SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer
electronics and information technology, today announced the Samsung S2
Portable, a fully transportable external hard drive, pre-loaded with the
movie ‘Michael Jacksons THIS IS IT’.
Timed with the DVD and Blu-ray Disc(TM) release of ‘Michael Jacksons
THIS IS IT’, the pre-loaded external HDD will be available at major
European retailers from February 22, 2010.
“We are excited to present this movie starring Michael Jackson, the
greatest entertainer of all time, pre-loaded on the Samsung S2
Portable,” said H.S. Lee, Vice President, Storage Marketing, Samsung
Electronics.
Samsung’s S2 Portable has an increased capacity of 500GB and its
improved data recording technology makes it the perfect solution for the
increasing number of consumers who are building their personal movie
collections on their PCs.
In addition to the pre-loaded ‘Michael Jacksons THIS IS IT’, the
Samsung S2 Portable boasts USB On Board Technology and supports various
user-friendly features such as Samsung Auto Backup that enables
real-time or scheduled backup and SecretZone™ that encrypts and stores
data on a virtual drive as well as SafetyKey™, a powerful data-security
function that offers dual data protection through a password.
SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer
electronics and information technology, today announced the Samsung S2
Portable, a fully transportable external hard drive, pre-loaded with the
movie ‘Michael Jacksons THIS IS IT’.
Timed with the DVD and Blu-ray Disc(TM) release of ‘Michael Jacksons
THIS IS IT’, the pre-loaded external HDD will be available at major
European retailers from February 22, 2010.
“We are excited to present this movie starring Michael Jackson, the
greatest entertainer of all time, pre-loaded on the Samsung S2
Portable,” said H.S. Lee, Vice President, Storage Marketing, Samsung
Electronics.
Samsung’s S2 Portable has an increased capacity of 500GB and its
improved data recording technology makes it the perfect solution for the
increasing number of consumers who are building their personal movie
collections on their PCs.
In addition to the pre-loaded ‘Michael Jacksons THIS IS IT’, the
Samsung S2 Portable boasts USB On Board Technology and supports various
user-friendly features such as Samsung Auto Backup that enables
real-time or scheduled backup and SecretZone™ that encrypts and stores
data on a virtual drive as well as SafetyKey™, a powerful data-security
function that offers dual data protection through a password.
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.
MORE than 700 highly experienced gardai retired from the force last year, new figures have shown. A total of 717 officers retired after completing at least 30 years of service. The figures reveal that 472 rank and file gardai took retirement last year, as well as 175 Sergeants, 27 Inspectors, 26 Superintendents, 14 Chief Superintendents and three Assistant Commissioners. Despite the retirements, the size of the force is still at historically high levels, but many of the officers have less than 10 years service. Many of those who retired decided to leave the force in advance of last Decembers budget because it was feared that Finance Minister Brian Lenihan was going to tax the lump sum officers receive on completing their service.
PITTONI can cement his position as one of the top four-year-old hurdlers around by landing the opening Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown today. Trained by Charles Byrnes (right), he has won both his starts over hurdles, including a clear Grade 3 win at Punchestown last month. There is better still to come and he should advance his Triumph Hurdle claims. Cross Appeal looks his most obvious danger but expect Big Game Hunter to improve from his recent run behind Pittoni. In December, on her second outing over timber, she was an easy winner of a maiden hurdle at Limerick. Switched to handicap company she then only just failed to land a useful event at Gowran.
Jessie Jean Jean passed away due to an illness on Jan. 25, 2010, at 78 years of age. Born in Salt Lake City June 13, 1931, to Jessie Penrose Bradford and Denton Spencer Rogers. Graduated from Granite High School 1949. Married J. Golden Haight in the Salt Lake City Temple May 8, 1951. Graduated as an LPN from SLCC in 1981.
The Center for Regulatory Excellence Grant Program funds innovative
projects that can have measurable impact on nursing regulation and can
create meaningful change. The Centers research priorities include: patient
safety; practice (licensed practical/vocational nurses [LPN/VN], registered
nurses [RN] and advanced practice registered nurses [APRN]); nursing
education; continued competence; discipline and alternatives to discipline;
and national and international portability.
This year grants were awarded to the following institutions, organizations
and programs:
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
(NCSBN®) Center for Regulatory Excellence Grant Program announces a
deadline of March 1, 2010, for application submissions for its third
funding cycle. To be eligible for funding grants, applicants must either be
a member board of NCSBN, or a professional organization, state agency or
individual interested in the advancement of nursing regulation.
The Center for Regulatory Excellence Grant Program funds innovative
projects that can have measurable impact on nursing regulation and can
create meaningful change. Research priorities include: patient safety;
practice (licensed practical/vocational nurses [LPN/VN], registered nurses
[RN] and advanced practice registered nurses [APRN]); nursing education;
continued competence; discipline and alternatives to discipline; and
national and international portability.
Grant awards have a $300,000 per project limit. The deadline for the 2010
Center for Regulatory Excellence Grant Program submissions is March 1,
2010.
Since the Center for Regulatory Excellence Grant Program began in 2007, it
has awarded nearly $5 million in grants.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is a not-for-profit
organization whose members include the boards of nursing in the 50 states,
the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam,
Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also four
associate members.
FRIDAY Central Utah Art Center (86 S. Main, Ephraim, 435-283-5110) — “Training,” an exhibition of works by Angela Ellsworth, through March 9. Reception 6-8 p.m. Lamplight Art Gallery (170 S. Main, 801-296-2751) — Artwork by Scott Durrant, through February. Reception 6-9 p.m. Montgomery-Lee Fine Art (608 Main, Park City, 435-655-3264) — Artwork by Joseph Alleman and Jared Sanders. Reception 6-9 p.m.
DO-GOODERS Bono and Bob Geldof have been savaged over their charity work by a rival rock legend. AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson lashed out at the pair for “talking down” to people about helping kids in Africa. And he told them to spend more of their own cash instead of condescendingly rattling the collection box. Gravel-voiced Brian, 62, said he and his Grammywinning band did their own bit for good causes. But he stormed: “I dont tell everybody that Im doing it.
INDULGE your love of luxury underwear this Valentines thanks to Ultimo and Miss Ultimo. The Sunday Mirror is offering every reader the chance to pick up a FREE pair of knickers with every Ultimo or Miss Ultimo bra purchased from Debenhams stores nationwide.
Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag became a father again last November, six weeks before announcing his engagement. Putting the baby before the ring is increasingly common. But its still unusual for the baby to be borne by one woman while the ring goes on the finger of another.
A BRITISH woman climber and a Spanish friend have been killed in an avalanche in the Pyrenees.
FOR the past eight days, the delicately beautiful features of Vanessa Perroncel have stared out from the front pages on every newsstand across the land. Overnight she has become a household name, the woman at the swirling, dizzying centre of the John Terry sex scandal. Now, for the first time, her story can be told – by two women who have been at her side constantly since the extraordinary story broke of her affair with sacked England captain Terry. We can reveal Terry phoned Vanessa, 33, last July as she and Wayne were splitting – and pledged his help to get them reunited, insisting they were a “great couple”.
Delaware Ford
dealers revel at the launch of Willis Fords revolutionary new web
system. Smyrna car dealers have been
struggling to sell new vehicles, but Santosh Viswanathan, VP of Willis
Ford, has discovered a solution for difficult times and continues to turn
big profits every month. On January 1, JP Automotive Marketing delivered a
brand new website for Santosh who has redirected his attention to improving
the quality and selection of his used cars and creating a solid online
profile.
” Ford Dealers in
Delaware are seeing new car sales down across the board; however the
used car market is very strong. Ive focused my ad spend where it counts,
online. When Christian Jorn spoke at our NADA meeting I knew that search
engine optimization would be the future for car dealers. The transition to
JPMs services was very smooth, our website is amazing, and we have seen an
significant increase in Internet sales already.”
– Santosh Viswanathan, VP Willis Ford, Smyrna DE
Willis Ford chose Jorn and Price Marketing for SEO with the goal of
increasing the number of targeted leads from Googles search network.
Fortunately, Willis Ford has a reputation for excellence and has been
delivering world class service for many years. Cindy Pangburn is head of
the Internet department and was intricately involved in the design of the
website.
“The support staff at JP Marketing is incredible, its nice to have one
company that handles it all, the switch from our previous provider was
quick, and adjustments along the way have been handled quickly and
professionally. Now Im busy selling cars.”
Delaware Ford
dealers revel at the launch of Willis Fords revolutionary new web
system. Smyrna car dealers have been
struggling to sell new vehicles, but Santosh Viswanathan, VP of Willis
Ford, has discovered a solution for difficult times and continues to turn
big profits every month. On January 1, JP Automotive Marketing delivered a
brand new website for Santosh who has redirected his attention to improving
the quality and selection of his used cars and creating a solid online
profile.
” Ford Dealers in
Delaware are seeing new car sales down across the board; however the
used car market is very strong. Ive focused my ad spend where it counts,
online. When Christian Jorn spoke at our NADA meeting I knew that search
engine optimization would be the future for car dealers. The transition to
JPMs services was very smooth, our website is amazing, and we have seen an
significant increase in Internet sales already.”
– Santosh Viswanathan, VP Willis Ford, Smyrna DE
Willis Ford chose Jorn and Price Marketing for SEO with the goal of
increasing the number of targeted leads from Googles search network.
Fortunately, Willis Ford has a reputation for excellence and has been
delivering world class service for many years. Cindy Pangburn is head of
the Internet department and was intricately involved in the design of the
website.
“The support staff at JP Marketing is incredible, its nice to have one
company that handles it all, the switch from our previous provider was
quick, and adjustments along the way have been handled quickly and
professionally. Now Im busy selling cars.”
Canada: Economy IQALUIT, Nunavut — Global financial leaders gathered in a frigid Canadian town Friday to confront more market turmoil, which served as an unsettling reminder that they still face major hurdles repairing a broken global economy. The market turbulence, triggered by worries about unsustainable debt burdens in several European countries, forced its way onto the agenda of a two-day meeting of finance officials from the Group of Seven major industrial countries. Discussions are expected to wrap up today.
HERCULES — Hercules resident Nicole Bronson is this years recipient of the Helen Foletta Scholarship from the University of Phoenix Bay Area Campus, a publicist for the institution announced this week. The scholarship, worth $12,000, will pay for up to 24 class credits at the university, said Clay Merrill, media relations manager for Randle Communications. Bronson, who won the scholarship on the strength of an essay, is a single mother supporting her 5-year-old daughter and 18-month-old niece while working toward a bachelors degree in accounting with University of Phoenix, Merrill said. She is an office manager for construction company in San Francisco and volunteers as a cheerleading coach for Megan Furth Catholic Academy in San Francisco.
Sen. Chris Buttars may be on the right path but looking in the wrong direction. Many of the most critical classes for students to qualify for scholarships are offered senior year. If students are wasting their time taking “fluff” classes, it is because their parents arent expecting much of them or not monitoring as closely as they should.
SEATTLE — Plaza Bank (OTCBB:PZBW) is pleased to report its first positive
quarterly earnings since inception in mid-2006. The Bank reported net
income of $121 thousand for the quarter ending December 31, 2009.
Total assets increased $35.4 million during the last twelve months to
$124.7 million at December 31, 2009. Net loans increased $14.2 million
to $87.4 million during the same period, reflecting strong demand for
commercial lending services among Plaza Bank’s target borrowers. Core
deposits increased 36.2% or $12.0 million in 2009.
Net interest income increased to $3.7 million before provisions for loan
losses for the year ended December 31, 2009, an increase from $2.4
million in 2008. In addition, lower cost of funds contributed to an
increase in the net interest margin from 3.15% to 3.82%. Operating
expenses remained flat for the 12 months ended December 31, 2009,
excluding an extraordinary charge to expenses reflecting a valuation
allowance for other real estate owned.
Reflective of current market conditions and the effects on certain
borrowers, the management and directors of Plaza Bank considered it
prudent to increase loan loss reserves to 4.00% of total loans at
December 31, 2009. At December 31, 2009, Plaza reported $4.9 million in
non-accrual loans and a single property in OREO with a carrying value of
$851 thousand. This conservative and cautious approach resulted in the
addition of $4.1 million to loan loss reserves during the year.
Excluding these extraordinary additions to reserves, operating earnings
improved by $1.3 million year over year.
These are troubling times for our economy in general and for the banking
industry in particular. Asset quality remains an issue for banks
nationwide, including in the Pacific Northwest. President CEO Carlos
Guangorena states, “We feel adequately reserved for the level of risk in
our portfolio. While there have been some loan losses, Plaza Bank is
still well-capitalized and the profitable 4th quarter lays the
foundation for continued earnings growth in 2010.”
Essential Elements of Agreement Stay in Place
LAS VEGAS — Bergamo Acquisition Corp. (OTC Pink Sheets: BGMO) is addressing the many
questions that have surrounded its funding agreements. First the funding
agreement with Esoft Informatics Private Ltd., originally announced on
January 12, 2010, has been renegotiated to the benefit of Bergamo
shareholders. The terms of the funding has been changed from a loan to
an equity investment. Funding of this transaction is anticipated to take
place when Mr. Herzog travels to India next week to meet with Mr. Vivek
Sinha, the President of Esoft Informatics Private Ltd.
In addition, the previous announcement concerning the Company’s funding
through its European banking associates will now be addressed as part of
Mr. Herzog’s travels which start in India and conclude in London.
It is important to note that previous announcements concerning the
Pakistani Energy Projects are still valid. The Company, through Mr.
Herzog, would like to positively state that all prior announcements
regarding funding of the energy projects as well, as the Companys
overall involvement in these energy projects, will be followed through
to completion. Again, the Company, through Mr. Herzog, would like to
positively state that these energy projects will be funded and completed
without delay.
All of other acquisitions are still in place as well. These include
GreenSafe Demanufacturing Inc., Suntrough Energy Inc., and the Mobile
Software Technologies company from Japan.
CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings publishes the following rating:
World Omni Auto Receivables Trust 2007-A (WOART 2007-A)
The transaction is collateralized by a discrete pool of retail auto
loans originated and serviced by World Omni Financial Corporation. The
rating is based on the quality of the receivables pool, the available
credit enhancement for the transaction, and the transactions legal and
cash flow structure.
Although cumulative net losses (CNL) for the transaction have exceeded
Fitchs initial base case expectations, credit enhancement (CE) levels
have continued to increase since close. As a result, current CE levels
are sufficient to support the rating indicated above. As of the December
2009 payment date CNL was 1.91%, while CE levels have increased to 4.8%.
In comparison, initial CE was 0.25% for class B notes.
COMPLICATION INSURANCE® Provides Financial Security for Surgical
Patients
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Surgical Risk Solutions, LLC announced today the introduction of a
unique new insurance product designed to provide financial resources to
surgical patients in the event that they have adverse outcomes following
surgery. COMPLICATION
INSURANCE® is a patent-pending insurance product that provides
accidental death and dismemberment insurance to patients at a reasonable
cost.
“Every surgery, no matter how minor, comes with risks. Fear of an
unforeseen adverse outcome is every patient’s concern,” says Andrew
Kagan, Chief Executive Officer of Surgical Risk Solutions (SRS). “What
will happen to my family if my recovery is delayed or if I don’t
survive? What can I do to protect my family from financial problems if
my medical expenses balloon? What if I am not around to provide for
them? COMPLICATION INSURANCE® provides an easy
and affordable way to assure that additional money is available to help
offset unexpected costs. Most importantly, this policy pays whether
or not there is medical error or fault involved in a covered accident.
Having COMPLICATION INSURANCE® in place provides peace of
mind for both the patient and his family.
Kagan developed the concept for COMPLICATION INSURANCE® after he
heard about a Florida man who died from a blood clot following a total
joint replacement. The man’s family filed a lawsuit but lost at trial
after the jury ruled that the physician had done nothing wrong. “The
family spent years fighting in court, and they lost everything. They
were broke. It was nobody’s fault that their loved one died,” Kagan
says. “I kept thinking that there should have been some kind of
protection for that family.”
THEMAC Resources Group Limited (TSX VENTURE: MAC.H) (”the Company”) announces that it has agreed to a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $460,000 with Marley Holdings Pty Ltd., a company controlled by Mr. Kevin Maloney, a director of the Company. The Company will issue up to 5,111,111 units at $0.09 per unit. Each unit will consist of one common share, and one share purchase warrant; each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of one year from the date of distribution. The proceeds of the private placement will be used for general working capital.
The Company is currently without financial resources, and the private placement is designed to improve the Companys financial position. The private placement will provide the Company with the funds necessary to continue operations and identify properties for acquisition, option or joint venture. The private placement will increase Mr. Maloneys direct and indirect holdings in the Company by 20.26%, to 70.47%, on a non-diluted basis, and to 79.01%, assuming exercise of the warrants.
The private placement is a related party transaction pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions, which would require a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval for the private placement; however, the Company expects to rely on the exemption from such requirements based on the fact that the Company is in financial difficulty and the private placement is designed to improve the financial position of the Company. The private placement has been reviewed by the board of directors of the Company, including one director who is independent of the private placement, and has been approved by the board of directors. The Company expects to file a material change report, which will be filed less than 21 days before the expected date of the completion of the private placement because the Company will require the funds made available by the private placement to meet ongoing financial requirements before the expiry of the 21 day period.
This transaction is subject to the approval of NEX, and the units sold will have a hold period of four months from the time of distribution in compliance with TSX Venture Exchange policies and applicable securities law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
THE dilemmas of youth are universal. Consider Nicholas and Victoria, a pair of late-blossoming youngsters currently making their way toward adulthood at a multiplex near you. Respectively male and female, American and English, middle-class and filthy rich, they nonetheless face a nearly identical set of difficulties as they navigate the choppy seas of adolescence. Both have foolish mothers and malign, controlling stepfather-figures. Both are variously ignored, manipulated, and bullied by many of the other adults around them. Both are virgins with a strong romantic streak. And both are separated from the girl/guy of their dreams by distance, legal obligations, and even language barriers. Well, fine, maybe their situations arent quite identical. Nicholas is Nick Twisp, the lovesick hero of Youth in Revolt, which fancies itself the thinking teenagers sex comedy. Its American Pie rewritten for Juno fans and Arrested Development obsessives–complete with Michael Cera, star of both, as the deadpan, quietly desperate hero. His milieu is West Coast suburbia; his mother is a divorcee who takes up with truck drivers and police officers; and his lady love is Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), the precocious daughter of trailer-park evangelicals, who shares his interest in old movies, world travel, and grand romantic gestures. Victoria, meanwhile, is Alexandrina Victoria Hanover, best remembered as a formidable widow presiding over the British Empires peak, but portrayed by Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria as a glowing girl-queen with a lot to learn. Her milieu is the palaces of 1830s Europe; her menacing stepfather-figure is Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), who hoped to become Britains de facto regent by dominating Victoria through her mother; and her would-be lover is her cousin, His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who shares Victorias interest in opera, horseback riding, and programs of social reform. If this description makes The Young Victoria sound like the more snobbish of the two movies, do not be deceived. No double feature is more likely to instill a fondness for the aristocratic pomposities of the 19th century, and a weariness with the smug pretensions of the 21st.
STAMFORD, Conn. — World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today declared the
Company’s regular quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share on its Class A
shares of common stock. As previously announced, members of the McMahon
family have waived $0.12 per share of the dividends. As a result, all
Class A and Class B shares owned by the McMahon family will instead
receive dividends in the amount of $0.24 per share. The record date for
the dividend will be March 15, 2010, and the payment date will be March
25, 2010.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE:
WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in
global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses
that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global
audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of
its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital
media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145
countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes
worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices
in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto and
Sydney.
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks,
copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling
Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos
and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which
are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and
uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events,
broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet,
entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance
of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets;
uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing
live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties
associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and
renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements;
and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results
could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In
addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a
number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected
cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition,
contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such
other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.
Fans Voice their Choice and Submit Nearly 1.5 Million Votes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Football fans from across the country have spoken. After nearly 1.5
million votes, the fans have selected Cris Carter, Charles Haley, Ed
“Too Tall” Jones, Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith for the
inaugural Van Heusen Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan’s Choice Class of
2010. The Fan’s Choice Class of 2010 was announced live today on the NFL
Network from Florida.
The fans and the Board of Selectors agreed on Rice and Smith, yet
differed on the Selectors remaining choices of Russ Grimm, Rickey
Jackson and John Randle. Since September, fans have voted in a process
that mirrors that of the Hall of Fame Board of Selectors. While the
Board of Selectors had the final say as to who would be inducted into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010, this marks the first time
any Hall of Fame has provided fans with a unique platform for a national
opinion poll.
“We want to applaud the fans who rallied behind their favorite players
and spoke up about who they felt most deserving of the Hall of Fame
honor,” said Allen Sirkin, President and Chief Operating Officer of
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation. “It was exciting to see the passion,
the debate and ultimately the decision by the fans in this first–ever
campaign and how it compared to the Board of Selectors’ decision.”
Dennis Thorne After a wonderful family gathering, our sweet dad passed away peacefully on February 2nd in Salt Lake City. Dennis was born on April 26, 1920 in Shelley, Idaho to Samuel Lawrence and Elga Thorne Dial.
STAMFORD, Conn. — World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE) today declared the
Company’s regular quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share on its Class A
shares of common stock. As previously announced, members of the McMahon
family have waived $0.12 per share of the dividends. As a result, all
Class A and Class B shares owned by the McMahon family will instead
receive dividends in the amount of $0.24 per share. The record date for
the dividend will be March 15, 2010, and the payment date will be March
25, 2010.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE:
WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in
global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses
that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global
audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of
its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital
media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145
countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes
worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices
in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto and
Sydney.
Trademarks: All WWE programming,
talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks,
copyrights and logos are the exclusive property of World Wrestling
Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos
and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements: This
news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which
are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and
uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events,
broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet,
entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance
of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets;
uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing
live events both domestically and internationally; uncertainties
associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and
renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements;
and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results
could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated. In
addition to these risks and uncertainties, our dividend is based on a
number of factors, including our liquidity and historical and projected
cash flow, strategic plan, our financial results and condition,
contractual and legal restrictions on the payment of dividends and such
other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant.
PLAINVIEW, N.Y. — Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) today announced the following
upcoming Investor Relations events:
Veeco management is scheduled to present on:
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 9:45 AM PT at the Thomas Weisel
Partners Technology Telecom Conference 2010 at The Fairmont Hotel in
San Francisco, CA.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 10:30 AM ET at the Piper
Jaffray Fifth Annual Clean Technology Renewables Conference at The
Westin New York in New York, NY.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 1:00 PM ET at the 2nd
Annual Kaufman Bros. Green Technology Conference at the Boston Harbor
Hotel in Boston, MA.
NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. (TSX VENTURE: NKW) continued in its most recent financial quarter to realize significant progress and achieved key milestones in the development of Canadas first offshore wind energy project, in British Columbias Hecate Strait.
“Our most significant milestone in the quarter was the Environmental Assessment Certificate issued by the provincial government,” said Paul Taylor, NaiKun Winds President and CEO. “The NaiKun Wind project is now one of only a handful of projects participating in BC Hydros Clean Power Call to have been granted a provincial certificate.”
The Environmental Assessment Certificate was granted on December 10, 2009, by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office, marking the culmination of over six years of extensive environmental studies, analysis and community consultation. The Federal Governments decision on the environmental assessment application is expected in early 2010. The Haida Nation has also undertaken an environmental assessment of the project.
During the quarter, NaiKun Wind signed a Letter of Intent with Danish firm MT Hojgaard covering the design, supply and installation of foundations, inter-array cables and other key project elements. MT Hojgaard is a leading marine contractor for offshore wind energy projects in Europe.
Haida Enterprise Corporation (HaiCo), on behalf of the Council of the Haida Nation, continued during the quarter to pursue the opportunity to acquire up to 40 per cent of the project.
Pacific Sands, Inc. (OTCBB: PFSD), a
manufacturer of a broad range of environmentally friendly cleaning
products, announced today that its new Natural Choices “Refillables” line
is now available at Outpost Natural Foods.
Outpost operates three successful locations in the greater Milwaukee area.
Co-owned by over 13,000 individuals from Southeastern Wisconsin, it employs
over 300 people. Outpost is the fourth largest cooperatively-owned natural
food grocer in the United States.
In support of the new product launch, Pacific Sands president Michael
Wynhoff will appear on Todays TMJ4 “Live at Daybreak” with Melissa
McCrady. Wynhoffs 7 year old daughter Mikaela will appear with him to
demonstrate the simplicity and safety of the new “Refillables” products.
Mr. Wynhoff credits his daughter as the inspiration for his near
obsession with developing products that are safe to use around children
and contain no chlorine, ammonia, alcohol or solvents.
The interview is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 6 at 6:50 AM
on WTMJ Channel 4, Milwaukee.
President Obama wants to slap a cumbrous new tax on American banks. “We want our money back,” he says. The government is expected to lose money on the bailouts–but not the money used to backstop the banks, which are paying it back, with interest. The real losses are expected to come from insurer AIG and from such untouchable Democratic holies as Fannie Mae, the heavily unionized automakers, and the foreclosure-prevention program.
Brazil Insurance Report provides industry professionals and strategists,
corporate analysts, insurance associations, government departments and
regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive
intelligence on Brazils insurance industry.
This report differs from its predecessors in several respects. In this
analysis of competitive conditions, they provide a much more
comprehensive ranking of insurance companies in the major segments from
the point of view of the organisation that is providing the data (in
practice almost always the national insurance regulator or the national
insurance trade association). In Brazil, for instance, the three largest
auto insurance providers in the first eight months of 2009 in terms of
gross written premiums were Porto Seguro Cia de Seguros Gerais, Bradesco
Auto/Re Companhia de Seguros, and Sul Amrica Cia Nacional de Seguros,
with 14.3%, 12.1% and 8.1% market share respectively. Over time, the
authors hope to derive insights from observing how market shares change.
They emphasise though, that a decline in share of Gross Written Premiums
is not automatically a bad thing and is often the result of a deliberate
corporate decision to focus on more profitable business lines.
Writing in November 2009, the authors have been able to ensure that the
report includes actual data for 2008. The Superintendency of Private
Insurance (SUSEP), the regulator, identifies three life lines in its
data: VGBL products, Retirement savings schemes (of which PGBL products
are an important subset) and capitalisation schemes. Analysis finds that
life premiums rose to BRL 40,808mn in 2008 from BRL 35,966mn in 2007.
The figures for non-life insurance include the Consolidated Insurance
figures published by SUSEP except for premiums for VGBL products, which
are a subset of personal lines which belongs to the life segment. The
figures also include health insurance premiums as disclosed by the ASN.
Under this approach, the authors find that non-life premiums rose from
BRL 67,971mn in 2005 to BRL 76,786mn in 2006 to BRL 89,970mn in 2007 to
BRL 103,340mn in 2008.
This quarter, include a discussion of developments within regional
markets on the basis of results published by major cross-border
companies in relation to Q209 or Q309 and the latest information
provided by regulators and/or trade associations.
COMPLICATION INSURANCE® Provides Financial Security for Surgical
Patients
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Surgical Risk Solutions, LLC announced today the introduction of a
unique new insurance product designed to provide financial resources to
surgical patients in the event that they have adverse outcomes following
surgery. COMPLICATION
INSURANCE® is a patent-pending insurance product that provides
accidental death and dismemberment insurance to patients at a reasonable
cost.
“Every surgery, no matter how minor, comes with risks. Fear of an
unforeseen adverse outcome is every patient’s concern,” says Andrew
Kagan, Chief Executive Officer of Surgical Risk Solutions (SRS). “What
will happen to my family if my recovery is delayed or if I don’t
survive? What can I do to protect my family from financial problems if
my medical expenses balloon? What if I am not around to provide for
them? COMPLICATION INSURANCE® provides an easy
and affordable way to assure that additional money is available to help
offset unexpected costs. Most importantly, this policy pays whether
or not there is medical error or fault involved in a covered accident.
Having COMPLICATION INSURANCE® in place provides peace of
mind for both the patient and his family.
Kagan developed the concept for COMPLICATION INSURANCE® after he
heard about a Florida man who died from a blood clot following a total
joint replacement. The man’s family filed a lawsuit but lost at trial
after the jury ruled that the physician had done nothing wrong. “The
family spent years fighting in court, and they lost everything. They
were broke. It was nobody’s fault that their loved one died,” Kagan
says. “I kept thinking that there should have been some kind of
protection for that family.”
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — MEDNAX, Inc. (NYSE: MD), the national medical group providing
hospital-based neonatal, anesthesia and pediatric physician services and
office-based maternal-fetal and pediatric cardiology physician services,
reported earnings per share for the three months ended December 31,
2009, of $1.07 on a GAAP basis, or $1.00 per share when adjusted to
exclude the favorable impact of a legal settlement and lower tax rate
for the period.
“Our results for the 2009 fourth quarter reflect a Company that
continues its successful execution of a proven growth strategy that
attracts physicians to our national group practice and delivers ongoing
operating efficiencies,” said Roger J. Medel, M.D., Chief Executive
Officer of MEDNAX, Inc. “These operating results demonstrate our
financial strength, including our solid balance sheet and cash flow from
operations, which gives us confidence in our ability to grow our
operations and to provide value-added services to physicians.”
For the three months ended December 31, 2009, MEDNAX’s net patient
service revenue was $333.3 million, up 12 percent from $297.8 million
for the comparable 2008 period, and included strong growth from
acquisitions, as well as organic growth.
Overall same-unit revenue grew by 4.6 percent for the 2009 fourth
quarter over the prior-year period. Growth from reimbursement-related
factors was 2.7 percent, and the percentage of services reimbursed under
government programs was essentially unchanged from the 2009 third
quarter. For the 2009 fourth quarter, same-unit revenue growth
attributable to patient volume was 1.9 percent across all of the
Company’s services. Patient volume at neonatal intensive care units
(NICUs) staffed by the Company’s physicians was essentially flat,
declining by 0.1 percent for the 2009 fourth quarter when compared to
the prior-year period.
When presented on a GAAP basis, MEDNAX’s results from operations for the
three months ended December 31, 2009 include items that make comparisons
difficult. MEDNAX believes that comparisons to prior periods should be
made on a non-GAAP basis after adjusting the following items:
WEST CHESTER, Ohio — AtriCure, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRC), a medical device company and a leader in
cardiac surgical ablation products, will release its financial results
for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009 on Thursday,
February 18, 2010.
Pre-registration is available and recommended for this call at the
following URL:
You may also access this call through an operator by calling
888-713-4199 for domestic callers and 617-213-4861 for international
callers at least 15 minutes prior to the call start time using
reservation code 71939893.
WEST CHESTER, Ohio — AtriCure, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRC), a medical device company and a leader in
cardiac surgical ablation products, will release its financial results
for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009 on Thursday,
February 18, 2010.
Pre-registration is available and recommended for this call at the
following URL:
You may also access this call through an operator by calling
888-713-4199 for domestic callers and 617-213-4861 for international
callers at least 15 minutes prior to the call start time using
reservation code 71939893.
The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, will deliver the opening remarks at a conference celebrating innovation and technological advances in Africa, entitled Africas New Frontier.
Minister Van Loan will discuss new opportunities for Canada-Africa commercial relations, highlighting positive developments. He will use this opportunity to emphasize Canadas commitment to economic integration, including growing trade and investment with this important region.
Fortune River Resource Corp. (TSX VENTURE: FRX)(FRANKFURT: RG7A) (the “Company”) has been advised that Donald R. Head of 14850 North Scottsdale Road, Ste. 285, Scottsdale, Arizona 85254, United States of America, together with Head Children Investments LLC, a company at the same address as Donald R. Head and over which Donald R. Head exercises control and direction (collectively referred to as the “Shareholder”), has, since May 22, 2008, the date when the Shareholder reported holding 12.84% of the Companys outstanding share capital, acquired, through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange and through Private Placement purchases, additional shares and warrants at prices ranging from $0.08 to $0.44.
The Company had previously reported on May 22, 2008 that Head Children Investments LLC and Head Management Investments LLC (also a company over which Donald R. Head exercises control and direction) held 12.84% of the then outstanding share capital, including options. The additional purchases by the Shareholder, when added to previously reported holdings, represent an aggregate holding of 16.20% including options and warrants.
The Shareholder has advised that its current intention is that all of the shares of the Company acquired were acquired for investment purposes but the Shareholder may, from time to time, reconsider its holdings in the Company and, as circumstances dictate, may increase or decrease its position in the Company.
The Company is further advised that a report relating to these matters is being filed with the British Columbia and Alberta Commissions by the Shareholder. A copy of the report may be obtained from the Manex Group of Companies on behalf of the Shareholder by calling 604-684-9384.
Continued progress in reducing nonperforming assets
CHANTILLY, Va. — Alliance Bankshares Corporation (NASDAQ:ABVA) today reported a fourth
quarter loss on continuing operations of $1.4 million compared to a loss
on continuing operations of $3.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2008.
On a year-to-date basis the company reported a net loss from continuing
operations of $3.6 million compared to a loss of $9.5 million for 2008.
Despite the net loss, all regulatory capital ratios remain above the
levels necessary to be considered a “well capitalized”
institution.
“This year presented a variety of challenges for the organization. I am
pleased to report a continued decline in nonperforming assets which
dropped to $13.5 million. We saw improvements in our net interest
margin, with the fourth quarter 2009 margin rising to 3.13%. In late
December we completed the sale of our insurance subsidiary. All of these
actions coupled with internal changes position the company for success
in the future,” said William M. Drohan, Chairman of the Board of
Directors.
He further added, “On January 29th, 2010, we announced the
appointment of William E. Doyle, Jr., as Interim President and CEO. Bill
brings strong community bank experience and leadership to Alliance. As
we enter 2010, the senior leadership team and the Board will be focused
on improving profitability and positioning Alliance for the future.”
Total assets amounted to $576.3 million as of December 31, 2009 compared
to $572.8 million as of December 31, 2008. We have taken strategic
actions to reduce our fair value option trading portfolio. As of
December 31, 2008, the trading portfolio was $73.5 compared to the
reduced December 31, 2009 level of $7.5 million. Our loan strategies to
diversify the portfolio and reduce our exposure to certain real estate
sub categories have yielded positive results in 2009. Our loan portfolio
was $359.4 million as of December 31, 2009 or $8.0 million less than the
December 31, 2008 level of $367.4 million.
PIH spokespeople in Haiti and Boston available to provide additional insight on the situation BOSTON, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Yesterday saw a breakthrough in delivering more desperately needed medical equipment and supplies to help treat, diagnose, and monitor patients. Thanks to support from GE, a plane brought 4 anesthesia machines, 5 x-ray machines, 10 patient monitors, 10 ultra-sound machines, as well as technicians to help set up and operate this equipment, among other donations. Today, were expecting to land even more planes with supplies, including 9 more anesthesia machines donated from Partners Health Care and the University of Miami. PIH is rapidly strengthening staff and facilities in Belladere, a public hospital close to the Dominican Republic that PIH has operated for many years. As more patients leave devastated Port-au-Prince, many are hoping to find medical care across the border in the Dominican Republic. The Belladere facility is strategically placed to treat many of these patients, who may otherwise not survive the journey into the neighboring country, or not find the care they need at Dominican facilities. PIH is collaborating with the U.S. military to assist in scaling up surgical services and distribution of relief in Haiti. Since the weekend, the PIH medical team at the central University Hospital in Port-au-Prince (HUEH), as well as other PIH facilities in the Central Plateau and Artibonite, have been airlifting patients in need of advanced surgical care to the USNS Comfort, harbored off the coast of Port-au-Prince. However, the Comforts 1,000 beds are quickly filling up. The military is now turning to PIH to help set up facilities within the country to take on the overflow of surgical cases and to meet the growing need for post-operative care. Additionally the military has turned to PIHs experience on the ground to help distribute and set up tents to shelter patients and those who lost their homes in the earthquake. Today, PIH co-Founder Dr. Paul Farmer is in Montreal, Canada, attending a meeting of world leaders and public health experts from the G20 nations to discuss the short- and long-term crisis response needed for Haiti. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive are attending, along with delegates from 20 countries, the UN and the World Bank. “Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said the conference will review progress of the aid delivery to Haiti since the earthquake. It will also lay the groundwork for a larger meeting to focus on long-term reconstruction.”
BOTHELL, Wash. — SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in
hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, today announced the
commencement of its previously announced tender offer to repurchase up
to $100 million of the Company’s common stock for cash through a
modified “Dutch Auction” tender offer.
As previously announced, under the terms of the tender offer, SonoSite
shareholders have the opportunity to tender some or all of their shares
at a price within the range of $26.10 to $30.00 per share. Based on the
number of shares tendered and the prices specified by the tendering
shareholders, SonoSite will determine the lowest per share price within
the range that will enable it to buy $100 million in shares, or such
lesser number of shares that are properly tendered. All shares accepted
for payment will be paid the same price, regardless of whether a
shareholder tendered such shares at a lower price within the range. At
the minimum price of $26.10 per share, SonoSite would repurchase a
maximum of 3,831,417 shares, which represents approximately 22% of
SonoSite’s currently outstanding common stock. SonoSite will fund the
repurchase from available cash on hand. The low and high ends of the
price range represent approximately a 0% and 15% premium, respectively,
to the share closing price for our common stock on January 8, 2010,
which was the trading day immediately preceding the original
announcement of the proposed tender offer.
The tender offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on
Friday, February 19, 2010, unless extended by SonoSite. Tenders of
shares must be made on or prior to the expiration of the tender offer
and may be withdrawn at any time on or prior to the expiration of the
tender offer. The tender offer is subject to various terms and
conditions described in offer materials that were publicly filed and
distributed to shareholders today. Additional copies of the offer
materials will also be available from the Information Agent, Georgeson
Inc. The Dealer Manager for the tender offer is J.P. Morgan Securities
Inc.
Neither SonoSite’s management, nor any of its board of directors,
executive officers, the Dealer Manager, the Information Agent or the
depositary is making any recommendation to shareholders as to whether to
tender or refrain from tendering their shares in the tender offer or at
which price or prices to tender their shares. The company’s executive
officers, senior management and directors have advised the company that
they do not intend to tender any of their shares in the tender offer.
Shareholders must decide how many shares they will tender, if any, and
the price or prices within the stated range at which they will tender
their shares. Shareholders should consult their financial and tax
advisors in making this decision.
This press release is for information purposes only, and is not an offer
to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell any shares of
SonoSite common stock. The solicitation of offers to purchase shares of
SonoSite common stock will be made only pursuant to the tender offer
documents, including an Offer to Purchase and related Letter of
Transmittal that will be distributed to shareholders and filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission shortly.
Internationally Recognized IS0 9001 Standard Furthers Ontario’s
Reputation as a Trusted Advisor and Valued Software and Solution Partner
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ontario
Systems, a leading provider of accounts receivable and revenue cycle
management solutions for collection and health care industries, has
achieved the ISO 9001:2008 quality certification, which certifies that
an organization has met the world-class standard for Quality Management
Systems in all of their key activities. In achieving ISO 9001
certification, Ontario becomes one of the first software and solution
providers in their markets to achieve the best-in-class quality standard
– recognized as having world-class best practices in areas of software
development, human resource practices, compliance, security, customer
service, supply chain management and sales and marketing processes.
The ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized Quality Management System
(QMS) standard governed by the International Organization for
Standardization that outlines commonly accepted practices for an
enterprise-wide quality management system. The QMS provides an
environment for consistency and predictability of output to meet
customer and applicable regulatory requirements and is based on eight
quality management principles intended for sustained performance
improvements, which include: customer focus, leadership, involvement of
people, process approach, system approach to management, continual
improvement, factual approach to decision making and mutually beneficial
supplier relationships.
“We are thrilled to earn this worldwide standard, as we continue raising
the bar of excellence in our industry,” said Tony Reisz, CEO, Ontario
Systems. “In today’s collection marketplace, customers need a solution
provider that is knowledgeable and committed to providing internal
processes and expert solutions that far exceed the minimum compliance
standards required of them in a vastly complex mix of regulation, best
practices and law. The ISO 9001 certification proves once again that
Ontario is the safe and secure solution in the ARM and healthcare
industries, ultimately benefiting our partners and customers.”
The ISO 9001 is the latest standard achieved by Ontario, who leads the
industry in maintaining independently certified best practices and
assuring complete product regulatory compliance. Ontario already has
attained the SAS 70 Type II Certification, and is currently in the
process of attaining the ISO 27001:2005 Security Certification. They
have also been recognized by their customers for certifying that their
products are fully in compliance with the Health Information Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPPA), Federal Information Security Management
Act (FISMA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair and Accurate Credit
Transaction Act (FACTA) and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
(FDCPA).
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Leaders from the Premier
healthcare alliance will speak around the country in February
sharing insights regarding value-based purchasing (VBP), meaningful use,
evidence-based care, labor management and improving quality while
reducing costs.
On February 12, Premier President and CEO Susan DeVore will be a
featured speaker as a part of an Institute for Healthcare Improvement
event, “Pocketing the Dark Green Dollars: Successfully Making
Improvements that Fall to the Bottom Line.” She will discuss how
hospitals have improved quality while safely reducing costs through the
Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, Premier Hospital
Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID)™ collaborative.
In addition, DeVore will speak about healthcare legislation on February
26 at the McColl School of Business alumni luncheon in Charlotte, N.C.
Using examples from healthcare and other industries, DeVore will
demonstrate how better quality can lead to lower costs and an improved
healthcare system.
On February 5, Richard Bankowitz, MD, MBA, FACP, Premier’s
enterprise-wide chief medical officer, will discuss moving toward
evidence-based care at the Healthcare Financial Management Association
(HFMA) Large System CEO Meeting in Irving, Texas. Bankowitz will share
how Premier’s HQID and QUEST®:
High Performing Hospitals collaboratives have helped hospitals
perform evidence-based care on a greater percentage of patients.
Stacey Brown, Premier vice president of communications and public
relations, will discuss quality and safety improvements and VBP on
February 25 among a panel of Premier alliance members at the American
College of Healthcare Executives meeting in Charlotte, N.C.
Panelists include: Valinda Rutledge, CEO of CaroMont
Health System in Gastonia, N.C.; Jan Mathews, assistant vice
president of quality management at CaroMont Health’s Gaston Memorial
Hospital; Liz Popwell, chief ancillary executive at Cleveland
Regional Medical Center in Shelby, N.C.; and Janet Greiwe, vice
president of systems management at Cleveland Regional Medical Center.
Continued progress in reducing nonperforming assets
CHANTILLY, Va. — Alliance Bankshares Corporation (NASDAQ:ABVA) today reported a fourth
quarter loss on continuing operations of $1.4 million compared to a loss
on continuing operations of $3.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2008.
On a year-to-date basis the company reported a net loss from continuing
operations of $3.6 million compared to a loss of $9.5 million for 2008.
Despite the net loss, all regulatory capital ratios remain above the
levels necessary to be considered a “well capitalized”
institution.
“This year presented a variety of challenges for the organization. I am
pleased to report a continued decline in nonperforming assets which
dropped to $13.5 million. We saw improvements in our net interest
margin, with the fourth quarter 2009 margin rising to 3.13%. In late
December we completed the sale of our insurance subsidiary. All of these
actions coupled with internal changes position the company for success
in the future,” said William M. Drohan, Chairman of the Board of
Directors.
He further added, “On January 29th, 2010, we announced the
appointment of William E. Doyle, Jr., as Interim President and CEO. Bill
brings strong community bank experience and leadership to Alliance. As
we enter 2010, the senior leadership team and the Board will be focused
on improving profitability and positioning Alliance for the future.”
Total assets amounted to $576.3 million as of December 31, 2009 compared
to $572.8 million as of December 31, 2008. We have taken strategic
actions to reduce our fair value option trading portfolio. As of
December 31, 2008, the trading portfolio was $73.5 compared to the
reduced December 31, 2009 level of $7.5 million. Our loan strategies to
diversify the portfolio and reduce our exposure to certain real estate
sub categories have yielded positive results in 2009. Our loan portfolio
was $359.4 million as of December 31, 2009 or $8.0 million less than the
December 31, 2008 level of $367.4 million.
Venoco, Inc. (NYSE: VQ) announced that its
Annual Stockholders Meeting will be held on June 2, 2010.
The meeting will be held at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, June 2,
2010, at the Brown Palace Hotel, 321 17th Street, Denver, Colorado.
Stockholders of record at the close of business on Monday, April 5, 2010,
are entitled to receive notice of the meeting and to vote the shares of
Venoco common stock they hold as of that date.
Venoco is an independent energy company primarily engaged in the
acquisition, exploitation and development of oil and natural gas properties
in California and Texas. Venoco operates three offshore platforms in the
Santa Barbara Channel, has non-operated interests in three other platforms,
operates four onshore properties in Southern California, has extensive
operations in Northern Californias Sacramento Basin and operates thirteen
fields in Texas.
Stina Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: SQA) (The “Company”) is please to announce that the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing a property option agreement dated July 23, 2009, between Ryanwood Exploration Inc. and Stina., where the Company has acquired the option to earn a 100-per-cent interest subject to a 2-per-cent net smelter return royalty, in the Dime property located in the Dawson mining district, Yukon territory. To earn its interest the company must pay $600,000 and issue 1.25 million shares over four years as follows:
The Dime property is located 42 kilometres northwest of Underworlds White Gold project and covers a well-known placer gold creek called Ten Mile, which has produced coarse placer gold since the turn of the century and the placer deposits are believed to be locally derived. In 1998 Teck Corp. staked the ground surrounding two placer gold districts in the Dawson area. One was the area now covered by Underworlds White Gold property and the second one was a claim package in the Ten Mile Creek area. Teck worked on both properties for three seasons and successfully identified several promising targets, but changed its focus in 2000 and dropped all their gold exploration efforts in the area.
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.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swelling and pain are usually the result of a stretched or torn ligament.
WASHINGTON — With a season of record-breaking snowfalls and eight weeks of winter to
go, Washingtonians have become all too familiar with the icy sidewalks,
the sore muscles, and the coughs and colds that come along with winter
weather. But for those feeling the effects of a recent fall or tighter
joints due to a lack of exercise, therapeutic massage – including simple
tips you can do at home – can offer much-needed relief.
“We tend to be less active in the cold weather months, catch more colds
and flus, and get depressed more easily. Massage is proven to help with
all these winter ailments,” says Winston Moore, massage therapist and
the Regional Operations Manager for Massage Envy, which has 19 locations
in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area. “Massage increases circulation,
boosts the immune system and causes your body to release more
stress-fighting hormones. With winter not even half over, we can all use
that right about now,” adds Moore.
Massage Envy reports a significant increase in clients with aches and
pains, and many are weather-related. Integrating therapeutic massage as
a regular health practice can not only help alleviate pain but increase
overall wellness during the cold weather months and beyond.
But what happens when you’re snowed in? Moore says fighting the winter
woes can be easier than you think, and can be had with simple items from
around the house. Here are a few simple tips that he recommends:
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.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dont get us wrong–your lady probably gives great massages. But sometimes we need more than just a happy ending. Like a muscle-relieving sports massage. In fact, more and more elite athletes are incorporating regular rubdowns into their recovery programs, hitting strained hamstrings, pulled groins, and aching backs. “Guys are bigger, faster, and stronger, and as a result, collisions are more violent,” says South Florida–based sports massage therapist Chris Pikosky, whos worked on Super Bowl (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Stanley Cup (Carolina Hurricanes) champs. But you dont have to be an elite athlete to benefit from a good sports massage. This aint your girls froufrou spa day. Think a vigorous deep-tissue treatment. “A Swedish massage is soothing, and theres a lot of value to it, but its different from what an athlete is looking for,” Pikosky says. Sports massages involve rubs and stretches that target specific muscles and increase athletes range of motion.
THIS is Jean Treacy, the elusive ex-mistress of Eamon Lillis, the man accused of murdering his wife. She is photographed when she worked as a lifeguard in her hometown before pursuing a new career and moving to Dublin where she met Lillis and started an affair with him eight weeks before Celine Cawley was found dead. The picture, taken a few years ago, calls to mind Celine as a young woman. But now, Jean has been indelibly linked to the tragedy when 46- year-old Celine lost her life on December 15, 2008 at her luxury EUR3million home on Howth Head.
TOKYO — PRONEXUS INC.(TOKYO:7893) News:
PRONEXUS is Japans leading financial printer, offering creation and
printing of corporate disclosure documents and other IR support
services. Its main products include IPO documentation, financial reports
and other earnings reports, shareholder meeting materials and IR
materials including web contents for listed firms, as well as disclosure
documents and IR materials for mutual funds, J-REITs, etc. In addition,
the company provides consulting, digitalizing services, information
security support, printing and other support services to meet the latest
legal requirement, with well-organized expertise and unique IT for a
variety of customers disclosure and IR activities.
TOKYO — PRONEXUS INC.(TOKYO:7893) News:
PRONEXUS is Japans leading financial printer, offering creation and
printing of corporate disclosure documents and other IR support
services. Its main products include IPO documentation, financial reports
and other earnings reports, shareholder meeting materials and IR
materials including web contents for listed firms, as well as disclosure
documents and IR materials for mutual funds, J-REITs, etc. In addition,
the company provides consulting, digitalizing services, information
security support, printing and other support services to meet the latest
legal requirement, with well-organized expertise and unique IT for a
variety of customers disclosure and IR activities.
Remain Committed to Partnerships in Other Specialty Markets
CHICAGO CHEVY CHASE, Md. — CNA and Victor O. Schinnerer Company, Inc. have reached a joint
decision to end their carrier and managing general underwriter
relationship in the Non-Profit Directors Officers (DO) program. The
amicable split is effective June 1, 2010.
Although their relationship in the non-profit DO market is ending, CNA
and Schinnerer remain deeply committed to their enduring partnerships –
some spanning 50-plus years — in the architects, engineers,
construction and real estate markets.
Both companies also plan to stay in the non-profit DO market and
continue to deliver superior insurance programs. Schinnerer will soon
announce plans to offer expanded non-profit DO classes. CNA will take
over the underwriting and administration of the existing Non-Profit DO
program and use its branch network to further grow the business.
“The Non-Profit DO market has evolved tremendously since we started
underwriting for CNA,” said Lorna Parsons, President and Chief
Underwriting Officer at Schinnerer. “At this point in time, we both
believe that we can best serve our customers by going separate ways.
Schinnerer is excited at the opportunity to update our program and
expand our appetite for new classes of Non-Profit DO business with a
nationally recognized carrier.”
More than 200 courses offering ways to prevent workplace accidents.
CHICAGO — CNA recently announced its 2010 School of Risk Control Excellence
(SORCE) catalog of more than 200 courses designed to help business
owners and managers incorporate workplace safety and prevent accidents.
Held via in-person seminars, webinars or online training sessions to
accommodate participants’ business schedules and geographic needs,
courses are created for a variety of business industries and offered
free of charge to CNA agents and customers.
“CNA has been an excellent source of information for my company and the
(SORCE) classes have been key tools in helping my employees grow,” said
Kenny Edwards, Corporate Safety Manager/Waste Management Director for
RA-LIN and Associates, Inc., a general contracting firm. “With the help
of CNA, our compliance has risen, creating a safer work environment for
every employee in my company.”
This year, 28 new courses were created based on feedback from CNA agents
and clients. New course topics include: Claim 101, Crime Series
(featuring Personal Safety and Physical Security Practices, Privacy and
Security Protection and Product Theft Prevention), Driver Distractions
and Selection, Fleet Safety for Drivers, Healthcare – Privacy and
Computer Network Security Risks, Managing Slips, Trips and Falls in the
Real Estate Industry, Negligent Entrustment and Risk Transfer for
General Liability.
Steve and Harry were both feeling the pinch of the economic crisis. Leaner pay cheques, rising commodity prices and strained monthly budgets forced them to look for credit options to bring their finances back on track. While Harry took the conventional route, choosing to go GBP 80 overdraft on his account, Steve researched more extensively and opted for a payday loan from Lending Stream. At the outset, it appeared to Steve that he had made a costly mistake by ignoring critical observations about the expensive nature of payday loans . However, by the time he received his next pay cheque and repaid his loan successfully, it was established that Harry had got the raw deal instead.
Harrys decision to use an unplanned overdraft for just three days cost him a whopping GBP 60. Steve, on the other hand, used a GBP 80 payday loan over a 30-day period and ended up paying a relatively small charge of GBP 20. It is evident that banks are not always the best option when you are facing a cash shortfall.
A spokesperson from Lending Stream commented, “Although we have faced some sharp criticism for the perceivably high interest rates, we believe we are less expensive than some of the traditional cash options like credit cards and unplanned bank overdrafts. Our APRs might suggest that our loans are not a sensible option. But the fact remains that we lend only on a short-term basis and hence, it is only the monthly interest rate that needs to be taken into account.”
A spokesperson added “We received a comment from one of our valued customers saying the typical APR was misleading and deceptive. To address all our customers who have doubts on the APR, we put in as much effort as we could all muster up into creating a simple and customer friendly explanation of this complexity. Though most of us know the fact that APRs do not matter for short term loans like ours, we feel inclined to putting their minds at rest.”
Responsible lending by companies like Lending Stream has quelled some of the common apprehensions that people have about payday loans. Of course, finance charges of GBP 25 for every GBP 100 borrowed (30 days) may not be wallet-friendly; but the speed, convenience and flexibility offered certainly make the cost look reasonable. When you are strapped for cash during the crisis, an online loan that materialises in a day and does not leave you with bigger debts is a practical choice.
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.
VIENNA, Va. WILMINGTON, Del. — Navy Federal Credit Union today announced it is providing best-fit
mortgage and home equity loan options to its members with MDA MindBox’s
ARTOptimize™.
Navy Federal Credit Union began working with MDA MindBox, a division of
MDA Lending Solutions that provides advanced-decisioning solutions to
the mortgage lending industry, after evaluating offerings from 20
vendors. According to credit union officials, ARTOptimize was
chosen for its superior decisioning capabilities, powerful maintenance
facilities and ease of integration into Navy Federal’s existing loan
origination infrastructure.
“MDA MindBox’s ARTOptimize allows Navy Federal employees, as well
as our members to quickly determine the best possible loan options from
our Web site based on financial situations and objectives,” said Joan
Cox, vice president, Real Estate Lending. “Our primary mission at Navy
Federal is to best serve the financial needs of our members, which
includes providing the right loan product for their individual need. We
can now do that within minutes instead of hours.”
MDA MindBox’s ARTOptimize personalizes each step in the loan
origination, deal negotiation, deal structuring, optimization and
underwriting process. ARTOptimize integrates credit data from
multiple sources, analyzes that data based on company-specific policies,
prices the final product, provides suggested strategies for lowering
costs or creating a debt portfolio and gives employees and counselors
information about the best loan products to cross sell.
“The Navy Federal Credit Union implementation is a prime example of how
MDA MindBox’s solutions can improve member service and streamline the
loan decisioning process,” said Bill Richer, president of MDA MindBox.
“By integrating the advanced capabilities of ARTOptimize into
Navy’s Web site, MDA MindBox is delivering a powerful tool that Navy
Federal Credit Union can leverage to best serve both existing and
potential members.”
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — A free Heart Failure Community Education Evening will be held from 6:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at the Apple Valley
Medical Center.
“Heart disease continues to be a leading cause of death in men and
women,” said Aaron Trygstad, MD, family practice physician with the
Apple Valley Medical Clinic and one of two speakers that evening. Common
risk factors for heart disease include high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, lung disease, obesity and diabetes. “There are multiple
lifestyle changes that one can make to decrease those risks,” added
Trygstad, who will speak on “Preventing Heart Problems Before They
Start” beginning at 6:30 p.m.
At 7:00 p.m., Alan Bank, MD, cardiologist with the St. Paul Heart
Clinic, will present “Heart Failure: What Can the Cardiologist Do For
You?” Heart failure, one form of heart disease, is a condition in which
the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. According to
the American Heart Association, more than 5.7 million Americans are
living with heart failure, and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed every
year. New treatments for heart failure include surgical treatments and
device therapy, such as biventricular pacing and defibrillation.
“We are committed to providing the community with practical health care
information,” said Adam Berry, FACHE, Administrator and Chief Operating
Officer of Apple Valley Medical Center. “We have been an integral part
of the south metro health care community since 1974 and take our role as
educators very seriously.” Attendees of the February 9 event will be
offered free blood pressure screenings, along with a free light supper
and health care displays on heart-related topics.
Updates Allow Parents to Monitor Chat/Instant Messaging and Social
Networking Activity
“Internet and technology dangers are growing rapidly and can be far more
serious than parents realize due to the growing prevalence of trends
such as social networking and IM,” said Jack
Sunderlage, ContentWatch CEO. “It is our mission to continually
address these issues with tools to help parents protect their children’s
safety online.”
A recent study from the U.S. Department of Justice reports that more
than 50 percent of teenagers receive requests for personal information
and have frequent personal conversations with strangers online through
IM. Likewise, 50 percent of teenagers say their parents are unaware of
their online activities and have never discussed Internet safety with
them.
Net Nanny 6.5 offers the following new features and enhancements:
ORLANDO, Fla. — Gen2Media Corporation (OTCBB: GTWO) announced today that it was selected
by world renowned Grammy winning artist John Mayer to provide creative
visual elements and video production for the Battle Studies World Tour
which launches February 4 in Miami, Fla.
Gen2 provided creative design and digital video elements for the tour,
which includes shows across the United States and Canada, as well as the
United Kingdom and Denmark. Gen2 teamed with acclaimed show designer
Marc Brickman to create digital video and visual imagery to accompany
the live show performance.
“We are excited to work with the professionals at Gen2 to bring the
Battle Studies World Tour to life in video for John Mayer fans
worldwide,” said Marc Brickman, Production Lighting Designer Director.
“The Gen2 team provides creativity in the live concert video arena that
is second to none, and we are happy to have them on board.”
Gen2 Production Director Ian McDaniel stated, “Working with
Marc Brickman and the people involved in the John Mayer tour is
incredibly rewarding for us. Marc’s team is first class, and the Battle
Studies World Tour is destined to be a fantastic experience for the
fans.”
Cinema possesses a rich history of collaboration between artists of sound, narrative, and image. However, traditional tendencies to perceive music as a strictly supportive background or accompaniment have been subjected to in-depth critique only recently. Abigail Childs interactions with musicians in Is This What You Were Born For? (1981-89) and Bill Morrisons partnership with composer Michael Gordon in Decasia (2001) exemplify (but by no means exhaust the possibilities of) the broader range of collaborative textures that cinema has always suggested. Not coincidentally, these works represent the influence on cinema of two popular music practices: the ubiquitous re-mixing that has emerged from hip-hop culture and the group composition typical of many rock bands. Abigail Child (also a poet, critic, and scholar) has had an influential career as an experimental filmmaker since the mid-1970s when she turned from professional documentary work to the creation of independent films focusing on gender, sexuality, class, and the critical possibilities of montage. Recycling found footage from a wide variety of sources, such as porn, industrial films, and home movies, and progressing cinematic techniques often associated primarily with the historical avant-garde of the early twentieth century, Child has created an oeuvre of incredible beauty and continuing social relevance. Her films are shown at major art museums and in experimental cinema venues and can be obtained through a variety of distribution channels. Is This What You Were Born For?, the series of short films Child created in the 1980s, underscores her exploration of interdisciplinary collaboration and these endeavors have had on her work. Michael Gordons award-winning career as a composer has resulted in a variety of notable intermedia collaborations, including for example operas with diegetic film components progressing beyond the more familiar application of projection as scenery and non-narrative music performances incorporating video. Gordon is a founding member of the highly regarded new music organization Bang on a Can, a group dedicated to facilitating the composition and performance of new music, often with an interdisciplinary dimension and independently of conservative academic contexts. Decasia, Gordons internationally celebrated collaboration with filmmaker Bill Morrison, is a symphony for full orchestra paired with a montage of archival nitrate footage in various states of intriguing and evocative decomposition. The final version of the film, edited to fit the live recording of the symphony performance, was featured in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Decasia synaesthetically elucidates subtleties inherent to myriad generative tensions: progress/tradition, memory/time, darkness/illumination, and mini-malism/totalism.
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.
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.
“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.
CHICAGO — Nuveen Investments, a leading global provider of investment services to
institutions and high-net-worth investors today announced that the
following funds have declared their first distributions for MuniFund
Term Preferred shares (MTP) each fund has issued:
Based on the par amount of $10 per share, these distributions reflect
annualized distribution rates of 2.850 percent for NEA PrC, and
2.650 percent for NTC PrC, NMT PrC, NNC PrC, NPV
PrC, NMY PrC, and NKG PrC.
MuniFund Term Preferred Shares are a form of preferred share issued by
Nuveen municipal bond closed-end funds for the purposes of locking in
leverage costs at an attractive fixed tax-exempt cost and to hedge
against the risk of rising short-term rates. This hedging effort is
designed to improve future common share net earnings and distributions,
and to simultaneously provide the opportunity for partial or full
liquidity at par for that fund’s outstanding auction-rate preferred
shares (ARPS).
The following dates apply to today’s dividend declaration:
EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Peets Coffee Tea, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEET) announced today that it has
extended the expiration date of its exchange offer to acquire Diedrich
Coffee, Inc. (NASDAQ: DDRX) for a combination of cash and stock valued
at $26.00 per share. The exchange offer, which commenced on November 17,
2009, is now scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight (one minute after
11:59 p.m.), Eastern Time, on Monday, March 1, 2010 unless extended. The
exchange offer was previously scheduled to expire at 12:00 midnight (one
minute after 11:59 p.m.), Eastern Time, on Friday, January 29, 2010.
Except for the extension of the exchange offer expiration date, all
other terms and conditions of the offer remain unchanged. As of the
close of business on Friday, January 29, 2010, approximately 16,007
shares of Diedrich common stock had been tendered into and not withdrawn
from the offer.
Cooley Godward Kronish LLP is acting as Peets legal advisor; Simpson
Thacher Bartlett LLP is acting as legal advisor on antitrust matters.
Morgan Stanley and Jesse Capital Management are serving as financial
advisors.
Additional Information and Where to
Find It
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — The Board of Directors of The Progressive Corporation on January 29,
2010 fixed the close of business on February 26, 2010 as the record date
for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on April 23,
2010.
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, is
one of the country’s largest auto insurance groups, the largest seller
of motorcycle policies and a market leader in commercial auto insurance
based on premiums written.
Progressive is committed to becoming consumers’ #1 choice for auto
insurance by providing competitive rates and innovative products and
services that meet drivers’ needs throughout their lifetimes, including
superior online and in-person customer service, and best-in-class,
24-hour claims service, such as its concierge level of claims service
available at service centers located in major metropolitan areas
throughout the United States.
CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings will host a teleconference on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 12:00
noon ET to discuss its expected rating on SBP DPR Finance Co (Scotiabank
Peru) following its announced USD$250 million issuance. In a press
release published on Jan. 29, Fitch indicated it expected to assign a
rating of A to the notes.
— Dial-in: 1-877-467-8597 (U.S./Canada) or 1-706-758-8002
(International)
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — CSC (NYSE: CSC) named Donald “Andy” Purdy chief cybersecurity
strategist. He will report to Samuel S. Visner, CSC lead for Cyber and
vice president for strategy and business development of the North
American Public Sector (NPS) Enforcement, Security and Intelligence
Group.
In this role, Purdy will build on and extend our efforts to date to
address client cybersecurity needs across CSC. He will extend an
approach that encompasses the enterprise needs of CSCs global client
base, as well as the national security requirements associated with the
public sector. In addition, he will help inform public policy and cyber
awareness.
“Andy is one of very few people who comprehend the tremendous
cybersecurity challenge as it relates to all parts of the private
sector, as well as the public sector,” said Visner. “His contribution to
our cyber strategy will be of value to our clients around the world and
the CSC sectors that serve them.”
Most recently, Purdy was president of DRA Enterprises, Inc., a firm
providing information technology and business development consulting
services in the areas of cyber risk assessment and mitigation. He was
also a partner with the law firm of Allenbaugh Samini Gosheh, LLP, with
offices in Irvine, Calif. and Washington, D.C. Purdy will continue his
role as co-director of George Mason University’s International Cyber
Center (ICC), which helps lead efforts to better identify and address
global cyber issues. Andy was also a member of the White House staff
team that helped draft the U.S. National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace
(2003). Shortly after its release by President Bush in February 2003,
Andy worked on the Department of Homeland Security’s tiger team that
helped form the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) and the U.S.
Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and eventually led both. In
addition to holding general and special counsel positions with various
federal entities, Purdy served as a network television news producer
with NBC and CBS News in Washington.
CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings will host a teleconference on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 12:00
noon ET to discuss its expected rating on SBP DPR Finance Co (Scotiabank
Peru) following its announced USD$250 million issuance. In a press
release published on Jan. 29, Fitch indicated it expected to assign a
rating of A to the notes.
— Dial-in: 1-877-467-8597 (U.S./Canada) or 1-706-758-8002
(International)
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — The Board of Directors of The Progressive Corporation on January 29,
2010 fixed the close of business on February 26, 2010 as the record date
for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on April 23,
2010.
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, is
one of the country’s largest auto insurance groups, the largest seller
of motorcycle policies and a market leader in commercial auto insurance
based on premiums written.
Progressive is committed to becoming consumers’ #1 choice for auto
insurance by providing competitive rates and innovative products and
services that meet drivers’ needs throughout their lifetimes, including
superior online and in-person customer service, and best-in-class,
24-hour claims service, such as its concierge level of claims service
available at service centers located in major metropolitan areas
throughout the United States.
PITTSBURGH — NOVA Chemicals today announced the promotion of William Mitchell to Vice
President and General Counsel. Mr. Mitchell has succeeded Jack Mustoe,
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, who retired in December
2009.
“Bill brings extensive experience in NOVA Chemicals’ legal department,”
said Randy Woelfel, NOVA Chemicals’ Chief Executive Officer. “He is
uniquely qualified for this key leadership role and will make an
immediate impact.”
Mitchell has more than 25 years of legal experience in the chemical and
pharmaceutical industries. Prior to joining NOVA Chemicals, he held
several leadership roles including Patent Counsel, Merck Co. Inc;
General Counsel and Secretary, Calgon Corporation; and Vice President
and General Counsel, Oakwood Laboratories. Most recently, Mitchell
served as a Vice President in NOVA Chemicals’ legal department, and
currently serves as a board member at Launchcyte, LLC.
Mr. Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering
and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of
Pittsburgh, and a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law.
As THE HEALTH care debate dragged on last year, Democrats searched high and low for Republican support. But aside from Olympia Snowe, the ever-coy centrist senator from Maine, everyone with an R attached to his or her name was consistently opposed to Democratic plans. The always-useful bipartisan label remained elusive. Finally, in October, the majority party found four prominent Republicans to support the cause: former Senate majority leaders Bill Frist and Bob Dole, and former health and human services secretaries Louis Sullivan and Tommy Thompson. This was big news: The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ABC News all published stories on the endorsements, and President Barack Obama praised the four Republicans in his weekly radio address. But it turns out the turncoats were not necessarily motivated by bipartisan concern for the greater good. As reported by Timothy Carney in The Washington Examiner, all four had direct financial ties to health care interests that stand to gain from ObamaCare. Dole lobbies for a firm that represents the pharmaceutical industry and insurance companies. Frist has a partner stake in an investment firm that, according to its online description, has “deep expertise in the healthcare reimbursement and regulatory environments.” Thompson works as a health care consultant for Akin Gump, a lobbying firm paid by the pharmaceutical industry, medical device makers, and hospitals.
Gold Parties exploded in popularity during the economic downturn and this increase in take up of the household held events does not look set to slide. The parties essentially involve specialists coming into your home to value and buy gold from you and the friends you invite round. Unlike the Tupperware parties of the past, your friend and invitees dont need to spend anything and could walk out with cash or a cheque for old gold they didnt even realise was worth anything. This concept proved particularly popular with cash strapped Brits during the 18 month long recession. As well as cashing in on their old jewellery items and trinkets, the hosts of the parties can also earn a commission on the total value of all gold sold at their parties up to 10% with some companies, making the events potentially a great little earner of a social event.
Gold has long been seen a good investment and while the dollar and pound found themselves in something of a freefall during the recession, gold remained a firm favourite with investors as its price crept further and further up to record levels during the downturn.
The extra gold related media coverage this attracted contributed to the rise in companies offering Gold Parties., and irrespective of the announcement about the official end of the recession, the Gold Party looks set to stay.
For further information about buying gold or for up to the minute information about the price per ounce, visit Gold Made Simple.
Hosting and domain registration specialist Easyspace is delighted to announce the new availability of its Whois Privacy service for new and existing .Me domain name extension customers.
Already available for .Com, .Net, .Org and other Top Level Domains through Easyspace, the expansion to also cover .Me domains allows new and current customers to protect the registration details of their .Me domains, preventing access to personal information which would otherwise be made available to any member of the public looking for it.
While common knowledge to those in the industry, its not always known by regular domain owners that personal or business details used to register domain names is eventually made public. Name, email address, postal address and telephone number are just some of the bits of information made fully available on the internet through Whois Lookup sites. Domain owners, therefore, have little control over who then reads that information, and equally little control over what those readers then choose to do with it. Unsolicited Mail is to domain owners email addresses is just one of the options.
This is a real situation regardless of who a person registers their domain names with.
Whois Privacy is a service which replaces an owners domain registration details in the public domain with details completely un-related to the owner. As a result, the service prevents personal information from failing into the wrong hands. For only Pounds Sterling 5.00 per year, per domain, customers can sign up for this service to give themselves the peace of mind that their personal details are safe and not at risk of misuse.
This view shows the Smith frame home in Palmyra, N.Y., as one looks north. Construction of the home was undertaken by Alvin Smith, older brother of the Prophet Joseph. Alvin died unexpectedly in November 1823 before the home was completed. There is a tradition that the grieving Smith family planted a tree near the home in memory of Alvin. Though it is not known with certainty, the large tree to the right of the home may be that tree. It is usually referred to as the “Alvin Tree.”
To celebrate Christmas and the holiday
season, Los Angeles dentist Dr.
Neda Naim is thanking new patients for scheduling appointments by providing
specials on selected services throughout December.
Dr. Naim is emphasizing three service packages in her Christmas special.
Her special on check-up services includes an oral exam and diagnosis, a
one-hour cleaning and polish, X-rays, a smile evaluation, periodontal exam,
and an oral cancer screening. Estimated at a $240 value, this service
package is priced as low as $75.
As a Los Angeles cosmetic
dentistry expert, Dr. Naim is providing her “Zoom” one-hour advanced
teeth whitening service with a discount of over 50%. Valued at $500, Dr.
Naim is providing this package for $199.
With Dr. Naims third Christmas special, new patients can cash in on a $500
coupon for Invisalign orthodontics. These patients can improve their smiles
without the wires and brackets used with braces while enjoying the luxury
of invisible orthodontics at a significantly reduced rate.
“Its wonderful to be able to put these special packages together for new
patients,” said Dr. Naim. “We like to give back whenever we can, and a
Christmas sale seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
Discus Dental®, LLC today announced the
release of Dash(TM) — a new in-office, non-light activated whitening
product. Dash is an affordable and easy to administer whitening procedure
that provides immediate whitening results.
The Dash procedure kit reflects Discuss commitment to offer a wide range
of whitening options to dentists, empowering them to respond to their
patients specific needs. As the newest addition to the Discus whitening
product portfolio, Dash directly caters to dentists who want an affordable,
whitening alternative.
“Discus wants to provide dentists with a variety of professional-strength
whitening options to meet all types of lifestyles and patient needs,” said
Steve Semmelmayer, CEO, Discus.
Dash has several features and benefits allowing for easy administration.
These include:
SEATTLE — Six women in their 60s to 80s lunge side to side within a YMCA pool, essentially emulating falling and regaining balance. At times during the one-hour class, they also pad about, reaching for bobbing Nerf balls and balance on one leg and against turbulence. Occupational therapist Jeanne Shepard, who teaches the class in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline, believes that waters buoyancy and resistance are natural aids in helping seniors prepare against falls. Health care organizations and providers are paying increasing attention to preventing falls as the U.S. population continues to age. The state Office of Financial Management projects that the population of older adults will increase 50 percent by 2020 and double by 2030. Injurious falls can endanger an older persons independence, even his or her life. And the medical costs associated with their falls total about $19 billion a year nationwide.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dont get us wrong–your lady probably gives great massages. But sometimes we need more than just a happy ending. Like a muscle-relieving sports massage. In fact, more and more elite athletes are incorporating regular rubdowns into their recovery programs, hitting strained hamstrings, pulled groins, and aching backs. “Guys are bigger, faster, and stronger, and as a result, collisions are more violent,” says South Florida–based sports massage therapist Chris Pikosky, whos worked on Super Bowl (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Stanley Cup (Carolina Hurricanes) champs. But you dont have to be an elite athlete to benefit from a good sports massage. This aint your girls froufrou spa day. Think a vigorous deep-tissue treatment. “A Swedish massage is soothing, and theres a lot of value to it, but its different from what an athlete is looking for,” Pikosky says. Sports massages involve rubs and stretches that target specific muscles and increase athletes range of motion.
Theater Wednesday: “Fiddler on the Roof,” starring irrepressible Harvey Fierstein, opens at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, where it plays through Feb. 21. Thursday: Aurora Theatre Company opens the world premiere of Joel Drake Johnsons dramedy “First Grade,” about a schoolteacher who rescues a troubled physical therapist, adding to her already complex extended family. It plays through Feb. 28 at the Berkeley theater.
IN APRIL 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly I million cars and light trucks–out of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewide–were protected by a “shield” in the state records system between their license plate numbers and their home addresses. There were, the newspaper found, great practical benefits to this secrecy. “Vehicles with protected license plates can run through dozens of intersections controlled by red light cameras with impunity,” the Registers Jennifer Muir reported. “Parking citations issued to vehicles with protected plates are often dismissed because the process necessary to pierce the shield is too cumbersome. Some patrol officers let drivers with protected plates off with a warning because the plates signal that drivers are one of their own or related to someone who is.” The plate program started in 1978 with the seemingly unobjectionable purpose of protecting the personal addresses of officials who deal directly with criminals. Police argued that the bad guys could call the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), get addresses for officers, and use the information to harm them or their family members. There was no rash of such incidents, only the possibility that they could take place. So police and their families were granted confidentiality. Then the program expanded from one set of government workers to another. Eventually parole officers, retired parking enforcers, DMV desk clerks, county supervisors, social workers, and other categories of employees from 1,800 state agencies were given the special protections too. Meanwhile, the original intent of the shield had become obsolete: The DMV long ago abandoned the practice of giving out personal information about any driver. What was left was not a protection but a perk. Yes, rank has its privileges, and its clear that government workers have a rank above the rest of us. Ordinarily, if one out of every 22 California drivers had a license to drive any way he chose, there would be demands for more police power to protect Californians from the potential carnage. But until the newspaper series, law enforcement officials and legislators had remained mum. The reason, of course, is that the scofflaws are law enforcement officials and legislators.
Swinton, the UKs leading high street insurance retailer is warning motorists to beware of the potentially dangerous effects of in-car navigation systems.
It is estimated that around 14 million drivers now use satellite navigation systems. A survey of 1,200 Swinton car insurance customers showed that one in five had hesitated on a busy road as a result of their sat nav. One in fifty also admitted that their sat nav had either caused or nearly caused an accident.
Following official RoSPA statistics showing that 78% of crashes were caused by driver inattention, researchers from Lancaster University and Royal Holloway are planning to study the impacts of sat navs on spatial attention and memory whilst driving.
Steve Chelton, insurer development manager at Swinton, the UKs leading high street car insurance retailer said: “We are seeing more drivers making claims for damage to their vehicles after following their sat navs to unsuitable roads. We urge all motorists to use their common sense when approaching a potentially impassable road.
“The authorities are beginning to take this problem very seriously and we are now finding that more and more people are receiving up to six penalty points and substantial fines for driving without due care and attention and putting themselves into dangerous situations after following sat nav instructions.”
IN APRIL 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly I million cars and light trucks–out of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewide–were protected by a “shield” in the state records system between their license plate numbers and their home addresses. There were, the newspaper found, great practical benefits to this secrecy. “Vehicles with protected license plates can run through dozens of intersections controlled by red light cameras with impunity,” the Registers Jennifer Muir reported. “Parking citations issued to vehicles with protected plates are often dismissed because the process necessary to pierce the shield is too cumbersome. Some patrol officers let drivers with protected plates off with a warning because the plates signal that drivers are one of their own or related to someone who is.” The plate program started in 1978 with the seemingly unobjectionable purpose of protecting the personal addresses of officials who deal directly with criminals. Police argued that the bad guys could call the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), get addresses for officers, and use the information to harm them or their family members. There was no rash of such incidents, only the possibility that they could take place. So police and their families were granted confidentiality. Then the program expanded from one set of government workers to another. Eventually parole officers, retired parking enforcers, DMV desk clerks, county supervisors, social workers, and other categories of employees from 1,800 state agencies were given the special protections too. Meanwhile, the original intent of the shield had become obsolete: The DMV long ago abandoned the practice of giving out personal information about any driver. What was left was not a protection but a perk. Yes, rank has its privileges, and its clear that government workers have a rank above the rest of us. Ordinarily, if one out of every 22 California drivers had a license to drive any way he chose, there would be demands for more police power to protect Californians from the potential carnage. But until the newspaper series, law enforcement officials and legislators had remained mum. The reason, of course, is that the scofflaws are law enforcement officials and legislators.
Loan Modification Company Responds to Rapid Rise of Homeowners
Opting to Short Sell Instead of Foreclose
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — US Home Loan Advocates, Inc. (USHLA) a leading loan modification
company, is extending their expert loss
mitigation negotiation services to real estate agents.
The number of homeowners with upside down mortgages is growing
rapidly. The credit recovery period for a short sale is two-three years
as opposed to the lengthily seven-year stay of a foreclosure. For
that reason, more homeowners are opting to short sell their properties
instead of facing foreclosure. A short sale will reflect
negatively on a homeowner’s credit report; however, compared to
foreclosure, it is the lesser of the two evils.
“As the number of homeowners forced to short sell rises, our
support will enable real estate agents to concentrate on listing and
selling more properties; thereby, increasing the number of distressed
homeowners the agents are able to help,” explains David Bartels,
president of USHLA.
The short sale process is time consuming and requires persistence
and experience. USHLA’s experienced professionals will conduct the
required financial consultation with the seller, collect the paperwork
and appropriately package all of the documentation for the lender.
Thereafter, an USHLA expert will work with the lender to quickly
and successfully negotiate the purchase price and the real estate
agent’s full commission for the short sale transaction.
“Signature Properties trusted relationship with USHLA
substantially improves my ability to efficiently manage the increase in
short sale activity. USHLA provides my customers with consistent quality
and expert service,” explains Judy Dunham of Signature
Properties in Coronado, California.
Homeland Security Company Nominates New Key Supplier to Growing
Team of World-Class Firms Working Hard to Put Americans Back to Work
CONNERSVILLE, Ind. — Following last week’s announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy
that Carbon Motors Corporation’s loan application was deemed
substantially complete under the provisions of Section 136 of the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Company announced today that
it has designated Autoliv ASP, Inc. as a preferred supplier for certain
key systems relative to its Carbon E7, the world’s first purpose-built
law enforcement patrol vehicle.
“The ability of Carbon Motors to continue to attract top caliber firms
to improve the security of our homeland not only validates the business
but continues to accelerate the process towards full-scale production,”
said William Santana Li, chairman and chief executive officer,
Carbon Motors Corporation. “We literally scoured the planet for
world-class suppliers across a variety of sectors and disciplines and we
are thrilled to have Autoliv join the effort to put Americans back to
work.”
Autoliv Inc. has been designated as the preferred supplier of the E7’s
air bags, seat belts and related safety sensors. Autoliv Inc., with 10
locations in the United States, is the global leader in the automobile
occupant restraint market and estimates that it accounts for more than
one third of the airbag products market, and for almost one third of the
seatbelt market in North America. Autoliv’s vision to substantially
reduce traffic accidents, fatalities and injuries is uniquely aligned
with the needs of the over 800,000 law enforcement officers in the U.S.
Preferred supplier designations are subject to terms and conditions, and
are intended to establish a framework pursuant to which the parties will
work together to develop mutually acceptable sourcing targets, which
would ultimately form the basis of definitive supply agreements.
Advisors and previously announced suppliers include:
McCormick Helps Make Food Fun and Flavorful with Cupid’s Cuisine for
the Entire Family
HUNT VALLEY, Md. — A red letter day, sometimes called a “scarlet day,” is any day of
special significance. This year, Valentine’s Day happens to fall on a
Sunday, and what better way to celebrate than with a special “Red Letter
Day” menu – filled with fun and flavorful McCormick recipes and tips for
the entire family. From a colorful twist on a breakfast favorite to a
signature red velvet cake for dessert, McCormick has created treats to
start and end your “Red Letter Day.”
“Sure, Valentine’s Day is about love and romance, but why not make it
about fun and food too,” says Mary Beth Harrington, Senior Culinary
Specialist, McCormick Kitchens. “Infusing the signature color of the day
– red – into baking and activities is a great way to bring everyone
together to celebrate.”
Jump start your day of red with a hearty and warm family breakfast by
serving up “Love Bug” Cinnamon Pancakes spiced up with the
flavors of cinnamon and vanilla, topped with red strawberries or
raspberries and a sprinkle of red colored sugar or coconut.
Cinnamon-spiked Hot Cocoa with Red Sugar-Crusted Marshmallows is
the perfect way to share a heart-warming moment with everyone in the
family. Say ”I love you” for dessert with rich and delicious Red
Velvet Cupcakes, and get the kids involved by personalizing each one
with a special love note.
McCormick offers these Valentine’s Day tips…from Cupid himself:
Results for Our Community Will Require Strong Leadership by the
White House and Congress
WASHINGTON — The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
(NALEO) issued the following statement following Wednesday’s State of
the Union Address by President Barack Obama:
“We appreciate that President Obama is committed to addressing the needs
of American families as they face the worse economic downturn in recent
history. Latinos have been disproportionately affected by job loss and
home foreclosures and deserve the opportunity to take care of their
families. It is our hope that as President Obama develops policies aimed
at strengthening America’s working families, he also fulfills the clear
and unequivocal commitment he made during his campaign to fix our
nation’s broken immigration system.
During his address, President Obama talked about the “ideals’ and values
that allowed us to forge a nation of immigrants.” The leadership of this
nation is failing to address this pressing need. We call upon President
Obama and Congress to act swiftly to enact fair and comprehensive
immigration reform that provides a path to U.S. citizenship for law
abiding, tax-paying newcomers. NALEO has adopted principles on comprehensive
immigration reform that provide a road map to the work that needs to
be done on this important national issue; we urge the President and
Congress to use them as a guide for making the critical changes that are
needed in our immigration policy.
Family Historians Find ArchivaLife Appealing
ArchivaLife provides a new way for anyone to preserve personal history
for future generations. According to Bill Burch, founder and developer,
ArchivaLife offers an attractive, rugged, archival-quality
memory keeper that makes recording life experiences easy and
enjoyable. It’s ideal for the historian – the person who honors history,
tradition and family, and wants to document his or her own life story,
leaving a vivid legacy for future generations. ArchivaLife is especially
appealing to men because of its historical, top-stitched leather-touch
exterior style, a much different look from the typical scrapbook or
memory keeper.
“ArchivaLife truly is a gift of love because it tells your loved one
that you are interested in their experiences,” says Burch. “Plus it
provides a way for the older generation to provide rich details that
come to life so the younger generation can learn about their older
family members’ experiences. It makes a wonderful gift that will last
for generations to come and it looks great displayed in home offices,
living rooms and dens.”
Prompts in multiple life categories – schooling, career, hobbies,
friends, family, faith and much more – help people remember important
events. Unlike other products such as photo albums and scrapbooks,
ArchivaLife includes a unique, patent-pending timeline that allows
people to document pivotal life details decade-by-decade.
Sanofi-aventis VP of U.S. Human Resources to Help Lead Workplace
Effort to Eliminate Cancer as a Public Health Threat
CARY, N.C. — Judy O’Hagan has been named Chairman of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard
Task Force and will help lead a nationwide, workplace-based effort to
encourage more companies to reduce the cancer risk for employees and
their families through screenings, early detection, and healthy changes
in lifestyle.
The CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ calls for
companies to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and
take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and
wellness. To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must
establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use;
encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition;
detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality
care, including participation in clinical trials. The CEO Cancer Gold
Standard Task Force is comprised of representatives from the nearly
50 companies that have already achieved this high standard of cancer
prevention and workplace wellness excellence.
William C. Weldon, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson
Johnson, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit
organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the CEO Cancer Gold
Standard™, in collaboration with the National
Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading
health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, more than one
million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and
leadership of employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.
“The Gold Standard was established because it is our
belief that as employers we can and should embrace our unique ability to
conquer cancer, starting in our own workplaces,” said Weldon. “With the
support of CEO, Chris Viehbacher, Judy led efforts to make
sanofi-aventis a Gold Standard workplace and has demonstrated the
commitment and capability to help other employers, large and small,
reach this same goal.”
Follow-up calls help avoid readmissions In an effort to improve transitions of care, the nurse care coordinators at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston make follow-up calls to patients who have been discharged, identify problems and solve them, and answer questions the patients may have about medication, symptoms, or their discharge plan. The hospital has an average of 53,693 discharges and 59,323 emergency department visits each year and had a 30-day readmission rate of 8.79% for medical-surgical patients in 2009.
ACCORDING TO THE conventional wisdom, the United States faces a massive medical bill thanks to our use of pricey new treatments and equipment. “About half of all growth in health care spending in the past several decades was associated with changes in medical care made possible by advances in technology,” a 2008 Congressional Budget Office report declared. “Health care economists attribute about 50 percent of the annual increase of health costs to new technologies or to the intensified use of old ones,” the bioethicist Daniel Callahan writes in his new book Taming the Beloved Beast: How Medical Technology Costs Are Destroying Our Health Care System. This is familiar territory for Callahan, who for decades has advocated reining in medical innovation to reduce health care costs. He also favors limiting the life-extending treatments that older people receive, on the grounds that most of them will “have lived a full and fruitful biographical life prior to age 70.” Interestingly, Callahan, age 79, underwent a life-saving seven-hour heart procedure in August that cost upward of $100,000. In his new book, Callahan complains that “American health care is radically American: individualistic, scientifically ambitious, market intoxicated, suspicious of government, and profit-driven.” Hes right at least about our high-tech vitality: The U.S. does develop and deploy medical innovations much faster than other rich countries. New pharmaceutical products generally hit the market here two years earlier than elsewhere, according to a December 2008 report from the business consultancy McKinsey, which also blames high-tech medicine for escalating costs. The McKinsey report further notes that American physicians are “much quicker to adopt new surgical techniques and advances in anesthesia.” The top five U.S. hospitals alone conduct more clinical trials than any other single developed country. But is high tech medicine really to blame for rising health care costs? Last June Columbia economist Frank Lichtenberg published a study that suggests the opposite. Advanced medical technologies, Lichtenberg suggests, are not contributing to rising American health care expenditures because the money they save makes up for the money spent on them. Lichtenberg begins by looking at how the rate of increase in longevity has varied among U.S. states between 1991 and 2004. He investigates how such factors as the quality of medical care, behavioral risks, education, income, and insurance coverage affect life expectancy. To measure differences in the quality of medical care, he examines how quickly each state took up advanced medical diagnostics and new drugs. He also calculates what fraction of physicians in each state was trained at top-ranked medical schools.
FREMONT — The citys largest shopping center soon will be opening its doors to dance studios, tanning salons and a martial arts academy as it tries to lease vacant storefronts. The owners of Pacific Commons and city officials have reached a tentative agreement to allow service-oriented businesses in the 38- acre south Fremont shopping center. But vacancies have increased during the past year, and Catellus Development Corp., which owns the center, asked the city to allow additional types of businesses. The company said that the service-oriented businesses would attract more people to the center, Economic Development Coordinator Angela Tsui said.
Double Eagle Package: For two golfers, it includes:
accommodations in Ocatilla at The Biltmore, two rounds of golf, dinner
for two at Frank Albert’s or Wrights at the Biltmore, two 50-minute
Sports Massages, 30% discount off additional spa services, resort fee
and parking. The cost is only $599 – a 45% savings over booking the
components individually. Use group code P10 when booking.
Hole-in-One Package: For one golfer and one non-golfer, it
includes: accommodations in Ocatilla at The Biltmore, one round of golf,
dinner for two at Frank Albert’s or Wrights at the Biltmore, $50
Macy’s gift card with Macy’s discount pass and shuttle service to
Biltmore Fashion Park, 30% discount off all spa services, resort fee and
parking. The package is only $449 – a 40% savings over booking the
components individually. Use group code P11 when booking.
Kaiser/VA/DoD partnership piloting a nationwide EHR network Early testing encouraging; improvements in quality anticipated “The ability to share critical health information is essential to interoperability,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki in announcing the program. “Utilizing the NHINs standards and network will allow organizations like VA and the Department of Defense to partner with private-sector health care providers to promote better, faster, and safer care for veterans.” The pilot program currently connects Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect and the VAs electronic health record system, VistA, two of the largest electronic health record systems in the country. The DoDs ALTA system will be linked to the other two shortly.
Nurses improve medication administration accuracy The study involved the implementation of the Integrated Nurse Leadership Program (INLP), which provides frontline nurses and other hospital staff with training, resources, and authority to devise and implement solutions. In addition to showing the importance of empowering frontline nurses, the most significant finding of the study is that “significant improvement in outcomes can be accomplished without very expensive fixes,” says Julie Kliger, MPA, BSN, RN, INLP creator and program director at the Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; principal and founder of The Altos Group; and lead author of the article. “Thats important because there are a lot of financial and resource pressures today, and people sometimes think they need to spend millions for bar-coding; this demonstrates through almost old-fashioned QI and engaging the people who are doing the work and providing them with tools, skills, and resources, that they can make statistically significant improvement.”
Online educator leads Industry in preparing students for employment opportunities with BenchMark KB[TM] knowledge base ATLANTA — OAK Horizons deploys the BenchMark KB[TM] knowledge base into their online curriculum and online continuing education programs for medical transcriptionists. This initiative is an important part of OAK Horizons continuing strategy to prepare students for meaningful employment upon graduation. In use by leading Medical Transcription Service Organizations (MTSOs), BenchMark KB sets universal health data quality standards and deploys them to the workstation level, integrating them into the document creation process and improving health data quality. “It makes sense to train our students on BenchMark KB because it is a tool that they will be using when they enter the workforce,” stated Kathy Martin, AHDI-F and partner in OAK Horizons. “We know it will help our students place with the best transcription companies more quickly, because they will be well versed using the latest tools that are being adopted by all of the leading MTSOs. This means they will produce higher quality documents, require less company training, and make them more productive right from the beginning of their employment.” BenchMark KB provides its users with a robust knowledge base including Stedmans medical terminology and drug name content, a referring physician database, the AHDI Book of Style, mentoring tools and best practices, all delivered via web services in real time. Developed by InterFix, the Knowledge Base is part of a research initiative with the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI).
A list of local contract awards this week includes projects as large as $35.8 million and as small as $20,485. Senger Design Group has won a $25,000 contract from the U.S. Air Forces Air Mobility Command based at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., for interior designer services. Wolverine Services LLC won a $1.3 million federal contract from the U.S. Air Forces Direct Reporting Units on behalf of the United States Air Force Academy for medical transcriptionist services. Locally based T.D. Support Services Corp. won a $27,197 federal contract from the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for distance learning center services. Hair on Wheels, headquartered in Canon City, has won a $20,486 contract from the U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of Prisons based in Grand Prairie, Texas for barber services. Work will take place at the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, Colo.
Dorlands medical speller, 2d ed.
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
Teekay GP LLC, the general partner of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (Teekay LNG) (NYSE: TGP) has declared a cash distribution of $0.57 per unit for the quarter ended December 31, 2009. The cash distribution is payable on February 12, 2010 to all unitholders of record on February 5, 2010.
Teekay LNG Partners L.P. is a publicly-traded master limited partnership formed by Teekay Corporation (NYSE: TK) as part of its strategy to expand its operations in the LNG and LPG shipping sectors. Teekay LNG provides LNG, LPG and crude oil marine transportation services under long-term, fixed-rate time-charter contracts with major energy and utility companies through its fleet of 15 LNG carriers, six LPG carriers and eight Suezmax class crude oil tankers. Three of the six LPG carriers are newbuildings scheduled for delivery in 2010.
Teekay LNGs common units trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TGP”.
Fap Turbo Video – Automated Forex Trading On Autopilot Review
Alex Briscoe has been named as director of the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency. Briscoe, who was appointed acting director in June 2009, replaces David Kears who retired as director last year after 35 years. Briscoe joined the agency in 2006 as the childrens services director and was promoted to deputy director in 2007.
BALTIMORE — Professional Healthcare Hospice Foundation is pleased to announce the
fifth annual Emily Schindler Lecture, to be held at the Meeting House in
Columbia, MD on Friday March 19, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm. The
lecture will be entitled “”The Meaning of Life: Lessons Learned from the
Suicidal Patient” and will feature world renowned suicidologist and
author, David Jobes, PhD., ABPP. Dr. Jobes is Professor of Clinical
Psychology and Co-Director of Clinical Training at The Catholic
University of America in Washington, DC.
Social Workers who attend the session will have the opportunity to
obtain CEUs, although the event is open to anyone with an interest in
the topic. Breakfast will be provided to all attendees.
Emily Schindler was an 18 year old freshman at Frostberg State
University when she was tragically killed in a car accident. Emily is
the daughter of Charles and Jane Schindler. Jane was a social worker
with the Saint Agnes Hospital Hospice Program, the former name for the
Professional Healthcare Resources Hospice Program, and the Saint Agnes
Cancer Center. The Emily Schindler Memorial Lecture was established in
2005 through a gift to the Schindler Family from The Saint Agnes Cancer
Center.
Skaters brother sent for evaluation BOSTON (AP) — The brother of figure skater Nancy Kerrigan has been sent for a psychological evaluation after being charged with assaulting his 70-year-old father, who later died. A spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone in Massachusetts said Tuesday that Mark Kerrigan has been sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for a competency evaluation. Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty Monday to assaulting his father, Daniel Kerrigan, at the family home in the Boston suburb of Stoneham.
Regenerative Cell Therapy Development Offers Immense Potential Health
Benefits
HONOLULU — Tissue Genesis, Inc., an emerging leader in advanced tissue engineering
and cell therapy solutions, and American Medical Systems Holdings, Inc.
(NASDAQ: AMMD) announced today they have signed an agreement for the
research and development of adipose (fat)–derived regenerative cells for
use in treating pelvic health disorders. American Medical Systems will
pay $1.1 million over the life of the agreement to obtain rights offered
by Tissue Genesis, Inc.
“AMS is committed to being at the forefront of innovation to improve the
lives of the millions of people worldwide who suffer from pelvic health
disorders,” said Tony Bihl, President and CEO of American Medical
Systems. “We are delighted to partner with Tissue Genesis, a leader in
the burgeoning field of regenerative cell technology, to research
therapies that may fundamentally improve patient treatment within our
markets.”
“We are proud to partner with American Medical Systems – a company with
true vision and initiative – as they recognize the immense potential
benefits of cell therapy,” said Anton Krucky, President and CEO of
Tissue Genesis. “Adipose tissue is a rich source of regenerative cells –
including adult stem cells – and these cells have shown promising
results in their ability to help patients. American Medical Systems’
world-class technology and business acumen will be a tremendous asset to
Tissue Genesis.”
Through the deal, American Medical Systems has a four year option to
obtain exclusive distribution and license rights to Tissue Genesis’
regenerative cell technology – including the Tissue Genesis Cell
Isolation System™ – for use in human pelvic health applications, with an
additional two year right of first refusal. Along with milestone
payments, Tissue Genesis will receive rights to certain data and
derivative technology developed under the agreement. Tissue Genesis, in
turn, will provide American Medical Systems with instruments,
disposables, and know-how to allow American Medical Systems to develop
state-of-the-art regenerative cell applications.
ACCORDING TO THE conventional wisdom, the United States faces a massive medical bill thanks to our use of pricey new treatments and equipment. “About half of all growth in health care spending in the past several decades was associated with changes in medical care made possible by advances in technology,” a 2008 Congressional Budget Office report declared. “Health care economists attribute about 50 percent of the annual increase of health costs to new technologies or to the intensified use of old ones,” the bioethicist Daniel Callahan writes in his new book Taming the Beloved Beast: How Medical Technology Costs Are Destroying Our Health Care System. This is familiar territory for Callahan, who for decades has advocated reining in medical innovation to reduce health care costs. He also favors limiting the life-extending treatments that older people receive, on the grounds that most of them will “have lived a full and fruitful biographical life prior to age 70.” Interestingly, Callahan, age 79, underwent a life-saving seven-hour heart procedure in August that cost upward of $100,000. In his new book, Callahan complains that “American health care is radically American: individualistic, scientifically ambitious, market intoxicated, suspicious of government, and profit-driven.” Hes right at least about our high-tech vitality: The U.S. does develop and deploy medical innovations much faster than other rich countries. New pharmaceutical products generally hit the market here two years earlier than elsewhere, according to a December 2008 report from the business consultancy McKinsey, which also blames high-tech medicine for escalating costs. The McKinsey report further notes that American physicians are “much quicker to adopt new surgical techniques and advances in anesthesia.” The top five U.S. hospitals alone conduct more clinical trials than any other single developed country. But is high tech medicine really to blame for rising health care costs? Last June Columbia economist Frank Lichtenberg published a study that suggests the opposite. Advanced medical technologies, Lichtenberg suggests, are not contributing to rising American health care expenditures because the money they save makes up for the money spent on them. Lichtenberg begins by looking at how the rate of increase in longevity has varied among U.S. states between 1991 and 2004. He investigates how such factors as the quality of medical care, behavioral risks, education, income, and insurance coverage affect life expectancy. To measure differences in the quality of medical care, he examines how quickly each state took up advanced medical diagnostics and new drugs. He also calculates what fraction of physicians in each state was trained at top-ranked medical schools.
Studies show decrease in senior care continuity If the discharge planning communitys ideal is to begin the discharge process at the door, when patients are admitted to the hospital, then community provider input is necessary for a smooth care transition. But care continuity has been low, and its decreasing for older adults, recent studies show..sup.1,2
Remain Committed to Partnerships in Other Specialty Markets
CHICAGO CHEVY CHASE, Md. — CNA and Victor O. Schinnerer Company, Inc. have reached a joint
decision to end their carrier and managing general underwriter
relationship in the Non-Profit Directors Officers (DO) program. The
amicable split is effective June 1, 2010.
Although their relationship in the non-profit DO market is ending, CNA
and Schinnerer remain deeply committed to their enduring partnerships –
some spanning 50-plus years — in the architects, engineers,
construction and real estate markets.
Both companies also plan to stay in the non-profit DO market and
continue to deliver superior insurance programs. Schinnerer will soon
announce plans to offer expanded non-profit DO classes. CNA will take
over the underwriting and administration of the existing Non-Profit DO
program and use its branch network to further grow the business.
“The Non-Profit DO market has evolved tremendously since we started
underwriting for CNA,” said Lorna Parsons, President and Chief
Underwriting Officer at Schinnerer. “At this point in time, we both
believe that we can best serve our customers by going separate ways.
Schinnerer is excited at the opportunity to update our program and
expand our appetite for new classes of Non-Profit DO business with a
nationally recognized carrier.”
Investment in field leadership to shape, expand market presence.
CHICAGO — CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) announces the appointment of 11
Business Development leaders who will be based in local branch offices
across the country. The appointment of these Business Development
leaders – and two additional ones who will be announced in the coming
months — demonstrates the global insurer’s investment in field
leadership and its drive to build a stronger sales culture.
“I’m very impressed by the energy, talent and experience of our Business
Development leadership team,” said Tim Szerlong, president of Worldwide
Field Operations, CNA. “These leaders support CNA’s strategic goals for
long-term success by bringing us closer to our producers and maximizing
opportunities for us to grow together.”
Following are the current Business Development leaders and the
territories they support:
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Teeth–they help us chew our food and speak clearly, and they give us our dazzling smiles. Some animals use their teeth for other functions, such as fighting enemies or cutting down plants to build homes. But for scientists, teeth have another benefit: They tell secrets! A peek inside an animals mouth can tell researchers everything from what the animal eats to how old it is. When scientists dig for fossils of ancient animals, they often look for dental remains. Teeth last much longer than other bones, which can break down over time. “Bones are porous, or have many tiny holes, while teeth are solid,” explains Robert Feranec, a fossil expert at the New York State Museum in Albany, New York. This means that as bones become fossils, they can wear away more quickly than teeth.
PROGRESSIVES AND libertarians dont agree on much these days, but they are coming together on one point: The Ninth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution tastes great and is less filling. The amendment is short but not simple: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” “I would argue that, in this day and age, the American people have a right to health care,” the blogger Democrashield wrote in November. “The Constitution certainly grants Congress the power to protect that right.” In March the liberal columnist Roland Hansen listed “safe food, drinking water, and air” as well as “government-provided comprehensive health care” among rights potentially enforceable under the Ninth Amendment. In his 2007 book Retained by the People, the Berkeley law professor Daniel Farber described vistas of positive rights–from tenant protections to state-funded education to rights drawn from multinational conventions and overseas courts–that could open if Americans “embrace their heritage of support for human rights and join the rest of the world in the effort to articulate those rights.” The amendments libertarian fans are no less enthusiastic. The Georgetown law professor (and reason contributor) Randy Barnett has argued that the Ninth Amendment should be a guide to the Framers thinking on rights retained by individuals. In his 2004 book No Price Too High: Victimless Crimes and the Ninth Amendment, Robert M. Hardaway, a legal scholar at the University of Denver, discerns rights of “individual privacy and personal autonomy” in the amendment and suggests that they protect drug use, prostitution, and other currently criminalized behaviors. Conservatives take a limited view of what rights are retained by what people. During his unsuccessful Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Judge Robert Bork said, “If you had an amendment that says Congress shall make no, and then there is an inkblot and you cannot read the rest of it, I dont think the court can make up what might be under the inkblot.” Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia brings a similar philosophy to the bench. In his dissent from Troxel v. Granville, a 2000 ruling that struck down a Washington state law on visitation rights, Scalia wrote, “The Constitutions refusal to deny or disparage other rights is far removed from affirming any one of them, and even farther removed from authorizing judges to identify what they might be, and to enforce the judges list against laws duly enacted by the people.”
FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) today announced receipt of a
Paragraph IV Certification Notice Letter advising that Teva
Pharmaceuticals submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting permission to
manufacture and market a generic version of Viread®
(tenofovir disoproxil fumarate).
In the Notice Letter, Teva alleges that three patents associated with
tenofovir disoproxil – U.S. Patent Numbers 5,922,695; 5,977,089; and
6,043,230; and one patent associated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
– U.S. Patent Number 5,935,946 – owned by Gilead Sciences are invalid,
unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by Teva’s manufacture, use or
sale of the product described in its ANDA submission.
Gilead is currently reviewing the Notice Letter and has 45 days from the
date of receipt to commence a patent infringement lawsuit against Teva.
Such a lawsuit would restrict the FDA from approving Teva’s ANDA for up
to 30 months or until a district court decision that is adverse to
Gilead, whichever occurs first.
Viread is currently protected by four patents, which are listed in the
FDA’s Approved Drug Products List, and all four patents would need to be
invalidated or expired before a generic version of Viread could be
marketed. The U.S. Patent Trademark Office (PTO) confirmed the
patentability of these four Viread patents in 2008.
Gilead currently has a lawsuit pending against Teva in response to
Teva’s attempts to seek approval for generic versions of Truvada®
(emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Atripla®
(efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300
mg) based on allegations that two emtricitabine patents are invalid,
unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by Teva’s manufacture, use or
sale of its generic product.
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.
“The service we offer is completely unique in that clients get all
the benefits of hiring a traditional decorator, but without the hassles
of scheduling appointments, driving around the city for samples, and
dealing with high-pressure commission salespeople,” says Sasha
Stricker, President and Creative Director of DecorateITOnline. “For
less than the price of one poorly chosen accessory, we offer
professional guidance and custom design solutions specifically targeted
to our clients tastes and needs.”
Users simply upload photos and measurements of the room they would like
to decorate, and complete a brief questionnaire (known as the StyleFinder
Guide) to indicate their style, color, and lifestyle preferences. In
about a week, clients receive a detailed custom design Portfolio
outlining the decorator’s recommendations for color, space planning,
furniture, accessories, and lighting along with explanations, tips, and
a detailed shopping list.
Clients also have the option to choose a premium 3D package,
which also features computer-generated 3-dimensional renderings of their
room, complete with all the recommended changes, as well as a video
presentation and a virtual tour of the finished room. “Our 3D
portfolios are an ideal option for people who haven’t had a lot of
decorating experience, or for those that might be reluctant to start a
new project without being able to see the final product,” says
Stricker.
IN APRIL 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly I million cars and light trucks–out of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewide–were protected by a “shield” in the state records system between their license plate numbers and their home addresses. There were, the newspaper found, great practical benefits to this secrecy. “Vehicles with protected license plates can run through dozens of intersections controlled by red light cameras with impunity,” the Registers Jennifer Muir reported. “Parking citations issued to vehicles with protected plates are often dismissed because the process necessary to pierce the shield is too cumbersome. Some patrol officers let drivers with protected plates off with a warning because the plates signal that drivers are one of their own or related to someone who is.” The plate program started in 1978 with the seemingly unobjectionable purpose of protecting the personal addresses of officials who deal directly with criminals. Police argued that the bad guys could call the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), get addresses for officers, and use the information to harm them or their family members. There was no rash of such incidents, only the possibility that they could take place. So police and their families were granted confidentiality. Then the program expanded from one set of government workers to another. Eventually parole officers, retired parking enforcers, DMV desk clerks, county supervisors, social workers, and other categories of employees from 1,800 state agencies were given the special protections too. Meanwhile, the original intent of the shield had become obsolete: The DMV long ago abandoned the practice of giving out personal information about any driver. What was left was not a protection but a perk. Yes, rank has its privileges, and its clear that government workers have a rank above the rest of us. Ordinarily, if one out of every 22 California drivers had a license to drive any way he chose, there would be demands for more police power to protect Californians from the potential carnage. But until the newspaper series, law enforcement officials and legislators had remained mum. The reason, of course, is that the scofflaws are law enforcement officials and legislators.
Following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that
rocked the island nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010, a Texas search and
rescue team, dubbed “Texas Task Force One,” was mobilized for deployment to
Haiti. Sadly this team, which was called up by Texas Gov. Rick Perry just
two days after the massive earthquake, was asked to stand down. Had this
team arrived in Haiti, their goal was to search for “hot spots” which in
infrared terms can mean hidden fires, trapped people or animals beneath the
rubble. The search and rescue team had planned on doing this with infrared
/ thermal imaging cameras . An infrared camera is a device that
detects heat (infrared energy) and converts it into an electronic signal,
which then produces a thermal image on a video screen. Heat sensed by a thermal imager can be very precisely measured,
allowing the user to monitor and identify thermal changes in just about any
material, including block and concrete. A qualified infrared
thermal imaging inspector can interpret these real time images for many
applications, including search and rescue operations. Recent innovations in
infrared technology have allowed these infrared cameras to become more
affordable, but more importantly for 16 earthquake victims in Haiti, the
innovations have allowed them to become more accessible to the public.
The Texas Task Force One urban search and rescue team consisted of roughly
80 personnel, including search dogs and an arsenal of infrared camera
equipment. While the search and rescue team did not make the trip to
Haiti, the infrared equipment did. Three Fluke TiR1 thermal imagers , Donated by
the Fluke Corporation (Everett, Washington), a subsidiary of the Danaher
Corporation (NYSE: DHR) and AC Tool Supply, Inc. (Tempe, Arizona), were
specifically noted in the saving of 16 Haitian earthquake victims and one
very lucky canine. On January 23, 2010, the Haitian government called off
the search and rescue efforts in order to focus their attention on the
humanitarian efforts needed for the survivors.
As of January 27, 2010, with the infrared equipment heading back to the United States, a
total of 135 victims had been saved by U.S. and international search and
rescue teams, while roughly 170,000 bodies were said to be cleared from
Haitian streets and remains of toppled buildings. Approximately 13,000
military personnel from all branches have been part of this relief, as well
as 1,739 rescue workers with 161 rescue dogs. To date, the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided more than $36
million is support of U.S. Armed Forces and has contributed another $68
million in food and water assistance. Donations like the ones made by the
Fluke Corporation and AC Tool Supply, Inc., along with the effort of the
rescue workers utilizing the infrared
thermal imaging equipment , helped make the lives of 16 people and one
dog possible.
Norvax University takes its two-day Marketing
and Sales Success Conference Tour to Orlando, on Feb. 24 and 25 — with
several upgrades.
Designed for agents and brokers who want to become top producers, the
Norvax University Orlando conference will be a Wednesday-Thursday event at
the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
The conference will also introduce new sessions addressing the most
pressing topic in health insurance sales: healthcare reform. Norvax
University will share information brokers need to understand the changing
landscape of health insurance, and how to position their business to profit
from this change.
The Norvax University conference includes in-depth insurance sales training seminars,
packed with proven marketing and sales strategies that can be used
immediately. The schedule also provides many opportunities for attendees to
network with speakers and top producers.
Nurses improve medication administration accuracy The study involved the implementation of the Integrated Nurse Leadership Program (INLP), which provides frontline nurses and other hospital staff with training, resources, and authority to devise and implement solutions. In addition to showing the importance of empowering frontline nurses, the most significant finding of the study is that “significant improvement in outcomes can be accomplished without very expensive fixes,” says Julie Kliger, MPA, BSN, RN, INLP creator and program director at the Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; principal and founder of The Altos Group; and lead author of the article. “Thats important because there are a lot of financial and resource pressures today, and people sometimes think they need to spend millions for bar-coding; this demonstrates through almost old-fashioned QI and engaging the people who are doing the work and providing them with tools, skills, and resources, that they can make statistically significant improvement.”
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For maximum results in minimal time, Hood started Bettany with five days of interval circuit training every week. Knowing Bettanys abs were going to be showcased, each workout began with several core exercises. “We wanted to give that our full attention,” Hood says. They followed that with a three-round circuit. “The idea was to blast his body. We didnt do a lot of cardio. The heart rate was elevated throughout the workout. He was never sitting around.”
Tonight, LIVESTRONG released the following
statement from its President and CEO Doug Ulman, a three-time cancer
survivor, regarding President Barack Obamas State of the Union address:
“Tonight, President Obama renewed the drive for comprehensive health care
reform, calling for a reexamination of the plan on the table but opening
the door for other options.”
“The cancer community doesnt care about the method, whether its piece by
piece or in an omnibus bill. What we care about is change that creates
affordable care and an end to unethical practices by insurers that wreak
havoc on our lives.”
“The President made clear that hes heard our call for reform and will
continue to make a just, affordable system a priority.”
Leading HGV insurance specialists Staveley Head have reacted to AB Volvos latest financial results. The Swedish manufacturer has revealed third quarter net sales have fallen by 31% to 4.36bn. Despite this, operating loss has been significantly reduced when compared with the second quarter, as a result of cost cutting measures. This amounted to Pounds Sterling 295.1m, half of the second quarter figure. These announcements come in the wake of an announcement from General Motors that it will be closing down the operations of fellow Scandinavian manufacturer Saab.
It has been a tough year for the haulage industry, with the well documented rise in petrol costs, many businesses have struggled to make ends meet. This, together with difficult trading conditions and a drop in consumer spending has left many firms in difficulty. Clearly, investing in new HGVs is a low level priority at the moment, as a spokesperson for Staveley Head points out:
“The recession has affected HGV manufacturing in the same way it has affected the car industry, so this news comes as no surprise. With many haulage and logistics firms struggling for survival at the moment, investing in new vehicles is not a priority, which has seen demand for new HGVs fall.”
“Volvo, like many other companies is being forced to make cut backs, however, with the economy showing signs of recovery the situation will hopefully improve somewhat in the new year.
Regenerative Cell Therapy Development Offers Immense Potential Health
Benefits
HONOLULU — Tissue Genesis, Inc., an emerging leader in advanced tissue engineering
and cell therapy solutions, and American Medical Systems Holdings, Inc.
(NASDAQ: AMMD) announced today they have signed an agreement for the
research and development of adipose (fat)–derived regenerative cells for
use in treating pelvic health disorders. American Medical Systems will
pay $1.1 million over the life of the agreement to obtain rights offered
by Tissue Genesis, Inc.
“AMS is committed to being at the forefront of innovation to improve the
lives of the millions of people worldwide who suffer from pelvic health
disorders,” said Tony Bihl, President and CEO of American Medical
Systems. “We are delighted to partner with Tissue Genesis, a leader in
the burgeoning field of regenerative cell technology, to research
therapies that may fundamentally improve patient treatment within our
markets.”
“We are proud to partner with American Medical Systems – a company with
true vision and initiative – as they recognize the immense potential
benefits of cell therapy,” said Anton Krucky, President and CEO of
Tissue Genesis. “Adipose tissue is a rich source of regenerative cells –
including adult stem cells – and these cells have shown promising
results in their ability to help patients. American Medical Systems’
world-class technology and business acumen will be a tremendous asset to
Tissue Genesis.”
Through the deal, American Medical Systems has a four year option to
obtain exclusive distribution and license rights to Tissue Genesis’
regenerative cell technology – including the Tissue Genesis Cell
Isolation System™ – for use in human pelvic health applications, with an
additional two year right of first refusal. Along with milestone
payments, Tissue Genesis will receive rights to certain data and
derivative technology developed under the agreement. Tissue Genesis, in
turn, will provide American Medical Systems with instruments,
disposables, and know-how to allow American Medical Systems to develop
state-of-the-art regenerative cell applications.
Follow-up calls help avoid readmissions In an effort to improve transitions of care, the nurse care coordinators at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston make follow-up calls to patients who have been discharged, identify problems and solve them, and answer questions the patients may have about medication, symptoms, or their discharge plan. The hospital has an average of 53,693 discharges and 59,323 emergency department visits each year and had a 30-day readmission rate of 8.79% for medical-surgical patients in 2009.
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