Business & Technology Editors
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2001
Symbol Handheld Computers, Wireless LAN Technology,
The Key To Enhanced Customer Service
Imagine bypassing long lines at a hotel check-in counter and heading straight to the elevators and your hotel room. Now Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SBL), Galaxy Hotel Systems, owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Computerized Security Systems (CSS)-Saflok(R) have developed a solution for weary travelers and time-starved road warriors that allows them to check in at the curb, avoiding the traditional reception queues.
This new mobile guest check-in solution, a wireless mobile computing application that brings a new level of customer service and convenience to travelers, will be demonstrated by all four companies at the HITEC 2001 show (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference) in Orlando, FL.
The system is currently being used at the Sheraton Hotel in Parsippany, NJ. Starwood also plans to implement the solution in many of its Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W Hotels.
Equipped with a Symbol handheld computer and a mini-printer, hotel agents can check in guests, process credit cards, print receipts and program room keys at the curb, in the lobby or any other location in the hotel. The Starwood, "StarWalker," system was developed by all four companies, and features IBM middleware, hardware, software and mobile and wireless technology to integrate a hotel's property management system with the mobile device.
"This specialized technology creates a more pleasurable travel experience. With shorter lines and less hassles, our guests have more valuable time to relax, get work done or have fun," said Danny Hudson, Vice President, Property Technology Strategy, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "We believe that StarWalker will help refine even further the quality of service that Starwood is internationally known for."
The mobile guest check-in solution employs the Symbol SPT 1740 Palm Powered terminal, a web-enabled handheld computer, integrated with Symbol's Spectrum 24(R) wireless LAN. The pocket-sized SPT 1740 features a bar code scanner and pen access that allows hotel agents to perform a complete check-in, as well as make changes to a reservation, retrieve messages and other tasks that are typically performed at a fixed computer at the front desk. A mini Symbol PEP (Portable Encoding Printer) produces receipts and programs room keys.
"We're seeing a demand for mobile computing and wireless solutions similar to mobile check-in among a variety of vertical markets, such as air travel, retail, healthcare and package delivery, where saving time and improving customer satisfaction is critical," said Tomo Razmilovic, President and CEO, Symbol Technologies. "Hospitality is one of our new and promising markets. With our core strengths built around wireless mobile computing and our strong partner relationships, Symbol provides the ideal technology solution to the vertical marketplace."
IBM developed the application software that integrates the whole system and handles the integration, customization, installation and technical support services for the solution. IBM xSeries e-Server, running WebSphere Application Server, and MQSeries middleware are also part of the application.
"Weaving together all the behind-the-scenes components in order to move the front desk function to wherever the guests may be -- whether they're hopping out of a cab, in a meeting or at a gaming table in a casino -- involves a lot of hard work and technical expertise," said Mike Hulley, Vice President, IBM Global Travel & Transportation Industry. "This application allowed IBM to flex its 'integration muscles', and showcases how leading technology companies can work together to make the travel experience more convenient."
Saflok's electronic locking system was also used in the application to program the room keys. "Saflok will continue to be seen as the leader in building security and management systems for the hospitality industry. Through continued innovation and partnering, we look forward to integrating our technologies to provide solutions that enable our customers to set new standards in guest convenience and front desk efficiency," said Glenn Peacock, Director of Marketing, CSS-Saflok.
About Symbol Technologies
Symbol Technologies, Inc., winner of the National Medal of Technology, is a global leader in mobile data transaction systems, providing innovative customer solutions based on wireless local area networking for data and voice, application-specific mobile computing and bar code data capture. Symbol's wireless information appliances connect the physical world of people on the move, packages, paper and shipping pallets, to information systems and the Internet. Today, some 10 million Symbol bar code scanners, mobile computers and wireless LANs are utilized worldwide in markets ranging from retailing to transportation and distribution logistics, manufacturing, parcel and postal delivery, government, healthcare and education. Symbol's systems and products are used to increase productivity from the factory floor to the retail store, to the enterprise and out to the home. Information about Symbol is available at www.symbol.com and 1-800-722-6234.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT - news) is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com.
About IBM
IBM's Travel and Transportation Industry group and its Business Partners provide products, services and integrated solutions to all areas of the travel-related services industry, including hotels, gaming, cruise lines, travel agents and tour operators. More information can be found at www.ibm.com/industries/travel.
About Galaxy Hotel Systems
Starwood acquired the Hotel Systems Division of Geac Computers, Inc., from Geac Computer Corporation Limited, in April 2001, and recently renamed it Galaxy Hotel Systems, LLC. The acquisition was spearheaded by Starwood Technology and Revenue Systems (STARS) - a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Galaxy Hotel Systems has been a leading provider of proven property management solutions to the hotel industry for the last 32 years.
The start of a year is a logical time to set financial goals, be it cutting back on unnecessary spending, saving more for the future or improving the performance of an investment portfolio.
Whatever the goals, most people are heading into the final months of the millennium in a positive mindset.
One recent poll by Lutheran Brotherhood, a financial services company in Minneapolis, found 52 percent of Americans think they'll be better off in 1999; only 20 percent feel they'll be worse off. Nearly half predict incomes will rise, while 62 percent believe the economy will remain stable or improve.
``Even with the recent volatility in the stock market, many people are expecting 1999 to be a prosperous year,'' notes Les Bendtsen, Lutheran Brotherhood's manager of investment relations.
To make that a reality, financial experts are once again offering a magnitude of advice for the new year. Much has been said before, though for most people it's worth repeating since it involves breaking stubborn habits of years past.
A few financial resolutions for 1999:
-- Save more.
1998 was a dismal year. Americans set aside less than 1 percent of disposable income during the first three quarters, and the national savings rate actually dipped into negative territory in September and October.
The amount that should be set aside depends on age, income and debt load.
Some financial advisers think the average household should save around 10 percent of gross income. Others like to see at least three months' salary placed in a cash reserve for emergency expenses.
-- Contribute to retirement.
If you're not participating in an employer-sponsored savings plan, like a 401(k), start now, or increase the contributions. The advantages: Taxes are lowered and a tidy nest egg is built.
Remember, 401(k) contributions come from pretax dollars, and earnings on them are tax-deferred. Often times, employers match contributions.
If no plan is offered, or even if one is, consider an Individual Retirement Account as well. For certain people, contributions are tax deductible, but even if they're not, there are many advantages to having one. Roth IRA contributors, for instance, may qualify for tax- and penalty-free withdrawals long before they retire.
-- Review your investment portfolio.
Wall Street's volatility left some people rethinking their strategies. But experts stress that investing requires patience and discipline, and most individuals should be in it for the long haul.
You may need to shift out of certain investments periodically. You can't, for example, leave money in consistently underperforming stocks or funds and forget about it. Rules of thumb: Diversify and allocate assets according to risk level.
-- Cut expenses.
The best way to save and invest more is to spend less.
A budget is crucial. While preparing one, seek input from family members on ways to cut costs, then use a financial software program to crunch the numbers.
There are countless ways to cut back; some can be innovative.
``Brewing your morning coffee at home instead of buying it on the way to work could easily save $300 a year. Making a few phone calls to price shop for car insurance could net you another $400,'' says Mark Eisenson, coauthor of ``Invest in Yourself: Six Secrets to a Rich Life.''
-- Lower debt.
Americans are $6 trillion in the hole from credit cards, mortgages and other loans.
Take advantage of low interest rates to refinance your mortgage and trim monthly housing payments. Pay off credit card balances.
The longer card payments drag on, the higher the debt becomes. A $1,200 tab charged at 17 percent interest takes nearly 20 years to pay off and costs around $2,000 in interest if only minimum payments are made.
If you're having trouble paying bills, get help. The Consumer Credit Counseling Services in Silver Spring, Md., has offices nationwide and charges only a nominal fee for its services.
-- Do estate planning.
If you haven't drawn up a will or a trust, do so now.
A good estate planner can set one up and discuss important issues like dividing property, designating beneficiaries or powers of attorney, with an eye toward taxes.
-- Get organized.
Gather important financial and legal documents. Some papers, like old bank statements or check stubs, can be tossed; others, like insurance policies or tax returns, can't.
Develop a system for monitoring savings, investments and bill paying. Here, too, some of the current financial software can help.
Citibank offers a free workbook, ``Getting Financially Organized - Money Minder Worksheets.'' Call (800) 669-2635.
-- Understand personal finance.
There's plenty of information available through books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters and on the Internet.
They offer investment and tax advice, keep you abreast of legislative changes and keep track of important dates during this new year.
Russian mobile operator MegaFon is close to finalizing the acquisition of NetByNet, the fourth-largest Internet service provider (ISP) in Moscow, in a transaction valued at around US$360 million. The ISP is valued at approximately nine times its estimated EBITDA for 2011. MegaFon and domestic cableco MultiRegion were both granted permission by Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to acquire NetByNet in March. If the deal goes through as planned, it will signal MegaFon's long-desired entrance into the lucrative Moscow broadband market.
Founded in 2006, NetByNet provides broadband Internet access and approximately 90 television channels across its cable network, and currently has around 450,000 subscribers (including 6,000 corporate customers), of which about 85 percent are in Moscow and the surrounding region. Its largest competitor in that region's broadband segment is Comstar United TeleSystems (Comstar-UTS), which is believed to have a 30 percent market share in the city. NetByNet posted revenues of US$52 million in 2010, with EBITDA reported at US$25 million.
NetByNet is currently owned by Fairlie Holding & Finance Limited, whose main shareholder is Gregory Bernstein, with a 34 percent stake. Other shareholders include Gazprombank (31 percent), Aton Capital Private Equity Group (16 percent), and Ivan Tavrin (16 percent). The remainder of the company's shares are held by NetByNet's management. The company was put up for sale in October 2010, with national fixed-line operator Rostelecom initially expressing an interest in acquiring the ISP.
It's a boy A man's genetic make-up may play a role in whether he has sons or daughters, a study of hundreds of years of family trees suggests. Newcastle University researchers found that within families, boys with lots of brothers were more likely to have a higher number of sons themselves and those with lots of sisters were more likely to have lots of daughters. They looked at 927 family trees, with details on 556,387 people from North America and Europe, going back to 1600. The same link between sibling sex and offspring sex was not found for women. The precise way that genes can influence baby sex however, remains unproven. SMART SWIMMERS Men of higher intelligence tend to produce better quality sperm, UK research suggests. Researchers analysed data from former US soldiers who served during the Vietnam war era. They found that those who performed better on intelligence tests tended to have more - and more mobile - sperm. The study appears to support the idea that genes underlying intelligence may have other biological effects too. It's also thought that people with robust genes might be blessed with a biological "fitness factor" making them fit, healthy and smart. No show for tobacco The open display of tobacco in shops is to be banned in England and Wales, the UK government has announced. It's hoped that the display ban will reduce smoking. A UK government consultation on how to deter young people from smoking found the "overwhelming majority" of 100,000 responses backed the display ban. Countries such as Iceland and Canada that have removed tobacco displays, show that smoking prevalence among young people has fallen by up to10 per cent. Blister woes As if suffering from unsightly cold sores isn't enough, new research has just revealed that catching a cold sore also puts individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease. The herpes virus behind cold sores is a major cause of the protein plaques that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, scientists have shown. On the plus side, the latest discovery by the University of Manchester team may mean antiviral drugs used to treat cold sores could also prevent dementia. LOOK AFTER THE KIDS More than 800,000 children die each year from burns, car crashes, falls, drowning, poisoning and other accidents, according to a UN report. Millions more suffer injuries that leave them disabled for life, said the joint report by two UN agencies, Unicef and the World Health Organisation. Most accidents happen in developing countries, with the problem most severe in Africa and South-East Asia. The report warns that simple prevention measures could halve the number of deaths.
2007 Al Sidra Media LLC
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
Steven Abramson, MD, professor of medicine and director of the rheumatology division at NYU Langone Medical Center, hosted a webinar with colleagues from the medical center for rheumatoid arthritis community bloggers - bringing together, bench, bedside and the blogosphere to discuss advances in the investigation, care, and treatment of RA. The webinar can be viewed at:
http://coe.musculoskeletaldisease.med.nyu.edu/research/whats-up-with-ra-webinar
"Although we have made significant advances in the treatment of RA, many people continue to have significant symptoms. Today people with RA use the Internet as a resource to stay informed and support each other - and this was a good forum to discuss advances in arthritis research here at NYU Langone with a group that not only deals with the challenges of RA - but are vocal advocates for themselves and others," said Dr Abramson. "It's important that information about treatments and research be shared and disseminated from appropriate and reliable sources."
The webinar, "What's up with RA," was attended by several members of the RA online community. Presentations were followed by a brief opportunity to ask questions of the panelists, Steven Abramson, MD, professor and director of rheumatology and co-director, Center of Excellence on Musculoskeletal Diseases; Gregg Silverman, MD, professor of rheumatology and co-director, Center of Excellence on Musculoskeletal Diseases; and Soumya Reddy, MD, assistant professor of rheumatology and co-director of the NYU Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Program.
"A fascinating look into the revolutionary new world of RA, covering advances in knowledge about the disease, research and treatment," said Lene Andersen, who is the community leader for www.MyRACentral.com and author of the award-winning blog, The Seated View. "This webinar provided high-quality information that can be used to advocate for change in treatment approaches and patient empowerment for both clinicians and those who live with RA."
Keywords: Arthritis, Hospital, Joint Diseases, Musculoskeletal Diseases, NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine (see also Arthritis).
This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com.
Allot Communications Ltd. (NASDAQ: ALLT), a leading supplier of service optimization and revenue generation solutions for fixed and mobile broadband service providers worldwide, announced that a major Russian fixed and mobile operator with over 25 million subscribers has deployed Allot Service Gateway Sigma (SG-Sigma) platforms to offer revenue-generating parental control and anti-virus services to its subscribers. Nokia Siemens Networks acted as prime integrator on this joint project, which is the first major win to result from the strategic partnership between the companies. The solution has been initially deployed in two key hubs within the operator's network.
SG-Sigma acts as a nexus point in the operator's network, accurately identifying traffic in real time at high speeds, and enabling intelligent policy-based steering of subscriber traffic to these value added services. The solution identifies those customers who have subscribed to the service and steers only their traffic to the relevant VAS platform, allowing optimized deployment of VAS infrastructure. The centralization of network intelligence and service deployment in SG-Sigma enables the operator to quickly and efficiently activate these services, accelerate time-to-revenue and increase ARPU.
"This deployment is proof that Allot and Nokia Siemens Networks have a successful blueprint for monetizing network traffic," said Dmitry Serdega, Head of Sales Business Solutions, Russia at Nokia Siemens Networks Russia. "The synergy between our two companies ensures that subscribers have real choices to enhance their Internet experience."
"This deployment highlights how Allot and Nokia Siemens Networks have played a critical role in uncovering new sources of revenue for the operator by enabling them to offer a wide range of scalable, value added services," said Andrei Elefant, Allot's Vice President of Product Management and Marketing. "We are very excited about partnering with Nokia Siemens Networks to deliver creative and innovative solutions to service providers worldwide."
Keywords: Advertising, Allot Communications, Allot Communications Ltd, Electronics, Industry, Marketing, Mobile Broadband, Networks, Technical and System Software Companies, Technology Companies.
This article was prepared by Computer Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Computer Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) will report its first quarter 2011 results after the stock market closes on Tuesday April 26th, 2011 and host a live webcast and conference call at 10:00 am ET on Wednesday, April 27th, 2011. The call will last for approximately one hour.
A slide presentation which will accompany the call will be available at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com and will remain available after the call.
The call will be accessible by telephone at (877) 261-8992 and from outside the U.S. at (847) 619-6548; also, via the Internet at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com. To access, please go to the web site at least fifteen minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. Please use the conference identification number 29541774. A replay will also be available two hours after the call and can be accessed at (888) 843-7419 or (630) 652-3042 using the passcode 29541774#.
Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access solutions and electronic security solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.
Keywords: Software, Stanley Black & Decker.
This article was prepared by Computer Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Computer Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
Mission-driven charitable organization creates online space dedicated to helping emerging nations enter the global Internet community
MEDFIELD, Mass. -- The IUSN Foundation (IUSN), the leading mission-driven organization centered around leading and innovating within key channels of Internet governance and acting as a "good citizen of the Internet," announces the launch of its new website, www.iusn.org. This site has been created to further help emerging nations enter and grow within the global Internet community.
Since the Internet's infancy, The IUSN Foundation has been at the center of the global movement to keep it open and safe. Founded by American internet pioneer Bill Semich and run by its current President Per Darnell, the IUSN Foundation is funded by proceeds from the registration of .NU domain names by Internet users in Northern Europe, particularly Sweden, via its business partner World Names, Inc.
As an example of its current work so far, the IUSN Foundation has created a model for innovative provision of charitable services by giving the government and people of Niue, an island nation in the Southwest Pacific, the best Internet service in the Pacific and the world's only nation-wide free Internet. The IUSN Foundation also supports a wide range of benefits for the government and people of Niue, including:
* Substantial and long-term investment in building and maintaining a locally- and privately-run state-of-the art Internet infrastructure in an isolated island nation where none was previously available;
* Free Internet and WiFi service across the island nation to 1,400 residents, connecting them to 30,000 Niuean friends and relations living outside the country's borders in New Zealand, Australia and the rest of the world;
* High-tech training and education for residents;
* Funding of local sports teams; and
* Private sector job creation with the island's sole Internet service provider, known as Internet Niue, funded by the IUSN Foundation.
"The IUSN Foundation is proud of its success with bringing Internet and opportunity to Niue, and looks forward to helping other emerging nations join and grow in the global Internet community," says Per Darnell, President of The IUSN Foundation. "Our new website will also be a way to continue to further the Foundation's mission and goals and bring resources together for an enhanced experience."
The new IUSN website is designed provide valuable resources for emerging nations entering and growing in the global Internet community as well as to demonstrate innovation and Internet stewardship in furthering the mission of keeping the Internet open and safe.
In support of its charitable mission, and to stay on the cutting edge of Internet technology innovations, The IUSN Foundation maintains a leadership role in all of the major international Internet governing bodies including the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Internet Governance Forum(IGF), The Internet Society (ISOC), Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Association (APTLD), and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Most recently, the IUSN Foundation sponsored and presented at the APTLD meeting held April 8, and the Pacific Internet Governance Forum (the first-ever regional meeting of the organization to be held in the Pacific) on April 9-10. Key issues discussed along with major international partners including ICANN, the World Bank, UNICEF, and regional Prime Ministers and leadership, among others, were latest innovations in ccTLDs, furthering of mission objectives (i.e. the IUSN Foundation's focus to bring Internet to the people of Niue), and also connectivity across the region and any array of alternative technologies to be used to improve it, such as fiber, landline, or satellite. The IUSN Foundation was represented by its Chairman, Frank F. Lui, C.N.Z.M. and President Per Darnell. "These meetings have been very fruitful for the region, where these key governance groups can come together to share experiences and new technologies that will improve Internet access and connectivity across the Pacific," says Frank Lui. Per Darnell notes that ".NU is a consistently leading TLD in the region, and it is only natural for the IUSN Foundation to sponsor the first-ever Pacific IGF meeting as a recognized leader in Internet governance."
About The IUSN Foundation
The IUSN Foundation, based in Massachusetts, is a mission-driven nonprofit organization and recognized leader in the Internet governance sphere. Currently, The IUSN Foundation has successfully built the world's first model to provide free Internet and WiFi services, along with related training and education, private-sector job creation and a host of other charitable benefits, for the government and people of the Pacific island nation of Niue. The IUSN Foundation, founded by American internet pioneer Bill Semich and run by its current President Per Darnell, is an internationally respected charitable organization that relies on a longstanding marketing partnership with WorldNames, Inc., operator of the .NU domain name, to generate the funds needed to carry out its charitable missions. A pioneer in the domain business overall, The IUSN Foundation is unequaled in its ability to leverage high-level industry leadership and pioneering technological expertise to support the provision of charitable services furthering its mission of maintaining a free and open Internet. To learn more about The IUSN Foundation please visit www.iusn.org.
WALL, N.J. -- New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) invites investors, customers, members of the financial community and other interested parties to listen to a live Internet webcast of its second-quarter fiscal 2010 earnings results teleconference on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. ET. Laurence M. Downes, chairman and chief executive officer, will present an overview of NJR's financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010.
A few minutes prior to the webcast, go to www.njliving.com and select "Investor Relations," then click just below the microphone under the heading "Latest Webcast" on the Investor Relations home page.
New Jersey Resources, a Fortune 1000 company, provides reliable energy and natural gas services including transportation, distribution, and asset management in states from the Gulf Coast to the New England regions, including the Mid-Continent region, the West Coast and Canada, while investing in and maintaining an extensive infrastructure to support future growth. With over $2.5 billion in annual revenues, NJR safely and reliably operates and maintains 6,700 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve nearly half a million customers; develops and manages a diverse portfolio of nearly 2.3 Bcf/day of transportation capacity and more than 50 Bcf of storage capacity; and provides appliance installation, repair and contract service to approximately 144,000 homes and businesses. Additionally, NJR holds investments in midstream assets through equity partnerships including Steckman Ridge and Iroquois. Through Conserve to Preserve[R], NJR is helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency. For more information about NJR, visit www.njliving.com.
They say Google is eating our lunch. Gobbling, maybe. Shoot, to hear all the naysayers about newspapers nowadays, you'd think our plate would have been wiped clean by now, and not just by the world's most powerful Internet search engine, which is worth about $127 billion. Yes, that is a lot more money than all the newspapers in America will earn this year.
But wait. I was rewarded with a moment of insight on a rural hilltop this week, and it gave me a bit of hope about the work we're doing here, which is to say, about community based journalism.
You can't be in the newspaper business in 2009 and not be terribly worried. Thousands of newsroom jobs have been eliminated as publishers have struggled to bring payrolls in line with plummeting revenues. Great newspapers have shut down; others are on the edge. The Boston Globe, long one of the nation's mighty news organizations, narrowly averted closure this week when its unions finally agreed to painful pay and benefit cuts. Congressional hearings are exploring whether the federal government can somehow help (short of handouts, which nobody has seriously suggested).
That's the sort of thing I think about all day long, and that's what was on my mind Thursday as I drove the back roads through farmlands and hamlets, heading toward a dinner meeting in Washington County. It was a beautiful spring evening; distant storm clouds gave texture to the deep blue sky. I opened the sunroof, and the country air began to clear my head.
At the dinner I met dozens of people who are part of the Agricultural Stewardship Association. It's a terrific group that aims to permanently protect land for farming. So far it has put in place donations and easements that will keep 10,000 acres just north of the Capital Region forever committed to agriculture.
If there is a group that is as threatened as journalists, it certainly is small farmers. Depressed commodity prices leave them little profit at the end of the day. Tax laws give an edge to giant corporate farms. Residential development isolates farmers, often making them targets of changing community standards. (Nothing is quite as ironic as a city dweller who moves to the country, then begins to complain about the manure spreader nearby.)
But a viable farm economy keeps food on our table, and preserves a way of life that is fundamental to our vision of America. The conservation of farmland now will protect something vital for generations we will never know. This is important work.
As I stood among those farmers and their friends, watching golden sunlight on the rolling hills yield to dusk, it occurred to me that there's something we have in common beyond our worries about falling net income: We are rooted in a place.
A farmer can change crops or livestock breeds or methods of cultivation, and farming practices can either diminish or augment the soil. But you cannot move a farm. It is there until it is no longer a farm, at which point it is a subdivision or a factory site or a shopping mall.
So it is with a community newspaper. This is our place, and so it will be as long as we are practicing journalism.
Of course, you can move the factory that produces the newspaper, as the people who ran the Times Union 40 years ago uprooted the plant from downtown Albany to a suburban plot in Colonie. But a newspaper isn't the building where its creators work; it is, rather, the product of that work. And that has a place.
Our coverage decisions reflect our determination that you deserve to know about the functioning of our local schools, governments, police departments and businesses; that you should be able to read about our neighbors and our children, and understand what's going on beyond our own backyards. In our writing, we try to set a tone that reflects the language of our community; in our visual presentation, we embrace an aesthetic that matches our surroundings (our graphics even have a color palette based in the look of this place).
We know these neighborhoods and the terrain around us. We know the people here. It's our home. We can't answer every question you can think of, as Google might, but like the farmer whose family roots are deep on the land, this enterprise has a home. That's who we are, and it seems to me that, ultimately, it is what gives us value and will sustain us.
Rex Smith is editor of the Times Union. Share your thoughts at http://blogs.timesunion.com/editors.
M2 PRESSWIRE-29 July 2008-BUYINS.NET: CHTR, HTLF, MCHX, PCBC, PFCB, PSEC Have Also Been On BUYINS.NET Naked Short List For 13 Consecutive Trading Days(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
RDATE:29072008
BUYINS.NET, www.buyins.net, announced today that these select companies have been on the NASDAQ, AMEX and NYSE naked short threshold list for 13 consecutive trading days: Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR), Heartland Financial USA Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF), Marchex Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHX), Pacific Capital Bancorp (NASDAQ: PCBC), P.F.Chang's China Bistro Inc. (NASDAQ: PFCB), Prospect Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: PSEC). For a complete list of companies on the naked short list please visit our web site. To find the SqueezeTrigger Price before a short squeeze starts in any stock, go to www.buyins.net.
Regulation SHO took effect January 3, 2005, and provides a new regulatory framework governing short selling of securities. It was designed with the objective of simplifying and modernizing short sale regulation and providing controls where they are most needed. At the conclusion of each settlement day, data is provided on securities in which: 1) there are at least 10,000 shares in aggregate failed deliveries for the security for five consecutive settlement days, and 2) these failures constitute at least 0.5% of the issuer's total shares outstanding. Regulation SHO mandates that, if a clearing agent has had a fail-to-deliver position for 13 consecutive settlement days, that clearing agent, and the broker/dealer it clears for, must purchase securities to close out its fail to deliver position.
Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) through its subsidiaries, operates as a broadband communication company in the United States. It principally offers video services, high-speed Internet services, and telephone services to residential and commercial customers on a subscription basis. As of December 31, 2007, the company served approximately 5.22 million video customers and approximately 2.68 million high-speed Internet customers, as well as provided telephone service to approximately 959,300 customers. Charter Communications also provides commercial services comprising broadband communications solutions for business organizations, such as business-to-business Internet access, data networking, video and music entertainment services, and business telephone. Further, it sells local advertising on satellite-delivered networks. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri. With 407.88 million shares outstanding and 81.21 million shares declared short as of July 2008, the failure to deliver in shares of CHTR has not been resolved and a buy-in is imminent. According to quarterly data provided by the SEC, there were still 66,889 shares of CHTR that were failing-to-deliver as of September 28, 2007.
Heartland Financial USA Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF) together with subsidiaries, provides retail banking services in the United States. The company's deposit products include checking and demand deposit, negotiable order of withdrawal, savings, money market, individual retirement, and health savings accounts, as well as other time deposits and certificates of deposit. Its portfolio of loans includes commercial and industrial, agricultural, real estate mortgage, consumer, home equity, and lines of credit. Heartland also offers other products and services, including VISA debit cards, automated teller machines, online banking, safe deposit boxes, and trust services. In addition, it engages in investment brokerage activities. Further, Heartland offers vehicle, property and casualty, life, and disability insurance, as well as tax-free annuities. The company has strategic alliance with LPL Financial Institution Services to operate independent securities offices at its bank subsidiaries, as well as offers various investment services, such as mutual funds, annuities, retirement products, education savings products, brokerage services, employer sponsored plans, and insurance products. As of December 31, 2007, Heartland had 59 banking locations in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, and Colorado. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. With 16.31 million shares outstanding and 830,500 shares declared short as of July 2008, the failure to deliver in shares of HTLF has not been resolved and a buy-in is imminent. According to quarterly data provided by the SEC, there were still 17,793 shares of HTLF that were failing-to-deliver as of September 27, 2007.
Marchex Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHX) operates as an online advertising company and publishes local content in the United States. It offers search- and call-based advertising solutions that enable advertisers to reach their target audience online. The company provides local content network, including Web sites for helping users to find and make informed decisions about where to get local products and services; private-label local online advertising platform that enables aggregators of local advertisers to sell search marketing and/or call advertising packages through their existing sales channels; and pay-per-click advertising that targets the placements by category, site-, or page-specific basis, and account management services to help its advertisers optimize their pay-per-click campaigns. It also offers call-based advertising services, which include phone number provisioning, call tracking, call analytics, click-to-call, Web site proxying, and other phone call-based services; search engine optimization consulting services, which enable advertisers to optimize their Web sites for the proper indexing and ranking in the organic, or editorial, results of algorithmic search engines; feed management services that crawl and extract relevant product content from advertisers' databases and Web sites to create automated and targeted product and service listings; and bid management services, which enable advertisers to consolidate the purchasing, management, optimization, and reporting from their search and contextual advertising campaigns across various search engines and pay-per-click networks into one centralized place. In addition, the company offers a private-label local online advertising platform that enables customers to sell search marketing and/or call advertising packages to their end customers, which are then created, managed, and fulfilled through distribution networks. Marchex was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. With 40.16 million shares outstanding and 10.16 million shares declared short as of July 2008, the failure to deliver in shares of MCHX has not been resolved and a buy-in is imminent. According to quarterly data provided by the SEC, there were still 73,819 shares of MCHX that were failing-to-deliver as of September 28, 2007.
Pacific Capital Bancorp (NASDAQ: PCBC) operates as the holding company for Pacific Capital Bank, N.A., which provides a range of commercial and consumer banking services to households, professionals, and businesses primarily in the central coast of California. The company primarily offers its banking services under Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, First National Bank of Central California, South Valley National Bank, San Benito Bank, and First Bank of San Luis Obispo brand names. It offers a range of deposit products, including NOW accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts, time certificates of deposit, interest bearing deposits, and demand deposits. The company also provides various loans comprising real estate loans, home equity lines and loans, consumer loans, leases, and demand deposit overdraft protection products, as well as commercial, industrial, and agricultural loans. In addition, it offers safe deposit boxes, travelers' checks, money orders, foreign exchange services, and cashiers checks. Further, the company provides trust and investment advisory services, as well as a range of wealth management services. As of December 31, 2007, it operated 50 retail branches and 14 loan production offices. Pacific Capital Bancorp was founded in 1960 and is based in Santa Barbara, California. With 46.1 million shares outstanding and 10.31 million shares declared short as of July 2008, the failure to deliver in shares of PCBC has not been resolved and a buy-in is imminent. According to quarterly data provided by the SEC, there were still 35,432 shares of PCBC that were failing-to-deliver as of August 15, 2007.
P.F.Chang's China Bistro Inc. (NASDAQ: PFCB) through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and operation of restaurants in the United States. The company operates restaurants under the P.F. Chang's China Bistro' and Pei Wei Asian Diner' names. As of December 31, 2007, it operated 172 full service Bistro restaurants, 144 quick casual Pei Wei restaurants, and 1 Taneko Japanese Tavern restaurant. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. With 24.16 million shares outstanding and 12.22 million shares declared short as of July 2008, the failure to deliver in shares of PFCB has not been resolved and a buy-in is imminent. According to quarterly data provided by the SEC, there were still 19,817 shares of PFCB that were failing-to-deliver as of September 25, 2007.
Prospect Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: PSEC) is a private equity firm specializing in private mezzanine debt, senior secured debt, senior unsecured debt, publicly traded high-yield debt, bridge loans, private equity, and public equity, using both partnership and publicly traded closed-end structures. The firm typically makes equity investments in energy related companies with a focus on upstream, midstream, and downstream or power companies and assets, as well as other energy-related businesses that transact with the direct energy value chain. It primarily invest in oil and gas production, coal production, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, utility services, manufacturing, service, and industrial companies based in North America. The firm primarily invests between $5 million to $50 million and co-invests for larger deals. Prospect Capital Corporation was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City. With 26.27 million shares outstanding and 1.79 million shares declared short as of July 2008, the failure to deliver in shares of PSEC has not been resolved and a buy-in is imminent. According to quarterly data provided by the SEC, there were still 34,526 shares of PSEC that were failing-to-deliver as of September 28, 2007.
About BUYINS.NET
WWW.BUYINS.NET is a service designed to help bonafide shareholders of publicly traded US companies fight naked short selling. Naked short selling is the illegal act of short selling a stock when no affirmative determination has been made to locate shares of the stock to hypothecate in connection with the short sale. Buyins.net has built a proprietary database that uses Threshold list feeds from NASDAQ, AMEX and NYSE to generate detailed and useful information to combat the naked short selling problem. For the first time, actual trade by trade data is available to the public that shows the attempted size, actual size, price and average value of short sales in stocks that have been shorted and naked shorted. This information is valuable in determining the precise point at which short sellers go out-of-the-money and start losing on their short and naked short trades.
BUYINS.NET has built a massive database that collects, analyzes and publishes a proprietary SqueezeTrigger for each stock that has been shorted, www.buyins.net/squeezetrigger.pdf. The SqueezeTrigger database of nearly 2,050,000,000 short sale transactions goes back to January 1, 2005, and calculates the exact price at which the Total Short Interest is short in each stock. This data was never before available prior to January 1, 2005, because the Self Regulatory Organizations (primary exchanges) guarded it aggressively. After the SEC passed Regulation SHO, exchanges were forced to allow data processors like Buyins.net to access the data.
The SqueezeTrigger database collects individual short trade data on over 7,000 NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ stocks and general short trade data on nearly 8,000 OTCBB and PINKSHEET stocks. Each month the database grows by approximately 50,000,000 short sale transactions and provides investors with the knowledge necessary to time when to buy and sell stocks with outstanding short positions. By tracking the size and price of each month's short transactions, BUYINS.NET provides institutions, traders, analysts, journalists and individual investors the exact price point where short sellers start losing money.
All material herein was prepared by BUYINS.NET, based upon information believed to be reliable. The information contained herein is not guaranteed by BUYINS.NET to be accurate, and should not be considered to be all-inclusive. The companies that are discussed in this opinion have not approved the statements made in this opinion. This opinion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. BUYINS.NET is not a licensed broker, broker dealer, market maker, investment banker, investment advisor, analyst or underwriter. Please consult a broker before purchasing or selling any securities viewed on or mentioned herein. BUYINS.NET may receive compensation in cash or shares from independent third parties or from the companies mentioned.
BUYINS.NET affiliates, officers, directors and employees may also have bought or may buy the shares discussed in this opinion and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. Market commentary provided by Thomas Ronk.
BUYINS.NET will not advise as to when it decides to sell and does not and will not offer any opinion as to when others should sell; each investor must make that decision based on his or her judgment of the market.
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a companies' annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and BUYINS.NET undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
CONTACT: Thomas Ronk, CEO, BUYINS.NETTel: +1 800 715 9999e-mail: Tom@buyins.netWWW: http://www.buyins.net
((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).
THIS is a full transcript of Nicolass internet message as he wrote it& Is the anyone from Ireland or the UK here who is looking for a partner to commit suicide with? Let me first just say that I am not some wierdo who is looking to hook up with girls online or whos preying on depressed people for sex. I am simply looking for someone who like me is 110 per cent certain that this is what they want and who is looking for supportby doing it with me on whatever day we choose to go ahead with it. I am based in Ireland myself but I can travel to the UK if need be. I have done a lot of research on various methods and the one that appeals to me the most is the CO using a car method.
But unfortunately I do not have car. If you are reading this and you do have a car or you could rent one and are interested in dying via this method then please feel free to contact me by my email address below.
Another rather crude but effective method would be jumping. I already have a spot here in Ireland if I do go ahead with this method. Id rather not say where this spot is because of obvious reasons but I can tell you that its a 650-700ft drop and there is absolutely no security there and is easily accessible to all and any. Again if this method appeals to you then please contact me.
Another method which i have been contemplating recently is drowning. I am currently researching lakes and rivers to find the most discreet place to do it. I do have one place already in mind (here in Ireland) but I have not been there in a while so I will have to pay a visit to the site to see if anything has changed but it is a very good location for drowning and as far as I can remember it is a quite and discreet place.
I also have in my possession a large quantity of Valium 10mg for the big day so whatever method we use we will be heavily sedated. If any of these methods appeal to you and you are looking for a partner to be with than please contact me and we can discussit more. I am open to other various methods as well so if you have any other ideas than the ones Ive mentioned I will be happy to listen to them and I am also able to travel to the UK if need be.
Only people who are 110 per cent committed to committing suicide with a partner need apply!! (lol don't worry theres no application form to fill out.) Im just looking for someone who is committed to doing. I look forward to hearing from you, Alex.
