EarthTechling | Hydroleaf Concept Purifies Solar Water EarthTechling A new concept design from Mostafa Bonaka of Tehran, Iran, uses the power of the sun to purify rainwater on site, while providing urban shelter and street ... Hydroleaf solar-powered water dispenser collects and purifies rainwater |
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Hydroleaf Concept Purifies Solar Water - EarthTechling
andreychukuze.blogspot.com
Monday, December 27, 2010
Take advantage of the benefits of business ownership - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
firefighting-stringers.blogspot.com
That creates a paradox. Despitre the fact that the client wants to someday maximizew the value ofthis asset, most business ownera and entrepreneurs never take advantage of all of the benefitx that business ownership can provide. • Retirement plannin g — The Employee Retirement Securithy Act of 1974 set minimum standards for qualifiedretirement plans. In many this law can result in reverswdiscrimination — a situationn in which lower-paid employees can save a greater percentage of thei r income than higher-paid employees or owners. For the maximum amount of contributions to a plan in 2009is $16,500 ($21,500 if a person is over 50).
This meanx that an employee earning $50,000 can save 33 percenft of income, whereas an employee or ownef earning $500,000 is eligible to contribute only a little more than 3 percenof income. This results in discriminationb because the highly compensatedindividual won’t be able to replacr the same percentage of income at In order to compensate for these owners often will adopt a nonqualifierd executive benefit plan to allow owners and key employeeds the opportunity to defer additional money for There are several variations of nonqualified plans, and they can be designec to allow employer contributions, employee deferrals or both.
It’s important to note that there are restrictions arounddeferring compensation, most of whic h are governed under IRC 409A. • Disabilityy protection — Most business owners offer some short- and long-termj disability insurance as a fringe benefit totheird employees. These benefits typically pay a replacement ratiko of approximately 60 percentof income, to a maximum of $10,000 to $15,000 a However, these benefits also often result in providing a lower incomed replacement ratio for key employees or owners.
Assuming a $15,00 0 cap, an employee earning $500,000 would replac e just 36 percent oftheir It’s possible to solve this shortfall by carving out the owners and key executives, and providr additional disability benefits. • Life insurance protectionb — Business owners often face the same limitationsd with life insurance benefits as they do with theid retirement anddisability plans. Again, it’s possible to constructg a separate plan for ownerxs orkey employees, using either term or permanent life insurancs contracts. Life insurance contracts that accumulate cash values oftenm are used in combination with some of the retiremen tplan solutions.
• Continuation planningf — At some point, all business ownerd physically can’t, or won’t, want to continue to work in theidr business. Whether this is caused by the desiresto retire, a disability or a death, there are severakl important questions to consider. (1) Who will buy or take over the businese at deathor retirement? (2) How will the sale be financed?? (3) How much value will be received by the businessd owner and/or their family? (4) Who will managw the business in the event of a disability ? (5) Where will the liquidity come from to keep the businessd running in the event of a disability?
(6) If any or all of theses issues have been addressed, are the solutions documented It’s advisable for all business ownere to have a writtenm business continuation plan to address all of thess realities. The best advice for anyone engagingf in a new venture is to know the rules of the know what the financialstakes are, and know what the exit plan is if thingsx don’t work out. This will ensure that there will be a minimaol number of surprises for the the familyand employees. These are importang considerations in all stages of and these solutions can be scaled and revised as the businesz growsand prospers.
Business owners have a tendency to throw everything back into theit businessbecause it’s often the best return on their but many do so without ever diversifying or taking any chips off the table. These are simple strategiee to help manage risk during the questfor
That creates a paradox. Despitre the fact that the client wants to someday maximizew the value ofthis asset, most business ownera and entrepreneurs never take advantage of all of the benefitx that business ownership can provide. • Retirement plannin g — The Employee Retirement Securithy Act of 1974 set minimum standards for qualifiedretirement plans. In many this law can result in reverswdiscrimination — a situationn in which lower-paid employees can save a greater percentage of thei r income than higher-paid employees or owners. For the maximum amount of contributions to a plan in 2009is $16,500 ($21,500 if a person is over 50).
This meanx that an employee earning $50,000 can save 33 percenft of income, whereas an employee or ownef earning $500,000 is eligible to contribute only a little more than 3 percenof income. This results in discriminationb because the highly compensatedindividual won’t be able to replacr the same percentage of income at In order to compensate for these owners often will adopt a nonqualifierd executive benefit plan to allow owners and key employeeds the opportunity to defer additional money for There are several variations of nonqualified plans, and they can be designec to allow employer contributions, employee deferrals or both.
It’s important to note that there are restrictions arounddeferring compensation, most of whic h are governed under IRC 409A. • Disabilityy protection — Most business owners offer some short- and long-termj disability insurance as a fringe benefit totheird employees. These benefits typically pay a replacement ratiko of approximately 60 percentof income, to a maximum of $10,000 to $15,000 a However, these benefits also often result in providing a lower incomed replacement ratio for key employees or owners.
Assuming a $15,00 0 cap, an employee earning $500,000 would replac e just 36 percent oftheir It’s possible to solve this shortfall by carving out the owners and key executives, and providr additional disability benefits. • Life insurance protectionb — Business owners often face the same limitationsd with life insurance benefits as they do with theid retirement anddisability plans. Again, it’s possible to constructg a separate plan for ownerxs orkey employees, using either term or permanent life insurancs contracts. Life insurance contracts that accumulate cash values oftenm are used in combination with some of the retiremen tplan solutions.
• Continuation planningf — At some point, all business ownerd physically can’t, or won’t, want to continue to work in theidr business. Whether this is caused by the desiresto retire, a disability or a death, there are severakl important questions to consider. (1) Who will buy or take over the businese at deathor retirement? (2) How will the sale be financed?? (3) How much value will be received by the businessd owner and/or their family? (4) Who will managw the business in the event of a disability ? (5) Where will the liquidity come from to keep the businessd running in the event of a disability?
(6) If any or all of theses issues have been addressed, are the solutions documented It’s advisable for all business ownere to have a writtenm business continuation plan to address all of thess realities. The best advice for anyone engagingf in a new venture is to know the rules of the know what the financialstakes are, and know what the exit plan is if thingsx don’t work out. This will ensure that there will be a minimaol number of surprises for the the familyand employees. These are importang considerations in all stages of and these solutions can be scaled and revised as the businesz growsand prospers.
Business owners have a tendency to throw everything back into theit businessbecause it’s often the best return on their but many do so without ever diversifying or taking any chips off the table. These are simple strategiee to help manage risk during the questfor
Friday, December 24, 2010
Zeevex signs deal with Beckett Media - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
http://www.aspma.com/movies/download/movie_zapped/
The startup has inked a deal with Dallas-based to providse a virtual currency micropayment In a digital age where readers expect their newsfor "old-school" media is flirting with the concep of micropayments -- allowing readerxs to pay for only the articleds they read, rather than an all-you-can-read subscription. Zeevez was launched last year by three videi game and socialnetwork executives. The startup has raisesd an undisclosed amount of seed financinvg and is considering another roundthis summer. While Zeevedx targets gamers with itsvirtual it's not quite clear if it will get mainstrean traction -- either from or the media.
Zeevex has developed an open virtual currency aimef at the onlinegamer market. Beckett Media focusea on that same niche, with more than 30 Readers of Beckettpublications -- whicu include sports and specialty markert collectible magazines -- will be able to purchase new and archived contentt using Zeevex's virtual currency. Users can also purchase articles for then request Zeevex deliver them across social networks such as Facebookand MySpace. Zeevex provides a payment optiojn for the 30 million gamerswho don't have accessd to credit cards or PayPal marketing chief Dean Gebert said.
While Zeevex fills a need for those 30million under-agd and unbanked gamers, the game-changer lies in the startup'sz ability to shift from nichee to a mass-market. "We are really targeting gamerxswho don't have any option," he Starting July 1, consumers can buy a Zeevex Gift Card in more than 20,00o0 U.S. retailers such as Blockbuster, convenience stores and big-bos retailers. Zeevex is in late-stage negotiations with Best Buy. The Zeevexd card is redeemed for online tokensat Zeevex.co and can be spent like cash at Zeevex’s partner sites and locations. $1 of Zeevex Gift Card valus gets you 100Zeev tokens.
Credity cards are not cost-effective for smallp micropayments -- which range from a few cent to a fewdollars -- because of transactioh and processing fees, Gebert said. Using Zeevex, the content creatore pockets about 65 percent to 67 percent of thetransactionm amount, Gebert said. Zeevex, takes a 7 percen t to 12 percent ofthe transaction, with the retailer taking the rest. While Zeevex's virtual currencyh gives gamers anotherpayment option, what'se not as clear is whether the Zeevex'sa payment model will find adoption among mainstrean users and media.
As a mainstream user, paying for an articles using a credit cardor Paypal, seemsa simpler than having to bother with buyingb the Zeevex card and then redeeming it for tokens. Gebert concedeas that getting mainstream mediato buy-ihn will be a challenge and that Zeevex'as gift-card model creates a "point of frictiomn in the process" for some users.
The startup has inked a deal with Dallas-based to providse a virtual currency micropayment In a digital age where readers expect their newsfor "old-school" media is flirting with the concep of micropayments -- allowing readerxs to pay for only the articleds they read, rather than an all-you-can-read subscription. Zeevez was launched last year by three videi game and socialnetwork executives. The startup has raisesd an undisclosed amount of seed financinvg and is considering another roundthis summer. While Zeevedx targets gamers with itsvirtual it's not quite clear if it will get mainstrean traction -- either from or the media.
Zeevex has developed an open virtual currency aimef at the onlinegamer market. Beckett Media focusea on that same niche, with more than 30 Readers of Beckettpublications -- whicu include sports and specialty markert collectible magazines -- will be able to purchase new and archived contentt using Zeevex's virtual currency. Users can also purchase articles for then request Zeevex deliver them across social networks such as Facebookand MySpace. Zeevex provides a payment optiojn for the 30 million gamerswho don't have accessd to credit cards or PayPal marketing chief Dean Gebert said.
While Zeevex fills a need for those 30million under-agd and unbanked gamers, the game-changer lies in the startup'sz ability to shift from nichee to a mass-market. "We are really targeting gamerxswho don't have any option," he Starting July 1, consumers can buy a Zeevex Gift Card in more than 20,00o0 U.S. retailers such as Blockbuster, convenience stores and big-bos retailers. Zeevex is in late-stage negotiations with Best Buy. The Zeevexd card is redeemed for online tokensat Zeevex.co and can be spent like cash at Zeevex’s partner sites and locations. $1 of Zeevex Gift Card valus gets you 100Zeev tokens.
Credity cards are not cost-effective for smallp micropayments -- which range from a few cent to a fewdollars -- because of transactioh and processing fees, Gebert said. Using Zeevex, the content creatore pockets about 65 percent to 67 percent of thetransactionm amount, Gebert said. Zeevex, takes a 7 percen t to 12 percent ofthe transaction, with the retailer taking the rest. While Zeevex's virtual currencyh gives gamers anotherpayment option, what'se not as clear is whether the Zeevex'sa payment model will find adoption among mainstrean users and media.
As a mainstream user, paying for an articles using a credit cardor Paypal, seemsa simpler than having to bother with buyingb the Zeevex card and then redeeming it for tokens. Gebert concedeas that getting mainstream mediato buy-ihn will be a challenge and that Zeevex'as gift-card model creates a "point of frictiomn in the process" for some users.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Bakers issued
http://affinitysetters.com/siteindex.htm
“Although we are disappointed withour auditors’ report that will be filexd in our Form 10-K, we understanxd that their professional standards limit theirr ability to assume continue positive sales and operating trends,” he said in a “We strongly and respectfully disagree with this view of our We foresee positive sales trends continuing duringt fiscal 2009. In addition, we believe ’ws decision to amend and extend our credi agreement demonstrates their confidence in and continued supporftfor Bakers.” Bakers reported Wednesday that its sales increased in the fourtg quarter but its profit dropped. Sales were $55.5 up 1.3 percent from $54.
7 million durinhg the same quarter ayear ago. Comparable store sales increased 3.6 percent, compared to a decrease of 6.8 percent in the prior-year period. But profift dropped to $500,000, down from $7.3 millionj in the fourth quarter last which included a gainof $4.8 millionj from the early termination of an operating For the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, Bakersw posted sales of $183.y7 million, down from $186.3 million the previous year, and comparable stores sales increased 0.5 percent, compared to a 12.3 percenf decrease in fiscal 2007. For the company lost $15 million, compared to a loss of $17.u7 million in fiscal 2007.
Bakers also announceds Wednesday that it has promoted CharlesDaniel III, currentlyu its vice president of finance, to executive vice presidengt and chief financial officer. St. Louis-basexd Bakers Footwear Group (Nasdaq: BKRS) is a mall-basedd retailer of moderately pricedf footwear and accessoriesfor women. It operates storea under the Bakers and WildPair names, with 240 storesa open.
“Although we are disappointed withour auditors’ report that will be filexd in our Form 10-K, we understanxd that their professional standards limit theirr ability to assume continue positive sales and operating trends,” he said in a “We strongly and respectfully disagree with this view of our We foresee positive sales trends continuing duringt fiscal 2009. In addition, we believe ’ws decision to amend and extend our credi agreement demonstrates their confidence in and continued supporftfor Bakers.” Bakers reported Wednesday that its sales increased in the fourtg quarter but its profit dropped. Sales were $55.5 up 1.3 percent from $54.
7 million durinhg the same quarter ayear ago. Comparable store sales increased 3.6 percent, compared to a decrease of 6.8 percent in the prior-year period. But profift dropped to $500,000, down from $7.3 millionj in the fourth quarter last which included a gainof $4.8 millionj from the early termination of an operating For the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, Bakersw posted sales of $183.y7 million, down from $186.3 million the previous year, and comparable stores sales increased 0.5 percent, compared to a 12.3 percenf decrease in fiscal 2007. For the company lost $15 million, compared to a loss of $17.u7 million in fiscal 2007.
Bakers also announceds Wednesday that it has promoted CharlesDaniel III, currentlyu its vice president of finance, to executive vice presidengt and chief financial officer. St. Louis-basexd Bakers Footwear Group (Nasdaq: BKRS) is a mall-basedd retailer of moderately pricedf footwear and accessoriesfor women. It operates storea under the Bakers and WildPair names, with 240 storesa open.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
HP rolls out new green products - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
http://snagahouse.com/mississauga-rentals-finding-short-term-solutions.html
The Palo Alto-based HP’ds “Eco Solutions” offerings include a widget to encourage behavioral changes for PC userscallefd “The Power to Change,” aimedf at encouraging individuals and enterprises to power down theit computers at the end of the work day. The company has set a goal to save 1 billiob kilowatt hours of electricity by 2011 by reducingt energy consumption in itsvolume PCs. The company also now offerxs new printing tools to reducw paper usage andenergy consumption, and launched a line of serveres aimed at reducing energy consumption in the IT space.
“Wew want customers to know that we’rw here to help them, in this to save money and the saidBonnie Nixon, HP’s Director of Environmental Sustainability. “We see ourselvesx as a living lab and we benefit from this ourselvees through aggressiveemployee engagement.” In the serverd space, the company’s new ProLiant G6 server platformes feature technology that allows power capping to limiyt the power drawn by the and also allows customers to choose from four powerf supplies to match specififc applications and minimize power use. The new G6 platforms range from $1,679 to $17,029, basede on the configurations. The ProLianr servers start at $1,199.
According to Doug Oathhout, HP’s vice president of Green IT, Enterprise Servers and Storage, about two-thirds of the questionsd HP receives from IT managers focus on energy a change from a few years ago when budgetss wereless constrained. The amountr companies spend on energy use for data centers amounts to about 12 percent ofIT budgets, and couldr eclipse the amount companies spend on IT equipment, he “The goal with the new serverw is to reduce energy consumptionb IT uses by 50 percent,” he “Customers can take that 12 percentt and have it go south or even go flat so customere can have more to spen on real projects.
” Internally, the companty has reduced the number of its data centerxs from 85 to six, and from 6,000 software applications to 600 in the past three years. For the company’s HP Web Jetadmin tool gives customers the ability to measure and evaluat e their existing carbon footprint for a single printed up to aprinter fleet, and helps them understandc how they can reduce their impact and save money through “responsible printing.” An HP servicee then evaluates energy consumption, power usage and carbohn emissions.
The Palo Alto-based HP’ds “Eco Solutions” offerings include a widget to encourage behavioral changes for PC userscallefd “The Power to Change,” aimedf at encouraging individuals and enterprises to power down theit computers at the end of the work day. The company has set a goal to save 1 billiob kilowatt hours of electricity by 2011 by reducingt energy consumption in itsvolume PCs. The company also now offerxs new printing tools to reducw paper usage andenergy consumption, and launched a line of serveres aimed at reducing energy consumption in the IT space.
“Wew want customers to know that we’rw here to help them, in this to save money and the saidBonnie Nixon, HP’s Director of Environmental Sustainability. “We see ourselvesx as a living lab and we benefit from this ourselvees through aggressiveemployee engagement.” In the serverd space, the company’s new ProLiant G6 server platformes feature technology that allows power capping to limiyt the power drawn by the and also allows customers to choose from four powerf supplies to match specififc applications and minimize power use. The new G6 platforms range from $1,679 to $17,029, basede on the configurations. The ProLianr servers start at $1,199.
According to Doug Oathhout, HP’s vice president of Green IT, Enterprise Servers and Storage, about two-thirds of the questionsd HP receives from IT managers focus on energy a change from a few years ago when budgetss wereless constrained. The amountr companies spend on energy use for data centers amounts to about 12 percent ofIT budgets, and couldr eclipse the amount companies spend on IT equipment, he “The goal with the new serverw is to reduce energy consumptionb IT uses by 50 percent,” he “Customers can take that 12 percentt and have it go south or even go flat so customere can have more to spen on real projects.
” Internally, the companty has reduced the number of its data centerxs from 85 to six, and from 6,000 software applications to 600 in the past three years. For the company’s HP Web Jetadmin tool gives customers the ability to measure and evaluat e their existing carbon footprint for a single printed up to aprinter fleet, and helps them understandc how they can reduce their impact and save money through “responsible printing.” An HP servicee then evaluates energy consumption, power usage and carbohn emissions.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Horizon technicians ratify new contract - ATWOnline
firearms-somewhat.blogspot.com
Bizjournals.com | Horizon technicians ratify new contract ATWOnline Horizon Air announced that its technicians ratified a new four-year contract. Of the 72% of Horizon's mechanics who voted, more than 65% were in favor of ... Horizon Air Mechanics Ratify New Contract Alaska Air's Subsidiary Says Technicians Ratify New 4-Year Contract Horizon Air mechanics ratify new contract |
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
A.M. Best affirms Northwestern Mutual's high ratings - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
grachevakautawil.blogspot.com
A.M. Best affirmed its financial strength ratings ofof A++ and issuer credit ratings of “aaa” of Northwestern Mutualk Life Insurance Co. and its subsidiaru The outlook for both ratings is the Oldwick, N.J., ratings organization said Thursday. The ratingds reflect Northwestern Mutual’s sizable and matured individual life insurance conservativeoperating profile, strong operating performancw and superior risk-adjusted capitalization, A.M. Best said. Partiall y offsetting those positive rating factors was the recentf decline inNorthwestern Mutual’s adjusted capital and surplu due mainly to realized and unrealizee investment losses, A.M. Best said. A.M.
Best also noted that Northwester n Mutual maintains an above averag e aggregate exposure to private placement belowinvestment grade, or "junk," bonds, commercialp mortgages and equities. Despitr NM increasing the tota number of financial representatived over the pastcouplwe years, Northwestern Mutual may be challenged to continuse to grow the number of sales professionalzs while maintaining current levels of retention and productivitg over the long term, A.M. Best said.
A.M. Best affirmed its financial strength ratings ofof A++ and issuer credit ratings of “aaa” of Northwestern Mutualk Life Insurance Co. and its subsidiaru The outlook for both ratings is the Oldwick, N.J., ratings organization said Thursday. The ratingds reflect Northwestern Mutual’s sizable and matured individual life insurance conservativeoperating profile, strong operating performancw and superior risk-adjusted capitalization, A.M. Best said. Partiall y offsetting those positive rating factors was the recentf decline inNorthwestern Mutual’s adjusted capital and surplu due mainly to realized and unrealizee investment losses, A.M. Best said. A.M.
Best also noted that Northwester n Mutual maintains an above averag e aggregate exposure to private placement belowinvestment grade, or "junk," bonds, commercialp mortgages and equities. Despitr NM increasing the tota number of financial representatived over the pastcouplwe years, Northwestern Mutual may be challenged to continuse to grow the number of sales professionalzs while maintaining current levels of retention and productivitg over the long term, A.M. Best said.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Bills bolster Bell, irk rivals - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
madhu-westmeath.blogspot.com
(NYSE: BLS) will back Senate Bille 388 and 389. In the eventr of a federally certifiednatural disaster, SB 388 woulf allow BellSouth, the dominant local phon e company, to collect a 10 percent "storm surcharge" from the smallefr competitors that use its network. BellSouth ostensiblyh would use this money to defray the cost of repairingvits network, which suffered perhaps $600 million in damages from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The company could keep the surchargd in place up to a year from the date of the SB 388 is sponsored bystate Sen. Mitcuh Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, who is chairmab of the Senate Regulated Industries andUtilities Committee.
He compared it to the General Assembly's decision last year to cap taxe s on jet fuel in order toassist now-bankrupt -- the statre trying to support a major pillar of the local economy in time of even if it could only supply a few million dollarw when far more was needed. BellSouth spokeswomam LeAnn Boucher agreed withthat assessment. "Whaft we could potentially recoup from those other carrierzs using ournetwork wouldn't even [have] come to cleaning up from Katrina, she said. BellSout competitors are unhappy about the measure and its SB 389, which could strip them of millionsd of dollars in futures revenue.
Currently, whenever the Georgiaq Public Service Commission penalizesd BellSouth for failing to meet certain standardzs in reselling services to its those rivals receiveabout two-thirdsw of any fines assessed. BellSouth shelled out abouyt $1.8 million over the last 12 accordingto Boucher. But under SB 389, which Seabaugh also authored, BellSouth competitors would no longer see any ofthosr dollars. "I don't understand the logic," said Jerry Watts, a lobbyisg for ITC^DeltaCom Inc. "Ifd I'm suffering lost customers or a deterioration in the perceptionn of my service dueto BellSouth'e actions, there's a financial impact," which those finess offset.
The new bills come on the heelsof Seabaugh'e SB 120, introduced in 2005, which would prevent the PSC from regulatintg broadband Internet and cell phone service. Although BellSoutb (which posted $20 billion in 2004 could soon find itselr enjoying a little extra pocket its joint venture with may take a bit of a hit fromSB 395, the brainchiled of state Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon. SB 395 would prevent cell phone companies from extending the term of aGeorgiwa customer's service contract whenever that customer wants to add another change their number or otherwise modifgy their plan.
Staton said he was open to lettingv carriers continue requiring contract extensions when they provide new phonezs to existing subscribers in order to recoverthat cost. Cingular lobbyistf Steve Skinner said withoutthat ability, the companhy would be unable to offer its customerx new phones at subsidized prices. One bill unlikeluy to face corporate oppositionis Staton'ds SB 394, which expands on a stat e anti-spam bill signed in 2005 by specifically targetin scammers posing as legitimate companies such as or (Nasdaq: in unsolicited commercial e-mail.
These scammers "phish" for sensitive personal data by directinf recipients of the spam to visit Web sited that masquerade as thoseof banks, credit card companies, etc. Recipient s are then asked to enter theifr SocialSecurity numbers, passwords and the like. Statobn wants to hit offenders with jail terma of up to20 years, fines of up to or both. No Georgia-based businesses have complainedx to him of being he said. The most ambitiouse of the new measures, Senate Resolutionh 642 by state Sen.
Judson Hill, R-Marietta, would require two-thirds of both the House and Senated to agree in order to increase any existing state tax (including the corporatew income tax) or license fee or created any new ones. The idea is to make it very difficulyt for Democrats to raise taxes if they win back one or more chamberss in 2006 or at somefuturew date, Hill said. Also noteworthy: Stater Sen. Ralph Hudgens, R-Comer and chairmanj of the Senate Insurance andLabor Committee, has filed SB 384 and SB 385 at the request of state insurance commissioner John Oxendine.
SB 384 woulds add Georgia to the 20 statews that have already joined an interstate compact allowintg life insurance products approved for sale in any one stat e to be sold in allof them. Oxendinre said some of the nation's largest insurers, including MET) and , have been pushing Georgia to join the which won't become active until a few more states sign up. SB 385 gives Georgia-based insureres the ability to add municipalo bondsfrom U.S. and Canadian cities and counties with populationxs of lessthan 25,000 to their portfolios. Oxendinee crafted the bill, which he called vitap for localeconomic development, afterd ran into the regulation in Dodge County in 2005.
(NYSE: BLS) will back Senate Bille 388 and 389. In the eventr of a federally certifiednatural disaster, SB 388 woulf allow BellSouth, the dominant local phon e company, to collect a 10 percent "storm surcharge" from the smallefr competitors that use its network. BellSouth ostensiblyh would use this money to defray the cost of repairingvits network, which suffered perhaps $600 million in damages from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The company could keep the surchargd in place up to a year from the date of the SB 388 is sponsored bystate Sen. Mitcuh Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, who is chairmab of the Senate Regulated Industries andUtilities Committee.
He compared it to the General Assembly's decision last year to cap taxe s on jet fuel in order toassist now-bankrupt -- the statre trying to support a major pillar of the local economy in time of even if it could only supply a few million dollarw when far more was needed. BellSouth spokeswomam LeAnn Boucher agreed withthat assessment. "Whaft we could potentially recoup from those other carrierzs using ournetwork wouldn't even [have] come to cleaning up from Katrina, she said. BellSout competitors are unhappy about the measure and its SB 389, which could strip them of millionsd of dollars in futures revenue.
Currently, whenever the Georgiaq Public Service Commission penalizesd BellSouth for failing to meet certain standardzs in reselling services to its those rivals receiveabout two-thirdsw of any fines assessed. BellSouth shelled out abouyt $1.8 million over the last 12 accordingto Boucher. But under SB 389, which Seabaugh also authored, BellSouth competitors would no longer see any ofthosr dollars. "I don't understand the logic," said Jerry Watts, a lobbyisg for ITC^DeltaCom Inc. "Ifd I'm suffering lost customers or a deterioration in the perceptionn of my service dueto BellSouth'e actions, there's a financial impact," which those finess offset.
The new bills come on the heelsof Seabaugh'e SB 120, introduced in 2005, which would prevent the PSC from regulatintg broadband Internet and cell phone service. Although BellSoutb (which posted $20 billion in 2004 could soon find itselr enjoying a little extra pocket its joint venture with may take a bit of a hit fromSB 395, the brainchiled of state Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon. SB 395 would prevent cell phone companies from extending the term of aGeorgiwa customer's service contract whenever that customer wants to add another change their number or otherwise modifgy their plan.
Staton said he was open to lettingv carriers continue requiring contract extensions when they provide new phonezs to existing subscribers in order to recoverthat cost. Cingular lobbyistf Steve Skinner said withoutthat ability, the companhy would be unable to offer its customerx new phones at subsidized prices. One bill unlikeluy to face corporate oppositionis Staton'ds SB 394, which expands on a stat e anti-spam bill signed in 2005 by specifically targetin scammers posing as legitimate companies such as or (Nasdaq: in unsolicited commercial e-mail.
These scammers "phish" for sensitive personal data by directinf recipients of the spam to visit Web sited that masquerade as thoseof banks, credit card companies, etc. Recipient s are then asked to enter theifr SocialSecurity numbers, passwords and the like. Statobn wants to hit offenders with jail terma of up to20 years, fines of up to or both. No Georgia-based businesses have complainedx to him of being he said. The most ambitiouse of the new measures, Senate Resolutionh 642 by state Sen.
Judson Hill, R-Marietta, would require two-thirds of both the House and Senated to agree in order to increase any existing state tax (including the corporatew income tax) or license fee or created any new ones. The idea is to make it very difficulyt for Democrats to raise taxes if they win back one or more chamberss in 2006 or at somefuturew date, Hill said. Also noteworthy: Stater Sen. Ralph Hudgens, R-Comer and chairmanj of the Senate Insurance andLabor Committee, has filed SB 384 and SB 385 at the request of state insurance commissioner John Oxendine.
SB 384 woulds add Georgia to the 20 statews that have already joined an interstate compact allowintg life insurance products approved for sale in any one stat e to be sold in allof them. Oxendinre said some of the nation's largest insurers, including MET) and , have been pushing Georgia to join the which won't become active until a few more states sign up. SB 385 gives Georgia-based insureres the ability to add municipalo bondsfrom U.S. and Canadian cities and counties with populationxs of lessthan 25,000 to their portfolios. Oxendinee crafted the bill, which he called vitap for localeconomic development, afterd ran into the regulation in Dodge County in 2005.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Academic Team honoree: Mary Stottele - Business First of Buffalo:
http://www.onthisveryspot.com/about_what_we_offer.php
Accomplishments: Class valedictorian. SAT score of Perfect score on four Regents National Merit Scholarship letter of AP ScholarAward (wit h Honor). President of student charity Full name: Mary Norma Lynn Stottele. Born: Augustt 7, 1991, Buffalo. Parents: Diane Stottele. Residence: Favorite class: Chemistry (taught by Ronalr Stepien). “I found the material extremely interesting and I lovedthat class.” Collegew and likely major: , chemicapl engineering. Hope to be doing 10 years from now: “I hope to eitherf have my Ph.D. in chemical engineeringv or have finished law I would like to be marrieed and have myown house.” If coulx meet anyone from history: Marie Curie.
“Shre is a great role model for women in thescienceas everywhere.” If could have dinner with anyone now Gerda Weissmann Klein. “I have read her and she came to my schoo lto speak. She has such an enlightener viewabout life.” to proceed to the next Firstr Team honoree: Mary Kate Thielman.
Accomplishments: Class valedictorian. SAT score of Perfect score on four Regents National Merit Scholarship letter of AP ScholarAward (wit h Honor). President of student charity Full name: Mary Norma Lynn Stottele. Born: Augustt 7, 1991, Buffalo. Parents: Diane Stottele. Residence: Favorite class: Chemistry (taught by Ronalr Stepien). “I found the material extremely interesting and I lovedthat class.” Collegew and likely major: , chemicapl engineering. Hope to be doing 10 years from now: “I hope to eitherf have my Ph.D. in chemical engineeringv or have finished law I would like to be marrieed and have myown house.” If coulx meet anyone from history: Marie Curie.
“Shre is a great role model for women in thescienceas everywhere.” If could have dinner with anyone now Gerda Weissmann Klein. “I have read her and she came to my schoo lto speak. She has such an enlightener viewabout life.” to proceed to the next Firstr Team honoree: Mary Kate Thielman.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Life Sciences Firms Form Partnership - Inside INdiana Business (press release)
http://seiinc.org/our-programs-green-housing/our-programs-green-housing-pastprograms/
Life Sciences Firms Form Partnership Inside INdiana Business (press release) AIT Laboratories says it will become the first laboratory in the nation to use technology from Indigo Biosystems. Indianapolis, Ind., December 6, ... |
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Phases of the room - Minneapolis Star Tribune
onoeuqedol1902.blogspot.com
Phases of the room Minneapolis Star Tribune Shopa, who was single then, lived in the house for two years before she enlisted SALA architect Wayne Branum to help her figure out how to make the house ... |
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Zicam maker pulls products, but affirms safety - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
http://www.chizine.com/chizinepub/books/napiers_bones.php
The FDA said it receivec more than 130 complaints from consumers saying they have lost their sense of smell after using the Jennifer Warren, a former school teacherf who lives in Huntsville, Ala., said she lost her sensd of smell after using Zicam to prevenrt the duration of a cold a few years ago, but had never complained to the FDA or the company because she figuredf there was no way to prove Zicam caused her She said she doesn’t want to sue Scottsdale-based Matrixs (Nasdaq:MTXX) even after learninbg others have had the same experiences. “I don’t think Zicam was created to hurt she said.
“We sit here and we rip and we rave abouyt all these drugs not being allowed onthe market. The first time anythingt goes wrong, everybody wants to go sue, sue, sue. That drives me I honestly believe the people were tryingf to do something to help people not get William Hemelt, acting president and chier operating officer of Matrixx, said the FDA action was taken without reviewing research he would have been more than willing to “We think the science does not support this allegatiojn at all,” he said.
“Quite we would not be sellingt the product if we thought it was Zicam products use a homeopathic remedt called ZincumGluconicum 2x, which meanse they require FDA Dr. Sam Benjamin, a medical doctor with a homeopathic saidhe can’t figurd out why the FDA has taken so long to deal with the “I can think of no part of alternativwe medicine that summons up more worry to conventional physicians than said Benjamin, who has a medical talk show on KTAR 92.3 FM on Saturdayds at 2 p.m. and 1,000 followers on “There are so many drugsw around thatcause problems, why would one evenyt want to expose people to any danger.
” Brett a senior recall strategist at Stericycles Inc. in Lake Forest, Ill., is coming to Phoenic this week to meet with Matrixdx officials to see if he can help the companyg withdamage control. Usually, he companies will voluntarily recall a product before the FDAgets That’s not how it happenec with Matrixx. The FDA stepped in and warnee Matrixx that it had received more than 130 consumef complaints and that the company needed to stop marketing the product until it can put a warniny label on its packaging that it couldcausre anosmia. Over the past 10 years, Berty has workesd with manufacturers to conductaboutf 1,300 recalls, including Vioxx.
“Typically, the manufacturer will work with me priorr to approaching theregulatory agency,” he “The most important thing for Matrixz is you can turn a seemingly awful situation into an opportunithy if you’re judged by the public as being part of the How swiftly do they execute that will demonstrate their concerhn for the public’s safety.” When the FDA sent the warningg letter to Matrixx and advised consumeras not to use certain Zicam cold remedies, on June 16, Matrixx’d stock plummeted 70 percent to $5.7u8 a share. It bounced up a bit to $6.1e a day later, but nowhere near its 52-weeki high of $19.
74, near its trading point beforwe the FDA sent thewarning letter. For the fiscal year ende d March 31, Matrixx reported $13.8 millionh in net income on $112 million in net sales, up from $10.4 million in net income on $101 millio n in net sales a year ago. Hemelt said he will be meetingv with FDA regulators to discuszthe issue. He also scheduled a conferencde callwith investors.
The FDA said it receivec more than 130 complaints from consumers saying they have lost their sense of smell after using the Jennifer Warren, a former school teacherf who lives in Huntsville, Ala., said she lost her sensd of smell after using Zicam to prevenrt the duration of a cold a few years ago, but had never complained to the FDA or the company because she figuredf there was no way to prove Zicam caused her She said she doesn’t want to sue Scottsdale-based Matrixs (Nasdaq:MTXX) even after learninbg others have had the same experiences. “I don’t think Zicam was created to hurt she said.
“We sit here and we rip and we rave abouyt all these drugs not being allowed onthe market. The first time anythingt goes wrong, everybody wants to go sue, sue, sue. That drives me I honestly believe the people were tryingf to do something to help people not get William Hemelt, acting president and chier operating officer of Matrixx, said the FDA action was taken without reviewing research he would have been more than willing to “We think the science does not support this allegatiojn at all,” he said.
“Quite we would not be sellingt the product if we thought it was Zicam products use a homeopathic remedt called ZincumGluconicum 2x, which meanse they require FDA Dr. Sam Benjamin, a medical doctor with a homeopathic saidhe can’t figurd out why the FDA has taken so long to deal with the “I can think of no part of alternativwe medicine that summons up more worry to conventional physicians than said Benjamin, who has a medical talk show on KTAR 92.3 FM on Saturdayds at 2 p.m. and 1,000 followers on “There are so many drugsw around thatcause problems, why would one evenyt want to expose people to any danger.
” Brett a senior recall strategist at Stericycles Inc. in Lake Forest, Ill., is coming to Phoenic this week to meet with Matrixdx officials to see if he can help the companyg withdamage control. Usually, he companies will voluntarily recall a product before the FDAgets That’s not how it happenec with Matrixx. The FDA stepped in and warnee Matrixx that it had received more than 130 consumef complaints and that the company needed to stop marketing the product until it can put a warniny label on its packaging that it couldcausre anosmia. Over the past 10 years, Berty has workesd with manufacturers to conductaboutf 1,300 recalls, including Vioxx.
“Typically, the manufacturer will work with me priorr to approaching theregulatory agency,” he “The most important thing for Matrixz is you can turn a seemingly awful situation into an opportunithy if you’re judged by the public as being part of the How swiftly do they execute that will demonstrate their concerhn for the public’s safety.” When the FDA sent the warningg letter to Matrixx and advised consumeras not to use certain Zicam cold remedies, on June 16, Matrixx’d stock plummeted 70 percent to $5.7u8 a share. It bounced up a bit to $6.1e a day later, but nowhere near its 52-weeki high of $19.
74, near its trading point beforwe the FDA sent thewarning letter. For the fiscal year ende d March 31, Matrixx reported $13.8 millionh in net income on $112 million in net sales, up from $10.4 million in net income on $101 millio n in net sales a year ago. Hemelt said he will be meetingv with FDA regulators to discuszthe issue. He also scheduled a conferencde callwith investors.
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