lead “Benefits
Quantification and ROI Analysis” as one of the two featured practicum
sessions.
Benefits quantification is a critical element of the outsourcing business
case, but it loses all relevance without the necessary customer
collaboration. This fast paced, hands-on workshop will tackle the
challenges of working with the customer to create assumptions and gain
their agreement on the elements required to quantify benefits and perform
investment analysis. Participants will gain valuable insights and take away
a professional, easy to use investment analysis tool for future use.
Formed in 2005 by a consortium of leading companies involved in outsourcing
as customers, providers, and advisors, IAOPs global membership encompasses
over 200 organizations representing almost every industry type and
functional activity. More than 40,000 individuals are members or
subscribers.
Route1 Inc. (”Route1″ or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE: ROI), a security and identity-based services company, today took action to correct previously granted stock options to directors, officers and employees. A review by the TSX Venture Exchange found that approximately 10,000,000 stock options granted between April 27, 2006 and the Companys most recent annual meeting held on September 24, 2009 were granted below the minimum exercise price allowable by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange or were not publicly disclosed.
As a result of the non-compliance of the stock option grants referred to above, the board of directors (the “Board”) of the Company has cancelled the 6,241,646 outstanding options to directors and employees. Also, following the election of the new board of directors at the Companys annual and special meeting of shareholders, the 3,550,730 options to purchase common shares of the Company held by the outgoing board of directors expired on December 24, 2009 and another 3,700,000 options granted to a former officer of the Company expired on January 27, 2010, ninety days following the termination of such former officer.
After the above, all non-compliant stock options granted by the Company during the noted period have either been cancelled or have expired. The Company currently has 8,000,000 stock options outstanding.
The Board is reviewing compensation arrangements for all employees of Route1 during the first quarter of the 2010 calendar year. As part of the compensation review, the Board expects to issue new stock options that meet all regulatory requirements.
The Company has adopted policies and procedures to ensure all future stock option grants are in compliance with TSX Venture Exchange policies.
IV Therapy Supplies Will Help Deliver Essential Medications and Fluids
NEPTUNE, N.J. — Excelsior
Medical Corporation, one of the leading manufacturers of pre-filled
catheter flush syringes, today announced that it is donating medical
supplies to support the Haiti earthquake relief effort.
The company will donate two shipping containers full of supplies,
including its ZR
pre-filled saline and heparin flush syringes and saline bags. The
syringes and saline bags will assist in the intravenous delivery of
essential medications and other fluids that are now needed on a massive
scale.
“We are saddened by the tragedy that has devastated the people of Haiti,
and we are extending our support by donating essential medical supplies
for IV therapy,” said Bill Rice, Excelsior’s President and CEO. “It’s
important for a company like ours to remember that we are all citizens
of the world and as such, we ought to behave in a sensitive, socially
responsible manner.”
Coyote Point Systems Inc. ,
a pioneer in application acceleration and load balancing solutions, today
announced that Click Pledge ,
leading provider of online fundraising solutions for nonprofit
organizations, successfully handled a record setting pledge drive on
Friday, January 22, providing 100% application availability, higher
performance and increased security following the installation of a
redundant pair of Coyote Point Application Delivery
Controllers .
“Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief” aired around
the world on Friday, January 22 in an effort to raise money for the
disaster victims in Haiti. The star-studded event could be seen on all the
major television networks, cable channels and online and featured musical
performances from New York, London and Los Angeles.
The number of visits to the pledge site, hosted by Click Pledge, has been
greatly accelerated by the worldwide response and outpouring of support for
the Haitian disaster victims. With a sterling reputation for customer
satisfaction, Click Pledge continues to exceed expectations with their
web services for accepting donations. With the Haiti disaster, Click
Pledge once again turned to Coyote Point to ensure that its IT system would
not be challenged by unusual system demands. And they did it in two days.
In addition to natural disasters and extraordinary situations, Click
Pledge has successfully supported the fundraising efforts of numerous
organizations on events like The Millions More Movement and ABCs Extreme
Home Makeover; all which require exceptional performance and ability to
scale in order to handle the spikes in traffic.
“With an extremely tight schedule and stringent performance and security
requirements, we turned to Coyote Point for their application delivery and
acceleration expertise,” said Kamran Razvan, chief executive officer of
Click Pledge. “We simply want to be certain that our systems always
outperform demand,” Razvan said. “We put our developers to work building
out our application delivery infrastructure and called Coyote Point to
order a pair of Equalizer E650GX
application delivery appliances. Based on past experience, we knew that the
combination of security, acceleration, data compression and load
balancing provided by the E650GX would enable us to meet the demand
this benefit is expected to create.”
(Azica- 1/26/2010)
Elaine Martone, producer; Shelly Berg, arranger
NEW YORK — Trisha O’Brien announces the release of her new CD, Out of a
Dream, produced by multiple Grammy-winning Elaine Martone. The
CD features O’Brien’s thoughtful interpretations of 14 love songs,
revealing a confident presence as a musical storyteller. She is
accompanied by a trio of jazz greats including Shelly Berg on piano, who
contributes imaginative arrangements, fine-tuned to support O’Brien’s
pitch perfect, silky tone. The rhythm section is completed by Peter
Washington on bass and drummer Lewis Nash. Ken Peplowski blows tenor
saxophone on three tracks.
On Out of a Dream, O’Brien digs
into (mostly) the Great American Songbook, proving the timelessness of
classics like Berlin’s “Let’s Face The Music and Dance,” Mack Gordon and
Harry Warren’s “I Had The Craziest Dream” and “Let’s Get Lost” from
Loesser and McHugh. She ventures into contemporary territory with a
first-class version of Joni Mitchell’s “Help Me,” floating Mitchell’s
idiosyncratic lyrics on Berg’s rhythmic, ethereal cloud.
Trisha O’Brien developed her poise through extensive performing
experience. She got her start in her hometown of Cleveland
working with contemporary pop ensembles. “Then I started to sing the
songs of Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Jobim, Legrand, Cole Porter…,”
says O’Brien, “and I was drawn to them like musical short stories, full
of beautiful melodies, irony, whimsy and euphemism.” She quit her career
as a social worker to pursue jazz singing, and “promote hope and healing
through music.” Trisha became a favorite performer on the Cleveland
scene, at Nighttown and other clubs, performing regularly at The
Cleveland Museum of Art Courtyard, and private events and concerts
across the U.S. and Europe. In 2003, O’Brien self-produced her debut CD, They
Say Its Wonderful, with a sextet and featured Gene Bertoncini
on guitar. OBrien relocated to the East Coast, and has recently played
engagements at Feinstein’s at the Regency, The Cornelia Street Café,
Theater For The New City, The Royal Room at The Colony Hotel in Palm
Beach, as well as venues from Paris to Amsterdam.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of tribute
bands playing the music of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Led
Zeppelin, U2, and the other monsters of rock. But Crosby, Stills, Nash,
Young? Next to none.
Arguably the biggest band in the world in the late-60s after the demise of
the Beatles, the songs of CSNY are remarkably hard to replicate, especially
the intricate 3- and 4-part harmonies that made the group international
superstars. But Marrakesh Express has managed to accomplish just that.
In addition to the vocal abilities of the four Marrakesh Express singers,
the band also looks the part: youthful musicians with an onstage hippie
vibe that gives their performances street cred and authenticity. The
combination of the beautiful, cascading harmonies and the late-60s visual
makes Marrakesh Express a rare and unique tribute to a band that was the
“voice of a generation” in one of historys — and musics — most
explosive periods.
“We really seem to have hit a nerve with this project,” said band manager
Mike Kucic. “Every concert has been extremely well attended and received.
The music of CSNY was more than just a soundtrack to the 60s. It spoke for
a generation of people. Weve had people crying during our performances,
remembering the 60s and either being nostalgic or still feeling the angst
that was prevalent in those days. We take these emotions seriously.”
The band primarily performs at festivals and theaters, and is excited to
bring the well-known songs of CSNY to younger fans with an interest, as
well as older fans who crave the nostalgic aspect.
OhMiBod today announced that it would be
providing gift certificates to peruse the extensive OhMiBod webstore in the
Official 52nd Annual GRAMMY® Awards Gift Bag. World renowned as Musics
Biggest Night®, the GRAMMYs are the preeminent peer-recognized award for
musical excellence and the most credible brand in music. The event airs
live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on CBS from 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm
(EST/PT) on January 31, 2010.
One of the many products GRAMMY presenters and performers might choose is
the Freestyle wireless music massager, the newest in the companys line of
innovative lifestyle products. OhMiBods Freestyle holds the distinction
of being the worlds first wireless music massager. Rechargeable and made
with body-safe materials, the versatile product operates with and without
music, and comes in a custom travel case with international plug adapters
for use anywhere in the world.
“Musics power to heal, transform and reinforce relationships is what
inspired OhMiBod to create the Freestyle,” said Suki Dunham, co-founder,
OhMiBod. “Having the opportunity to share our vision with the industrys
best and most influential performers is an honor.”
The highly coveted GRAMMY Gift Bag is produced by Distinctive Assets, and
will feature the hottest and most sought after gadgets and luxury items on
the market. The gifting will be provided to all performers and presenters
at this years show, which includes album-of-the-year nominees Beyoncé,
Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, as well as
artists such as Maxwell, Lady Antebellum, and Green Day.
BURLINGAME — A city law proposed this week would require owners of new or remodeled properties to significantly reduce their water usage, both indoors and outside. The ordinance would prevent Burlingame property owners and developers from building new or remodeled homes and other buildings without installing water-efficient appliances and fixtures. In addition, any construction that requires a building permit, such as a kitchen or bath remodeling or a new home, would need to demonstrate plans to reduce indoor water usage by 20 percent by using products and measures from a city-approved list. A city arborist or landscape architect would review the property owners water conservation plans before issuing any construction permits.
Logic Trends, Inc. today announced the first
quarter 2010 schedule for its bi-weekly Identity Strategy and Advisory
Group (ISAG) briefings.
Logic Trends is a unique professional services firm that combines the
Identity and Access Management (IAM) thought leadership, similar to the
guidance provided by leading IT analyst firms, yet blending that with deep
vendor technology skills and hands-on implementation experience gained
through hundreds of successful IAM engagements since the companys founding
in 2002.
“We created the ISAG calls in response to requests from our customers who
wanted our assistance to help them better understand the analyst reports
and the ever-changing vendor landscape, including Oracles acquisition of
Sun,” said Phillip Lentz, chief technology officer at Logic Trends.
“Companies like to see where a technology vendor is rated on the analyst
quadrants and such, but a growing number of companies want a trusted
advisor to help them objectively evaluate the merits of the different
technologies, understand how it would fit into their IT environment, and
help them plan a flawless execution with their chosen IAM solution,” said
Lentz. “This proven blend of technical knowledge, evaluation skills,
business insight and hands-on implementation experience is our unique sweet
spot.”
The ISAG briefings address multiple Identity and Access Management (IAM)
questions and provide beneficial insight from Logic Trends
industry-recognized thought leaders who have delivered on more than 200
engagements.
Titans share first place — Skyline High remained unbeaten in the Oakland Athletic League girls basketball standings, thanks to a 45-44 home win over Oakland Tech on Jan. 22. The Titans (15-5, 4-0 OAL) are tied for first place with Castlemont. The two teams face each other at Skyline on Feb. 5.
Cmdr. Master Chief Norman Pretlow Helicopter AntisubmarineSquadron Light Four-Six Jacksonville, Florida * Ive been in the U.S. Navy for 27 years, most of those spent at sea, and training young men and women to become warriors in the worlds greatest navy. I currently weigh 160 pounds at 6% bodyfat, but joined the Navy at 125 pounds and a much higher bodyfat percentage. Heres my “old sailors” story: Over the years Ive enjoyed MFs articles and advanced workout information, all of which helped me maintain a fitness lifestyle that ties into my spiritual fitness. I believe in taking care of myself physically and spiritually in my Christian faith, and I continue to grow in both areas.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of tribute
bands playing the music of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Led
Zeppelin, U2, and the other monsters of rock. But Crosby, Stills, Nash,
Young? Next to none.
Arguably the biggest band in the world in the late-60s after the demise of
the Beatles, the songs of CSNY are remarkably hard to replicate, especially
the intricate 3- and 4-part harmonies that made the group international
superstars. But Marrakesh Express has managed to accomplish just that.
In addition to the vocal abilities of the four Marrakesh Express singers,
the band also looks the part: youthful musicians with an onstage hippie
vibe that gives their performances street cred and authenticity. The
combination of the beautiful, cascading harmonies and the late-60s visual
makes Marrakesh Express a rare and unique tribute to a band that was the
“voice of a generation” in one of historys — and musics — most
explosive periods.
“We really seem to have hit a nerve with this project,” said band manager
Mike Kucic. “Every concert has been extremely well attended and received.
The music of CSNY was more than just a soundtrack to the 60s. It spoke for
a generation of people. Weve had people crying during our performances,
remembering the 60s and either being nostalgic or still feeling the angst
that was prevalent in those days. We take these emotions seriously.”
The band primarily performs at festivals and theaters, and is excited to
bring the well-known songs of CSNY to younger fans with an interest, as
well as older fans who crave the nostalgic aspect.
BioTech Medics, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: BMCS)
announced today that they will be represented at the European/Global Beauty
Care Presentation February 28-March 3 in Barcelona, Spain. The purpose of
the program will be for the presentation and review of SHBAN Alcohol Free
Hand Sanitizer as a new product, marketing initiatives and promotional
opportunities primarily between European Beauty Care manufacturers,
retailers and distributors.
“This event is unique in that it consists of one-on-one meeting sessions
scheduled with over 50 major European Suppliers and Buyers, their top
executives and CEOs to review personally our new SHBAN Alcohol Free Hand
Sanitizer to consider promoting, marketing and/or distributing SHBAN
throughout Europe,” said Keith Houser, BioTechs CEO.
“These 20 minute or longer meetings take place in SHBANs private suite.
These meetings replace cold call sales presentations in the buyers
office saving time and money,” said Mr. Houser. “During each session, both
parties indicate their level of interest and follow up with scheduled
private evening negotiation sessions. We are excited about this event and
anticipate that BioTech will receive several offers from major distributors
in Europe to represent and carry SHBAN.”
SHBAN has been tested extensively for over 12 years. SHBAN was invented by
Edward J. Cragoe, Jr. PhD. who has invented over 19 drugs in his career.
SHBAN has been independently clinically proven to kill the H1N1 (Swine)
Influenza A virus. SHBAN has been evaluated for its antimicrobial
properties against MRSA, Staph. Aureus, Staph. Epidermidis, EC. Faecalis,
E. Coli and Ps. Aeruginosa.
SHBAN is a bio-degradable product superior to most anti-bacterial
antiseptics because 1) SHBAN is longer lasting, SHBAN does not evaporate
within 15 seconds after application and cease working (like alcohol gels);
2) SHBAN is non-toxic when used as directed on humans (over 22,000 alcohol
poisoning calls have been placed to the Poison Control Center within the
past 3 years); 3) SHBAN is non-staining; 4) SHBAN is non-flammable and 5)
SHBAN has no toxic odors. Most hand sanitizer products cannot make all of
these claims.
Ewire — You may think Peyton Manning or
Mark Sanchez were the stars of the AFC Championship game, but another
undeniable star shone brightly that Sunday. the celebrity bald eagle
Challenger.
The majestic “human-socialized” bird joined 2007 American Idol winner
Jordin Sparks and over a hundred American soldiers holding a field-sized
U.S. flag during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. He didnt
squander one moment of his 50 seconds before the sold-out crowd at Lucas
Oil Stadium and throngs of viewers on national CBS television.
In fact, the famous eagle performed a spectacular and flawless
soul-stirring flight that helped draw thunderous applause and elicit
patriotic goose bumps, complementing the beauty and power of Ms. Sparks
vocals.
Shortly after the Anthem ended, Challenger landed perfectly on the gloved
hand of American Eagle Foundation Founder President Al Cecere, which
generated the eagles very own standing ovation.
When asked by a number of sports fans if Challenger is going to Super Bowl
XLIV, Cecere answered: “As it stands right now, weve not been invited, but
would certainly jump at the chance to represent America and salute our
brave military. Weve offered Challengers services to the bowl organizers
in previous years without success.”
IN EARLY August, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos, known to his neighbors as Panfilo, consumed a large amount of alcohol and went for a stroll in Havana. Upon encountering a foreign documentary team–in Cuba to produce a film about the local music scene–the well-lubricated Panfilo jumped into the cameramans shot with a slurred but serious message for foreign viewers. “What we need here is a little bit of jama,” he bellowed, employing a colloquial Spanish term for food. “We need food. Were hungry here. Listen to what Panfilo tells you from Cuba. Food.” The video was later uploaded to YouTube, where, as of this writing, half a million people have watched it. A few days later, after Panfilo mania gripped the Cuban exile community, a second video appeared, this time on Cuban state television. In a scene that seemed plucked from an Arthur Koestler novel, a sober Gonzalez Marcos, looking agitated and depressed, performed a ritual retraction for his fellow citizens.
IN EARLY August, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos, known to his neighbors as Panfilo, consumed a large amount of alcohol and went for a stroll in Havana. Upon encountering a foreign documentary team–in Cuba to produce a film about the local music scene–the well-lubricated Panfilo jumped into the cameramans shot with a slurred but serious message for foreign viewers. “What we need here is a little bit of jama,” he bellowed, employing a colloquial Spanish term for food. “We need food. Were hungry here. Listen to what Panfilo tells you from Cuba. Food.” The video was later uploaded to YouTube, where, as of this writing, half a million people have watched it. A few days later, after Panfilo mania gripped the Cuban exile community, a second video appeared, this time on Cuban state television. In a scene that seemed plucked from an Arthur Koestler novel, a sober Gonzalez Marcos, looking agitated and depressed, performed a ritual retraction for his fellow citizens.
THINK: What types of food, drink, and habits might damage teeth? What can people do to keep their teeth healthy and strong? PREDICT: Dentists recommend brushing teeth at least twice daily to keep food and bacteria from building up. Brushing prevents discolored teeth and cavities. An eggshell is made from a substance similar to tooth enamel, the hard covering that protects teeth. What would happen if an eggshell were left in soda overnight?
NEW YORK — Despite performance improvements late last year, loss frequency will
remain heightened for U.S. prime auto ABS in 2010 with unemployment
expected to remain in the 10% range for much of 2010, according to Fitch
Ratings.
After hitting record highs in 2009, U.S. prime auto loan ABS loss rates
posted improvements in the final months of last year. Prime annualized
net losses (ANL) were at 1.52% in December 2009, a 6% improvement
compared to November. On an annual basis, loss levels have improved 23%
against December 2008, supported by improving and stable used vehicle
values which drove recovery rates higher throughout most of 2009.
December posted the fourth consecutive year-over-year improvement in ANL.
Prime auto loan ABS exhibited solid rating performance in 2009, despite
declining asset performance and elevated loss levels. Fitch issued 33
rating upgrades in 2009 versus 36 in 2008. There were six prime
downgrades issued on just two transactions in 2009, virtually unchanged
compared to 2008. Stable ratings performance is attributed to several
features present in auto loan ABS including transaction loss proxies
being derived utilizing performance data from the weakest performing
vintages (2007 and 2008); and structural features including quick
amortization along with building credit enhancement levels.
Fitch expects both delinquency and losses to improve in the first
quarter of 2010 driven solely by seasonal patterns. Workers getting
back to work from the holidays, bonuses, and also tax refunds and
rebates all aid consumers during the first few months of the year, said
Senior Director Hylton Heard.
Fitch believes that loss severity will be less of a factor in 2010, as
the new and used vehicle markets adjusted capacity by severely cutting
production levels and thus reducing supply into the used vehicle market.
Risks that could drive loss severity higher in 2010 include weakness at
the manufacturer level, which would then affect brand values and
ultimately depress recovery rates on defaulted loans.
AT THE END of October, the White House released figures claiming that money from the $787 billion stimulus package pushed by President Obama had “created or saved” 640,000 jobs. A closer look suggests that the number was inflated dramatically by human error, confusing federal forms, double counting, and dubious assumptions. In Wisconsin, for example, $7.3 million was allocated to the Parkland Sanitary District for work that will not begin until spring. That money is credited with 100 jobs. The correct figure was five jobs. District treasurer Eric Shaffer filled out the form incorrectly, writing down 50; that number was then counted twice, since the money was part grant and part loan. “We are volunteers, and we made a mistake,” Shaffer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
NEW YORK — Despite performance improvements late last year, loss frequency will
remain heightened for U.S. prime auto ABS in 2010 with unemployment
expected to remain in the 10% range for much of 2010, according to Fitch
Ratings.
After hitting record highs in 2009, U.S. prime auto loan ABS loss rates
posted improvements in the final months of last year. Prime annualized
net losses (ANL) were at 1.52% in December 2009, a 6% improvement
compared to November. On an annual basis, loss levels have improved 23%
against December 2008, supported by improving and stable used vehicle
values which drove recovery rates higher throughout most of 2009.
December posted the fourth consecutive year-over-year improvement in ANL.
Prime auto loan ABS exhibited solid rating performance in 2009, despite
declining asset performance and elevated loss levels. Fitch issued 33
rating upgrades in 2009 versus 36 in 2008. There were six prime
downgrades issued on just two transactions in 2009, virtually unchanged
compared to 2008. Stable ratings performance is attributed to several
features present in auto loan ABS including transaction loss proxies
being derived utilizing performance data from the weakest performing
vintages (2007 and 2008); and structural features including quick
amortization along with building credit enhancement levels.
Fitch expects both delinquency and losses to improve in the first
quarter of 2010 driven solely by seasonal patterns. Workers getting
back to work from the holidays, bonuses, and also tax refunds and
rebates all aid consumers during the first few months of the year, said
Senior Director Hylton Heard.
Fitch believes that loss severity will be less of a factor in 2010, as
the new and used vehicle markets adjusted capacity by severely cutting
production levels and thus reducing supply into the used vehicle market.
Risks that could drive loss severity higher in 2010 include weakness at
the manufacturer level, which would then affect brand values and
ultimately depress recovery rates on defaulted loans.
Historic Leader of State Assembly Supports Democrat Ricardo Lara for
Assembly
LOS ANGELES — Democrat Ricardo Lara achieved another groundbreaking milestone today
when he received the endorsement of Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass
in his campaign for State Assembly.
In her historic tenure as the first African-American woman in U.S.
history to serve as Speaker of a state Assembly, Speaker Karen Bass has
established a legacy of ably shepherding the state through the worst
economic crisis in decades.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the endorsement of Speaker Bass,”
said Ricardo Lara. “We both have worked in our communities to empower
people to effect change at the local level.”
“These are difficult times,” Lara added. “But as Speaker Bass has said
herself, our tough decisions must be smart decisions. We must provide
for our seniors, the disabled and our children while growing our economy
by putting people to work.”
ALAMO — A woman and her daughter escaped serious injury Thursday after a stuck accelerator sent their SUV barreling backward across the street and through a neighbors living room, then charging forward into their own garage, authorities said. The twin crashes occurred about 10 a.m. in the 1400 block of Entrada Verde. The woman driving the BMW vehicle and her daughter were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. No one was home at the house across the street, which fire officials said was rendered uninhabitable. Mary Lou Alexander, the neighbor who lives in the damaged home, was teaching preschool in Danville when she got a call about the crashes, which left debris, chunks of wrecked drywall and a panel from the SUV littering her front lawn. Alexander said she was more focused on the fact that her neighbors came out of the ordeal in good shape.
VANCOUVER NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sun Entertainment Holding Corporation (TSX VENTURE:SED.V) (OTC:SETHF)
wishes to advise that Shelby Singleton, former Chairman of the Company,
will be honored in the “In Memoriam” segment of the 52nd
Grammy Awards, which air live on CBS on January 31st. The
Recording Academy is paying tribute to the men and women that passed
away in the last year, by acknowledging their impact on the music
industry.
Sun Entertainment Corporation (SEC), based in Nashville, Tennessee, is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Entertainment Holding Corporation (SEHC),
a publicly traded entity. SEHC/SEC owns the trademarks associated with
the legendary Sun Records label that originated in Memphis, Tennessee
with producer Sam Phillips. The Company, internationally recognized for
rock-n-roll and the evolution of rockabilly is involved in merchandising
and management of its vast catalog of approximately 8000 master
recordings, with artists including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl
Perkins, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty, Elvis Presley and others.
The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved this
announcement
For 75 Cents, Readers Can Fight Heart Disease In Women
CHICAGO — The Chicago Sun-Times, the city’s most-read daily newspaper, is proud to
announce that on February 5, 2010, it will donate a portion of all
individual newspaper sales to Go Red for Women, the American Heart
Association’s national movement that raises awareness and seeks ways to
fight heart disease, the No. 1 killer of American women.
The Chicago Sun-Times will donate 10 cents for each paper purchased from
retailers, street vendors, or newspaper boxes that day at the regular
newsstand price of 75 cents, and intends to make a minimum commitment of
$12,250 to a maximum of $15,000 to Go Red for Women. What’s more, copies
of the newspaper can be pre-ordered by Sun-Times advertisers, Chicago
area companies and American Heart Association partners for the retail
price of just 75 cents, with 10 cents of each sale donated to Go Red for
Women as well. Companies that want to support Go Red for Women by
pre-ordering papers to give to customers or employees should contact
Kristen Davis at (312) 321-2163. Orders must be placed by Monday,
February 1, 2010.
“The Chicago Sun-Times is delighted to partner with Go Red for Women and
the American Heart Association to support this very important and
worthwhile cause,” said Barbara Swanson, Sun-Times Media Senior Vice
President of Advertising and Marketing. “February 5 is ‘National Wear
Red Day,’ and a perfect day to raise awareness by donating a portion of
our newspaper sales and support the American Heart Association in its
mission.”
Office Liquidators, Colorados largest
provider of new, used and refurbished office furniture, today announced the
details of its plans to donate $35,000 worth of furniture and related
services for Denver-area, non-profit organizations.
Nominees will be judged on the basis of their devotion to ethical business
practices in pursuit of the non-profits mission, on the positive influence
the organization has made on the community, and on the organizations need
for efficient office space. Winners will be determined by public vote and a
panel of judges including Former Colorado First Lady Frances Owens, KCNC-TV
news anchor Jim Benemann, Denver Post business columnist Penny Parker,
Gensler Principal Linda Nelson and Colorado Business Bank President Andy
Bacon.
“So many charitable organizations are doing so much with so little in this
economy, Office Liquidators is eager to help advance their good causes,”
said Dennis Meyer, CEO and founder of Office Liquidators. “Our goal is to
provide the office settings that will make these organizations more
productive, and we anticipate that the Office Liquidators Office Makeover
will become an annual event.”
Office Liquidators and contest co-sponsors The HON Company and Allsteel Inc.
encourage any Denver-area 501(c)3 organization to direct its members,
volunteers, donors, patrons, staff, etc. to go to the Office Liquidators
website and complete the nomination form. Anyone with knowledge of the
organizations good works is eligible to make the nomination, beginning
tomorrow.
B Green Innovations, Inc. (OTCBB: BGNN)
announced today that MEGA Group USA has created a special introductory
offer on “VibeAway” to all MEGA Group USA members; “Recycling the planet
one product at a time.”
MEGA Group USA stores will market the “VibeAway” through its members
across the United States. MEGA Group USA members will promote the
“VibeAway” to customers seeking an environmentally responsible solution to
an age old problem of walking, vibrating and shaking washing machines; the
innovative design of the “VibeAway” provides a unique solution for this
problem.
About B Green Innovations:
The B Green Innovations, Inc. (”B Green”), “Go Green” mission from its
inception, is to create a “Green” company for the development of solutions
to eliminate waste from the worlds environment. B Green offers consumers
a realistic and necessary solution to the problem of waste around the
world. We believe that to truly have an impact on the planet, one must be
committed to the environment and seek out environmentally friendly
products.
Office Liquidators, Colorados largest
provider of new, used and refurbished office furniture, today announced the
details of its plans to donate $35,000 worth of furniture and related
services for Denver-area, non-profit organizations.
Nominees will be judged on the basis of their devotion to ethical business
practices in pursuit of the non-profits mission, on the positive influence
the organization has made on the community, and on the organizations need
for efficient office space. Winners will be determined by public vote and a
panel of judges including Former Colorado First Lady Frances Owens, KCNC-TV
news anchor Jim Benemann, Denver Post business columnist Penny Parker,
Gensler Principal Linda Nelson and Colorado Business Bank President Andy
Bacon.
“So many charitable organizations are doing so much with so little in this
economy, Office Liquidators is eager to help advance their good causes,”
said Dennis Meyer, CEO and founder of Office Liquidators. “Our goal is to
provide the office settings that will make these organizations more
productive, and we anticipate that the Office Liquidators Office Makeover
will become an annual event.”
Office Liquidators and contest co-sponsors The HON Company and Allsteel Inc.
encourage any Denver-area 501(c)3 organization to direct its members,
volunteers, donors, patrons, staff, etc. to go to the Office Liquidators
website and complete the nomination form. Anyone with knowledge of the
organizations good works is eligible to make the nomination, beginning
tomorrow.
The Rusnak Auto Group is proud to report that
Rusnak Pasadena Porsche has been named the highest volume dealership for
Certified Pre Owned Porsche sales in North America. “We went into 2009 with
a clear focus of putting the customer experience first,” said General
Manager, Mark Umutyan. “Clearly, that focus has paid off.”
Certified Pre Owned vehicles from Porsche or “Porsche Approved” must go
through a 100 point mechanical and cosmetic inspection under the strictest
quality control criteria. In a year when the economy challenged many
customers, the appeal of such Certified Pre Owned vehicles rose. Rusnak
captured a larger share relative to surrounding dealerships by paying
attention to minor details across all aspects of operations. “Everyone from
our master technicians to our fantastic sales associates contributed to
this result. Im incredibly proud of our entire team,” added Umutyan.
While other retailers cut back in the face of a difficult economy, the
Rusnak organization put more emphasis on customer service across each of
their nine manufacturers which also includes Audi, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar,
Maybach, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce and Volvo. Across the entire
organization, nearly every group made gains over the competition relative
to market share.
Any of the 7 San Antonio and Austin area Car-X Auto Service locations
offer complete safety inspections that include checking the condition of
tires, brakes, suspension, lighting, wipers, etc. Car-X also provides
full scheduled vehicle maintenance services to help keep your car
running as smoothly as the day you bought it. From belts to batteries,
brake jobs to wheel alignments, exhaust to air conditioners, suspension
systems to filters, regular visits to Car-X Auto Service whose
technicians who are trained, tested and top of the line, will help
prevent costly repairs to your car, van, light truck or SUV.
Car-X Auto Service was founded in 1971 by a group of enterprising and
experienced muffler shop owners. During the early years, Car-X was
primarily an exhaust specialist. But today, due to our 24/7 non-stop,
fast paced world, we’ve adapted to providing just about any automotive
repair you can imagine. We continue to evaluate our position and
business and add products and services that are comparable to today’s
auto repair climate.
Car-X Auto Service has 173 locations and has built a reputation on
exceptional customer satisfaction. In fact, Car-X Auto Service was
ranked the #1 automotive services franchise by Success Magazine.
Palomar Technologies, a world-leading provider
of
microelectronics and optoelectronic packaging systems, announced today that is has
recorded its third straight year of increased revenue and profitability.
Palomars systems and contract assembly services include high precision wire
bonding , complex hybrid packaging, and high accuracy die attach
solutions.
Bruce W. Hueners, President CEO, stated, “As a credit to the employees of
Palomar, the company has maintained measured growth the last 3 years in a
difficult economic environment while sustaining high operational
efficiency.” The company is based in Carlsbad, CA and has offices in
Germany and Singapore and a staff of service technicians located around the
world.
Palomar Technologies is formerly a division of Hughes Aircrafts Industrial
Products Division. For decades, Hughes led the world in avionics and
satellite communication innovation and technology products. Hughes Aircraft
was the first company to develop the first working prototypes of what are
now wire bonders and die bonders (Palomars core product). Palomar has
continued the Hughes legacy of expertise in complex, high reliability and
high power packaging applications, mostly found in the aerospace, defense,
medical, RF and optoelectronic industries.
Palomar
Microelectronics , based in Palomars southern California facilities, is
the development, test, and contract assembly division of Palomar
Technologies. Contract assembly and manufacturing has proved an ideal
solution for customers worldwide in need of immediate production of parts
and
micro-optoelectronic packages while their customized wire and die bonding
systems are being built. Start-ups and cash-strapped companies also benefit
by getting scalable production accomplished while keeping capital costs
low. Palomar retains significant clean room space and equipment to service
its customers.
SAN DIEGO — SMS
Technologies, Inc. announces that it has won the 2009 Supplier
Excellence Alliance (SEA) Aerospace Defense Industry Supply Chain
Award in the Supply Chain Innovation award category. SMS
Technologies is an electronics contract manufacturer providing services
from prototyping through volume manufacturing for customers in many
industries, including aerospace and defense.
Judging was based on:
SEA is an aerospace and defense alliance led by sub-tier suppliers
committed to accelerating supply chain performance. It provides a
turnkey system for supplier development targeted to mid-tier aerospace
and defense customers and provides an industry voice for suppliers on
issues affecting supply chain performance. The SEA awards recognize the
performance and leadership contributions of suppliers, primes, and
tier-one companies providing services and product to the aerospace and
defense industry. Awards were announced on November 11, 2009 in Indian
Wells, California.
TEMPE, Ariz. — The U.S. Department of Commerce recently completed its annual adjustment
to the seasonal factors used in the monthly Institute for Supply
Management™(ISM) Manufacturing Report On Business®
and the monthly Institute for Supply Management™ (ISM)
Non-Manufacturing Report On Business®.
Economists and managers who track these indexes will note these
changes are effective with the January 2010 ISM Manufacturing
Report On Business®, which is scheduled
to be released on February 1, 2010, and the January 2010 ISM Non-Manufacturing
Report On Business®, which will be
released on February 3, 2010.
Seasonal adjustment factors are used to allow for the effects of
repetitive intra-year variations resulting primarily from normal
differences in weather conditions, various institutional arrangements,
and differences attributable to non-movable holidays. It is standard
practice to project the seasonal adjustment factors used to calculate
the indexes a year ahead (2010).
The X12-ARIMA program was used to develop the revisions to the indexes
for 2006 through 2009 as well as the 2010 projected seasonal factors for
Manufacturing. For the Non-Manufacturing Report, these indexes have been
revised from 2006 through 2009 also. The 2010 seasonal factors will be
recomputed when the actual data are known in early 2011. Projected
seasonal factors for 2010 and revised seasonally adjusted indexes are
shown below.
Multi-Year Supply Agreement to Drive High-Quality Seed Supply
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Fluidigm Corporation today announced it has entered into a multi-year
agreement with Bayer CropScience to supply integrated fluidic circuits
(IFCs) and instrumentation to Bayer CropSciences global operations.
Bayer CropScience will be using Fluidigm technology to conduct
marker-assisted breeding, genetic analysis in its molecular breeding
program and quality control on its vegetable seeds.
“Fluidigm is delighted to be a global supplier to Bayer CropScience. Our
technology is perfectly suited to help them develop and take-to-market
the highest-quality seeds for field and vegetable crops,” said Gajus
Worthington, president and chief executive officer of Fluidigm. “We are
committed to helping Bayer CropScience meet the ever-increasing demands
for high-quality food supplies throughout the world.”
While many seed producers are using molecular breeding techniques, the
capacity of the available test systems has been limited. Fluidigm’s
technology increases output more than ten-fold and reduces the
cost-per-data point to a mere fraction obtainable with standard 384 well
plates for “high-throughput” genotyping. “Until recently, breeders
throughout the world could only dream of such a technique, yet now
Fluidigm is making this a reality,” Worthington explained.
Fluidigm provides molecular breeders with BioMark™ and EP1™ systems,
along with Fluidigms microfluidic-based Dynamic Array™ IFCs to provide
superior data quality, a fast and easy workflow, and significantly
higher throughput and cost savings for high-throughput SNP genotyping
studies.
Circle of Health International (COHI), a global
non-profit organization focusing on womens health, announced today that
its second womens health team has arrived in response to the earthquake in
Haiti. This team comprised of one certified nurse midwife, one
MISP-certified physician, and an epidemiologist, has joined the four other
COHI volunteers already working in and around Fonds Parisien, Haiti. UNFPA,
the United Nations Population Fund has estimated that there are 63,000
pregnant women among the survivors of the earthquake, and has recognized
COHIs expertise in preventing more maternal deaths in crisis situations.
Before the earthquake, Haiti suffered from the highest maternal mortality
rate in the Western hemisphere, with 607 women per 100,000 dying in
childbirth.
The COHI team, comprised of midwives and other womens health providers and
public health professionals, will conduct a Rapid Health Assessment to
gather information about the most pressing womens health concerns, provide
desperately needed clinical services, and liaise with other relief agencies
and organizations on the ground to make sure that womens health needs are
addressed as part of the overall relief effort. They will also lay the
groundwork for future COHI teams to continue this important work on behalf
of women. In addition, a second COHI team will be leaving shortly to aid
efforts in Haiti. As the international community acts to bring relief to
the disaster-torn island, COHI is using their expertise to include womens
health needs as an integral part of the overall relief effort, doing their
best to ensure that the devastating earthquake in Haiti does not have a
similarly devastating effect on womens health in the region.
CONCORD — A woman reported missing from a nursing home over the weekend was found dead this morning about three miles away from the facility, police said. Rosemary Nelson, 63, was discovered by police officers about 8 a.m. in a small culvert near Willow Pass Road east of Lynwood Drive, three days after she was reported missing. She was in a location that was difficult to see from the roadway, police said. The coroners office confirmed her identity and determined that she likely died from exposure. Anyone with information about Nelsons disappearance can contact police at 925-671-3333.
Engineering Firm Enhances Technology Service Capabilities
SAN FRANCISCO — Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M NLB), one of the nation’s premier
engineering consulting and design firms, announces the addition of Cliff
West, RCDD, as Chief Technology Engineer to the San Francisco office to
enhance the firm’s Technology service capabilities.
With over 15 years of experience in low voltage and technology
infrastructure design, Cliff’s experience includes voice/data,
audio-video, security, CATV, Nurse Call, Wide Area and Local Area
Network design, as well as electronic medical records systems. A
Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD), Cliff has
participated in over 150 projects in various markets, including
hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, medical office
buildings and data centers. Some of his noteworthy work examples include
low-voltage systems design for a $70 million, six-story tower for Kadlec
Medical Center in Richland, Washington, and complete systems design for
a $40 million, 82,000-square-foot critical access hospital in Craig,
Colorado.
“When Cliff told us he was willing to move to one of our California
offices, we jumped at the opportunity. Having Cliff here really fills
out our Technology Consulting team, and, together with our other
Northern California staff, starts to build a unique center of excellence
here. We are very fortunate to have many people of Cliffs caliber, and
we are delighted to welcome him to our San Francisco office,” said M NLB
CEO, Walter Vernon.
“The scene is Capitol Hill. Its the year 2035. Thousands of elderly protesters assemble outside the Capitol building. Inside, the House Ways and Means Committee meets to enact huge cuts in both Medicare and the national health insurance program.” That is the opening of “The Medicare Monster,” a reason article from January 1993; authors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson highlighted predictions of Medicares impending fiscal insolvency to warn against the push for government-run health care. Substitute 2017 for 2035, and you could write the scene today. Hayward and Petersons cautionary tale pointed out that Medicare costs had been dramatically underestimated from the inception of the program in 1966. Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. A “conservative” estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee in 1966 projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual 1990 cost was nearly nine times more: $107 billion. Today Medicare costs $408 billion, consuming about 13 percent of the total federal budget. Since 1993 projections about Medicares eventual date of bankruptcy have oscillated considerably. In 1997 the Medicare Trustees projected that its hospital fund would be depleted by the middle of 2000. Fiscal collapse was avoided when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed what amounted to price controls on physicians and hospitals. As a consequence, in 2000 the Medicare Trustees sunnily projected that the program would be solvent through 2029. Nine years later, the latest Medicare Trustees report projects that the hospital fund (Part A) will be depleted by 2017. The trustees assert that bringing it into actuarial balance during the next 75 years will require either immediately raising the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent or cutting current benefits by 53 percent. Medicare Part B, which pays for outpatient care and doctor bills, and the recently added Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, are “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet next years expected costs.” Translation: About 75 percent of Medicare funds spent on doctors and drugs come from general tax revenue.
You Can Be the Next Progressive Insurance Superstore ‘Employee’ to
Appear in a National Ad with Flo
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — As tricked-out name tags, retro hair styles, and “I ♥ Insurance” buttons
sweep the nation, you can compete for a spot alongside Progressive’s
helpful insurance expert, Flo, to appear in a national advertisement.
“Flo-helper-hopefuls” can try out in person at:
“It’s been really busy in our Superstore and I’m psyched to have an
extra pair of hands to help all of my friends, I mean, our customers,”
said Flo, Progressive’s always-happy-to-help insurance clerk. “If you’re
friendly, hard working, and love insurance—after all, who doesn’t—try
out!”
THE House and Senate have now each passed a health-care bill. It remains to be seen whether they can agree to pass the same one, especially since their negotiations will take place amid public hostility to the entire enterprise. The Senate bill is likely to provide the template for the negotiations. To the dismay of the Left, it lacks a new government-run insurer. Instead it imposes on the industry a new business model that could never survive in a free market and makes up for the imposition by forcing Americans to buy its products. As far as we can tell, the only reason to carry out this maneuver is to have an industry that can be called “private” while actually acting as an agency of the government. The industrys products will be more expensive, and its profits pure waste. Both bills expand Medicaid, ensuring that many Americans–some of whom lack health insurance and some of whom have good insurance–will now have low-quality insurance that many doctors refuse to take. They will also cut Medicare, crippling its popular private-sector elements and inducing doctors and hospitals to turn down Medicare patients, too. One of the Mayo clinics, touted by President Obama as a model for reform, has announced already that it will not be accepting Medicare payments because it does not want to accept Medicare price controls. Both bills include mandates on employers that are guaranteed to reduce hiring, wages, or both. Scores of House Democrats have pledged to vote down any bill that lacks a government-run insurer. We will now see whether they are as good as their word or their threats are empty. Pro-life Democrats in the House may also be tested, since the Senate bill provides federal funding to help people buy abortion coverage.
BRITISH heavyweight prospect Tyson Fury proved his fitness for a return to the ring with a savage sparring performance. Fury, widely tipped as a future world champion, has been sidelined for four months with a hand injury. But after battering Midlands Area champion Lee Swaby, the 6ft 9in 21-year-old (right) is ready to make his comeback Stateside in Connecticut on Friday. Swaby was given a brutal and merciless beating by Tyson in a sixround sparring session. The British No.15 left the Manchester gym bloodied and nursing a smashed nose.
ALAN WILEY will make a dramatic return to Old Trafford for the explosive Carling Cup visit of Manchester City. Wiley, the ref branded not fit enough by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, and condemned by City for playing enough added time to allow United to to grab the last-ditch winner in their 4-3 Premier League triumph, will be the fourth official on Wednesday. Last week Wiley was the ref who decided William Gallass challenge on Boltons Mark Davies did not merit an automatic red card. According to Wiley it was just “a coming together” of players. Before yesterdays games, Wileys disciplinary total read: 36 yellows for fouls; three cautions for persistent misconduct; three for time wasting; two for dissent; two for encroachment and one for removing a shirt.
At just 3 millimeters thick, the Champion Supersuit, which
will be tested this spring on Mount Everest, provides equal insulation,
greater mobility and superior wind resistance compared with a typical
40-millimeter-thick goose-down parka
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Champion Athletic Apparel has unveiled its final prototype of its Champion
Supersuit that will be the thinnest extreme-weather apparel gear ever
designed and tested at high altitude on Mount Everest.
The Champion Supersuit insulation is just 3 millimeters thick,
compared with a typical goose-down jacket thickness of 40 millimeters,
and uses a nanotechnology insulation layer and a proprietary radiant
warmth system. The result is a breakthrough ultrathin cold-weather
garment that is no thicker than a typical computer mouse pad but
provides equal insulating properties, greater mobility, and superior
wind resistance than typical extreme weather gear.
“The Champion Supersuit uses advanced technology to conserve,
capture and return heat unlike any other extreme-weather apparel
currently being used on Everest,” said Mike Abbott, director of research
and development for Hanesbrands Inc., the parent company of Champion apparel.
“It has been a rewarding research and development project. By developing
the Supersuit and other garment layers to be used on Everest, we have
identified new Champion products to roll out and new features and
enhancements to potentially add to our everyday line of Champion
Athletic Apparel.”
Champion is outfitting a Mount Everest climbing team led by
mountaineer Jamie Clarke with cutting-edge socks, base layer, insulating
layers, soft shell jackets and pants, hard shell jackets and pants, and
the Champion Supersuit. Clarke has been testing the gear and will
wear a one-piece full-body Supersuit on Everest in April and May to keep
him warm and mobile in the high winds and severe cold on the highest
reaches of the 29,035-foot mountain.
Be proud, Americans, because it is time for generosity, for heart- felt giving to the misery-plagued people of Haiti, and no one is better at this than we are. Once more were proving ourselves even to the extent of going high tech with text messaging that is reportedly producing something like $500,000 an hour. We know well come through not just because we have done it before, but because we are now seeing professional athletes, the current president, former presidents, Michelle Obama, community leaders and people in our own churches point to the suffering and appeal to our immense sympathy, and because we know we are not finally satisfied to let the government carry the load, as are great numbers of people in nations that are far more dependent on government for this, that and everything else. Look at foreign aid, and you note that we give more than anyone else in governmental and privately donated total amounts and that we especially come through after natural disasters. Some nations do give more aid per capita to foreign countries than we do even when you add in private giving, but some non-humanitarian foreign aid is little short of stupid — stolen by corrupt politicians, it does nothing more than buttress despotism — and no nation gives more per capita to all charities of all stripes than we do. One report has it that we give several times as much per capita as the French, who give twice as much as the Germans, who give twice as much as the Italians.
ITS a choice thousands find easy to make. the grey skies, snow and rain of Britain or endless sunshine, balmy temperatures and golden beaches of Down Under? Every year, 60,000 Britons emigrate to Australia and New Zealand in search of a new life. But does the land of milk and honey live up to its promise? The BBC1 show Wanted Down Under is tracking the progress of a number of families who have flown to the other side of the world. Each family spends a week renting a house there before telling host Nicki Chapman exactly what they think of their “new life”. “The cost of living has crept up and up and you currently get A$1.70 to the pound, the worst exchange rate in two decades. But petrol is much cheaper and internal flights a fraction of what they used to be.
DAVID Camerons attempt to win the votes of Britains families is in tatters, an exclusive Sunday Mirror poll reveals today. Our survey shows the Tories lead over Labour has slumped by four points after his flagship policy of tax breaks for married couples collapsed in chaos this week. But Mr Cameron will be equally alarmed at the views on his policies for ordinary families – one of the key battlegrounds ahead of the expected May 6 polling day. Our survey uncovered a furious reaction to the view held by many Tories that married couples make better parents.
Norwegian hospitals have received considerable
attention in the news media this month due to their successful anti-MRSA
efforts, and this coverage could be helpful to the diagnostics industry,
according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information.
Norways strict limit on antibiotic use has resulted in far less cases of
the methycillin-resistant streptococci infections that kill an estimated
19,000 patients in U.S. hospitals each year, and some observers are
wondering if the U.S. healthcare system could reduce those cases by
replicating the Scandinavian countrys control program.
MRSA represents over 65% of hospital staph infections in the US and 44% in
the UK, but only 1% in Norway. According to major press reports, this is
due to Norways practice of limiting antibiotic use and instead isolating
infected patients and healthcare providers. Kalorama Information believes
this success story is an example that bolsters the diagnostic industrys
case that its products are cost-cutters, and if it were implemented even
partially in the US, makers would see increased demand for testing
products.
“Once you stop prescribing antibiotics broadly, as is the case in Norway
and other European countries, you need to test everyone to know who to
isolate,” said Carlson. “This has a cost, but the price of screening is
generally outweighed by the costs of the disease.”
Attempts to control MRSA have been made at individual hospitals. Beth
Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ and University of Maryland Medical
Center are among hospitals that have reported significantly reduced cases
with an increased screening program.
According to Kalorama Informations market research, there are a variety of
testing procedures for MRSA. Chromogenic growth media permit the selective
growth of MRSA bacteria and produce a colored colony that is easily
recognizable, with plates that generally cost four dollars. But the results
could take as long as two days, which may be too late for an isolation
strategy. A molecular test may cost five to six times as much as the
conventional test, but the results take only two to four hours. Cepheid,
Becton Dickinson and Roche Molecular are among the larger companies active
in molecular MRSA testing.
Websense, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBSN), a global
leader in unified
Web , data and
email security solutions, today introduced Defensio™ 2.0, which
analyzes and classifies user-generated content on Facebook to prevent the
posting of malicious and inappropriate content, and enhances the real-time
threat intelligence of the
Websense® Web Security Gateway . The release of Defensio 2.0 delivers
the industrys first and only security application designed for Facebook
that provides Facebook page owners real-time content and security analysis
of comments, wall posts, third party applications, links and other content
posted to their Facebook page. Whereas other security offerings are
designed to clean a users computer after it has been infected, Websense
worked with Facebook to create the first and only security application that
helps protect Facebook users from encountering malicious links,
inappropriate content, viruses or spam, and is the first application to do
so for both corporate and individual Facebook page owners.
The unique Web 2.0 threat detection and analysis conducted by Defensio is
incorporated into all Websense solutions, including the Websense Web
Security Gateway, so customers are protected from emerging threats and
malicious content before they spread beyond the social Web and become a
broader security concern. With the Defensio security application for
Facebook, Websense is the first and only security vendor able to integrate
into its security solutions the threat intelligence captured behind the
closed doors of private social networks — where many new threats first
emerge, incubate and spread.
“Other Web security technologies that try to address uncategorized Web 2.0
content using only virus signatures, URL reputation or categorization are
fundamentally flawed and limited,” said Dan Hubbard, chief technology
officer, Websense. “With the combination of the security intelligence
captured by Defensio and the real-time content analysis of Websense Web
Security Gateway, Websense users benefit from having early threat detection
sensors within the very fabric of the dynamic Web and the ability to
proactively identify and protect from new malware, emerging exploits or
potentially unwanted applications before they become a problem.”
Websense Web Security Gateway and Defensio analyze the links on the social
Web before users try to access them, gaining intelligence of the site as
well as the content and embedded links on it. Leveraging this threat
intelligence, Web Security Gateway customers benefit from finely tuned
real-time URL categorization, real-time content classification, and nine
points of reputation inspection — including property type, lexical and
search reputation, history, age, geography, neighboring properties and
more.
The problem of inappropriate content and malicious links is a growing
concern for businesses using Web 2.0 enabled sites. The recent Websense Web 2.0 at Work
survey identified that 95 percent of organizations allow access to Web
2.0 sites and 62 percent of IT managers think Web 2.0 is necessary to their
business. Yet, the same aspects that make Web 2.0 sites popular — the
ability for anyone to post and distribute content — also increase the risk
of encountering security threats. Facebook approved the Defensio security
application as part of its ongoing efforts to keep the site secure for both
organizational and individual users. The Defensio application helps
organizations protect their brand reputation and their “fans” from spam or
malicious content on their corporate Facebook pages, while at the same time
feeding valuable threat intelligence into Websense global security network
to enhance security for Websense Web Security Gateway customers.
BitDefender®, an award-winning provider
of innovative anti-malware security solutions, today warned of a new threat
following the flood of interest in the result of the January 19th
Massachusetts elections.
The day after his winning Senate campaign, nude pictures of Cosmopolitans
Sexiest Man of 1982 Scott Brown not only stirred womens imaginations, but
also got the interest of malware creators. The latter exploited the news to
spread a fake antivirus: Trojan.FakeAV.XP. Instead of spicy pictures, the
targeted user received messages of false infections on their computer and
prompts to buy a fake antivirus product.
This is the second attack to take advantage of sudden interest in Scott
Brown. The first was a massive wave of infections in the US due to
Trojan.FakeAV.ABT, Data provided by BitDefenders Real-Time Virus Reporting
System shows that in North America, the number of systems infected with
this Trojan increased just before the elections day (January 18th) by almost
8 percent, while the number of infected files rose by nearly 13 percent.
In the last two days, the number of infected systems also grew in locations
around the globe. In Canada, they increased by 62 percent on January 19th
and by 14 percent on January 20th. The same ascending trend for infections
was observed in the UK. The number of infected systems there grew by more
than 29 percent, while the number of the infected files grew by almost 53
percent. In France, the number of infected systems increased by 23 percent,
while the number of the infected files increased by about 32 percent. In
Romania, the numbers also climbed, with infected systems rising by more
than 11 percent.
The rogue antivirus resembles the program suite from the operating system.
Once onto the users system, it creates a start-up registry value,
“Enterprise Suite,” in order to run every time the operating system starts.
It damages the content of several systems files, delivering pop-up windows
with fake infections, while requiring the user to buy a license for it.
SATURDAY ADOPTIONS — 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — TVAR; Pleasanton Farmers Market, First and West Angela streets, Pleasanton; dogs/cats. — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. — Safe-Cat Foundation; Petsmart, 6960 Amador Plaza Road, Dublin; cats. — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. — ARF; Pyrenees Pets, 3440 Camino Tassajara, Danville; cats. — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. — Safe-Cat Foundation; Petco, 1170 Arnold Drive, Martinez; cats.
PUG RESCUE
Live and exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the most prestigious
soccer championship in Latin America
LOS ANGELES — Fox Sports en Español announced today the return of the Copa Santander
Libertadores, the most prestigious soccer championship in Latin America.
Fox Sports en Español’s live and exclusive game coverage begins on
Tuesday, January 26 at 6:00pm ET/3pm PT with the first preliminary round
match, featuring Club Atlético Colón (ARG) versus U. Católica (CHI). The
tournament encompasses over 100 matches, culminating with the two-part
final in August.
The Copa Santander Libertadores, a fixture in Fox Sports en Español’s
lineup since 2002, features 38 clubs from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil,
Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela, Uruguay, Colombia, Chile, Peru and
Bolivia. Headlining the roster are Mexico’s most storied teams,
including defending champions Estudiantes de Argentina, plus Chivas of
Guadalajara and San Luís. All matches will be telecast exclusively live
in Spanish on Fox Sports en Español.
“Fox Sports en Español is honored to bring its loyal audience exclusive
and live coverage of the most coveted club soccer tournament in the
continent,” said Raul de Quesada, Assistant General Manager and Senior
Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Creative Services for
Fox Sports en Español. “We take pride in our network’s commitment to
consistently bring fans the soccer action they love.”
Acclaimed commentator Raul Orvañanos will perform play-by-play duties
and Santiago Puente will call all matches. Well-known commentator
Alejandro Luna and former Mexican soccer goalkeeper Martin Zuñiga will
be on-hand to cover all major club tournaments on Fox Sports en Español,
including the Copa Santander Libertadores.
Kandi Technologies, Corp. (NASDAQ: KNDI), a
leading Chinese exporter of recreational vehicles and developer of the
“COCO” all electric LSV, which recently forged a China-based multi-company
Alliance to create Chinas first, large-scale electric vehicle (EV) model
city, today announced it has successfully raised $10,000,000 through the
issuance of senior convertible notes to two U.S. institutional investors.
Mr. Xiaoming Hu, Chairman and CEO of Kandi, stated, “We and our Alliance
partners are working at top speed to bring our vision of Chinas first
electric vehicle model city to fruition, and I am extremely pleased that,
right at the start, Kandi has attracted significant U.S. investor support
for our role in this revolutionary project.”
He added, “Kandi COCO vehicles with new, patented technology for easy
removal and replacement of batteries will be a key element in the startup
of this project, and I believe this funding strengthens our ability to meet
anticipated first stage vehicle production requirements while also pursuing
our legacy business.”
Description of Financing
As part of the private placement, on January 21, 2009, Kandi Technologies
issued 2-year senior convertible notes (”the Notes”) with an aggregate
principal amount of $10 million, which carry an initial conversion price of
$6.25 per share and pay interest at 6 percent per annum. Additionally,
investors in the private placement were granted 800,000 3-year warrants
with a strike price of $6.5625 per common share. Kandi may redeem the
Notes at 125% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest,
beginning on the six-month anniversary after the effectiveness of a
registration statement covering the underlying shares of common stock,
provided certain market price conditions are met. The Company is obligated
to file the registration statement sixty calendar days from the closing
date. Further information about the Notes and Warrants is available in the
Companys 8-K filed today with the Securities Exchange Commission (”the
SEC”).
LIVERMORE — Senior citizens and high school seniors will partner up in February to raise funds for community programs. The Seniors Helping Seniors dinner dance, sponsored by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Cresta Blanca Ballroom of the Robert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Ave. Seniors are invited to enjoy a night of dancing, socializing and dining with students from the Livermore High School Class of 2010. On the menu this year will be chicken breast in mushroom sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, caesar salad, a dinner roll and dessert. Students will provide entertainment.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: How does the moons gravity affect the tides? A: Every day, the water levels on Earths shores rise and fall in tides. The moons gravitational putt on Earth is the main cause of tides. Gravity is an invisible force with which objects pull at each other. As the moon circles Earth, its gravity tugs on Earths oceans beneath it, causing a watery bulge. Coasts that lie in the bulged area experience high water levels, or high tides. Coasts in bulge-free zones, beyond the putt of the moons gravity, get low tides. High tide and low tide occur twice each day.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Entertainment Properties Trust (NYSE:EPR) announced today that its
wholly owned subsidiary, Education Capital Solutions, has completed an
additional investment with Imagine Schools, Inc., one of the leading
operators of public charter schools in the country. The $48 million
transaction completes the $200 million in acquisitions contemplated by
the option agreement entered into with Imagine Schools in 2007.
This transaction added five new schools at a cost of approximately $44
million, and EPR committed to provide approximately $4 million in
expansion capital for two schools. The new schools contain over 357,000
square feet of educational space and have an enrollment in excess of
2,600 students. All of the Imagine schools owned by EPR, including those
in this tranche, are governed by a triple-net master lease with a 25
year primary term. The total portfolio now includes 27 public charter
schools located in nine states and the District of Columbia.
“This important transaction is the second of the two major uses of funds
described in our November 2009 common share offering. We are excited to
add to our public charter school portfolio and enthusiastic about the
prospects of Imagine and this investment category,” said David Brain,
Chief Executive Officer of Entertainment Properties Trust.
Green Bridge Technologies International, Inc.
(PINKSHEETS: GRBT) is pleased to announce that the Companys wholly owned
subsidiary Ecologix has entered into an agreement with Paramount Financial
Services to offer its customer financing and leasing arrangements for its
GPS product line.
Paramount Financial will be offering a number of financial alternatives for
the purchase equipment that typically ranges from $5,000 to $35,000
depending on the size of the fleet and the features included. Initial
sales are projected to be in the retro-fit market for fleets of buses and
trucks. Sales include GPS hardware and software to enable total fleet
management.
“By having a well established, experienced finance company that we can
refer customers to, we can assist them in acquiring the hardware they need
to begin saving money immediately and working their fleet more efficiently.
Leasing the equipment has many advantages, but the most important is that
it can preserve cash and spread the cost of ownership over a number of
years,” stated Leonard Baxter, CEO and President of Green Bridge
Technologies International, Inc.
WASHINGTON — Finkelstein Thompson LLP is investigating potential claims on behalf of
shareholders of Health Fitness Corporation (”Health Fitness” or the
“Company”) (NYSE Amex: FIT) arising from the Companys announcement of
its intent to be acquired by Trustmark Mutual Holding Company
(”Trustmark”).
On January 21, 2010, Health Fitness announced that Trustmark, through a
subsidiary, would initiate a tender offer to purchase all outstanding
shares of Health Fitness common stock for $8.78 per share in cash in a
transaction valued at $97 million. The Company announced that the tender
offer was expected to close in the first quarter of 2010.
The investigation is focused on the potential unfairness of the
consideration to be paid to Health Fitness shareholders as well as the
potential unfairness of the process by which Health Fitness’ Board of
Directors is addressing the transaction.
Finkelstein Thompson LLP has spent over three decades delivering
outstanding representation to institutional and individual clients in
financial litigation, and has been appointed as lead or co-lead counsel
in dozens of shareholder class actions. Indeed, the firm has served in
leadership roles in cases that have recovered over $1 billion for
investors and consumers.
Bob Evans (NASDAQ: BOBE) rang in the new year
with a brand new Fit from the Farm menu, which has
breakfast , lunch and dinner
meals to fit any lifestyle. All Fit from the Farm options list the
calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium levels for each item.
“Without compromising homestyle tastes, this new menu provides plenty of
options for our guests. Balanced eating is an everyday part of life,” said
Mary Cusick, Bob Evans senior vice president of marketing. “All the
nutritional details are listed directly on the menu.”
Based on an average 2,000 calorie daily allowance, all Fit from the Farm
dishes have:
KCMH Welcomes Pat Shehan as Chief Marketing Officer for KCM Insurance
Services
FRISCO, Texas — KCM HOLDINGS CORP. (OTC:KCMH) announced Pat Shehan as the Chief
Marketing Officer for its subsidiary KCM Insurance Services (KCMIS)
bringing strength and confidence in reaching the $5 million revenue
target for 2010. KCMIS plans to eventually be a publicly traded entity
further establishing investor value through KCMH’s unique incubation
model.
Pat Shehan has been in the insurance industry for over 19 years with
extensive experience in recruiting, training, managing and driving
performance of agents and management teams. Pat also boasts expertise in
operational infrastructure and marketing with an incredibly valuable
network of contacts and strategic alliances.
“My decision to join KCMH was largely due to the background of CEO
Donald Klein and his vision to take KCMIS public. I am extremely
confident that we will exceed our first year revenue goals in annualized
premiums,” states Pat Shehan
As CMO, Pat Shehan will work with other internal divisions and KCMH
ventures to combine solid industry best practices with innovative
marketing and training strategies including the use of social media and
GEENIUS, KCMH’s incubated patented knowledge transfer platform and
software company. KCMIS has already presented its unique approach to
industry excellence to large insurance providers with tremendously
favorable response. Additional agents are being added on a weekly basis
to ensure the company’s success.
KCMH Welcomes Pat Shehan as Chief Marketing Officer for KCM Insurance
Services
FRISCO, Texas — KCM HOLDINGS CORP. (OTC:KCMH) announced Pat Shehan as the Chief
Marketing Officer for its subsidiary KCM Insurance Services (KCMIS)
bringing strength and confidence in reaching the $5 million revenue
target for 2010. KCMIS plans to eventually be a publicly traded entity
further establishing investor value through KCMH’s unique incubation
model.
Pat Shehan has been in the insurance industry for over 19 years with
extensive experience in recruiting, training, managing and driving
performance of agents and management teams. Pat also boasts expertise in
operational infrastructure and marketing with an incredibly valuable
network of contacts and strategic alliances.
“My decision to join KCMH was largely due to the background of CEO
Donald Klein and his vision to take KCMIS public. I am extremely
confident that we will exceed our first year revenue goals in annualized
premiums,” states Pat Shehan
As CMO, Pat Shehan will work with other internal divisions and KCMH
ventures to combine solid industry best practices with innovative
marketing and training strategies including the use of social media and
GEENIUS, KCMH’s incubated patented knowledge transfer platform and
software company. KCMIS has already presented its unique approach to
industry excellence to large insurance providers with tremendously
favorable response. Additional agents are being added on a weekly basis
to ensure the company’s success.
Travel
Insurance and Assistance in Southern and Western Europe investigates
the market for stand-alone travel insurance and assistance in eight
countries in this region and is one of two studies published in July
2009 on the subject of travel insurance and assistance in Europe. This
market is estimated by Finaccord to have been worth euro1.69 billion in
gross written premiums in 2008, and has been growing in most of the
countries in the region. The market is also evolving rapidly in product
design and distribution, with new channels emerging and partnerships
with travel agents changing every year. Finaccord researched nearly 900
travel trade firms and over 400 banks across Southern and Western
Europe, in addition to interviewing travel insurers and analysing
company and market data to produce the most comprehensive and detailed
report yet published on this topic, including several countries which
have never been covered before in a published format.
The report looks at eight countries in Southern and Western Europe
(Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and
the UK), and is accompanied by a PartnerBASE database that details the
arrangements of more than 1,300 travel trade companies and banks for the
distribution of travel insurance and assistance.
Key features of this report include:
MINNEAPOLIS — As Super Bowl Sunday fast approaches, Buffalo Wild Wings Grill Bar®
(NASDAQ: BWLD) is preparing its restaurants for what has historically
been its biggest sales day of the year. During the countdown to kickoff,
sports fans and wing lovers alike will descend upon the sports grill and
bar’s more than 650 locations to satisfy their craving for wings while
enjoying the action on one of the restaurant’s dozens of HD big screens
and TVs. To complete the Game Day experience for lucky sports fans,
Buffalo Wild Wings will be running a variety of promotions including VIP
parties and its Best Seat in the House promotion, where guests can enter
a drawing for prime seating arrangements at participating locations
across the country.
On Super Bowl Sunday 2009, Buffalo Wild Wings sold more than 3.6 million
traditional bone-in wings and nearly 1.5 million boneless wings. The
Company expects even larger numbers this year, thanks to the addition of
over 90 restaurants since last year’s big game. To thank its devoted
wing lovers, on game day participating Buffalo Wild Wings will be
offering a special coupon, where guests can receive six free wings with
a purchase of 12 traditional wings, or four free boneless wings with the
purchase of eight boneless wings on their next visit. Takeout is
expected to make up almost half of all orders on game day, as wing
lovers swoop in to pick up their favorite flavors of wings to go. Guests
are encouraged to place their takeout orders early. Buffalo Wild Wings
locations are now accepting orders to ensure ample supply at all
restaurants.
“Super Bowl is a very exciting time for Buffalo Wild Wings every year,”
commented Sally Smith, president and CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings. “Our
guests love football and our restaurants are excited and well prepared
to handle the huge increase in demand for our wings on game day. The
Super Bowl is the culmination of months of football frenzy in our
restaurants and we are as excited as our guests to see who makes it to
the final game in Miami. Football and chicken wings go hand-in-hand for
a great game day experience. All of our restaurants across the country
will be ready to welcome sports fans and loyal guests through our doors
and arm them with plenty of wings to enjoy as they watch the action
unfold on screen.”
Buffalo Wild Wings begins working with its suppliers months in advance
to ensure each of its locations have more than enough fresh wings to
feed hungry fans on game day. The Company also tracks the playoffs to
determine which markets will need a larger supply based on which teams
continue to play and ultimately make it to Miami, and will shift
deliveries and place additional orders as necessary.
Buffalo Wild Wings will also have a presence in Miami, as the Super Bowl
marks the culmination of the Buffalo Wild Wings Fantasy Football
All-Star Blogger League, which pitted 12 of the nation’s top fantasy
football experts against each other in a unique battle of fantasy skill
and blogging will. The league’s commissioner, famed TV studio host and
football guru, Trey Wingo, will accompany the winning blogger, Sarah
Holladay, a.k.a. ‘The Fantasy Football Librarian’, to Miami to host an
in-restaurant event and attend the game to blog and tweet about the
experience to their loyal followers.
Five special ladies will infuse the reality
TV landscape with a new and uniquely thrilling atmosphere in “Boss Ladies”
(produced by Red Label Media Group), a new reality series that follows five
transgendered women on their collaborative journey to launch a clothing
boutique that features their fabulous breakout line.
In the show, the “boss ladies” must navigate the personal and professional
obstacles of the fashion and entertainment industries as they strive for
success under the guidance of fashion designers and former reality TV
stars. Viewers will follow the women on their dynamic entrepreneurial
journey from conception to completion — from brainstorming for their line
in Atlanta, moving to Los Angeles, and finally the much-anticipated opening
of a clothing boutique on Rodeo Drive. Along the way, the ladies will face
trials, tribulations and drama, in a reality TV adventure that is an
exciting hybrid of “The Real Housewives” and “Project Runway.”
Highlighting the womens unique personalities and showcasing their
exceptional talents while also providing a thrilling insider peak at the
fashion world, “Boss Ladies” is an exhilarating breath of fresh air in the
increasingly “seen-it-all-before” realm of reality TV. Stay tuned and brace
yourself for Americas newest and hottest reality show!
3D has been getting a lot of press in 2009 as the number of 3D films
shown in cinemas is increasing and consumer electronics manufacturers
prepare to offer 3D TV sets in 2010.
3D has been popular with film producers several times over the previous
century, only to have interest wane after a few years, so why will it
work this time? There will be a common format for home video in Blu-ray,
which along with 3D TV sets will offer a high-quality 3D experience. Due
to the availability of 3D TVs, content producers are boosting their
efforts to shoot and broadcast live events, particularly sports, in 3D.
Consumer electronics manufacturers will even bring 3D content creation
to the home with 3D camcorders and digital still cameras.
This report looks at the eco-system for 3D: 3D formats, 3D content,
consumer interest in 3D, transmitting 3D to the home, and 3D consumer
devices. Worldwide five-year forecasts for 3D channels, 3D TV set
shipments, ASPs, revenues by region, and 3D Blu-ray player shipments are
provided.
“Avatar” and Other 3D Movies Set the Stage for 3D TV Debut
We now have a score for the traditional New Years Eve car burnings in the banlieues–low-income-housing projects surrounding central Paris. The tally is 1,137, a tad below the 1,147 burnings reported last year. Impressive, nonetheless, in view of the fact that Frances interior ministry fielded 45,000 police during the night–10,000 more than a year ago.
CINCINNATI — Great American Insurance Group’s Fidelity and Crime Division proudly
celebrates fifteen years of serving the insurance industry. The Fidelity
and Crime Division has enjoyed growth since its inception in 1995 and is
currently the sixth largest writer of crime insurance in the United
States. With $40 million in available capacity, the Fidelity and Crime
Division provides coverage for mercantile, governmental and financial
institution entities and is a leading provider of specially tailored
niche insurance for armored car, gaming, security guards, check cashers
and program business. The Division offers the largest capacity for
kidnap, ransom and extortion coverage in the industry at $65 million.
Over the past fifteen years, the Fidelity and Crime Division has grown
by providing exceptional customer service and claims handling to its
valued customers. “We offer more than just an insurance policy to our
customers. We strive to meet their specific needs and to educate them
about their exposures. We do this by offering tailored products and loss
control engineering to help protect our customers from losses caused by
employees and outsiders,” explains Frank Scheckton, Jr., Divisional
President.
Headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, the Fidelity and Crime Division
has offices in New York City, Richmond, Virginia, Dallas, Texas,
Chicago, Illinois and Walnut Creek, California. Great American has a
team of dedicated claims professionals strategically located around the
country, who specialize in and handle only fidelity and crime claims.
Great American’s Fidelity and Crime Division offers its product through
a network of agents and brokers in all states and the District of
Columbia.
Access Plans, Inc. (OTCBB: ALHC), a leading
membership and insurance marketing company, announced that effective today
its stock trading symbol will change to “APNC” on the OTC Bulletin Board.
The Company recently changed its name from Alliance HealthCard, Inc. to
more accurately represent its business activities as a developer and
distributor of a wide range of membership plans, discount services,
discount healthcare programs and insurance plans.
The Company also announced the retirement of 1,856,401 shares of its stock
which were repurchased on October 27, 2009, related to a
previously-announced litigation settlement. This retirement reduces the
Companys outstanding shares to 19,777,304.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Starting Friday, Jan. 22 Sprint (NYSE: S) will advance 80 percent of the
funds of the mobile giving donations from its customers to the relief
efforts in the Republic of Haiti, with the remaining 20 percent to be
submitted under Sprint’s normal 30 to 90-day settlement cycle.
This advance payout will encompass all of the Haiti disaster relief
shortcodes in which Sprint has waived
standard text messaging fees, including the American Red Cross
International Response Fund.
Additionally, between now and Sunday, Jan. 31, Sprint is waiving all
fees and charges for Sprint customers sending text messages to and from
Haiti. During times of emergency, it has been shown that sending text
messages rather than calling is more reliable form of communications and
frees calling lines for critical communication between first responders,
other emergency personnel and aid workers. Waived text-messaging fees do
not apply to customers roaming on other networks.
“Sprint realizes the need for monetary resources and support for this
effort from our customers has been overwhelming,” said Ralph Reid, vice
president of corporate social responsibility for Sprint. “We want to
ensure customer contributions are put to immediate use and Sprint is
transferring these funds to bring relief to the people affected by the
earthquake in Haiti as quickly as possible.”
Since Jan. 12, Sprint customers have contributed more than $3.1 million
in mobile-giving donations to Haiti relief efforts and 100 percent of
all the money donated through texting is given to the respective
non-profit organizations.
PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (NYSE: PEI) today announced
that the tax status of the distributions paid per share during 2009 is
as follows:
The above reflects the total amounts of distributions paid by PREIT on
its outstanding common shares during 2009, which will be reported on IRS
Form 1099-DIV. Shareholders are required to include these amounts on
their Federal income tax returns and are encouraged to consult with
their tax advisors.
About Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust
AUCKLAND, New Zealand WOODINVILLE, Wash. — Villa Maria Estate and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates announced today that
the Woodinville, Washington-based company will become the New Zealand
winery’s exclusive U.S. importer effective January 19, 2010.
The strategic alliance includes management of U.S. sales, marketing and
communications programs, and both will explore global synergies between
the two companies which could include viticulture and winemaking
exchanges.
Villa Maria is New Zealand’s most acclaimed winery with an
internationally-recognized portfolio that spans varietal and price
segments. Sir George Fistonich founded the winery in 1961 when the New
Zealand fine wine industry was virtually non existent. His unparalleled
knowledge and leadership within the New Zealand wine industry has led to
the country’s status as the second fastest growing import category in
the U.S. at 23%. (A.C. Nielsen EQ 12/12/09)
Ste. Michelle President/CEO Ted Baseler considers Villa Maria’s
acclaimed wine portfolio to be well-positioned to capitalize on this
consumer demand and enjoy solid growth in the future.
“Consumers respond to brand authenticity, and George’s leadership in New
Zealand and his ongoing commitment to innovation and quality initiatives
are accomplishments that no other New Zealand winery can match,” Baseler
said.
What emerged from President Bushs determination to abolish the estate tax and congressional Democrats zeal to keep it was a phased and temporary reduction, with the rate dropping to zero in 2010 and then snapping back up. Congress briefly debated doing something about this perverse situation but could not reach an agreement.
THERE are two main dangers proceeding from the Obama administrations attempts to intervene in the mortgage market as a way to prop up housing prices: The first is that the program wont work, and the second is that it will. If the program fails, it will, like the stimulus and any number of this administrations remarkably naive economic initiatives, simply represent the frittering away of another mile-high mound of money on political flimflam that does little to benefit most Americans and nothing to address the fundamental problems plaguing our economy. If it works, it will represent a victory for the nefarious forces of C.R.I.B.–the Committee to Re-Inflate the Bubble–setting the economy up for a vicious second round of financial crisis with its roots in the housing market. The good news is that, when it comes to reshaping the U.S. mortgage market, the Obama administrations top guns are bringing to bear all of the brisk, rough-n-ready entrepreneurial know-how they picked up in their previous careers as university professors, nonprofit activists, and holders of political sinecures. Obama may crack insensitive about Special Olympians, but his crack team of mortgage commandos is moving with the sort of speed that makes you want to organize a telethon for them. Their poster child is Michael Barr, the assistant Treasury secretary who added greatly to the nations mirth in the waning days of 2009 by telling a McClatchy reporter that, when it comes to mortgage modifications, “I think that if you go back and look at what we said we would do in February, we are on track to meet the presidents goals.” Thats the economic equivalent Secretary Napolitanos “the system worked.” How far from the truth is it? The Obama administrations HAMP initiative–thats Home Affordable Modification Program–is supposed to renegotiate some 4 million mortgages over the course of three years. At the end of the first year, its about 1 percent of the way there. So were “on track to meet the presidents goals” around the time Chelsea Clintons grandkids start making their first runs at the White House. The $75 billion HAMP has, so far, managed to help renegotiate about 10,000 mortgages, meaning that its operating at about the same pace as Zambias national toilet-installation campaign, which boasts of plumbing about 10,000 households and schools a year. But what Zambia is putting in the septic tank, Obama is putting on the governments financial books, and that is the real point of HAMP. Its part of the stealth bailout, the ongoing, largely unremarked-upon campaign to supplement TARP and the other direct bailouts with a host of underhanded and sub rosa pieces of financial indirection designed to transfer yet more risk and outright losses from the big financial institutions to the taxpayers. And out in front, no surprise, are the Toxic Twins themselves, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
THE House and Senate have now each passed a health-care bill. It remains to be seen whether they can agree to pass the same one, especially since their negotiations will take place amid public hostility to the entire enterprise. The Senate bill is likely to provide the template for the negotiations. To the dismay of the Left, it lacks a new government-run insurer. Instead it imposes on the industry a new business model that could never survive in a free market and makes up for the imposition by forcing Americans to buy its products. As far as we can tell, the only reason to carry out this maneuver is to have an industry that can be called “private” while actually acting as an agency of the government. The industrys products will be more expensive, and its profits pure waste. Both bills expand Medicaid, ensuring that many Americans–some of whom lack health insurance and some of whom have good insurance–will now have low-quality insurance that many doctors refuse to take. They will also cut Medicare, crippling its popular private-sector elements and inducing doctors and hospitals to turn down Medicare patients, too. One of the Mayo clinics, touted by President Obama as a model for reform, has announced already that it will not be accepting Medicare payments because it does not want to accept Medicare price controls. Both bills include mandates on employers that are guaranteed to reduce hiring, wages, or both. Scores of House Democrats have pledged to vote down any bill that lacks a government-run insurer. We will now see whether they are as good as their word or their threats are empty. Pro-life Democrats in the House may also be tested, since the Senate bill provides federal funding to help people buy abortion coverage.
The electric machinery industry is a major part of the electric
industry. It consists of the electric generator and generator set
sector, the electric motor sector and the micro motor sector. Electric
machinery products are widely applied in the petroleum, chemical,
metallurgy, electricity, urban construction and environmental protection
industries. During 2001-2007, the average annual growth rate of Chinese
electric machinery industry remained over 20%. In 2008, due to the
international financial crisis, the growth rate of Chinese electric
machinery industry declined; the market scale was about RMB 270 billion,
rising by 16% YOY.
By November 2009, there were over 2,000 electric machinery enterprises
in China. Though the quantity of enterprises is large, 90% of them are
small and medium enterprises. Due to the numerous producers and high
production, the price-cutting competition has formed to seize the
market. The uneven qualities of products, price-cutting competition and
meager profits become the major factors impacting the survival and
development of the electric machinery enterprises. Chinese electric
machinery industry is in urgent need of reintegration to eliminate
inferior enterprises and retain competitive enterprises, which has
become the development trend of Chinese electric machinery industry.
Most of the major products of Chinese electric machinery industry are
positioned in the low-end market. These products are of low added value.
The export advantages of Chinese electric machinery manufacture relying
on the traditional cheap labor and domestic resources no longer exist.
Speeding up the transformation of enterprises and propelling the
industry integration are the absolute choice for the development of this
industry. The global financial crisis drives away the low-price
competition era of electric machinery. The prices of raw materials are
uncertain with violent fluctuation at present, acting against the cost
control of small and medium electric machinery producers. Due to the
deficiency of core competitiveness, many electric machinery enterprises
suffer production reduction or even bankruptcy. The primary reason is
that these enterprises lack the core competitiveness, namely, their own
core products and technologies.
In recent years, a large number of electric machinery enterprises in
China adopt the trade pattern of processing imported materials and
processing assembling of materials supplied by customers. They expand
the export through fixed brand production model. Presently, the export
to Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, USA and EU, etc adopts this pattern.
Nowadays, many foreign enterprises are also seeking various ways to get
rid of the tough situation, including changing the line of production,
switching to another business, carrying out partial OEM or relocating
the production base, etc. They increase the technology cooperation and
joint venture production with Chinese enterprises. Therefore, for
Chinese electric machinery enterprises, especially the producers, there
is high market potential. It is suitable for the production and export
of Chinese enterprises. On the basis of rational and orderly
development, exporters can acquire some profits.
INTERNATIONAL Power – the owner of UK assets including the coal-fired station at Rugeley in Staffordshire – said it had failed to reach agreement over a possible tie-up with Frances GDF-Suez.
BRISTOL CITY boss Gary Johnson hopes his side can take the positives from their 4-2 victory over Preston into their FA Cup third round replay against Cardiff tonight. The Robins had struggled for form going into Saturdays game, having won just one of their previous 11 fixtures. But after getting their push for the play-offs back on track, Johnson is hopeful they can transfer their new-found belief into the cup. “A result like that definitely helps,” said Johnson, who is likely to be without striker Danny Haynes because of a hamstring injury. City and Cardiff battled to a 1-1 draw in the first tie last Tuesday, with Gavin Williams 92nd-minute equaliser earning Bristol a 1-1 draw.
GLEN ALLEN, Va. — Dynex Capital, Inc. (NYSE:DX) announced today that it has successfully
resecuritized a portion of its commercial mortgage backed securities
(“CMBS”) portfolio. As announced in its November 23, 2009 press release,
the Company acquired the rights to call up to approximately $182.5
million in CMBS from its purchase of a joint venture interest previously
owned by a third party. The CMBS are collateralized by seasoned
commercial mortgage loans originated by the Company from 1996 to 1998.
In December 2009 the Company called $111.3 million in ‘AAA’-rated CMBS
bonds with a weighted average coupon of 7.97% and resecuritized the
bonds as further discussed below. As a result of the resecuritization
transaction, the Company has added higher yielding investments to its
portfolio at a favorable net spread to its funding costs.
The Company also announced that it has recently become eligible to
borrow under the TALF program and is currently investigating
opportunities to acquire additional investments in CMBS financed through
TALF.
Thomas B. Akin, Chairman, stated, “The resecuritization transaction was
a very important transaction for us, and we believe that it will be of
significant value for our shareholders. These are high quality CMBS
bonds that were originated by Dynex in 1998 and have substantial credit
protection embedded within the deal structure. We elected to retain a
majority of the bonds in this transaction given the attractive net
interest spread they currently offer compared to alternative investment
opportunities. The bonds also provide diversification to our current
asset mix and are complimentary to our short duration high quality
investment strategy. The improvement in market prices and liquidity for
CMBS over the past six months has given us comfort holding these bonds
in our portfolio. However, we may elect to sell some of the retained
bonds in the future depending on market conditions and use the proceeds
to repay the repurchase agreement financing.”
Resecuritization Transaction Details
As noted above, in December 2009 the Company called $111.3 million in
‘AAA’-rated CMBS bonds with a weighted average coupon of 7.97%, and
financed the call of the CMBS bonds through a new securitization. The
new securitization trust issued two new ‘AAA’-rated tranches of
non-recourse debt collateralized by the $111.3 million of CMBS bonds.
The first tranche has a current notional balance of $65.7 million, an
estimated weighted average life of 2.6 years, and a coupon of 3.64%
excluding transaction costs. The second tranche has a current notional
balance of $45.6 million, an estimated weighted average life of 5.8
years, and a coupon of 6.18% excluding transaction costs. The Company
has initially retained for its investment portfolio all of the first
tranche and $30.6 million of the second tranche, totaling $96.3 million
of the new securitization trust bonds. Of the bonds retained by the
Company, $86.3 million are pledged to support repurchase agreement
borrowings of $73.3 million. The interest rate on the repurchase
agreement borrowings currently adjusts monthly based on a spread to
LIBOR. The initial interest rate on these borrowings was 1.73%. At
December 31, 2009, the overall net interest spread to funding costs on
the CMBS bonds was 5.49% excluding transaction costs.
WHO has the best job in the world? When I was a boy, I had no doubt that it was Charles Kuralt, a balding, paunchy correspondent for CBS News who spent his days roaming around America in a battered white motor home, stopping along the way to file feature stories about plain-spoken, good-hearted men and women who carved merry-go-round horses by hand, made bricks out of mud, and led untroubled lives in towns even smaller than the one in which I grew up. Anyone who remembers The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite remembers Kuralts “On the Road” segments, which ran every week or so from 1967 to 1980, and some of those memories are likely to be surprisingly sharp. Does Jethro Manns name ring any bells? Hes the fellow who loaned bicycles to the children of a village in North Carolina–for free. I saw him on The CBS Evening News half a lifetime ago, and I bet I could still pick him out of a lineup. If you remember the Bicycle Man, you can get to know him again by ordering a copy of On the Road with Charles Kuralt, Set 1, a newly released three-DVD box set from Acorn Media that contains 76 “On the Road” stories, including some of the most celebrated ones. Kuralts tribute to the men who built the Golden Gate Bridge is here. So is his Thanksgiving visit to a pair of Mississippi sharecroppers who put all nine of their children through college. So are a fair number of the other pieces that kept me tuning in to The CBS Evening News long after I parted political ways with its avuncular anchorman. Some are frankly sentimental, others light and charming. Virtually all of them remain watchable to this day. Not only did Kuralt have an uncanny ability to sniff out heartwarming stories, but he was smart enough to keep the focus on his interviewees rather than himself. He was a stalwart and lifelong advocate of what he called “the tricycle principle,” which he formulated after watching a local TV newsman cover a childrens tricycle race. At the end of the story, the camera cut to the reporter, who was riding a tricycle. Kuralt winced at that kind of self-aggrandizement. “Keep yourself out of the story,” he said. “The people who are watching it are not interested in you.” Instead of riding tricycles, Kuralt put his stamp on his “On the Road” pieces by coming up with exactly the right words to sum up the people he portrayed. This is how he ended his story about Alex and Mary Chandler, the sharecroppers who picked cotton and pulled corn in order to give their children more abundant lives: “There probably are no lessons in any of this. But I know that in the future, whenever I hear that the family is a dying institution, Ill think of them. Whenever I hear anything in America is impossible, Ill think of them.” That kind of writing was what made Kuralts portraits inimitable. “I could have shot them on toilet paper,” said Isadore Bleckman, his longtime cameraman, “and he would have given them truth.”
Editors Note: There is a video and a photo included with this press release.
DALSA Corporation (TSX: DSA), a global leader in machine vision technology, today announced the availability of color processing for its BOA vision system , DALSAs highly integrated smart camera . Supported with a full suite of vision tools , the new color version of the BOA sets a new cost/performance standard for color enhanced smart camera solutions.
” Color inspection is often a requirement in the automotive, food, packaging and pharmaceutical industries”, says Steve Geraghty, director of DALSAs Industrial Products group . “Our BOA color smart camera offers manufacturers in these industries an extremely capable color solution at a very affordable price.”
The BOA smart camera can be applied to a broad range of color inspection applications, such as identification of parts or assembly features, sorting, counting, and verification of color hue. The color tools can be easily combined with standard measurement or identification tools to perform a complete inspection of the part or assembly. The easy-to-use, iNspect Express software interface, allows users to rapidly prototype and deploy solutions, and it is available with a fully featured emulator for offline application development and debugging.
“BOA delivers great performance at a very reasonable price,” says Brian Seguin, vision manager at H.H. Barnum, a DALSA distributor in Michigan. “The addition of color processing will allow our customers in the automotive and packaging industries to solve a wide range of applications using the same inspection tool.”
State’s Largest Security Project Will Install and Network 3,200
Video Cameras Across 12 Campuses for DADS
AUSTIN, Texas — Knight Security Systems, a leading security systems integrator,
announced today that the company was awarded the largest single security
contract in the state of Texas for 2009 by Texas Department of Aging and
Disability Services (DADS) to ensure the security and safety of
residents and staff at 12 state-supported living centers located across
the state. The contract, valued at more than $12 million, was designed
specifically for the department and will install a network of more than
3,200 high-definition video cameras in 335 buildings across the state.
The project is to be completed by August 2011, as required by the DADS
contract, but Knight Security Systems believes it could finish 6 months
ahead of schedule. The installation, which includes nearly 35 miles of
fiber cabling within the video surveillance network, will be installed
and completed in three phases, requiring an average of four to five
months for each phase of four campuses in Abilene, Austin, Brenham,
Denton, El Paso, Lubbock, Lufkin, Mexia, Richmond, Harlingen (Rio Grande
campus), San Angelo and San Antonio.
“Key to securing this contract with DADS was our aggressive scheduling,
the elegance of our system design and the people we put behind it,” said
Knight Security Systems President Phil Lake. “Our entire team is
extremely pleased to have been selected for this important and worthy
mission, and we understand and appreciate the trust DADS has placed in
us to complete it in an efficient and effective manner.”
“Our standardized and modular design method simplifies the system
deployment while providing a very scalable solution to support the long
term needs of DADS,” said Christopher Hugman, P.E., Knight Security
Systems Vice President and Executive Project Manager for the project.
“We stated in our proposal that the Knight team was ready to deploy, and
within 30 days of the contract we are already at work on multiple sites.”
Weststar Resources Corp. (TSX-V: WER)
(FRANKFURT: HN3) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has purchased a
100% interest in 10 strategic mineral claims which are immediately adjacent
and contiguous to the Red Chris copper-gold property owned by Imperial
Metals Corp., in northwestern British Columbia.
The 10 claims acquired by the Company cover an area of approximately
2,175.7 acres. In a recent announcement (see NR Dec 20, 2009 for Imperial
Metals Corp.) results of drilling assays from Imperial metals Deep East
zone at Red Chris included the following:
The Company is planning an exploration program to follow up on numerous
historic copper showings located on the northwest portion of the newly
acquired claims.
The Company also announces that it has arranged, subject to the approval of
the TSX Venture Exchange, a private placement of a private placement of up
to 666,667 units at $0.06 per unit for total gross proceeds of $400,000.
Each unit will consist of one common share and one transferable share
purchase warrant, each warrant exercisable into one additional common share
at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of two years from the date of
closing.
Nexen Inc. announces that Marvin Romanow, President and CEO, will present at the following investor conference:
Nexen Inc. is an independent, Canadian-based global energy company, listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol NXY. We are uniquely positioned for growth in the North Sea, Western Canada (including the Athabasca oil sands of Alberta and unconventional gas resource plays such as shale gas), deep-water Gulf of Mexico, offshore West Africa and the Middle East. We add value for shareholders through successful full-cycle oil and gas exploration and development and leadership in ethics, integrity, governance and environmental protection.
Nexen Inc. announces that Marvin Romanow, President and CEO, will present at the following investor conference:
Nexen Inc. is an independent, Canadian-based global energy company, listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol NXY. We are uniquely positioned for growth in the North Sea, Western Canada (including the Athabasca oil sands of Alberta and unconventional gas resource plays such as shale gas), deep-water Gulf of Mexico, offshore West Africa and the Middle East. We add value for shareholders through successful full-cycle oil and gas exploration and development and leadership in ethics, integrity, governance and environmental protection.
Company to Supply L-3 Communications Systems – West Key Antenna
System for U.S. Navy Helicopter Airborne CDL Program
ATLANTA — EMS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELMG) announced today that L-3
Communications Systems – West has named EMS its antenna supplier for the
U.S. Navy CDL Hawklink program.
The EMS Ku-band Common Data Link (CDL) antenna system for the MH-60R is
suitable for a variety of platforms, providing extended range, high data
rates and high reliability. The AN/ARQ-59 System, which includes EMS’s
antenna, will increase the Hawklink’s current data rates for the Navy
MH-60R to 22 megabits per second at over 100 nautical miles, supporting
a range of surveillance, warfare and recovery missions. The system is
designed for airborne platforms and features a slot-array antenna using
light-weight composites for the positioner.
The initial production contract, awarded to EMS’s Defense Space
Division, is valued at more than $6.3 million. Initial antenna
deliveries are set to begin in the third quarter of 2010.
The EMS antenna award follows the U.S. Navy Air Systems Command’s
selection of L-3 Communications Systems – West last year for full-rate
production.
PEABODY, Mass. — Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (NASDAQ: BECN) (the “Company”) will host a
webcast and conference call on Wednesday February 3, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
ET to discuss its earnings results for the fiscal 2010 first quarter
ended December 31, 2009. These results will be released before the
market opens on that day. The webcast link and call-in numbers are shown
below.
Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. is a leading distributor of roofing
materials and complementary building products operating 173 branches in
37 states in the United States and three provinces in Eastern Canada.
It has now been confirmed that His Excellency Hedi Annabi, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Haiti, has died. Last year on this same date, during my working visit in Haiti, we were together to support reconstruction efforts and ascertain the impact of the assistance being given to communities in south-western and northern Haiti after violent hurricanes devastated the country.
I want to pay tribute to his unwavering commitment, the amazing leadership he showed in co-ordinating MINUSTAH operations, and his tremendous respect for the aspirations of the Haitian people.
We are mourning, in addition to Mr. Annabi, eight Canadians who perished following the terrible earthquake that devastated the Port-au-Prince region.
I am deeply saddened by the deaths of Superintendent Douglas Coates and Sergeant Mark Gallagher of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Both were working with MINUSTAH.
Professor Georges Anglade and his wife, Mireille, also perished under the ruins. They were long-time friends of mine, and my heart is also heavy with sadness because of losing them.
Members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION are on the ground in Port-au-Prince distributing relief to meet the immediate needs of Haitians, and are urging Canadians to continue to support the mass-scale relief efforts in the devastated country.
To date, these are some of the member agencys responses include:
- Oxfam is providing “bladders”, of 10,000 litres of water to 10,000 Haitians who have been displaced in a former golf course in Delmas and to a hospital in Carrefour.
– To arrange filming of the water distribution, journalists should call or text Oxfam Press Officer Caroline Gluck, in Port-au-Prince, on 44 7867 976041. Also on-site will be Karim Deniel, on 52155 91992 886
- CARE has distributed an eight-day supply of water purification tablets for 12,000 people. CARE has also bought 5000 hygiene kits and 5000 mattress from local merchants. Distribution will begin shortly.
THE love cheat ex-husband of a British mum wrongly jailed in Dubai for adultery has got remarried. to his mistress. Marnie Pearces ex Ihab El Labban, 41, wed American lover Tonya Thompson and now plans to raise their sons Laith, eight, and five- year-old Ziad with her. El Labban started dating former actress Tonya, 47, three years ago while he was still married to Marnie. Now he is refusing to let her see the boys despite a court order giving her access that she won after a Sunday Mirror campaign halted her deportation.
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